Her Sexy Marine Valentine

Free labor. Free labor. Free labor.

No, this wouldn’t be torture at all.

4 (#ulink_fb7ecb36-9df2-5548-a5fe-d7a64f46fa55)

BRODY USED A rag to clean the last of the grout off the guest bathroom floor. The black-and-white hexagon tiles were dizzying up close, but when he stood and backed toward the door it made the bathroom appear bigger than it was.

“It’s an optical illusion,” Mari said from behind him. “And you did that so fast. I can’t believe it.”

“I put down floors in my grandmother’s house the last time I was on leave. She wanted tile and wood, so I learned a lot through trial and error. Every summer from about the time I was eleven until I went into the Marines after high school, I worked for my uncle’s construction company.”

It was one of the final chances he’d had to be with his grandmother, and he was glad it was a happy memory. She’d died from complications from a stroke later that year. As her only grandson, and with his mom gone, his grandmother left him her house, which he’d sold. That place had nice memories for him, but the offer had been good. And it would be several more years before he’d be able to pick where he wanted to live. Probably not until he retired from the military. He missed her—she’d been the one constant in his life when he was growing up. Well, that and working with his dad’s brother. But his grandmother had been such a solid female influence, and one of the kindest women he’d ever known. He rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes. Best not to start thinking about the past.

“I brought you some water, I didn’t know you’d be done so fast.” She handed him the bottle. Her pink bikini top was snug against her breasts and he had to force himself to look away. She was going to be his fake girlfriend, not the real one. It wouldn’t pay for him to act on his attraction to her. Keeping it simple was how he made it through each day. Work, eat and sometimes sleep.

Her head cocked. She was watching him.

“So it needs to dry overnight, and then we can start moving in the cabinets and stuff. Is there anything else we should get done tonight?” He chugged down the water.

“You’ve done so much already, thank you.” She handed him another bottle of water and took the empty from him. But her eyes were on the room behind him. He stepped around her, so she could have a better view.

“Wow. This is...wow. You really are fantastic at this. I mean, beggars can’t be choosers and all of that, but I wasn’t expecting it to look so professional. I’d hoped, but...this would have taken me at least a week and it wouldn’t have been nearly as good. I feel like I should pay you.”

“No,” he said quickly. He really needed her to help with his CO problem. “I mean, we have a deal and I don’t mind. To be honest, I like to stay busy.” When you slept only an hour or two a night, it left a person with a lot of free time. His landlord had been so pleased with what he’d done to the house he was living in, she’d knocked another fifty bucks a month off his rent. He still wanted to do the landscaping for her, but that wasn’t possible until spring.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said.

She glanced back at him.

“About needing anything else done tonight?”

Her eyebrow rose, and he’d give anything to know what she was thinking. From the expression on her face, he wondered if she might have taken his question the wrong way. As in sexually.

Nope. He couldn’t let his mind trip down that path, or he’d never survive the next week.

“There’s always something to do around here, but it’s almost nine. If you have time tomorrow night, maybe you could help me replace those fixtures. Meanwhile, the plumbing should be finished in the kitchen by Friday, until then I’m going to paint the bedrooms up here.”

“I could paint one of the bedrooms tonight.”

She put a hand on his arm. “You have to be exhausted. You worked all day. It can wait, and honestly, painting is the one thing I do fairly well. I’d rather use your help on some of the more difficult projects like the drywall.” While still holding onto his arm with one hand, she reached back to point downstairs with the other. Her bikini top slipped just a bit. Her luscious tan globes were absolutely mouth-watering. A little farther and he’d see—

No. He forced himself to look away again.

That didn’t keep her touch on his arm from sending heat to his groin. When he glanced at her hand on his forearm, she lifted it away as if he was hot to the touch.

“Sorry,” she said. “I—I know some people don’t like to be touched. I wasn’t thinking.”

He shrugged. “Not a big deal.”

Except when you do it. What was that? The urge to pull her close and kiss her senseless was overwhelming.

Have to get out of here now.

“Okay. Right. It’s late. You probably need your rest. I’ll be back tomorrow to give you a hand,” he said quickly. Then he was down the stairs and out the door before she could say anthing else. He hoped she hadn’t seen the erection tenting his shorts.

Jerk. She probably thought he couldn’t handle the soft touch of a woman.

You are a jerk and you can’t handle her touch.