He makes a snorting sound. “I’m getting more out of this trade than you.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“You’ve seen my place, right?” He averts his eyes to check on Cassie playing, and I can’t help but take that opportunity to look him over—again. My gaze drops, takes in the nice fit of his jean, the thickness of his thigh muscles. What was it the girls called him? Slurpalicious. Yeah, that was it, and okay, I’ll admit it. I’d like to lick him from head to toe and back up again.
“Do you want to get started?”
“Get started?” I ask.
WTF.
Please tell me I didn’t say any of that out loud.
He gestures toward his house. “On the cleaning. You said you’d get at it after school.”
“Right, of course.”
“What did you think I meant?”
Oh, that I could start licking you from head to toe.
“The cleaning,” I say quickly. “Just let me drop my books off inside, and I’ll be right back.” I hurry to my house and can almost feel his eyes burning into my back. I don’t dare look to check, though, but I am questioning my sanity. Do I even know what I’m getting into, inserting myself into this man’s life? No. But he’s good with his daughter, and I need my car fixed, so I need to do what I need to do.
But will I sleep with him?
What the hell?
I’m not one for one-night stands or quick flings, and sleeping with him has nothing to do with this arrangement. We both made that clear.
Oh, but you want to.
I give my head a good hard shake to get it on straight and step inside the front door, only to hear music blaring from the kitchen. I walk down the hall and find my roommates drinking at the kitchen table. I should have expected it. It’s Friday night after all, and another party at our house. Fortunately, I’ll miss most of it, thanks to a late-night shift at Pizza Villa. Jeez, who would have ever thought I’d be looking forward to that.
Sylvie jumps up when she sees me and her drink spills over the side of her glass. “We’ve been waiting for you to get home.”
“Why?” I ask, and go to the fridge. I take out the water and pour myself a glass.
“Don’t ‘why’ us,” Becca says. “We saw you leaving with the hottie next door.”
Val holds her hands up and waves her fingers toward herself. “Come on, spill.”
I take a long drink, and set the glass in the sink. “There’s nothing to spill. He gave me a ride that’s all.”
“A mustache ride?” Becca asks. I glare at her, and she frowns.
“So I take it you didn’t do the nasty with him?” Sylvie says.
Jesus.
“No, Sylvie. My car broke down, he’s fixing it, and gave me a ride so I wouldn’t be late for school.”
“That’s it?” Becca says, clearly disappointed in me.
“Well…” I say, unable to help myself from teasing them a bit. “There is one other thing.”
Sylvie squeals. “I knew it. Tell us.”
“Since I’m broke, he, and when I say he, I mean Jaxon, agreed that in exchange for fixing my car, I’d—”
“Fuck him!” Sylvie says and starts clapping.
As the four girls go ballistic, I fold my arms until their shrieks die down. When they finally settle, I say, “Sorry to disappoint you all, but all I’m going to do is clean and babysit for him.”
Becca grins at me. “Say what you want, Rachel. I can guaran—fucking—tee, that after spending time at his place, you’ll end up in his bed. I mean, you’re only human, right?”
“Right,” Val says. “And I am so freaking jealous, but I’ll get over it if you promise to give us all the details.”
“Contrary to what you girls believe, there will be no details,” I say.
“What’s his last name?” Becca asks, grabbing her phone. “Let’s creep him on Instagram.”
“I don’t know his last name,” I fib. No way do I want them stalking him online.
“Nameless sex. I love it,” Val says.
“I will not be having nameless or any kind sex with him,” I say, and keep to myself that I had been thinking just that thing when he was diagnosing my car.
Becca frowns. “How come you’re not on social media, Rach?”
“I don’t have time for it,” I say, a partial truth. After my ex-boyfriend threatened to kill me if I left him, I stripped my identity from the Internet so he couldn’t track me down. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have to go. Jaxon is expecting me.”
I turn, and exit the room. As I make my way up the stairs to drop my books off, I can hear their comments.
“Yeah, expecting you to bend over the coffee table for him.”
Giggles.
“Or expecting you to get down on your knees and take him deep.”
More giggles.
“Better yet, he’s expecting you in a hot little French maid outfit obeying his every command. I have one from last Halloween that I didn’t end up wearing,” Sylvie shouts. “You can borrow it if you want it as long as it gets some action and you give me all the details.”
I might be rolling my eyes at my roommates, but there is a part of me that’s listening, visualizing all those acts with the hot daddy next door. Heat prowls through me, and I hurry to my room, drop my books on my bed, and step up to my mirror. I give myself a once over, and pinch my cheeks to add a little color.
A noise outside my windows jolts some sense back in to me, and I take in a breath, let it out slowly, and make my way to my neighbor’s. I find Jaxon and Cassie inside the shop. The music is on, so I can’t hear what he’s saying to her, but from the intent look on her face it must be something very important.
My heart pinches. It can’t be easy being the mother and father in a relationship. Jaxon looks
