used his good arm to lift his shirt and wipe the sweat from his eyes. The sun beat down like a sledgehammer against the back of his neck, and he wondered when this damn heat would let up. Then all of a sudden the crack and creak of boards being pried off the deck was replaced by cat calls and wolf whistles.
From somewhere to Luke’s right, Karl yelled, “ Mamacita! ”
“Stop screwing around and get back to—” Whoa. When Luke turned, he saw what had brought his workers to a dead halt. It was June, and she looked better than a chocolate ice cream cone in hell. A double scoop.
She wore a long, flowing tan skirt with some flowers or paisleys or whatever all over it—he couldn’t tell because he was too focused on the ivory swell of breasts heaving out of the top of her low-cut, sleeveless shirt. Her curly hair blew softly behind her shoulders as she drifted forward, just like an actress in some slow-motion television commercial.
“Hey, Luke,” she drawled, bending down to adjust the strap on her high-heeled sandal. If she leaned just a little further, those gorgeous breasts would fall right out, and by the look of his slack-jawed crew, every one of those bastards was wishing for it to happen. “Can we talk?”
“Um, yeah.” But not around all these salivating jackals. He told the men to get back to work and led June through the side door into the house. “There’re a few chairs in the kitchen.”
Luke watched her sway those voluptuous hips across the room to a wooden chair, which she dragged over next to his. Then she sank extra slow into the seat and gave him a look that oozed sex. She was up to something.
“Out with it, Junebug.” He rotated his stiff, aching shoulder. “What do you want?”
She reached into her purse and pulled out one of those plastic book report covers, the kind he only used for really important assignments back in school, then handed it to him. It was full of paint colors, pictures of model homes and flower beds, and information on girly stuff like furniture and interior design.
“What’s this?”
“It’s everything I can offer, if you let me help. Despite what you might think, I’m not a dolt. I know a lot about the real estate market from selling my condo and buying Luqu—”
“Stop right there.” Luke held out a hand, the wrong one, and sucked in a sharp breath. “I told you—”
“I can’t do heavy things, but what about cleaning and painting? And lawn care and landscaping? All that takes time, which you don’t have.”
He couldn’t deny she had a point. She must’ve taken his silence as encouragement because she smiled and kept talking.
“And I can help you with staging.”
“Staging?” Luke leaned forward and rolled his head to the side. Now his neck was feeling stiff.
“Yeah, using the right paint, furniture, and accessories to get the most money out of…” She paused and wrinkled her forehead. “What’s wrong with your shoulder?”
“Nothing. Just pulled it last night.”
“Take off your shirt.” She slipped off her sandals and stood up.
Luke laughed dryly and gave her a teasing grin before she disappeared behind him. “So you can violate me with your eyes again?”
“Look who’s talking.” June reached down and grabbed the bottom of his shirt and peeled it gently over his head. She moved a little too slowly, sweeping her fingertips over his ribs, and his pulse quickened a beat or two. Or fifty.
Her palm skimmed lightly across the skin on his shoulder. “Doesn’t feel swollen,” she mumbled to herself. “I think this’ll help.” And she began kneading his stiff muscles like a pro.
“Oh, god,” Luke groaned, closing his eyes and tipping his head back to rest against her belly. He couldn’t remember the last time something felt so good. Actually, he could. When he’d held her soft little body in Pru’s garden. But this was a close second. Though still tender, the pain in his shoulder nearly evaporated.
“One of my exes
From somewhere to Luke’s right, Karl yelled, “ Mamacita! ”
“Stop screwing around and get back to—” Whoa. When Luke turned, he saw what had brought his workers to a dead halt. It was June, and she looked better than a chocolate ice cream cone in hell. A double scoop.
She wore a long, flowing tan skirt with some flowers or paisleys or whatever all over it—he couldn’t tell because he was too focused on the ivory swell of breasts heaving out of the top of her low-cut, sleeveless shirt. Her curly hair blew softly behind her shoulders as she drifted forward, just like an actress in some slow-motion television commercial.
“Hey, Luke,” she drawled, bending down to adjust the strap on her high-heeled sandal. If she leaned just a little further, those gorgeous breasts would fall right out, and by the look of his slack-jawed crew, every one of those bastards was wishing for it to happen. “Can we talk?”
“Um, yeah.” But not around all these salivating jackals. He told the men to get back to work and led June through the side door into the house. “There’re a few chairs in the kitchen.”
Luke watched her sway those voluptuous hips across the room to a wooden chair, which she dragged over next to his. Then she sank extra slow into the seat and gave him a look that oozed sex. She was up to something.
“Out with it, Junebug.” He rotated his stiff, aching shoulder. “What do you want?”
She reached into her purse and pulled out one of those plastic book report covers, the kind he only used for really important assignments back in school, then handed it to him. It was full of paint colors, pictures of model homes and flower beds, and information on girly stuff like furniture and interior design.
“What’s this?”
“It’s everything I can offer, if you let me help. Despite what you might think, I’m not a dolt. I know a lot about the real estate market from selling my condo and buying Luqu—”
“Stop right there.” Luke held out a hand, the wrong one, and sucked in a sharp breath. “I told you—”
“I can’t do heavy things, but what about cleaning and painting? And lawn care and landscaping? All that takes time, which you don’t have.”
He couldn’t deny she had a point. She must’ve taken his silence as encouragement because she smiled and kept talking.
“And I can help you with staging.”
“Staging?” Luke leaned forward and rolled his head to the side. Now his neck was feeling stiff.
“Yeah, using the right paint, furniture, and accessories to get the most money out of…” She paused and wrinkled her forehead. “What’s wrong with your shoulder?”
“Nothing. Just pulled it last night.”
“Take off your shirt.” She slipped off her sandals and stood up.
Luke laughed dryly and gave her a teasing grin before she disappeared behind him. “So you can violate me with your eyes again?”
“Look who’s talking.” June reached down and grabbed the bottom of his shirt and peeled it gently over his head. She moved a little too slowly, sweeping her fingertips over his ribs, and his pulse quickened a beat or two. Or fifty.
Her palm skimmed lightly across the skin on his shoulder. “Doesn’t feel swollen,” she mumbled to herself. “I think this’ll help.” And she began kneading his stiff muscles like a pro.
“Oh, god,” Luke groaned, closing his eyes and tipping his head back to rest against her belly. He couldn’t remember the last time something felt so good. Actually, he could. When he’d held her soft little body in Pru’s garden. But this was a close second. Though still tender, the pain in his shoulder nearly evaporated.
“One of my exes
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