AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Part of me isn’t surprised by my reaction to him. All through high school and college, no one ever caught my eye. I would think that there was something wrong with me, if it hadn’t been for my crush on Wade. He’s always been the only one to make me feel like this.
Stop thinking about him!I order myself.
I park down the street from the old bank that now belongs to my clients and climb out of my car. The Montgomery project is an old brick building perched on a hill overlooking the harbor. It’s smack dab in the middle of town and is a great place for a boutique since it will get a ton of traffic from tourists and locals.
I walk up to the building and smile as I take it in. It’s the kind of place that has history etched into its walls, with high ceilings, intricate moldings, and an aura of faded elegance. I want to leave all of its old charm and try to incorporate some modern touches and I’m filled with a thousand ideas.
The front door creaks as I push it open, and I step into the dimly lit foyer, the smell of dust and old wood filling the air. I’mearly, but I want to get a feel for the space before the owners arrive.
I walk through the rooms, mentally cataloging the changes that need to be made. The outdated lighting fixtures with the broken bulbs, the worn floors that need a lot of love to be back in their prime, the cracked window up front. There’s a lot of work to do, but I can already see the transformation taking shape in my mind.
As I’m standing in what will eventually be the main showroom, I hear the front door open again.
Must be the owners, I think to myself, straightening up and putting on my professional smile.
But when I turn around, my breath catches in my throat.
It’s not the owner standing there.
It’s Wade.
He’s dressed in a plain gray T-shirt and dark jeans, a tool belt slung low on his hips. His dark hair is tousled, and there’s a smudge of dust on his forearm.
Does he have to look so damn hot?
“What are you doing here?” I blurt out.
He looks just as surprised as I feel to see me standing there.
“I’m here to work. I’m the contractor,” he says.
I blink, processing this new information.
Wade Collins is the contractor? The guy who’s going to be working alongside me, day in and day out, to bring this place back to life?
A mix of emotions rushes through me, surprise, curiosity, and if I’m honest, a little bit of excitement.
I blink, shifting on my feet as I take him in and try to push down my feelings for him.
He was a jerk last night! We don’t imagine what it would be like to feel those big hands on our body, we don’t fantasize about sleeping with him.
I shake my head, clearing those thoughts before they can fully form.
He looks every bit the contractor, rugged and hands-on.
I bet he’s strong. I mean he has to be from carrying around lumber and swinging a hammer all day. I wonder if he could pick me up and pin me to that wall there and then--Focus on work!
“Why are you here?” He asks me, his voice low and rough.
I shiver, my nipples tightening in my bra and I clear my throat, trying to hide all signs of my attraction as I answer him.
“I’m the interior designer for this project.”
“Oh. Didn’t expect to see you here so early,” he says as he walks around the room, taking note of the repairs that need to be done.
“I like to get a head start on things,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant.
He gives me a half-nod, his gray eyes pinning me to the spot and causing my heart to flutter in my chest.
