“I’m just sore. Between the fixes at the house and practices, I’ve used it a little too much this week.”
After loosening the attached piece, he sloshed toward her with the bad length of copper.
Faith’s body loosened in relief, and she smiled. “Oh, thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” He set all the tools and the pipe on shelves nearby. “Are you sure you can get the rest, or do you want me to help while I’m here?”
“No, no. I can get it.”
He gave her a nod and sloshed toward the stairs. “Well, it’s late. I should let you—”
Something tugged on his shirt. When he turned to see what he’d snagged it on, Grant found Faith’s arm extended, reaching for a fistful of his tee.
“Thank you.” She released his shirt and stepped back. “I really appreciate you coming over. This…freaked me out a little. I haven’t had anything big go wrong since my dad died.”
His heart twisted. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be to handle all this on your own.”
“Most days…” She shrugged. “I manage. But while you’re here…” She looked frazzled and vulnerable and so fucking beautiful with her bright eyes and flushed cheeks. “I was going to ask you tomorrow when you came by, but you’re here now, so…” She took a breath. “Do you want to go to dinner maybe? Or something? On a night when, you know, you don’t have practice?”
A zing of excitement coursed along his nerves, but he tamped it down. Grant planted his hands on his hips and lifted his brows. “Did you just ask me out?”
She dragged her lower lip between her teeth, fidgeted with the hem of her tee, and smiled a little. “Um, yeah.”
He grinned. “Have you ever done that before?”
She laughed. “No. Pretty obvious, huh?”
Grant pressed one hand to the cement wall and exhaled. “Is that what you really want, Faith? Dinner at a restaurant?”
She worked her lower lip some more. Then shook her head.
“What do you really want?”
She held his gaze but didn’t answer for a long time. And Grant didn’t pressure her, because he could see her working it out in her head. And because he knew this was a big step for her.
“You.” The word came out as a half whisper. She cleared her throat and said, “You. I want you. I want…” She exhaled heavily and shook her head. “I want to know what it’s like to be with you. With a man like you. Part of me wants just an hour. Part of me wants all night. I’m willing to take whatever works for you. I don’t…expect…anything more. I know you’re only going to be here a short time, and…”
She let her eyes close and all the air leak from her lungs as if the words exhausted her and she couldn’t bring herself to say more.
Grant was strung tight. Walking in, he’d known what he’d wanted—to corrupt a sweet country girl into a hot fling. Now…he still wanted that. But he wanted something else too. He just wasn’t sure what.
She was four feet away, and he needed her closer. Much closer. “Come here.”
She lifted her gaze to his, her eyes clear but confused. And she looked so fucking innocent right now Grant couldn’t believe how badly he wanted her. Couldn’t believe how hot she made him, looking like a drowned mouse. Or how those big blue eyes cut into him.
When she didn’t move he said, “Come. Here.”
She waded through the water and stopped six inches away.
He lifted his hand, stroked her cheek, and cupped her jaw, with a murmured “You are so fucking beautiful.”
Her lashes fluttered and closed. She leaned her head into his hand. And fire consumed Grant’s body. He’d always thought he preferred spunky, take-charge women. Women he didn’t have to work to get or work to please. But he couldn’t remember ever being this charged by a woman either.
“Tell me what you want, Faith.”
She opened her eyes, took the last step to close the distance between them, and reached out, taking handfuls of his tee into her fingers to twist. “I want you to take charge.”
His mind flashed back to their moment in the back room, and heat flooded his groin. His heart picked up speed.