Reaper's Stand(21)

No, I definitely shouldn’t come back. Not even a little bit.

“I don’t think that’s such a great idea,” I said quickly. “You probably don’t remember, but I actually have a boyfriend. We’re starting to get serious.”

“I didn’t mean you should come back to f*ck, although I’m all over that idea, too, if you change your mind. Don’t give a damn about your boyfriend, either, that’s between you and him. Nope, I want you back to clean again, maybe make more of that food. It’s really f*ckin’ good, and tonight I realized just how much nicer it is to come home to a house that smells like people actually live here.”

My brain froze.

“I don’t do houses,” I said. “I mean, this was a special deal. But I run a commercial business and I use crews. I manage things and fill in—I’m not interested in being someone’s housekeeper.”

“Two days a week,” he murmured. I felt his lips brush and it took everything I had not to moan. “You come here two days a week and I’ll make it worth your while.”

He leaned into me, and I felt his hardness touch my rear so lightly I wondered if I’d imagined it. This was not a legitimate business proposition. I needed to tell him where to go. Unfortunately my mouth wouldn’t work. It was too busy imagining what licking his nipples would feel like.

Bad London!

“Your crew came in and did cleanup after that last big party at The Line, remember? Did a real good job, too.”

I nodded, still unable to speak.

“I think Gage mentioned we might be looking for a long-term contract,” he continued. “Something more regular so we don’t have to count on the waitresses to shut down at night.”

“You should really consider it,” I answered quietly. “A business like that needs to be cleaned thoroughly every day if you want to keep it up right.”

“Contract’s all yours if you do my house, too. You cook two meals a week and you’ll do some grocery shopping. I’ll make it worth your while.”

Then he whispered a number that made my eyes widen. That was pizza money and then some.

“That per visit or per week?”

He laughed, and we both knew he had me.

“Per visit,” he said. “But you work around my schedule. I can be flexible, but I don’t want you out here cooking on nights I won’t be around.”

“Why don’t you just get one of your club girlfriends to do it?” I asked, wondering if I’d lost my mind. But having my crews seven days a week out at The Line? That would add up fast … The club paid top dollar, and like I said—they paid it in cash.

“Because they’re little girls with dreams and plans and bullshit,” he said, a hint of humor in his voice. “You’re a grown-up. You know this doesn’t end with wine and roses, whatever happens between us. When I don’t need you anymore, you keep the shifts at The Line so long as things stay drama-free. Got me?”

“Nothing is going to happen but cleaning and cooking,” I said quickly. “I have a boyfriend.”

Hayes pressed forward into me, and I felt the hard heat of him all along my back, so hot I thought my spine might melt. His erection dug into my bottom and I bit my lip to distract myself—otherwise I’d start grinding back against him like a cat in heat. Then he kissed my neck, tongue tracing along my jaw, and his teeth caught my ear. I moaned, desire twisting up from between my legs, swelling my breasts and hardening my nipples.

“Unless you plan on skipping your potluck, time to go,” Hayes whispered, giving his hips a slow twist. “And next time you see your boyfriend? Tell him I said hi.”

FRIDAY NIGHT

“Everything okay?” Nate asked, softly ending our kiss. We were at his place and I’d had a couple of glasses of wine, along with the very nice steak dinner he’d cooked for me. Now we were out on his back deck, me on a lounger and him on me, legs tangled together in the warm summer air.

This was it. Tonight we’d be having sex.

Why wasn’t I more excited about this? Guilt.

“I guess so,” I said, running a hand up and around his neck. Studying his face, I tried to smile but it felt all off.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, pulling away.

“Nothing.”

He snorted, then flopped down on his back next to me.

“You can’t lie for shit, Loni,” he said. “Just spit it out, okay?”

I sighed, but figured if I really wanted to build something with this man, I owed him the truth. “I felt very attracted to someone else this week and now I feel guilty and horrid.”

I don’t know what I expected—maybe that he’d be upset? Nate didn’t even blink.

“Did you do anything about it?”

“No,” I replied. “I didn’t. But I wanted to.”

“Who was it?”

I swallowed.

“Reese Hayes,” I said slowly. “And he wants me to keep coming out to his place to clean. He offered me a really good cleaning contract for the MC’s strip club, too.”

Nate frowned, but he didn’t blow up at me. In fact, I couldn’t read him at all. Rolling over, I leaned up on my elbow and reached down hesitantly to trace the lines of his face. He seemed lost in thought, and I wondered if I’d ruined everything.