I was standing very close to her in the kitchen, a slight move in her direction and I was suddenly in between her legs as she sat on the counter. I took advantage of the close space and reached down to give her knees a good look over. A quick and gentle kiss on her left knee and I wanted more. So much, much more.
“I got Cokes,” she said, and I wasn’t sure if I was making her nervous or she was deflecting my moves. “I got ice too, but I haven’t unpacked the kitchen box yet.”
I was still in her personal space and didn’t plan on moving until I had to.
“Is this kitchen box somewhere inside this apartment?” I asked. “If you twist my arm, I might go get it and help you unpack it really quick.”
She smiled and her whole face lit up. Those brown eyes with the golden specks had my attention once again. She had pulled her auburn hair up in what I assumed was what ladies referred to as a messy bun. And it looked really cute on her.
“It’s a box labeled kitchen...but...I have no idea where it is. The furniture delivery guys were kind enough to help me unload my car when they finished the furniture, but I haven’t a clue where they put anything.”
I was up for the challenge. “Sit tight, I’ll see what I can find.”
And she was right. The box labeled kitchen was easy to spot. It just happened to be under several other boxes and, with a quick adjustment, I had it and brought it back to her, where she still sat on the counter.
I pulled off the tape from the packing box and we found cups and plates for dinner. It was not a shame, however, that we hadn’t unpacked the spoons earlier. I’d let her lick apple butter off my finger any day.
She was easy to please when it came to dinner. Aggie liked both spicy and less spicy, so we just shared everything, sitting at her small kitchen table.
“So what handyman things would you like my help with?” I asked.
"Particularly, my bed frame," she said quietly like she was afraid to ask. "Anything else would just be the icing on the cake."
“We shall start in the bedroom then,” I told her. Most of her furniture had come already put together, but just observing, I noticed her TV would need to be mounted and she had a few pictures to hang. Her desk and desk chair also needed to be put together. Hell, I’d assemble the whole apartment if it meant spending more time with her.
I had known this girl less than a day and she had bewitched me. I wanted to protect her. To have her. To possess her.
Chapter Thirteen
Aggie
Drake was fresh.
I had never had someone like him in my life.
I dated around in college, of course, had a couple of longer relationships, but we just wanted different things and went our separate ways.
What would I be doing to my reputation if I started a fling with this guy practically as soon as I arrived in Hazenberg? Did I care? Of course, I cared. But he was so swoony. His muscles stretched the short sleeves of his white T-shirt and I couldn't stop looking at them.
“What kind of workouts do you do?” I finally asked after we finished dinner and went upstairs.
"As you know, I am a butcher. So I do quite a bit of heavy lifting at the shop. But I lift weights too." He didn't skip a beat or even look up from the bed frame he was putting together for me.
“I can tell,” I said and shrugged my shoulders. “They didn’t have any bourbon at the dollar store. I did look though.”
He turned enough to look at me out the corner of his eye and smirked.
“Cutie, we have plenty of time for bourbon.”
Oh, snap. He was planning on keeping me around for a while. That was an idea I liked.
“You coming over on Sunday just to use me for my pool? Or would you like to make a day of it? I know a guy who can get us some real good steaks and we could grill.”
“I like steaks! And I like grilling out and swimming. These all sound like good things!”
What was I doing? I hardly knew this man. But oh, the things I wanted to do with him and to him...
He made quick work of the bed and we set the box spring and mattress. Drake brought my box of linens upstairs so I could make the bed while he put the desk together.
I stuck my head in the office before I finished putting on the comforter just to watch him put together the slim writer’s desk.
“Makayla was right, there will be enough room in here for an air mattress if I have guests.”
“Indeed. But I can assure you if I was your guest, I would not be sleeping in here on an air mattress.” Fuck, he made me all hot and bothered. Just watching the sweat drip down his neck from where he’d been doing manual labor made me get sweaty.
“You really are handy...how can I thank you for your help?” I said and went back to making the bed across the hall.
“Oh I’ll think of something,” he said from a distance. He came up behind me as I was finishing fluffing the pillows and startled me. Just being in his presence made the hairs on my arms stand up.
Drake scooted the bedside tables in place and moved the dresser to a better area in the room.
“Since it’s a four-post bed, we could get a little canopy if you wanted,” he suggested.
“That would look nice, I agree.” I sat down on the edge of the bed and he sat next to me.
“How are your battle wounds?”
“My battle wounds? I dare say I did not battle to get these scrapes,” I said and giggled.
"Oh, you most certainly did! You battled the concrete and it won!" We both erupted in laughter and I knew he was either going to make a move or see himself out, and I was conflicted as to which one I wanted.
“My battle wounds are okay. I’ve had my share of skinned knees over the years. My cheek will heal, and I’ll keep applying that stuff Velma gave me.”
"Good," he said. "I just wanted to make sure you were up for this..." He reached over and put his hand behind me, leaning his weight on his arm and turning my chin toward him with his other hand. His lips crashed into mine and, at that moment, I realized I was being kissed like I had never been kissed before.
He was gentle, but strong. There was something burning between us and neither of us could satiate the need. Our tongues danced, he bit my lip, and tugged his right back.
After a few minutes, he pulled away from me and I could barely open my eyes. My red face was a mess after that, and I was sorely needing more.
“Tonight, I am going to be a gentleman because your first night in your new apartment, in your new bed, should not be with a stranger. But mark my words, Cutie. This is likely the only time I will restrain myself.”
He got up and started to walk downstairs as I evaluated what had just happened between us. Oh, how I wished he wouldn't have stopped.
“Hey Cutie,” he called from the bottom step. “Let’s mount your TV and cuddle on the couch. I might let you make out with me some more.”
Holy hell, I liked Hazenberg.
Chapter Fourteen
Drake
When I finally said good night and headed home, I was not expecting to find a swan float bigger than the state of Kentucky when I looked in the backyard. The sun porch of the farmhouse had a perfect 180° view of the farmland, which included the pool area and the pool house. The lights around the pool made the swan shine and I couldn’t help but laugh.