SUSAN MEIER - Housekeepers Say I Do! - Maid for the Millionaire / Maid for the Single Dad / Maid in Montana

“Lots and lots of practice,” he said, preoccupied with pouring more white paint into his tray. “Don’t forget I did this kind of work four summers in a row. That was how I knew I wanted to run a construction company. I learned to do just about everything and I actually knew the work involved when I read plans or specs.”

“Makes sense.” She rolled gray paint onto the far wall. She’d heard that story before, but now that she was a business owner she understood it and could respond to it.

“In a way, I got into cleaning for the same reason. Once I realized what would be required of my employees, it was easy to know who to choose for what jobs and also what to charge.”

“And you did great.”

His praise brought a lump to her throat. In the three years they were married he’d never praised her beyond her looks. He loved how she looked, how she smelled, how soft she was. But he’d never noticed her beyond that.

She cleared her throat. “Thanks.”

Occupied with painting the ceiling, Cain quietly said, “You know this is going to be more than a one-day job.”

“So you’ve said.”

He winced. “More than a two-week job.”

She stopped. “Really?”

“Because we can only work weekends, I’m thinking we’re in this for a month. And we’re kind of going to be stuck together.”

“Are you bailing?”

“No!” His answer was sharp. He stopped painting and faced her. “No. But I have to warn you that I’m a little confused about how to treat you.”

Relief stuttered through her. She didn’t want him to seduce her, but she certainly didn’t want to be the only one fighting an attraction. “I thought we were trying to behave like friends.”

“I’m not sure how to do that.”

“Most of the day you’ve been treating me like a coworker. Why don’t you go back to that? Forget I’m your ex-wife.”

He glanced over at her and all the air evaporated from Liz’s lungs. The look he gave her was long and slow, as if asking how he could forget that they’d been married, been intimate.

Maybe that was the crux of their problem? Every time she looked at him something inside her stirred to life. She’d lived for three years without thinking about sex, but put him in the room with her and she needed to fan herself. Worse, through nearly three years of a bad marriage, they’d already proven they could be angry with each other, all wrong for each other and still pleasure each other beyond belief.

It was going to be difficult to pretend none of that mattered.

But they had to try.

She cleared her throat. “I could use a glass of water. Would you like one?”

“Please.”

In the kitchen, she took two bottles of water from the refrigerator. She pressed the cool container against her cheek. Late March in southern Florida could be hot, but being in the same room with Cain was turning out to be even hotter.

Still, A Friend Indeed needed his help. Amanda deserved a pretty home for herself and her kids. Liz was also a strong, determined businesswoman who had handled some fairly tough trials through the three years of running her company. One little attraction wasn’t going to ruin her.

Feeling better, she walked back to the living room, but stopped dead in the doorway. Reaching up to paint the ceiling, with his back to her, Cain stretched his T-shirt taut against his muscles. His jeans snugly outlined his behind. She swallowed. Memories of them in the shower and tangled in their sheets flashed through her brain.

She pressed the water bottle to her cheek again, pushing the pointless memories aside, and strode up behind him.

“Here.”

He turned abruptly and a few drops of paint rained on her nose.

“Oops! Sorry. You kind of surprised me.”

“It’s okay.”

He yanked a work hanky from his back pocket. “Let me get that.”

Enclosing her chin in his big hand to hold her head still, he rubbed the cloth against her nose. Memories returned full force. Times he’d kissed her. Laughing on the beach before running into the house for mind-blowing sex. Falling asleep spooned together after.

He blinked. His hand stilled. Everything she was feeling was reflected in his dark eyes.

The world stopped for Liz. Holding his gaze, knowing exactly what he was remembering, feeling the thrum of her own heart as a result of the memories that poured through her brain, Liz couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.

For ten seconds she was absolutely positive he was going to kiss her. The urge to stand on her tiptoes and accept a kiss was so strong she had to fight it with everything in her. But in the end, he backed away, his hand falling to his side.

Turning to the wall again, he said, “Another twenty minutes and I’ll have the ceiling done. If you want to go put blue tape around the windows in the dining room we could probably get that room done today, too.”

She stepped back. “Okay.” She took another step backward toward the door. “Don’t forget your water.”

He didn’t look up. “I won’t.”

Relief rattled through her. He’d just had a golden opportunity to kiss her, yet he’d stepped away.

She definitely wasn’t the only one who wanted them to be friends, not lovers, or the only one who’d changed.

When Liz was gone, Cain lowered himself to the floor. Leaning against the old stone fireplace, he rubbed his hand down his face.

He could have kissed her. Not out of habit. Not out of instinct driven by happy memories. But because he wanted to. He longed to. She’d hardly left the house for their entire marriage. Now she was a business owner, a volunteer for a charity, a confident, self-sufficient woman. This new side of Liz he was seeing was very appealing. When he coupled her new personality with his blissful sexual memories, she was damned near irresistible.

But the clincher—the thing that almost took him over the top—was the way she looked at him as if she’d never stopped loving him. As if she wanted what he wanted. As if her entire body revved with anticipation, the way his did. As if her heart was open and begging.

He’d always known he was the problem in their marriage. And now that he was older and wiser, he desperately wanted to fix things. But he didn’t want to hurt her again. He saw the trust in her eyes. Sweet, innocent trust. She was counting on him to do the right thing.

Part of him genuinely believed the right thing was to leave her alone. Let her get on with her life. Become the success she was destined to be.

The other part just kept thinking that she was his woman, and he wanted her back.

But he knew that was impossible.

WHILE THEY WORKED, Amanda and Joy returned from Joy’s playdate, and Amanda prepared a barbecue. Liz didn’t realize she was cooking until the aroma of tangy barbeque sauce floated through the downstairs. Just the scent brought Liz to the patio. A minute later, Cain followed behind her.

“What is that smell?”

Amanda laughed. “It’s my mother’s special barbeque-sauce recipe. Have a seat. Everything’s done.”

A glance to the right showed the umbrella table had been set with paper plates and plastic utensils. A bowl of potato salad sat beside some baked beans and a basket of rolls.

Starving from all the work she’d done, Liz sat down without a second thought. Cain, however, debated. She couldn’t imagine how a single man could turn down home cooking until she remembered their near miss with the kiss. Their gazes caught. He looked away.

She could guess what he was thinking. It was getting harder and harder to work together because the longer they were together the more tempted they were. But his stepping away from the kiss proved he was here to help, only to help, not to try to work his way back into her bed.