She texted him back. Reception just ended. My feet hurt.
He replied right away. Come over. I’ll rub your feet. Or any other parts that need rubbing.
Her lips curved and she typed a reply.
Okay.
Fortunately, they had a cleanup crew, so her services were done for the day. On her way back to the house, her phone buzzed. It was Jason again.
And bring Agatha with you.
Her face hurt from smiling so widely.
Damn that man.
CHAPTER
fifteen
JASON DIDN’T WANT to light candles or spread roses around the house or anything that would make Erin think he was assuming anything about tonight. But he did want her to know he was thinking about her comfort. He made some snacks, chilled wine and, just in case, put fresh sheets on the bed in the room where he was sleeping. He also cleaned the house so it would smell good.
After their conversation the other night, he didn’t know where she stood, but he needed her to know he was open to the possibilities.
He was tired of tiptoeing around his need for her. It was time to man up and let her see how he felt. And if she wanted the same thing, great. If she didn’t, they’d go back to being friends. But this nothing zone was driving him crazy.
Puddy followed him around while he put some touches in the living room. He’d stopped and bought a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers while he was in town today, so he laid those on the coffee table in the living room. His dog thought those were a gift for him and kept trying to nibble at them.
“Dude, not yours.”
Puddy seemed offended by that, but after a couple of stern looks from Jason, the pup wandered off to wrestle with one of his toys.
He took a shower and changed into a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt, then came out to the living room to find Puddy with a mouthful of flowers and stems.
“Dammit, Puddy,” he muttered. “I told you those weren’t for you.”
He could have sworn Puddy smiled at him. He shook his head.
The doorbell rang, so he cast a glare at his misbehaving dog and went to answer the door.
Erin took his breath away. She wore a yellow sundress. Her raven hair spilled in waves over her shoulders.
“Hey,” he said when he finally found his voice. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thanks. You took a shower.” She stepped closer and ran her fingers through his hair. He sucked in a breath at the feel of her fingers sliding along his scalp.
“I worked on the house today, so I had sawdust in my hair. Plus, I was sweaty.”
She lifted up on her toes, leaned in and pressed her nose against his neck. “Mmm. You smell good.”
He wanted to wrap his arm around her and kiss her right there on his doorstep. She’d probably let him. But he wanted to take things slow, let her decide the tempo this time. “Thanks. Come on in.”
Since she had Agatha with her, who was straining at the leash to get at Puddy, she walked in and let Agatha off the leash. The two dogs ran down the hall and disappeared.
She looked down at the petals and stems on the living room floor. “What happened?”
He knelt down and picked up the mess. “My attempt to have flowers for you. Puddy had other ideas for them while I was showering. Sorry.”
She laughed and squatted down, picked up one semi-intact daisy and brought it to her nose. “Pretty. Thank you.”
“I tried. Next time I’ll make sure any flowers I bring to you aren’t left at dog level.”
She stood. “Oh, there’ll be a next time?”
“Hell yes there will be. A woman like you deserves flowers every day.” He took one of the flowers he’d managed to salvage and tucked it behind her ear, enjoying the slight flush to her cheeks.
“I don’t know what to make of you, Jason. I’m used to you teasing me. You’ve done that our entire lives. But this is a new side to you.”
“Oh, you mean you don’t know everything about me after all?” He went into the kitchen to get the wine, opened a bottle and poured two glasses.
“I guess not.”
“That’s good.” He handed her a glass, then took the snacks he’d made out of the refrigerator and laid those out on the island, too. “I’d hate to think I was boring and predictable.”
She took a sip of the wine, then picked up a mushroom and bacon bite and popped it into her mouth.
“You are anything but predictable, Jason. Did you make these?”
“Yeah.” He took a bite as well.
“And these, too?” She tasted the apple-gouda pigs in a blanket, then smiled. “They’re amazing.”
He shrugged. “Just some easy-to-make appetizers. Not exactly rocket science.”
“But you baked things. Tasty things. I’m impressed.”
“I like to make interesting things. You can cook, too, if I remember right.”
“Yes, I can. And I’m stealing both of these recipes for my next party.”
He arched a brow. “You’re having a party?”
“Yes. As soon as I find a place to live.”
“What about the condo you and Owen got together?”
“I talked to the leasing manager the other day, told her the story about Owen dumping me at the altar. She was horrified and immediately let me out of the lease.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. She just went through a not-so-fun divorce, so I think I hit her emotional buttons. We won’t get our deposit back, but at this point I’m happy to get out from under a long-term lease on a condo, or having to argue it out with Owen over which one of us has to live there. It was a place we chose together, and I don’t want any part of it.”
“I understand. You need a fresh start. Now you can take your time looking for your own place. Or just stay at the house for a while until you get your bearings.”
She shrugged. “Maybe. I had planned to be out
