“Are you really going to...talk to them?” Kate asked, sounding awed.
She should. She should offer them cold beverages while wearing a bikini top. And get numbers. But she wasn’t going to.
And she had a horrible feeling it was stupid Eli’s fault.
Why she was still thinking about him in those terms was a mystery to her because he’d made it very clear he didn’t want to find her hot. Even though he obviously did find her hot. And he’d turned down her very clumsy, ill-advised, sort-of offer of casual sex, too.
In that moment, if he’d agreed, she really would have hopped into the nearest bush with him and ridden him until she was saddle sore.
Had she ever wanted a man this much?
She didn’t think she had, and that made her feel relieved he’d put a stop to it. Well, maybe not relieved. She felt twitchy and annoyed, and super horny.
She scowled and looked more determinedly out the window, trying to decide which guy had the nicest butt, and from there trying to decide if she would enjoy smacking it.
She could not decide. And she did not want to smack any of the denim-clad asses, truth be told.
She was broken, and it was Eli Garrett’s fault.
There was a knock on the front door, which was still slightly open since she’d let Kate in. “Come in,” she shouted.
The door opened and she heard footsteps on the hardwood in the entry, and then in walked the man himself. The new owner of her libido. Who had rendered her mainly useless when it came to ogling. It was all very upsetting.
“Hello, Eli,” she said. “Is this your version of avoiding me?”
“Why were you avoiding her?” Kate asked.
“I’m not,” Eli said, lying neatly for a man with an honor complex. “I came looking for you.”
“How did you know I was here?” Kate asked.
“Your truck is in your driveway, but you weren’t, and your horse was in his paddock. You weren’t with Connor, so I thought I would see if you were here, and lo...” He looked past them both and out the window. “Are you kidding me?”
“We’re learning how to build a deck,” Sadie said, arching a brow and swilling her lemonade, the ice clinking against the glass. “By observation.”
Eli looked at Kate.
“The human mind is an amazing thing,” she said, on the verge of giggles.
“Just watching all the nailing and screwing,” Sadie said. “It’s so sweaty.” She took the glass and pressed it to her cheek, giving Eli a very meaningful look.
He swallowed visibly and shifted. Well, he’d obviously taken that innuendo on board. Good. He deserved to suffer. He deserved to suffer as she was suffering. He deserved to watch beach volleyball and get no joy from the bouncing. Which was mean-spirited, she knew. But she didn’t care.
“I was looking for Kate,” he said, his words very pointed as he turned back to his sister. “Carl Ames came by and was looking for someone who could possibly board a horse for his daughter. I said we had the space, but the thing is they might need someone to ride him on days they can’t make it out. And I didn’t want to volunteer you without asking. Of course, you would get the boarding money.”
“All of it?” she asked.
“Yeah. I mean, if you took responsibility for the horse, I don’t see why you shouldn’t get paid.”
“Paid to ride a horse. You know I have no problem with that.”
“Great. Well, here’s his number if you want to call. They’ll probably have him by next week.” Eli handed her a card and Kate smiled, set her lemonade on the sideboard, then waved at Sadie and dashed out of the house. Obviously construction workers still ran second to horses in Kate’s world.
Eli probably loved that.
“That’s going to leave a ring,” Eli said, indicating the glass Kate had just discarded.
Sadie picked it up. “How did she turn out to be thoughtless of coasters with you in charge?”
“I blame the missing coaster gene on Connor. Anyway, I see you’re being a bad influence on my sister,” Eli said, but there was no venom in his words.
“Your sister heard the work trucks a mile away and came running for her chance to gaze upon some prime, Grade A man muscle. Don’t blame me for her actions.”
“I don’t really,” he said.
He should leave because there was no reason for him to be there. Not when they were avoiding each other.
“So, you’re having a deck built?” he went on.
She nodded. “Yes. Connor approved that plan before I moved in. I’d seen pictures of the place in the online ad and knew I wanted something more than just the front porch.”
“Online ad. Liss must have helped him with that.”
“Was she the woman who answered the phone call I made?”
Eli lifted a shoulder. “I would guess so.”
“His...girlfriend?” Sadie asked, knowing it was nosy but not really caring.
