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“All right,” André replied with a smile.
He was still in the same clothes from working in the studio earlier. He hadn’t gone home to change before heading north because he hadn’t wanted to waste any time.
The tools and extra gloves were easy to find around the front of the house on a small, covered porch. It looked out over the lake and he took in the view for a minute.
He knew Nikki had grown up in the city, but she’d mentioned the lake house as a place they spent their summers.
It was easy to picture her here swimming, fishing, living flat out and happy.
He grabbed a shovel and hiked up the ladder.
“My name’s Robert Harry, but you can call me Bob.” Bob stuck out his hand the minute André reached the top.
André grasped it in a firm handshake. “André.”
The man looked damn good for seventy. André would not have guessed his age. He was a few inches shorter than André but stood with his back and shoulders straight, effectively using every inch he’d been given.
Bob nodded and his gray eyes turned sharp. “Yeah, you’re the college professor who I was supposed to meet a while back.”
André braced for the scolding he deserved. Or to be told to get out and stay away from Nikki.
But that didn’t happen.
“Heard you built her the perfect office recently.” Bob nodded as if in approval, those eyes still sharp and calculating. “She seems to really love it.”
André couldn’t help the tug on his lips. “Happy to do it,” he said.
Bob showed him what they had accomplished so far and what still needed to be done.
They had to finish removing the shingles and check the roof for any repairs. And then apply new stuff.
It was pretty straightforward.
And the roof wasn’t that large. They could get it done in two days if all went well.
Two days and Nikki could be back in the city. That was André’s goal.
Nikki came over her side of the roof and he smiled as the memory of their incredible kiss rushed through him.
Had that happened just this morning?
He hadn’t allowed himself to think about it too much because her self-sabotage had taken precedence. The feel of her in his arms, the sound of her tiny gasps as her fingers twisted in his hair…
“This is stalking,” she said but there was no bite in it.
He smirked and let his eyes wander over her. She was a mess, roofing tar smeared all over her arms and clothes. Her face flushed from working in the sun, sweat glistening along her hairline…
He wasn’t sure if she’d ever looked sexier.
She shook her head at him when she realized what he was doing. He should probably cool it until they had time to go over all of his thoughts in detail.
Slow, deliberate, detail.
He took a breath and set aside his amorous feelings.
“Asa gave me the address,” he said, surprising her. He arched an eyebrow. “We need to talk.” About a lot of things. Including that kiss.
She rolled her eyes. “We’ll talk later. I want to get this done.” She turned around and went back to her side.
