I set down the tray, mumbled something about helping himself, and headed back for my blanket. I wanted to run and hide. To splash cold water on my face. To be away from the knowing look in his icy blue gaze. But that would be too obvious. He would know that he’d gotten to me. And Gran had asked me to be nice.
Nice? That was a laugh.
Hell, I’d practically crawled into the man’s lap.
It was more than embarrassing. It was mortifying. But my pride wouldn’t let me show him how much he’d affected me. So I held my head high and got back to studying, stealing looks at the man who was working steadily to clean Gran’s gutters and replace shingles as he went.
He really was handy. There was no denying that. And having a big, strong man around wasn’t such a bad thing . . .
Snap out of it, Claire! You don’t need a man. You need to pass your licensing test!
I turned my back on Hunter and forced myself to concentrate. I had to study. It was too late in the game to lose sight of my goal.
I would be the best damn nurse I could be. And that started with this. Brawny men aside, I had life goals to accomplish.
I did my best to put him out of my mind, but it only worked for short periods. I worked with what I had, knowing that he would be on my mind for the rest of the day no matter what I did. The night, too.
Claire, you really are an idiot, I scolded myself, turning another page.
For his part, Hunter barely made a sound. Every time I looked over my shoulder at him, he was diligently working on the house, the gutters, the old-fashioned wood shutters, and the fence. The man worked quickly and efficiently. And the lack of noise was suspiciously considerate.
Somehow, that just made him harder to ignore.
Chapter Nine
Hunter
I washed my hands and face, taking a moment to try and press down the monster in my jeans. No such luck. I had a big ol’ bulge and no amount of cold water was going to fix it.
Only one thing would do that, and sadly, Claire’s sweet little ass wasn’t on offer. Not tonight, anyway. Not yet.
A whole afternoon of close proximity to Claire had put me in a state of unrelenting arousal. The minx had ignored me after that moment with the lemonade. Right after I’d caught her checking me out. But it was impossible for me to ignore her.
“Fuck it. Stand proud.”
I walked to the kitchen, standing just out of sight for a moment. I watched as the ladies busied themselves preparing heaping bowls of food. There were mashed potatoes, large sliced tomatoes fresh from the garden, and a fresh roasted chicken with herbs sprinkled on top. It smelled delicious.
Not that food was really at the top of my mind.
“Hunter! Come in,” Ellie said.
“Miss Ellie,” I said, quickly taking a seat in an effort to hide my arousal.
“I told you to just call me Ellie,” she admonished me, already filling my plate. I worried about how much food she was giving me. I could eat all of that and more, but I knew money was tight, especially since Claire hadn’t passed her exams yet.
“Don’t give me all of it,” I said with a frown.
“Nonsense. There is plenty to go around. I know how much food a big man can eat! And you’ve been working out of doors all day. That will build up an appetite!”
Everyone took their seats and dug in. I watched Claire eat, trying not to be too obvious. The truth was, I had to try not to drool.
“It’s delicious, Ellie,” I offered after a few bites of everything.
“Claire is an excellent cook,” she said with a meaningful look. I grinned, realizing she was on my side. If I wanted to get Claire to take me seriously, I needed all the help I could get. And who better than her own sweet little granny to do it?
“Where did the name Claire come from?”
She shrugged her delicate shoulders, looking as bored and fresh and young as Molly Ringwald. Minus the red hair, of course.
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Like The Breakfast Club.”
“I have never seen that movie,” she said primly, her eyes shooting sparks.
“Seriously? Have you ever seen a John Hughes movie?”
She shook her head, giving me a look. She was so young, even though she’d been through college and nursing school. I had to keep that in mind.
“We should watch one,” I said with a smile. “We should watch all of them.”
Her eyes grew wide, and she opened her mouth to tell me to go to hell, no doubt. But Miss Ellie cut her off.
“I think that sounds lovely. You young folks should spend more time together. Be neighborly,” she added with a pointed look at her granddaughter.
Claire snapped her mouth shut and stared at her plate. That was . . . interesting. She listened to her granny, which was all the better for me.
I wonder if that tactic could get her all the way into my bed. Not out of politeness, of course. I didn’t want that. I wanted her totally at my mercy. I wanted her hot and bothered. Ready and more than willing.
I wanted her to beg for me.
And just like that, my cock went back to full mast.
Miss Ellie insisted that I take a second helping, and I didn’t argue. But I refused the third she offered, even though she was right. I could have easily put it away. I wanted the girls to have leftovers. I felt pretty crummy when I saw how much was left.
Claire stood to help clear the table but her granny put a stop to that.
“Why don’t you two go for a walk around like the block while I get dessert ready?”
I grinned. It was the perfect chance to get some alone time with the object of my affection. My extremely hard, aching, and eager affection.
My cock had her name written all over it and I hadn’t even touched her yet. I had a feeling once I got into her panties, I would never want to come out again. I couldn’t even imagine wanting another woman. Not if I had someone like her warming my bed.
Claire shrugged and gracefully turned toward the door after pressing a quick kiss to her gran’s cheek. I followed her closely, not wanting to scare Miss Ellie with my obvious arousal. I kept my eyes on her narrow back, forcing myself not to admire her perfect ass and legs. I didn’t need to get more riled up.
Down, boy. Pace yourself. Get a kiss. Don’t push it.
I knew I was more than likely to get a slap across my face, but I didn’t mind. I needed a slap. I needed something.
Anything.
We stepped out onto the sidewalk. It was the time of night when the sky was still purple but the streetlights all came on. The neighborhood wasn’t rich, but people showed pride in their homes. Well, some of them, anyway.
It was the start of a perfect night.
A night I’d like to spend wrapped up in those silky thighs, I thought, stealing a look at the girl walking beside me.
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
But I had. I’d make a sound of pure male appreciation. And she’d heard me.
Unfortunately for me, Claire did not miss a trick. At least she isn’t a mind reader, I consoled myself silently. Because she would definitely slap me.
We walked in silence for a little while, turning the corner to another quiet street. This one had a small park with a playground set up. I took her elbow to guide her inside and gestured to the swing set.