Chapter 12
Auggie
Early Saturday morning, I’m rudely woken by the sound of a power drill. It takes me a moment to place what’s happening and to realize that the sound isn’t all in my head.
My pillow doesn’t do a thing to block out the noise, so I reluctantly reach for my phone.
It’s past seven, so technically the grade A asshat isn’t doing anything wrong, but it took me way too long to fall asleep last night, and I’d assumed I’d be able to sleep in today.
It’s Saturday, after all.
Pouting to myself, I roll out of bed, pull on a pair of boxers, and head for the kitchen to make coffee.
My place doesn’t look half-bad now that it has a bit of furniture in it, and while yes, it’s still a pokey little apartment, it’s also the first place that’s ever been properly mine.
Maybe that’s making me look at it in a prettier light than reality, but how am I supposed to be down about anything right now?
Even after yesterday, Leon wasn’t in a hurry to fire me. I feel god-awful about what I did, but I’m also determined to make up for it. The fact he’s giving me a chance to do that, unlike everyone else before him, means more than I could ever say.
And yet, when I think of yesterday, I don’t think about my colossal screwup.
I think about his awkward hug and his worry and having dinner together and the way he looked at me in the doorway …
Somehow I managed not to swoon, barely, as I reminded myself he’s my boss.
These feelings are inappropriate, but as long as I keep them to myself, where’s the harm?
He’s so delicious to look at.
The power drill starts up again, and I grit my teeth against the noise.
Whoever it is sounds right outside, which is just my luck. I’m not used to a long week of work, and then with my side throbbing painfully on top of that, I’m aching for some downtime.
There won’t be any movie marathons today if that keeps up.
I move closer to my window and try to tilt my head to look outside without being seen.
Hmm … no one there.
But when the drill whirs to life again, it sounds closer. I lean forward and look down, directly below the apartment window, and—no way. Is that Leon?
Subtlety gone, I make another coffee, quickly pull on some clothes, and head for the front door.
“Hello!” I call down to him.
He starts and glances up, squinting against the early morning sun. “Auggie?”
“Who else would it be?”
A broad smile crosses his face, and when he looks at me like that, can I blame my knees for turning to jelly?
“You should be relaxing,” he says.
“Well, I was planning a nice long sleep-in before someone woke me up.”
His smile slips. “What time is it?”
“Not even seven thirty.”
Leon curses and starts apologizing as I bound down the stairs. What I don’t say is I’d prefer to be woken up at this stupid hour if it means getting to see him.
Which definitely isn’t a thought I should be having, but I have it anyway.
“Whatcha doing?” I offer him his coffee, and he looks surprised but takes it. It’s black, exactly the way he likes it. Yeah, I need to calm down on the Leon-love.
“When I was here yesterday, I noticed the stairs were shit, so I wanted to fix them up.”
I glance back at the metal staircase that managed to accommodate the movers and my furniture. It’s a little precarious to climb, but it’s not as though it’s falling to pieces. “So you decided to spend your Saturday doing that, did you?”
“Yep. Spoke to Keith last night and drove up to the lumber yard this morning. It’ll probably take today and tomorrow to finish it.”
“Do you have time to be doing this when you have your house to fix up? And, I don’t know, aren’t you tired from working all week? Don’t you want to relax?”
Confusion lines mar Leon’s face as he takes a sip from his mug. “I wouldn’t even know what that is.”
“My heart is breaking for you.” I eye the frame he’s already started working on. Realistically, a staircase this size could be wrapped up in a day with both of us working nonstop. Then that would leave tomorrow free for me to school Leon on relaxing.
“I’ll make you a deal.”
“Oh, yeah?”
I walk over and grab a length of timber. “I’ll help you get this done today, then tomorrow, I get to choose an activity for us.”
“No way. You’re injured.”
I step forward and rest my free hand on his shoulder, resisting the urge to squeeze the muscle under my palm. “It’s beyond adorable that you care. I’m sore, but I’m fine. You don’t need to baby me.”
“The doctor said you need to take it easy.”
“And I will. I’ll work the power saw and cut what we need while you finish the frame, then I’ll help screw the boards on. It’s not like I’m hauling concrete, here.”
“Auggie—”
“Leon. I know I said it was a deal, but I wasn’t actually asking. I’m helping, we’re getting this thing done, and tomorrow morning I’ll pick you up and you’re going to be at my mercy for one entire day.”
“As your boss—”
“Not my boss today.”
I’m wearing him down, and there’s no better sight than when Leon slumps in defeat. I could have so easily pushed too far then, but if there’s anything Leon needs, it’s a day off. And I already know exactly what we’re going to be doing.
We work for a solid twelve hours, only stopping once for lunch, and even though Leon relented and let me help, he’s strict about what he’ll let me do.
If I’m honest, I spend most of the day ogling Leon’s muscles.
He takes off his shirt as it starts to get hot, and the way they move and flex under his skin is hypnotizing.
His biceps, his traps, even those muscles running along either side of his spine, the sweat he keeps mopping from his forehead.
It makes the hot day even hotter, and I’m constantly having to close my eyes and will my dick to settle down.
Thankfully, Leon barely stops, so he isn’t aware of my not-so-little problem. I’ve noticed a few times this week how he goes full energy into everything he does, and today is no exception. I have no idea how he keeps up the momentum.
And I can’t stop myself from wondering how that flows into the bedroom.
But even working flat out all day, with him resisting my help and forcing me to take frequent breaks, it means something that should have only taken six hours isn’t finished until eight that night.
I have to admit, it looks amazing. The whole thing still needs to be stained and sealed, but it’s a huge improvement over the black metal.
Keith, the landlord and owner of the hardware store, stops by with pizza and beer just before we’re done.
“You shouldn’t have,” Leon says, reluctantly accepting the box.
Keith laughs. “You wouldn’t let me pay you for the labor, so accept the damn beer.”
“Why would you pay when this is something I wanted to do?”
I take the six-pack from Leon so he can hold the pizza box safely. “Why you wanted to do it is still beyond me.”
“Because those stairs weren’t safe for you.”
“They weren’t going anywhere.”
“Well, I wasn’t taking the risk.”
His concern makes me feel seen. “Look at you, being all caring.”
Leon hurries to clear his throat and step away from me. “Yes, well, you’ve proven even solid ground is hazardous to you. The last thing I need is to lose my apprentice.”
His apprentice. Right. Obviously.
“I’m going to go pop these in the fridge,” I say, holding up the beer.
Leon nods, and I leave them to it.
The hard thing is, when it comes to Leon, I don’t even realize I’m flirting until it’s happening.
I get so wrapped up in his deep voice and his warm eyes.
I’m very, overwhelmingly attracted to him that I forget when there are other people around.
I forget he’s my boss and I’m here to work, and my whole system floods with all these bubbly good feelings that make my head dizzy.
It’s only a few minutes later when Leon joins me with the pizza, and we sit down with our beers at my little two-seater table.
Leon seems too big for the space, and even though we’ve been together literally all day, some of that twitchy awkwardness is kicking in.
I don’t want to make him uncomfortable, and judging by the reminder he gave me outside, I was doing exactly that.
“I appreciate it, you know. The, umm, the stairs.”
“It was more for me than anything. I couldn’t sleep last night picturing you falling through that death trap.”
I smile against my beer bottle but don’t say anything. It was far from a death trap.
Leon’s sitting sideways in his chair, knees splayed wide as he looks around the apartment. I’m not sure what it looks like to him, but I’m proud of it, so I don’t care.
“What do you have planned for tomorrow?” he asks.
“I think I’ll keep it a surprise.”
He turns his attention to me, lips twitching under his beard. “That sounds ominous.”
Well, I’m not going to tell him I’m taking him to a spa, am I? I figure a few hours in the sauna, a massage, and then a soak in one of the heated rock pools is exactly what he needs.
Hell, it’s exactly what I need too.
“Don’t you trust me?” I ask, batting my eyes at him.
Leon shakes his head. “I feel like this is a trap.”
“Only one correct answer.”
“Fine. Yes. I trust you. But if I’m giving up a whole day of work, you’d better make sure I’m really fucking relaxed by the end of it.”
I lick my lips, thinking of one way I could definitely relax him, but then I remind myself I’m not supposed to be picturing him that way.
This is going to take some practice.