Baby for my Dad's Best Friend (Seaport Billionaires #2)

11. Kaylee

11

KAYLEE

T he moment he pulls back and curses under his breath, I feel my face heat with shame.

I had just told him that I agreed that we couldn’t be together.

I told him I wouldn’t make this hard for him.

Yet the first chance we have, we’re nearly tearing off one another’s clothes.

But this isn’t on me.

I didn’t mean to spray him with the hose; my hands were slippery from being wet.

He’s the one who started the little play fight.

And that kiss… well, I can’t blame the entire thing on him; we kissed one another.

When I turned in his arms to face him, our eyes met, and we both jumped at the opportunity.

My stomach is clenched with need. My thighs are squeezing together, trying to dull the ache he left behind.

My heart is slamming against my chest, and I’m breathless from adrenaline coursing through my veins.

But I also feel shame and embarrassment.

It feels like he’s able to resist me so easily, but I can’t do anything but take what he’s willing to give.

It’s hard not having a best friend, because this is one of those times I need advice.

I shake my head as I rebutton my shorts.

I can’t believe I miss Michelle after what she did.

I don’t need her. I never did.

I just wish I had figured that out sooner.

Looking back now, it’s easy to see that she was never my friend.

She pretended to be, and was always by my side, but she used her position in my life to take what she wanted.

When she found out I liked a boy at school, she went after him.

When I fell in love with a prom dress, she bought it before I could.

When she found out what college I got into, she switched to join me.

And of course, once I got engaged, she made sure to take that away, too.

I move back over to the cabinet doors and start to stack them to take back into the house.

I don’t want to leave them outside and exposed to the weather.

They’re solid wood, so I can only carry a few at a time.

As I move in and out of the house, I realize that I know Michelle like the back of my hand.

Maybe I don’t need to talk to her. I can probably guess what she’d tell me to do.

She’d tell me that if there’s someone or something that I want, to go after it.

To not stand back, hoping it comes to me.

She’d tell me to reach out and fight for what I want.

Given the way our friendship ended, I’m not sure if I should listen.

Michelle was always a bit promiscuous, so I know she’d be dying to see this hookup with Austin and I come to fruition.

All I know is that I meant what I said earlier.

I don’t want to hurt my dad.

The only way I can protect him is by fighting against the pull.

Sure, things happened today, and we had a little slip, but it’s nothing that can’t be undone.

It’s not like we slept together.

I can put today behind us and pretend it never happened.

As far as this dull ache between my thighs, that’s just a problem I’ll have to take care of myself.

Or maybe it’s time to get back on the dating scene.

My nose wrinkles with that thought.

I’ve always hated that part of a relationship. The awkward talks and getting to know one another.

But isn’t that the part I’m in with Austin? It’s not the same with him, though.

I just don’t know why.

Monday rolls around and instead of heading to the house bright and early, I take my time getting ready.

I stop at the local bakery on my way, ordering a couple dozen donuts and enough coffee for a small army since I’m not sure how many guys are on the crew.

When I arrive at the house, the driveway and curb are filled with parked trucks.

I park where I can before taking everything inside.

I walk in to the sounds of banging, guys shouting, and the sound of drills filling the space. Everyone is hard at work.

“Can I help you?” one of the guys asks.

“Oh, Kaylee, right?” Chase asks, coming to a stop next to me.

I smile and nod. “That’s right. How are you doing, Chase?”

He grins. “Good, thanks for asking.” He looks over at the guy who stopped me. “This is Kaylee, the owner. I think she’s going to be doing some work of her own, right?” His blue eyes move back to mine.

“That’s right.”

“This is Axel. If there’s anything you need, don’t be shy. Ask any one of us. Got that?”

I smile. “I will. Thank you, Chase.” I take a coffee out of the carrier and hand it over.

He takes it. “Thanks.”

“I brought donuts if you’re hungry. Enough for everyone.”

“Hell yeah.” Chase grabs the coffee carriers from the top. “Guys, Kaylee brought breakfast,” he shouts, moving toward the kitchen.

Axel takes the donuts, following behind him.

All the guys rush toward the kitchen.

Austin steps into the foyer from the living room, looking disappointed, either by seeing me or that the guys are now distracted from their work, I’m not sure which.

“You’re more than welcome to join,” I tell him.

He shakes his head and turns to walk away.

I take a deep breath, feeling like I’ve been kicked in the stomach, but I follow the guys into the kitchen to give Austin the space he needs.

“Best client ever,” Chase says when I walk into the kitchen.

I laugh, and the guys clap as they chew on their donuts.

I blush and wave my hand through the air.

Chase laughs and places his hand on my shoulder, pulling me to his side and giving me a friendly little shake. Axel passes me a coffee.

“To the best client ever,” Axel says, holding his coffee in the air.

“Here, here,” all the guys say, raising their paper cups.

“Guys, this is Kaylee, the owner,” Chase says. “Kay, these are the guys. Starting to my left, we have Mark, James, Trent, Dax, Travis, Finn, Tom, Logan, and you know me and Axel.” As he said each of their names, they wave or give a nod.

I don’t think I’ve ever had so many men looking at me at once.

My blood heats as embarrassment washes through me. “Nice to meet you all. I’m going to do my best to stay out of your way, but if I happen to get in your way, just tell me to move.”

“Guys, back to work,” Austin yells from the living room.

The guys roll their eyes and grumble, but they all turn to exit the room.

A couple of them grab another donut to take with them, and each keeps their cup of coffee.

Once I’m left alone in the room, I figure it’s time to get started, so I take the cabinet doors back outside to get busy sanding them down.

At noon, I break for lunch.

The house is empty when I walk in. I run out and grab a burger that I eat on the drive back to the house.

I get back before everyone, and I’m lost in my work again by the time they return.

As I work, I think about how Austin is avoiding me.

It would be nice if he would just come and talk to me like an adult so we can sort this out.

But I guess we tried that last time and look where that got us.

Maybe he’s doing the right thing by keeping his distance.

I just don’t like feeling awkward in my home.

I don’t like knowing that he’s avoiding me.

Maybe he just needs a little time to calm down.

Things will go back to normal.

They have to, don’t they?

We’re going to be working here for the rest of the summer. If he’s going to avoid me the whole time, it’s going to be a very long stretch.

I plan to approach him when it’s quitting time.

I start cleaning up and when I finish, I go inside to find the guys doing the same.

I hang out and clean up the donut boxes and coffee cups, acting busy as I wait for the crew to leave so I can talk to Austin.

Only I find out that Austin has already called it a day.

He took off early to ensure he wouldn’t be caught alone with me.

My shoulders fall and my stomach fills with guilt.

The rest of the week passes in a similar fashion.

I come in to work and Austin is already gone.

He pops in and out throughout the day, dropping off materials, bringing the guys drinks or food, giving them directions, and taking off again.

When he is at the house, he keeps himself surrounded by the crew so there’s no chance of him bumping into me alone.

By Wednesday, I figure I’ll never have to worry about being alone with him again, and instead of dreading bumping into him, I start enjoying hanging out with the guys.

They’re great. They work hard, and they’re funny.

If any girl ever needs a boost to her self-esteem, all she needs to do is hang out with a group of construction workers.

They make me blush multiple times a day, and by quitting time, my cheeks hurt from smiling.

When Friday rolls around, I order the crew pizza for lunch, and we meet up in the kitchen to eat together.

We’ve been getting to know one another over the past week, so now it’s almost like I’m just another one of the guys.

We joke and jab at one another, giving each other a hard time.

“So, I asked that girl out I was talking to you about,” Tom says, leaning against the island next to me.

I nod him on, taking a bite of my pizza.

He grins. “She said yes. We’re going out tonight.”

I smile wide. “That’s great, Tom! I’m so happy for you.”

He shrugs one shoulder. “I owe it all to you.”

I nod. “Just remember that when you two get married and have kids. I better be their second-grade teacher.”

He laughs. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to his side for a friendly hug.

The front door opens, and Austin breezes into the room, stopping suddenly when he sees Tom’s arm around me.

His eyes narrow and his jaw flexes, but he shakes his head and averts his eyes.

“Let’s get back to work, guys. We have a lot to do before the weekend.”