As though attempting to lighten the mood, Brad brought the conversation back around to Candace and Anna. “Tell me more about your friends. It sounds like the three of you are pretty close.”
She drew a breath, centering herself. “Yeah, like we always said since grade school, BFFAA.”
“BFFAA?”
“Best friends forever and always.”
He shook his head and chuckled. “Ah, of course. How could I not have known that?”
She shot him a smart-assed look and turned the conversation back to him. “If you’re from Hillside, why did you come all the way to Mason Creek for such a small job?”
Face serious, Brad spent a long moment looking at her, as though assessing her, his blue eyes intense, his jaw clenched. Then, as quickly as it had disappeared, his easy demeanor returned. With a lighthearted tone, he said, “No job is too small.”
Something told her that wasn’t entirely the truth. Was there more going on with Brad than he let on? Never one for subtleties, she was about to probe, but stopped herself when Anna and Candace poked their heads in.
Lindsay jumped to her feet. “Hey, girls, come on in.” Lord, over the last few days, they’d all been so busy designing their own rooms they barely saw one another.
“Hey, Lindsay. Hey, Brad.”
Lindsay crossed the room and gave her friends a big hug. “How are you girls making out?” She narrowed her eyes and pressed her hand to Candace’s forehead. “Are you feeling okay? You look a bit flushed.”
Candace shook her head. “Just hungry. Been working out…I mean, working hard.”
Lindsay turned her attention to Anna and noticed that she had that old familiar dreamy look in her eyes. Good Lord, had she been dreaming of fairy tales, Prince Charming and happily-ever-after again? For a moment she wondered what they were up to in their rooms.
“Anna, are you okay?”
Anna blinked and said quickly, “We’re heading out to lunch and to run a few errands. Can you join us?”
The way she’d redirected the conversation hadn’t gone unnoticed. Lindsay was about to press but the sound of a truck pulling into the driveway gained her attention. She rushed to the window to peer out. “It looks like I’ll have to take a rain check, ladies. That’s my equipment.”
After she waved Candace and Anna away, warning them not to work too hard if they weren’t feeling well, Brad piped up. “Let me help you.”
Lindsay looked over her shoulder and cast him a sideways glance. “What’s that?” When she caught his dark intense gaze, her entire body went up in flames. He had that look in his eyes again. One that spoke of hunger and longing, and did weird and wonderful things to her insides.
He stood, brushed the dust from his jeans and stalked toward her, closing the distance between them. As he invaded her personal space, his heated glance slid over her body like a lover’s caress.
For a moment silence stretched between them, then he repeated, “Let me help you.” His voice was like a low velvet seduction. When Lindsay heard the dark desire creeping into his tone, she swallowed.
Hard.
Heartbeat accelerated, she opened her eyes wide and regarded him. Her voice wobbled. “Okay” was all she managed to squeak out.
He adjusted his body so it pressed against hers. A warm palm cupped her face. His smile was slow. Inviting.
Wolfish.
Sexual tension hung heavy in the air and curled around them. “Since you love to watch me while I’m hard at work, why don’t you let me carry in your equipment and really give you a show.” She saw the mischief in his eyes.
Oh. Good. God.
He looked like he was going to eat her alive.
And heaven help her, she’d like nothing better.
4
Two hours later, after they had carried in all the furniture and put together a gigantic king-sized bed, Brad stood back and watched Lindsay straddle her brand-new padded bench. Long legs spread wide on either side of the elongated black piece of bondage equipment, a smile lighting up her gorgeous brown eyes. Bouncy chestnut curls fell over her shoulders and tumbled in silken waves as she twisted her head back and forth admiring all the new toys.
Desire slammed through him as he took in the erotic vision before him. Of course, there was only one problem with the picture. Lindsay still had her clothes on, and her arms and legs weren’t bound.
His cock grew hard thinking about it.
Brad studied Lindsay a moment longer. There was no denying they both wanted each other. The sexual tension between them was palpable. The room had been buzzing with sexually charged electricity since the minute they’d met.
He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb, pondering her desire to create a lovers’ BDSM room.
The more he thought of it, the more he realized Lindsay really didn’t seem the type to design such a fantasy-inspired theme room. Although he was only just getting to know her, he suspected she wasn’t the sort who’d want to be the dominant. Which left him with only one conclusion. She herself wanted to be dominated. He’d spent enough time with her to see the image she put to the world. Strong, bold, take-charge kind of girl, one who wouldn’t like to have her control stripped away.
The way one would while playing bondage games.
How interesting.
He paused to speculate a moment longer. Although Lindsay at first appeared to be like every other woman he’d met, a woman who was only interested in fucking him, he was beginning to have his doubts. Maybe, just maybe there was more to her than met the eye. Over the past few days he started to suspect it, but his suspicions were confirmed earlier when she began to talk about her father and her admiration and respect for his job.
The truth was, the two had totally hit it off and he liked everything about her, especially the way she cared
