“Why not?”
She huffed a bit as she looked back at him. For one moment, she considered ignoring him and walking away. But Sylvie was tired, it was Saturday, and she was irrationally disappointed that she couldn’t tackle the front yard. So instead of muttering some lame excuse and leaving, she glared at him and released her temper. “Because you annoy me!”
“I do?” he asked, wearing that aggravating grin she hated!
“Yes!”
“How am I annoying?” he asked, moving closer.
Sylvie wanted to back up a bit. Glaring at him was much more effective if she didn’t have to strain her neck. Unfortunately, backing up would probably appear weak and she definitely didn’t want that! Especially not when she was “lambasting” him, although he didn’t seem to acknowledge her temper.
“When I planted flowers last weekend, you told me I was doing it wrong.”
“You were,” he replied with a dismissive shrug.
“I was not!” she snapped, stomping her foot.
He leaned forward, as if he were sharing a secret with her. “You were planting them in neat rows, Sylvie. Flowers should be more haphazard.”
Gritting her teeth, she snapped, “Says you!”
He grinned again. “Exactly.”
“I like my flowers in rows!”
“Nah,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s too orderly. You need a bit of chaos in your life.”
She looked over at his yard and groaned. “You add enough chaos to my life. I prefer a more…” she searched for the right word. “Organized,” she finally said, “approach.”
Those black eyebrows lifted again. “So you don’t like my yard?”
Sylvie glanced over his shoulder at the flowers and bushes. There was a certain beauty to the chaos in his gardening style. But it wasn’t her preference. Trying valiantly to calm down, she took a deep, steadying breath before answering. “You have the right to keep your yard however you prefer.” She took another slow breath, straightening her shoulders. “But that means that also I have the right to do things my way.” Her eyes sharpened, “Without criticism from you!”
That’s when he hit her with that “naughty-boy” expression that never failed to send her heart rate through the roof. “Ah, hell, Sylvie, where’s the fun in that?”
She almost growled. But she was a school teacher and school teachers didn’t growl! They were calm and precise! She had to maintain her cool. No temper tantrums, regardless of the provocation.
“How about if you go about your day as you’d planned, and I’ll proceed with my plans?”
He shrugged. “No problem. I’m all for that. Just…” he looked behind her at the bushes. “Don’t change your plans simply because I’m home.” There was a slight quirk to his mouth that wasn’t quite a smile. “I’ll keep out of your way.”
Sylvie’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t trust him. Not at all! But her front yard needed weeding. She knew this man. She’d stupidly moved in six months ago and every interaction with the guy had been a trial.
“Fine,” she muttered, but as she turned away, Sylvie continued to keep half an eye on him.
Dean chuckled as he turned back to his own yard. Damn, he loved teasing her! She was incredibly hot but so uptight, teasing her was almost too easy. Getting her to stay in the front yard was a bonus because now he could enjoy the pleasure of watching her work.
She was definitely one of those straight laced, uptight high school teachers who thought they needed to be role models to their students. But when she pursed those sexy, full lips with disapproval, he wanted to kiss her! He wanted to weave his fingers in her hair and pull that curly blonde waterfall out of the tight band she almost always wore.
Did she have any idea how her hairstyle emphasized her gorgeous eyes and those high cheekbones? She was stunning! Add in a body that was soft, curvy, luscious, and…damn, he turned away so that she wouldn’t see his body’s response. He chuckled as he entered the code that would activate the garage door opener.
Looking up at the sky, he supposed he should get the grass cut today. The Chinook winds were coming in from the mountains and the wind gusts were up to forty miles an hour again today. At least it wasn’t storming. Too often, the summer storms brought, heavy downpours, brutal hail and a lot of damage.
Pushing the lawn mower out of the garage, he bent down and primed the gas. Then stepping back, he pulled the starter. A moment later, the lawn mower roared to life.
Straightening, he started forward, only to freeze when he noticed Sylvie watching him, her gardening gloves still clenched against her chest and that soft, sexy mouth slightly open.
What the hell? Was she staring at him?!
As soon as their eyes met, Sylvie quickly turned away, focusing on the weeds.
Damn, that was hot! His body tightened with the need to drag her into his house and do all sorts of imaginative things to her delectable body!
Instead, Dean concentrated on mowing and not allowing his body to reveal his lust. He pushed the mower along the grass, focusing on creating a neat line and not allowing his eyes to stray towards Sylvie’s luscious ass. Turning, he walked the other way, away from Sylvie. Away from the sexy position she was in as she reached behind one of the shrubs for…whatever was back there.
Neat and tidy lines, he reminded himself. Straight, clean lines!
Thinking of neat and tidy, he wondered if his prim little neighbor was still watching him. Dean reached the edge of his lawn and headed back.
Oh yeah! She was watching. But as soon as he’d turned, she looked away, focusing on….what the hell was she doing? Dean almost stumbled because his cute little school-teacher neighbor was bending over again. All he could see was her pert ass
