Barbara Dunlop - From Temptation To Twins

“Fair?” She gave a light laugh. “A Watford talking about fair? Let me add to that. A Watford talking about fair while he tries to talk a Parker out of something?”

Caleb knew he’d lost this round. There was no way she was going to listen to reason. At least not right now. The kiss had been a colossal error.

Then again, it was a fantastic kiss. He couldn’t bring himself to regret it. If that kiss was the biggest mistake he made today, it was going to be a good day.

“No comeback?” she asked. “Come on, Caleb. You’re disappointing me.”

“Is there anything I can say to change your opinion?”

“Uh, no.”

“Then is there any chance you’ll go out with me?”

The question seemed to take her aback, and it took her a second to respond. “You mean like on a date?”

“Yeah. You and me. Dinner, dancing, whatever.” He wasn’t exactly sure how they’d separate their personal attraction from their business interests, but he was more than willing to give it a try.

“Is that a joke? Are you trying to put me off balance?”

“Yes, I’m trying to put you off balance.” He took a couple of steps toward her. “But no, it’s not a joke. There’s obviously an attraction between us.”

“We have nothing in common.”

“I like kissing you.” And he was pretty confident that she liked kissing him.

Her expression didn’t soften at all. “I bet you like kissing a whole lot of women.”

Not as much as he liked kissing her. But the accusation was fundamentally true. And he didn’t want to lie to her. “I suppose I do.”

“Then take one of them out on a date.”

“I’d rather take you.”

“You’re too much.”

“You’re stubborn.”

“Give the man a gold star.”

The answer surprised him. “You admit to being stubborn?”

“Oh, yes.” She jabbed her finger against his chest. “And you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

He trapped her hand, holding it against his heart. “Fightin’ words?”

“You said it yourself. We’re both going back to our corners now to come out swinging.”

Her eyes were alight, her cheeks still flushed, her lips were still swollen from his kisses, and he could see a little pulse at the base of her neck. She was the sexiest woman on the planet.

“Don’t you dare,” she said, snatching her hand from his grip.

He couldn’t help but grin. “I’m not going to kiss you again.”

“You better not.”

“I’ll make you a deal.”

She shook her head.

“Not a business deal. A personal deal. Next time, you have to be the one to kiss me.” Even as he said the words, he feared he was making a mistake.

She might never decide to kiss him. But he had no choice. He couldn’t take the chance of misreading her signals.

Melissa bounced through the doorway, enthusiasm in her expression and in her tone. “Jules, this is Noah Glover. He’s offered to help us with the renovation.”

Jules expression immediately neutralized, erasing their kiss, their argument and everything else. Noah Glover had walked in, and she’d given him a brilliant smile that made Caleb jealous.

Noah was tall and brawny, with an unshaven face and a shaggy haircut. He looked like the kind of guy who worked all day out in the weather.

Jules smoothly closed the space between them. “Nice to meet you, Noah.”

They shook, and Caleb felt another shot of jealousy. He gave himself a ruthless shake. It was one thing to want to kiss her, even hold her, even strip her naked and make love to her—which he did. But it was something else altogether to be jealous of a man shaking her hand. He wasn’t about to let that happen.

“I hope Melissa warned you we’re on a tight budget,” Jules said to Noah. “We want to do as much of the work as we can ourselves.”

“I can work with a budget,” Noah said. “And as much work as you’re willing to do is fine with me.”

“That sounds perfect.” She was still shaking his hand.

That was it? The entire interview? They were going to hire the guy right here and now? What about reference checks?

Caleb stepped up and stuck out his own hand. “Caleb Watford. I’m a neighbor.” He wanted this Noah guy to know he couldn’t simply stride in and take advantage of Jules and Melissa.

“Nice to meet you,” Noah said.

His grip was firm. Of course his grip was firm. He was a carpenter. But Caleb was no slouch. From what he could see, they were about the same height. Caleb could bench press one-eighty, but Noah had a lot more calluses.

“And our sworn enemy,” Jules said.

Caleb slid her a look of annoyance. Did she have no idea that he was trying to help?

“What happened while I was gone?” Melissa asked, glancing from one to the other.

“Nothing,” Jules said quickly. “Well, more of the same.”

“I’m happy to get started tomorrow,” Noah said to the women. “If you pull together your budget, I’ll get going on some estimates, and we can see what we have for options.”

His voice was deep. Caleb wasn’t crazy to learn that. He’d heard women liked men with deep voices. It was supposed to instill a sense of confidence. He didn’t want Jules feeling overconfident with this stranger.

Caleb had never heard of Noah Glover. Was he local to the Whiskey Bay area? Was he passing through? His truck outside was old and battered, and he wasn’t exactly a poster child for professionalism. Caleb was definitely going to check him out.

“I’m up for that,” Melissa said. “I’m excited to get started.”

Noah gave her a nod. “Until tomorrow, then.” He gave a parting smile to Jules before he left the building.

“He really seems to know what he’s doing,” Melissa said as she watched him leave.

“You just met him,” Caleb said.

Both women looked at him in surprise.

“How can you judge his competency?” Caleb doubted either Jules or Melissa had any expertise in construction.

“He seemed open and straightforward,” Melissa said. “Talked in plain language. He came highly recommended.”

“Did you check his reviews?” Caleb asked.

“Melissa has a business degree,” Jules said.

That was news to Caleb. He didn’t know why it surprised him.

“Of course I checked his reviews,” Melissa said. “I am aware of the internet.”

Caleb wasn’t sure whether to backpedal or press forward. “I only meant...”

Jules’s voice turned to a sarcastic purr. “That sweet li’l young things like us might not know how to manage in the big bad world?”

He frowned at her. “I wondered why you’d trust him in a heartbeat and be so suspicious of me.”

“Experience and good judgment,” she said.

“That’s not fair.”

“I told you before, Caleb. You’re a Watford. There isn’t a reason in the world for me to be fair to you.”

* * *

“He really is hot,” Melissa said two days later.

Jules looked up from where she was stripping varnish from the wooden bar, expecting to see Caleb walk through the door. But he wasn’t there. At least, she couldn’t see him.

Melissa was pulling down the window trim, while Noah was outside setting up a survey level on a tripod.

Jules was momentarily confused and, she hated to admit, a little disappointed. Caleb might be annoying, but he was also interesting. He energized a room.

“You mean Noah?” she asked her sister.

“Who else would I mean? Look at those shoulders and those biceps.”

“He does seem to be in good shape,” Jules agreed.

She hadn’t thought of Noah as particularly hot, although she supposed he was fairly good-looking in a rugged, earthy kind of way. He was dressed in a khaki green T-shirt and a pair of tan cargo pants. A tool belt was slung low on his hips, and his steel-toed boots were scuffed and worn. He had sandy-blond hair, thick and a little shaggy.