How to Love Your Neighbour(16)

A subtle pink glow lit up her cheeks, and something twisted in Noah’s chest. He ignored it because it wasn’t the focus here.

“Tequila and Lime are hardly attack dogs. They just wanted your paddle.”

He started to speak and she put up a hand, that shade of pink deepening. “Don’t. I heard it as I was saying it. Also, you have no hedging skills and your fence is now fixed by me.”

“So, you’re a dog walker, hedge expert, and carpenter?”

“I told you, I’m many things. But mostly, I’m an interior designer. I’m just about finished with my degree in design. But this?” She pointed at the fence. “That’s simple maintenance. It’s fixed. I’ll throw some paint on. Dion thinks he can match the shade.”

Noah looked around, then back at her. “Who’s Dion?”

When she shook her head, a pitying look in her gaze, his shoulders stiffened.

“He’s one of the men working for you. I think he’s inside right now.”

He did not like the way she was looking at him. He hadn’t met every person here yet, so sue him.

“Hey, Grace, thanks for the recommendation. My wife got us reservations for tomorrow.” Kyle joined them, taking the hammer from Grace.

“Reservations for where?” Why did he feel like he’d stepped out of his own life for days?

“It’s Kyle’s anniversary. He wanted to suggest somewhere unique for dinner because his wife is a foodie. I was just telling him about a farm-to-table restaurant that cooks the food table-side.”

Noah’s head spun. She’d fixed his fence, made friends with his workers, and looked like she stepped out of a sexy reality television show about home renovations.

“So? Are we good? We can forgo you trying to gouge my bank account with your silly painting nonsense?”

Jesus Christ. I’ve dined with heads of state and this woman just called me silly. Where am I? Noah needed a run, a stiff drink, and ten minutes alone with this woman, without his staff peering over his shoulder, to talk her into just moving the hell away.

“Fine. We’re even.”

She tilted her head. “Not quite.”

“Excuse me?” He put his hands on his hips.

Kyle covered a laugh, poorly, and slipped away.

“I want a tour of your house. You can give me that in exchange for being a grumpy old man.”

He felt like steam might come out of his ears. “There are so many things wrong with what you just said. I’m thirty-three. Nowhere near old.”

“Is that a no?”

“Why do you want to see my house?”

“Because I love seeing different spaces and it looks like you’re doing a lot of work. Seeing the before and after is my favorite. Well, that and all the steps in between. I love seeing what something can become.”

She shrugged and Noah’s heart tugged. He felt like she’d just opened a little window to herself and slammed it shut as soon as she realized it.

“Never mind. I have to get going. I don’t mind painting these pieces but I have to do it later.”

“You can see my house.” He spat the words out like he had no control over his own speech.

“Yeah?” Her gaze lit up and he thought of deep, rich chocolate.

His stomach tightened with unfamiliar feelings. “Yeah. Just knock on my door when you have time.”

She grinned. “Come and knock on your door?” She sang the words.

He stared at her.

“Seriously?”

“What’s happening?”

“Theme song for Three’s Company?” She stared, her lips parting.

“Never seen it.”

Grace rolled her eyes. He was pretty sure he’d never had someone show so much exasperation with him in such a short period of time. “Don’t get out much, huh?”

“You don’t make any sense,” Noah said, unsure if that was a good thing or not. “Why aren’t you painting the fence now?” He didn’t mean to sound demanding and he actually didn’t care, but for some reason he sort of liked talking to her. Even when they were arguing.

“I have to go paint faces.”

The guys started cleaning up behind them after Kyle hollered that it was time to close down for the day. Machines stopped and he could just barely hear the waves rolling again. One of his favorite sounds.

“How many jobs do you have?”

Her smile lifted something inside of him that was equal parts interesting and annoying. “As many as it takes. But hopefully, one day soon, just one. You?”

He chuckled when he thought about it. “Just one I guess. But it’s varied. I buy, sell, renovate, and reconfigure buildings, companies, and corporations.”

She nodded, leaned against the fence she’d fixed, comfortable in her own skin. It was soft, sexy skin. Do not go there. Maybe he should ask Josh to set him up with someone.

“Ahh. That makes sense. I thought I smelled some sort of executive scent on you.”

He was pretty sure that was an insult. “I think that’s the scent of success.”

She pushed off the fence. “Everyone has a different definition of that word. See you later, Noah.”

She strode around the fence, once again leaving him staring after her and questioning himself.