Coldhearted Boss(23)

“Or like Taylor Lautner,” she clarifies.

“Who?”

“The werewolf from Twilight,” she mumbles, followed by a low groan.

I’m smiling now, despite myself.

“You done much construction work in the past?”

There’s a long pause here, as if she’s working through a million thoughts in her head. Then finally, she replies softly. “No.”

“What made you start now?” I ask, no longer playing a game.

I want to know why she’s here. I want to know what possessed her to dress up like a guy and interview for a job in which she’ll be hauling lumber and slogging through mud in the sweltering heat and dealing with a hundred ill-mannered men.

“It seemed like a good opportunity.”

The way she says it is final, cut and dry. Then her sheets rustle and a few moments later, her breathing evens out and I know she’s fallen asleep.

Or, she’s pretending.





Chapter 10





Taylor





First thing yesterday morning—after finding out the suit was my roommate—I realized I had two options. One, I could quit and leave immediately, run as far away from this jobsite as possible and never look back. Two, I could find Jeremy and try to convince him that instead of sleeping here during the week, we should commute back and forth every day. That way, I’d still get to keep the job, but I wouldn’t have to room with him every night.

“It just makes sense,” I said while we walked toward the mess hall for breakfast. “You probably already miss Khloe, and I really need to check on McKenna. You know I don’t even get cell reception out in my cabin? Isn’t that crazy? Anyway, if we leave at 4:45 every morning, we should be able to get here before…”

My words trailed off as I realized he’d stopped listening. In fact, I don’t think he paid attention to any of my argument.

I tried another tactic.

“I really don’t like my roommate. That’s why I don’t want to stay here.”

I thought my honesty would appeal to him.

“Why? Does he know you’re a woman? Is that it? Because he’s going to find out and it shouldn’t be that big of a deal—”

“It’s not that.”

I know the men here will slowly start to realize who—or rather what I am. I’m not going to great lengths to hide it. These boobs and hips don’t lie, people.

He shrugged and held the door for me. “Then why don’t you just ignore him and sleep? I’m not driving home every day. Just suck it up. You only have to be with him at night. What’s the big deal?”

The big deal is that night is the worst time to be with the man! I’m supposed to get shut-eye with him lying directly underneath me? It’s impossible. I barely slept. I was an overly caffeinated psycho by the time lunch rolled around, so I doubled down on trying to convince Jeremy to go along with my plan while we were watching the never-ending training videos.

“C’mon, 4:45 AM isn’t that early!”

My words fell on deaf ears.

I realized then that I wouldn’t be getting my way with him. We weren’t going to commute every day, so I needed to find a new place to sleep.

I found Max at dinner, or rather he found me. I was sitting outside the mess hall with Jeremy, eating a turkey sandwich when he joined us.

He flicked the brim of my hat and smiled.

“You really aren’t fooling anyone with this—you know that, right? I’ve already heard a couple guys asking about you.”

I frowned, and he must have sensed my unease because he continued, “Nothing bad though. They were just curious about why a girl would sign on for something like this. I told them to mind their own business.”

I aimed a grateful smile his way. “I appreciate it.” Then the idea sparked. “Wait, where are you rooming?”

He nodded his head in the direction of the bunkhouses. “The last one there at the end.”

“Is there a spare bed?”

He smirked. “No, and the guy next to me snores so loudly I had to throw a pillow at his head last night. Besides, Jeremy told me you’re over in one of the cabins. That’s probably the best place for you, away from all this.”

I frowned, disheartened.

I’d managed one night in that cabin with Ethan; there was no way I’d survive another unscathed. I’d be better off just quitting and going home, and I was tempted to, really tempted, up until that night when my phone finally picked up a signal in the center of camp and I called my mom. The place was cleared out. Most of the guys were showering or back in the bunks, getting ready for bed. I’d been delaying my return to the cabin, trying to think my way out of this mess I’d found myself in when the call connected.

It felt so good to hear her voice, tears burned the edges of my eyes.

“I’ve been thinking about you so much since you left,” my mom said, a smile clear as day in her voice. “How are things going? Have they put you to work yet?”

My throat squeezed tight and words were hard to come by. I dragged my toe along the dirt, drawing a line. “Not yet. Tomorrow.”

“HI SIS!” McKenna shouted in the background.

My mom laughed. “Your sister says hi.”