I do believe Brick was telling the truth when he said he also liked roleplay sex because the next evening after I got home from work, I answered a knock on my door to find him standing there in a pair of worn blue jeans, tan construction worker boots, a ball cap on backward, a white tank top that was tight enough to reveal every dip and hill of his pecs and six-pack abs, plus a tool belt wrapped low around his hips with a shiny new hammer hanging from one of the loops.“Howdy, ma’am,” he greeted in a silken voice as he leaned one arm against the doorframe to show off the impressive bulge in his biceps as he flashed a knowing smirk. “I’m the new handyman around these here parts, and I was just curious if you needed anything…” Pausing dramatically to arch an eyebrow, he finished strong by setting his hand on the hammer at his waist and saying, “…nailed?”I threw my head back and laughed, completely charmed by all the work he’d put into this character. Then I cleared my throat, looked h
“Hello? Anyone home?”When the call came from the front of my apartment, I jumped, not expecting him so soon, and I hurried to the bed so I could lie down just so. Only to remember—oh!“Lock the door behind you, will you?” I called. I didn’t want just anyone to be able to walk in while I was going to be doing the things I planned on doing to him tonight.“Got it,” Brick called back before adding, “Wait. Why does it sound like your voice is coming from your bedroom? Are you waiting for me in your bedroom?”I grinned and rolled my eyes. “Why don’t you come back here and find out?”Footsteps rushed through the apartment, making me laugh until there he was, poised in the doorway to my bedroom. He hadn’t even bothered to go home and change from his suit or set down the bag full of takeout he’d brought with him.He stared at me a moment, his lips parted in awe before he shook his head slowly. “I thought I told you not to wear anything.”“Did you?” I asked and bit down on a painted fin
I swear, I still had the scent of bacon in my nostrils the next day at work and the words, I knew you were a keeper, floating through my head as I tapped the end of my Montblanc against the top of my desk and tried to concentrate on work.But I couldn't.I had some designs to look over and consider, a new assistant I still needed to hire, and some calls to make with a couple of fabric manufacturers, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the woman I seemed to end up with every night.She’d gotten under my skin.What’s more, I actually liked her there. I liked hanging out with her, even when we weren’t having sex.It was weird.Take last night for example. After supper, I’d put my new hammer to use and installed a couple of hooks on the wall in her living room so I could hang her ax there to display it properly.“How’s this look?” I had asked, lifting my hand from the finished project and backing away slowly, nodding out my own satisfaction as I went.When she’d answered, “Perfect,”
Life was ah-mazing!! It just did not get better than this.I hummed in pleasure to myself as I walked into work, pausing only to take a sip of my to-go cup as I entered my cubicle and nudged my chair with my knee, making the backrest spin around so I could sit.With a refreshed sigh, I plopped down my drink, stashed my purse in my bottom drawer, and started to slip my phone into the top drawer, when an incoming call made me brighten and check to see if it was Brick.I’d literally seen him only an hour ago when he’d left my apartment to head home and change for his own job...right after we’d had morning shower sex together.Remembering those slippery-wet, fond times, I bit my lip, only to release a short huff of disappointment to see it was Kaitlynn instead.But I loved my little blond bombshell of a friend, so I answered, risking another lecture from Carmen if she caught me on my personal line.“Hey,” I started brightly.“Oh my God,” she answered, sounding stunned. “I finally fi
Well, at least I had my curiosity appeased. Brick hadn’t just been enjoying himself until something better came along; he had genuinely liked me. He’d wanted to be with me. And we might’ve actually been forming the greatest match-up ever.If I hadn’t royally messed everything up.It would’ve been a frigging dream come true, too.Brick was a legend, possessing every trait I thought an amazing man should have.I gave a thick swallow as I let myself into my apartment and dropped the keys into my purse before setting the wicker bag blindly on the counter, then wandering aimlessly through my apartment. But every place I went contained a memory of him. Like a cat who’d rubbed his scent on everything around him, Brick had marked his territory.I couldn’t look at the counter in the kitchen, the mattress in the bedroom, the shower in the bathroom, not even the freaking front door without—Dammit. My throat worked convulsively as I perched myself on the couch and pressed my hands into my l
I finally read the entire article.And then I read it again.It was an addictive piece; I’d give Mayhem that. She managed to put this delicious hook into each line that made you need to read the next one. Her words were vivid and colorful, and they covered a lot of detailed information about my work and graffiti art in general. She explained how I would practice beforehand in my garage, where I posted my first piece and why, and she even revealed that I’d vandalized the mayor’s house because of a personal vendetta and that I’d picked the historical museum because of a memorable sexual encounter.But she never revealed my identity, and she refused to spill a single clue that would help anyone else figure out who I was, either. Except that just confused me more.If she was going to go behind my back and write the article, anyway, lying to my face and utterly betraying me in the process, why would she bother to be so protective and careful to keep me anonymous? Even the words she used
“Wow, twist ending,” I heard Shaw across the room whispering to Isobel. “This just keeps getting juicer and juicer.”“Shh,” Isobel hissed to him, nudging his knee.Meanwhile, Hayden shrugged Kaitlynn’s way. “Brick is Black Crimson more so than I am. He started it alone and continued after I stopped. But I was there with him for about fifty percent of the pieces.”“More like eighty percent of the pieces,” I corrected.My brother shrugged and revised, “Okay. I was there for about eighty percent of the time.”“Whoa,” Kaity breathed. “My two brothers are both Black freaking Crimson. This is so—wait.” She whirled accusingly toward Gabby. “Did you know all this?”“I…” Gabby looked guiltily put on the spot. Then she cleared her throat. “Anyway. Back to Hayden’s plan.” She turned toward Isobel. “Are you good with slapping together some big splashy engagement party, Iz? Shaw?”“I…” Isobel turned to look at Shaw. “I mean, I think that would be…” When she met her fiancé’s gaze, silently tr
“Um…” I pointed after Brick as he stalked from the room. Then I glanced toward the others. “What did that mean?”When no one had an answer, I demanded, “So am I forgiven? Or not?”“I…” Blinking in stunned confusion, Kaitlynn shook her head as she tore her gaze from the place where Brick had disappeared. “I don’t really know,” she finally admitted. “I’ve never seen him act like that before. He usually likes to speak his mind too much to just walk off without saying anything.”I nodded as if I understood, only to ask, “But he believes me now, right? He knows I didn’t betray him?”Kaitlynn’s lips parted as if she wanted to answer, except she didn’t have an answer.So Gabby spoke up. “Of course he believes you. How could he not believe you after hearing that call? Or learning that you nearly let yourself be arrested for him? He has to know.” But she followed it up by glancing questionably toward her husband as if she needed him to corroborate her story because she wasn’t too sure if s