Don't Tempt Me

“Sure.” Colt gave Honor a crooked grin. “How about if we just relocate it?”

“Far away?” she asked hopefully.

“The woods on the other side of the creek should work.”

That intrigued her enough that she lost her jitters. “You can get to it?”

“Yeah, sure. Be right back.” He and Hogan walked off.

Leaving Jason and Honor alone.

As a reminder not to keep touching her, Jason again shoved his hands into his pockets. “Once your yard is in shape, you’ll see that just beyond that line of trees is the creek. I put in a stone path to it from my backyard and built a little bridge to get over it to the other side. With all this rain, it’s almost like a river.”

“I didn’t realize it was that accessible.” Enthusiastic, she added, “I want to see it.”

“Now?” He eyed her dirty knees and the scratches on her arms. She was certainly dressed for it.

“No, not while they’re putting a snake there.” She went back to hugging herself.

Did she think it would be snake free at some point? Jason stepped closer to her. “Could I ask a favor?”

Jumping on that, she replied fast, “Yes, of course. I’d love a way to repay you.”

“I didn’t mean... There’s nothing to repay.” He gave one shake of his head. “If you go to the creek, will you be sure to take one of us with you?” He held up a hand. “I know you’re more than competent, but it’s unfamiliar—”

Wearing a cheeky grin, she added, “And there’ll be at least one snake there.”

“—and it’d be better if you weren’t alone.”

They stared at each other.

She turned shy again. “You’d go with me?”

“Yes.” Even as he reminded himself not to pressure her, he eased a step closer.

“Okay. Thank you.”

Why did it feel like he’d just made a date for the prom? Unable to resist, he lifted a hand to her face and brushed his thumb over a smudge of dirt on her cheek. Silky, warm...would she be that soft all over? “I like your boots.”

Dimples appeared in her cheeks. “Thank you. I didn’t want my feet to get dirty.” Her eyes widened. “Oh my god, my filthy boots! I tromped into your house.” She turned a circle, looking everywhere for tracks, but then she slowed and breathed in awe, “Wow, your house.”

Proud of all the work he’d done, Jason enjoyed watching her face, seeing her admiration as she visually explored.

She did another turn, taking in the cozy family room and peeking into the formal dining room. “It’s amazing. I love your doors, and baseboards, and all the trim.”

“The millwork is original to the house. When I remodeled and expanded things, I matched the existing trim with original moldings salvaged from area teardowns.”

Eyes wide, she took in the higher ceilings and then the wide-plank wooden floors. “I’m blown away.”

Her house was similar to his but smaller and without the major renovations. “Want me to show you the rest of it?” A tour seemed like a good opportunity to advance their relationship. He’d open up to her—and maybe she’d open up to him.

“Yes, please.” Quickly she removed her boots and put them by the door. “Your place is twice the size of mine.”

Jason stared at her small bare feet with the toenails painted pink. She’d only removed her boots, but it hit him like a striptease.

He forced his gaze back to her face. “I added to the length of the kitchen, one bathroom and my bedroom.” Gesturing for her to go ahead of him, they went down the hall and started with Hogan’s room. His brother wasn’t particularly messy, but the setup—a somewhat converted den—made organizing tough.

“Hogan is camping out in here until he can make other arrangements. You can probably tell I’d turned the room into more of an office space. Things are shoved around now, mostly out of place.”

Leaning in through the doorway, Honor admired the many windows, the floor and area rugs and the heavy masculine furniture. “It’s gorgeous—and I think it’s terrific that you and your brother are close enough to rely on each other.”

“Family first,” he said. “Always.”

She beamed at him in approval, making him wonder again about her family.

Next he showed her the hall bath done in white subway tiles, dark wood and a grayish blue paint. Because Colt and Hogan tended to use the spare shower in the basement, the room remained nice and tidy.

At the other end of the house—closest to where she lived—he showed her Colt’s room, which was predictably cluttered.

She took it all in and smiled. “Typical high school kid?”

“Been a long time since I was a high schooler, so I can’t say for sure, but it seems to me he’s a hell of a lot more mature than most. Messy, yes, but mature.”

She grinned as she pulled the door shut. “He is pretty terrific.”

“Agreed.” Jason led her to the last bedroom.

His own.

“Until Hogan and Colt moved in, I’d never lived with a kid. Even at Colt’s age, I was neat, and Hogan was never exactly a slob. But Colt...” He grinned. “I swear the kid could clutter up an empty lot.”

“He’s generous with his time.” Guilt made her wince. “It seems I’m always working him now.”

“With everything that’s happened, I think he likes staying busy and being appreciated.” He cupped his hand to her neck and moved his thumb over the side of her throat. “You’re generous with your gratitude.”

She moved nearer so that with each step, their bodies brushed together. “We haven’t talked about anything too personal, but I know he misses his friends.”

“The loss of his mom, the move—it’s all disrupted his life in a big way.”

“I can imagine.”

Jason looked at her, but she kept her expression blank. “Since they moved in, a lot of the time has been transitioning here. Hogan still has business to wrap up in Columbus, and occasionally Colt can accompany him there, so he sees his old friends just enough to keep him from completely settling in here.”

“Rough.”

He nodded. “All in all, he’s handled it well. At least from what I can see.” Colt was a private kid. If he still suffered over the loss of his mom, he kept it to himself.

Honor shoulder-bumped him. “I’m glad he’s here with you.”