Chapter Four
IS THAT A WRENCH IN YOUR POCKET OR…
Joe returned to Lexie’s house first thing the next morning, after rescheduling the other job for Monday. This is an emergency, he told his conscience about blowing the other client off.
He pulled into her long dirt driveway ready to get to work, but one looming distraction made him edgy and unfocused. The distraction took the form of one short, disheveled, brown-haired librarian with glasses perched on her nose and goo stuck in her hair.
There was no denying the speed at which he’d rushed out here.
Joe checked his appearance in the reflection of his truck’s window and tucked in his shirt, a brand-new one with the Seabees Plumbing logo embroidered on the chest. He wondered if she liked a guy in uniform. Although he was no longer in the navy, it was still a big part of who he was.
He hurried to the big cottage to find it open but apparently empty.
Curious, he yelled “Hello” through the front door after knocking, but silence greeted him. Her old car was in the driveway. He knocked louder and waited, in case she was in the bathroom, and then strolled around the outside of the house.
Wondering where she might be, Joe walked to the cliff to look down at the beach and happened to arrive at the exact moment Lexie emerged dripping wet from the lake. She wore a teeny tiny bikini—just three small golden triangles attached to her glistening body by threads so breakable his fingers itched. It hit him like a physical punch to the gut, making him weak and almost knocking him to his knees.
With the rising sun behind him, Joe had a perfect view, the bright morning light shining down on her. Lexie stopped, facing the sun—and him—and raised her face, eyes closed, to soak in the warm early rays.
Joe froze, unable to think, breathe, or take his eyes off her. With her tight, muscular frame and golden tan, Lexie looked like an ancient Greek sculpture planted in the beach. She had the trim body of an athlete, neither model skinny nor enhanced curvaceous.
Unaware there was anyone about this early, Lexie seemed relaxed and unselfconscious. She took several deep breaths, and Joe’s eyes narrowed on her chest, her pert breasts rising and falling. She ran her hands down her body, sluicing off the water, smoothing over her chest, pushing the shimmering droplets all the way down her flat stomach. Joe drew in a harsh breath, wanting to lick those moist drops off her skin.
When her hands moved to her thighs and stroked downward, Joe’s dick jerked to attention inside his already too-tight jeans. Shit. Not again. When she bent over to stroke the moisture from her calves, Joe leaned forward to get a peek at the top of her curved ass. He itched to run his hands over her alluring body. He ached to hook his fingers inside the swimsuit bottoms and tug them down.
Abruptly, Lexie rose and moved toward the beach stairs, her eyes trailing up the hill. Their eyes met, and she skidded to a stop, surprise registering. Joe’s sensual fog evaporated faster than the time it would take to dump a bucket of chilly lake water on him.
He lurched backward out of her line of sight. “Stupid. Stupid,” he muttered, marching back to his truck. “She saw me already.”
He began unloading plumbing equipment onto the ground while willing his personal equipment to settle down, too.
“Hi. You’re already here,” Lexie called to his back, sounding breathless, as if she’d run up the two flights of beach stairs. “I thought you had another job to do this morning.”
Joe glanced down.
Shit! His bulging tool wasn’t going anywhere.
“Ah, yeah,” he yelled over his shoulder, pretending to organize his tools, the real ones. “The other site can wait, since it’s not an emergency.”
“Wonderful. Can I make you a cup of coffee?”
Lexie seemed full of energy, skipping up next to him. She also seemed way more comfortable in her string bikini than he would have thought given her attempts at modesty the night before. “You always this…wide awake in the morning?”
She laughed, a tinkling, joyful sound. “Not always, but I love swimming when it’s still quiet and no one’s around, a habit from my teen years when I practiced every morning at six a.m.”
Well, that explained her comfort level prancing around in a swimsuit. Having stalled as long as possible, Joe lifted out his metal tool kit. “I’ll pass on the coffee, but thanks.”
“Sure.” She laughed again. “Also, I can’t tell you how great it feels to have rinsed the wallpaper goo off my body.”
Joe looked over his shoulder hoping she’d put something on her now clean body…anything at all.
Nope.
As if he had no control of them, Joe’s eyes trailed down her damp, almost nude body. Pert breasts. Flat stomach. Tiny triangle barely covering her crotch.
He whipped his gaze away and grabbed a clipboard from the truck, holding it low as he turned to face her.
Lexie danced up next to him, her expression perplexed. “You okay?”
Before he could stop her, she reached out and grabbed the clipboard from his hand. “Let me get that, so you can carry the tool kit…”
Her eyes widened.
“The tool kit…” she repeated.
Her mouth dropped open.
“Oh!” Lexie’s eyes darted away, only to slide back for a second look.
“Actually, coffee would be great,” Joe croaked, sounding as if he’d swallowed a toad whole. He took the clipboard back and covered himself again, not that it mattered now.
Lexie jumped away, turning toward the old cottage. “Sure. Right away.”
Joe gave up any pretense to behaving like a gentleman. He watched every wiggle of her ass as she hurried to the front door. Knowing that one sharp tug on the bows and that little scrap of fabric would fall away made his hands clench.
He finished unloading his truck and met Lexie in the house. He was grateful that she’d thrown on some cutoffs and a T-shirt.
“I’ll be painting the guest rooms today if you need anything.” She handed Joe a steaming mug before leaving him to begin his assessment of her plumbing.
All morning as he toiled, digging around rusted pipes and plugging holes, Joe tried not to think about other softer, wetter holes.
It was a lost cause.
It strained his good nature as the hours passed. But it wasn’t just her enticing mixture of sexy dishevelment and hot bod that intrigued him. A college grad and clearly smart, Lexie’s intelligence appealed, too. He paused, resting his hand on a pipe. Add in her cute face and fun energy, and Lexie was the total package.
Several hours later, he had his answer. It wasn’t good news—for either of them. This was no small project. Disappointment at having to give Lexie bad news weighed Joe down when he sought her out. She invited him to the kitchen.
“I have both good news and bad news,” Joe reported as he placed his laptop on the table.
Lexie leaned forward, worry and hope alternating through her expression, her hands clenched tightly.
“First the easy part. I isolated the problem and shut off the water to the upstairs. So, you have working plumbing again downstairs. As for the bad news…”
Joe trailed off when he saw a flash of fear on her face. He guessed that no matter how big or small the expense, her bank account probably wouldn’t cover it. He didn’t know what he’d do then. His business was new, and he didn’t have extra funds for charity work.
He cleared his throat and continued. “The fixtures are mostly fine and much of the upstairs piping as well, but unfortunately, much of the downstairs piping’s in bad shape. Some of it is nearly a hundred years old, so it’s not surprising that it’s starting to go.”
“I understand,” Lexie said. “So, what’s it going to cost me?”
“There’s one other major issue. The main pipe leading up to the house has rusted out in a couple places. That’s why I dug up the yard. So…I estimate the entire job will cost in the range of eight to ten thousand dollars.”
“Oh!” cried Lexie. “That’s a lot of money.”
Joe held out his handwritten quote, and she looked at it, her face pale and tense.
…
Lexie reached out, trying to stop her hand from shaking, and took the estimate. She gazed down, the numbers blurring through her tears. She’d planned to remain stoic, not put her problems onto a near stranger, but there was no way she could hide her distress.
Joe reached over and patted her hand.
Taking several deep breaths, Lexie ordered herself not to lose it. She’d already made a fool of herself in front of this man more than once and wouldn’t break down into a blubbering idiot. Later, she’d cry her eyes out about her grand B&B plans falling apart—just not in front of Joe, the one man who’d made her feel desirable. She’d hate seeing that passion replaced with pity.
Concern in his expression, Joe offered, “Alternatively, I could replace some of the worst pipes and patch the better ones to bring the cost down. It won’t last as long, but it’ll hold for a few years at least.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t have the funds for even half that much.” She pushed back from the table and rose. “Thank you for coming out. How much do I owe you so far?”
Joe stood, too. He glanced around the kitchen, seeming to notice the fresh paint and new fixtures.
“I did this room first, knowing I’d need to eat and a place to do paperwork for my project.”
“Your project?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I bought this place, or actually my parents’ money and a big loan bought this place, but it’s my name, Alexis Ashley Kosta, that’s on the deed…and on the mortgage, too. I want to turn it into a B&B. It’s the only way I can afford to live here on a librarian’s salary.”
“Wow. That’s a big project.”
“Yes. On a shoestring budget. Although some work I’ve had to contract out.”
Joe walked around inspecting her efforts, his hand trailing along the new countertop. “I’m impressed. Do you have remodeling experience already?”
Lexie laughed. “None at all. Can I show you around?”
Joe nodded. “Sure. I’d like that.”
As Lexie led him from room to room, enthusiastically showing him what she’d already done and what remained, her financial worries receded slightly. She’d find a way. She always did.
Joe asked a lot of interested questions and complimented her work. Eventually, they found themselves on the veranda that faced the driveway, and she invited him to sit with her on a wicker sofa.
A possible solution occurred to her, but she needed fortification before presenting it to him. “Can I get you a glass of lemonade or wine…or a beer…or whatever you want?”
“Whatever I want?” His grin was pure sex, and she laughed.
“You’re such a flirt. But I like it.”
“Good. I like you.”
Happiness swept through her, in spite of her problems. “I like you, too. Now what can I get you to drink.”
“A beer would be great. Thanks.”
Lexie jumped up. “Wait right here and I’ll get it.”
In the kitchen, she grabbed two cold ones from the fridge. Lexie headed back out, but at the last second raced over to grab a thick document from a drawer, tucking it under her arm.
“Thanks,” he said, taking the bottle, and Lexie sat next to him, folding her legs under her. She placed the document on her lap, needing it near to give her courage, and took a long draught of the beer.
“Joe, I’m grateful for anything you can do to lower the cost, but I’m wondering, is it possible to pay in installments? Before you say anything, let me tell you my plan for the B&B.”
“It’s not something I can usually do, but, sure. Shoot.”
Anxiety tightened her gut and made her palms sweaty. If Joe turned her down, she was in big trouble. She would be forced to sell and hope she’d make enough to repay her parents. Rapid-fire, she explained her business plan and asked him again for credit, this time also offering interest.
Joe listened quietly, his expression neutral, and now he sat there not speaking as he gazed at the thick stand of trees that gave her place its tranquil privacy. Lexie feared he was trying to figure out the kindest way to turn her down.
“Look, Joe, I can imagine you think I’m nuts, starting a B&B on my own without any experience.” She leaned toward him, placing a hand on his arm.
Joe’s eyes jerked up, and he stared at her. Lexie forced herself to hold his gaze confidently, but her insides fluttered at the strange look on his face. She couldn’t quite place it. Male interest, perhaps, but that seemed crazy. Although her body seemed to recognize it—deep inside she tingled with heat.
Lexie picked up the document to show him. “What I lack in experience, I make up for ten times over in planning. I’m an expert researcher, trained by the best profs in library science. So, when I came up with this idea, I created a professional business plan.” She held it out and Joe took it. “It must be good because the bank gave me a giant mortgage in part because of the financials I developed to show I can turn a profit in a year.”
Lexie grimaced. “Well, it’s going to take longer now, but I’m telling you all this so that you’ll understand that I’m good for it. If you’ll agree to do the work on credit for a fair interest rate, you’ll get paid. It just might take a while.”
Joe flipped through the pages. “This business plan of yours…you did it yourself?”
“Yes, I did.” Lexie saw an opening. Wanting Joe to think it over rather than jump to a quick no, Lexie offered to make him lunch.
“Thanks. I’m starved.”
Rising, she said, “Why don’t you sit here and relax while I make some sandwiches, and you can take a look at my business plan. Reassure yourself that the financials are sound.”
He nodded, and she hurried to the porch door. Lexie took her time in the kitchen and twenty minutes later carried out a tray of hearty sandwiches, a salad for her, and more beer.
Joe jumped up to help her, dropping the plan on the swing.
“Impressive,” he said, placing the tray on a small table in front of them.
“Thanks.” Lexie joined him back on the swing. “I’m not much of a cook, but I can whip up a mean sandwich.”
Joe laughed. “The food looks great, but I was referring to your B&B plan. You didn’t have any help creating it?”
“No, I didn’t,” she responded proudly.
Joe took a huge bite of his sandwich. “I thought you were a librarian, but this reads like a business pro wrote it.”
“Yes, but I took some business courses in college as well.”
“I’ve never been to college.”
Joe shut his mouth, seeming surprised to have blurted that out.
“Ah. Well…” Lexie didn’t know what to say. “I promise you the figures are sound, but to be perfectly honest, I’ve no more money right now for this unexpected expense.”
Lexie sensed he was nearing a decision that would determine her future. “Please take a chance on me, Joe. It may take a while, but I always pay my debts.”
She picked up her salad but her stomach churned. She took another giant drink of her beer instead.
Finally, he spoke. “I have a proposition for you. My business is pretty new, too, but I’ve had some success already and there’s more work than I can handle alone. So I want to hire help and I need a second truck and equipment for that. But when I went to the bank asking for a loan they wanted a detailed plan showing how I’ll earn enough to pay it back.”
“I see.” Lexie nodded encouragingly, wanting to reach out and touch Joe on the arm again. She stopped herself, needing this to be all about business, even if his nearness made her pulse race.
“If you’ll let me work on your plumbing on weekends and nights, so I can do paid work during the day, then I’ll do it at cost.”
“At cost,” Lexie exclaimed. “That doesn’t seem fair to you.”
“And in return, I’d like your help with incorporating my business and writing a professional business plan.”
“That’s an amazing offer, but I don’t want to take advantage of you. I’m not a lawyer, which you probably need for incorporating.”
“I know it’s possible to do most of it myself, but all the paperwork and fancy language…” Joe paused, looking uncomfortable. “It made me wish I’d gone to college after the navy and not straight into plumbing.”
“Is that why your business is named Seabees?”
“Yeah. It’s the nickname for the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions.” Joe sat up straighter, and pride shined through in his tone. “At some point, well before me, the letters C B turned into Seabees, and our motto is ‘We build. We fight.’ It’s where I learned my trade.”
“Wow. Thank you for your service. I’m impressed.”
“As for the incorporating, I’m sure I can figure it out myself, but with your help I can get the paperwork done faster. Plus, where I really need help is with this.” He held up her plan. “I want something that will wow the bank.”
“I know I’m getting the better end of the bargain, but thank you.” Immense relief flooded through Lexie, making her giddy. Making her want him even more.
Joe stuck out his hand to shake on the deal, and Lexie eagerly reached out to him. When she slid her small hand into his large, strong one, a raw, delicious connection sizzled between them. His eyes widened, and she searched their blue depths.
I know you feel it too, Joe…
“So…we have a bargain.” Lexie’s voice sounded unlike her, all breathy and kitten-like.
“It’s my pleasure.” Joe’s voice sounded odd, too, especially deep and husky. He shifted uncomfortably, her business plan held tightly over his lap.
Lexie stared, wanting with hot urgency to see what she guessed he hid under those papers. Wanting, for once, to be the kind of woman who could capture a man like Joe. Pushing far out of her comfort zone, she looked him in the eye and purred, “I think our bargain could bring us mutual pleasure.”
Joe groaned and Lexie bolted off the swing.
He grabbed her hand. “Wait! Don’t go.” Joe’s fierce tone matched the heat sparking within her.
Lexie looked down at him, at where their hands met, at the strained expression on his face. Was it hunger or derision?
…
Joe tugged on her hand, but she remained standing.
Shit! Fuck! His conscience told him to let her go, but he wanted that soft and sultry Lexie back with an urgency that overwhelmed him. Now! He wanted her right now.
“Sit!” It came out rougher than he meant, but she sat. He didn’t release her hand.
“Joe… I…” Her whispered purr seduced him in two syllables. “I shouldn’t have teased you.” Then knocked him down in six, but he didn’t believe her.
“I don’t think you were teasing.” Joe waited, hand still holding tight to hers. Please don’t say you were.
Lexie stared at him, searching his face. Finally, she whispered, “No. I wasn’t.”
She wants me too.
Joe couldn’t stop the grin, probably more of a leer, that spread across his face, power filling him, testosterone surging. He pulled her onto his lap and whispered in her ear, his tone dusky and dark and definitive. “I’m going to show you all about mutual pleasuring.”
She gasped, and he caught her mouth with his. Joe wanted to give more pleasure than he took to seal the bargain. He held her tightly against him, loving how soft and warm she felt on his lap but also worried she’d try to bolt again before he had the chance to show her how great they could be together, something he knew instinctively deep inside.
Joe dragged his tongue across the seam of her mouth, begging entrance. Lexie moaned, her eyes closing and her lips opening just enough. He thrust his tongue into her, seeking her sweet moist heat and urging her surrender. She melted against him, becoming a near boneless bundle of warm curves. She moaned louder as his hands explored her body, grasping her buttocks to lift her and place her firmly against his aching hard shaft before raising one hand to cup her breast through her top, loving the pointy peak pressing against his palm.
Lexie demanded more, grasping his hand and squeezing it hard against her breast. “Yes,” she murmured, panting and restless. He squeezed again and she rewarded him, grinding her firm ass against his throbbing dick.
“That feels so good.” His pitch was guttural and needy. He bucked his pelvis to increase the exquisite sensation, but it wasn’t enough. He craved greater friction and her wet warm heat.
His hand slipped inside her top and under her bra, and she arched back against his supporting arm to offer him greater access. He tweaked her nipple between two fingers and loved her throaty, moaning response.
Joe hungered to see her, taste her, pleasure her with his mouth. He pulled away long enough to push her top and bra up. Lexie’s eyes opened to watch him, but she didn’t stop his actions.
“So beautiful.”
His quiet exclamation sounded worshipful and eager. Two soft mounds topped in pale pink strained upward to his mouth. Lust blasted through him.
“I want you.” The hoarse plea revealed his desperate need. He lowered his head, lips parted, and drew a tight peak into his hungry mouth.
And Lexie froze. She became stiff in his arms.
He hesitated, eyes seeking hers and seeing shock.
“A car,” she croaked between pants.
A low rumbling registered vaguely as Lexie lurched upright, tugging her bra and blouse down and stumbling to her feet.
His world slowed, tilted. Stunned, he barely moved as Lexie scrambled to adjust her clothing and pat her hair, before wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. Joe shook his head sluggishly and inhaled a deep breath, seeking equilibrium.
As if through a tunnel, he watched a light blue four-door pulling around the curve of the dirt drive into view.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
Joe’s gaze shifted to Lexie. Her face red as a Bing cherry, she repeated, “I’m sorry. I totally forgot I’d invited my friend for a swim today.” Her speech sped up as the sedan sped closer. “Janet rarely swims. The lake’s usually too cold. She’s elderly. But the forecast was for northerly currents so I knew it would be warm.”
“It’s okay.” Joe reached out and squeezed her hand.
“No. I…I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he said again, more strongly.
But inside—Fucking A!—it wasn’t okay. He wanted Lexie back on his lap, right this instant. He wanted to carry her inside and give her all the mutual pleasuring she could handle.
Joe pushed himself stiffly to standing and walked slowly down the porch stairs toward his truck, reaching it just as Lexie’s friend pulled to a stop behind him. He had just enough time to grab the clipboard with his left hand. This is becoming a bad joke. His low chuckle reeked of frustration.
He took another breath and glanced worriedly at Lexie, who’d followed him down. She looked agitated. “It’s okay,” he repeated a third time. Quietly, for her ears only, he added, “Just know that we’re going to finish our…bargain. Sometime soon.”
Lexie sucked in a harsh breath. “Shh. It’s my boss.”
A petite woman emerged from the car clutching a small beach bag and wearing a delighted expression. “Hi sweetie.” After giving Lexie a quick hug, she turned to him. “I remember you, Joe, and I’m pleased that you won a seat on the town council. I voted for you, ya know.”
“Thank you for your vote, ma’am, and I remember you, too.” He moved closer and reached out to shake her hand, trying to appear relaxed. Her impish expression told him he wasn’t succeeding.
“I’m so glad our new librarian has made a…friend?” Plainly, she was asking a question to which Joe didn’t have an answer. Yet.
“Janet, I’m so glad you could finally come for a swim,” Lexie jumped in, still talking a breakneck mile-a-minute. “Wasn’t sure you could. It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?” She gestured toward him. “This is Joe Van der Meer. But you know him, right? He’s my…”
Lexie paused, whether to catch her breath or because of embarrassment wasn’t clear, although her face still looked like she’d been out in the sun way too long. “He’s doing some work for me. I had a pipe burst. It was awful. You should come inside and change.”
She started to guide the woman toward the house, and Joe scowled at Lexie’s back. Doing some work for you? Thanks for that.
It was a novel thing for Joe to be relegated to nothing more than a contractor by a woman he’d just kissed. Most were eager, often too eager, to claim a romantic attachment. But Lexie was different, a quality that had drawn him to her but now annoyed the heck out of him.
Lexie glanced back at Joe and their eyes met. She shrugged the tiniest bit. “Sorry,” she mouthed, before calling, “Thank you so much, Joe, for your hard work. I really appreciate it.”
Joe stood there, stock still, and watched her disappear inside. The moment broken. Possibly gone forever.
Damn!
For the remainder of the afternoon, Joe attacked his work, aiming to keep his mind off Lexie, his body too exhausted to care. However, it didn’t help that he knew she was frolicking in the water, nearly naked in her string bikini.
That night, in restless sleep, Lexie returned as sexy as ever. Visions of her haunted him through one sex-filled dream after another. In slow motion, everything hazy, Joe took off her coveralls to reveal the enticing woman beneath, caressing every inch of her body… He turned and she became a morning seductress emerging from the lake, and he stripped off the skimpy fabric triangles to lick every droplet of glistening water from her nude body… Carrying her, naked, to his bed, he settled a moaning Lexie onto her back and moved between her thighs to lave at her wet pussy, thrusting his tongue inside as she writhed and cried his name aloud…
“Aaagh.”
Joe surged upright in bed.
Sweat dripped from his body, and his throbbing dick demanded relief. Joe lay back, panting, and gave up fighting his desire. Taking hold of his rod with both his hands, he stroked the aching length of it, replaying in his mind the hot show she’d unknowingly performed for him on the beach. Then he took their aborted foreplay on the porch to its conclusion. His strong hand tightened, and Joe stroked faster and harder until he groaned quietly and exploded with hot relief, images of the two of them intertwined filling his mind.
It was respite from his driving lust although not nearly enough. Joe sighed and rolled over, but sleep didn’t come again until almost dawn, the alarm startling him out of yet another erotic scene with Lexie.