Chapter 3
3
IRIS
I feel completely energized. I’ve always loved watching from the sidelines as Violet designs plant installations and Jasmine builds them. I don’t plan on overstepping any boundaries, but this time I’d like to be able to give some input.
Not just because this is an amazing project. Ben is… holy smokes, I’ve always been an articulate person, but words fall out of my head when I stare into his eyes. The man is hot . Handsome, and striking, and a bunch of other descriptive terms I can’t think of just now because…well, see above regarding words falling out of my head. But hot is the term I keep coming back to.
Feeling this way about a man for the first time is distracting, so I’m glad there’s a project to focus on.
Ben drops me off at Abbott Carpentry and Renovations, where Dakota is expecting me. She gives me a quick tour of the space, which thankfully is not as bad as I had feared.
But it’s definitely cluttered.
“Ben said for you to do anything you want to the space as long as it’s not too girly,” Dakota says with a smile. She’s probably around nineteen, with wavy blonde hair that floats around her like a cloud. “I’m also supposed to give you the company credit card for whatever you need.” She pulls it from the bottom drawer and hands it to me with a wink. “He must really like you.”
I’m instantly flustered, and hope she’s right. Ben seems completely open with his feelings. He likes me. He trusts me. And he’s delighted to have my help. Today has definitely given my long-neglected ego a boost.
“So, Ben says you do the paperwork here?”
“Yeah.” Dakota’s eyes roll to the heavens. “I’m taking courses to become a physical therapist, so billing isn’t exactly my thing. But Ben needed help, and I needed a part-time job where I could still study, so…”
I can’t help noticing the invoice open on her laptop and nod to it. “If I may… There’s a faster way to do that.”
“What? No way!”
Ten minutes later, I’ve run Dakota through a series of templates in her billing software that will allow her to work twice as fast. Plus, all bills, estimates, and notices will look more stylish, with the company logotype done consistently.
Dakota grins widely, showing off her hot pink lipstick. “Wow. Thanks!”
I leave her to her work and take a slow walk through the entire space. The reception area is quite plain, with walls that are…sigh… that shade of beige. The couch and chairs are a classic dark brown, though, thank goodness. The shelving is a mess of design sample books, and Dakota’s desk is messy. The other rooms – the small kitchen, Ben’s office, a conference room, and a large drafting room – all have wood furniture, and a ton of paperwork clutter.
Honestly, all the place needs is a deep clean and a coat of paint. Plus plants, of course.
I take a slew of photos, already mentally designing the space. Then I find myself gravitating to Ben’s office.
A box in the corner is filled with award plaques. Not for the company, but for Ben personally. Excellence in design. Community service. Apparently, he volunteered to redesign a local food bank?
My intention is not to spy. Maybe call it “doing my homework”? Making sure that Ben is a top-quality man before I fall for him completely?
Too late. That’s already happening. Every time he smiles at me I feel a swirling heat rush through my stomach. When he kissed my hands, I felt like I was in a movie. All these brand-new feelings are so intense it’s almost overwhelming, and again, I’m extremely glad I have a project to work on to keep me focused.
Dakota pops in, grinning from ear to ear as she hands me a sticky note. “Ben’s number. You’re to text him if you need the smallest thing at all.”
“Thanks. Hey – would you have about an hour to help me clear off every single surface and put stuff in storage boxes?”
She grins, wiping her hands on her jeans. “Sure. Let me grab some boxes from the back.”
“Thanks.”
Dakota is an amazing worker and takes direction well. Within an hour, most of the spaces are organized and clear. The rest is put into storage boxes that we stack neatly under tables. We’ve also confirmed that unfortunately all their usual painting teams are slammed but have found a company with great reviews that is available.
“Is it okay if I study now?” Dakota asks. “I usually put in three hours in the evenings at the front desk.”
“Of course. So you’ll be here to let the cleaners in?”
“Sure!”
I pull out my phone and enter Ben as a contact. For the first time ever, I want to add something cute next to his name, like a heart or a star. Geez, what is coming over me?
Raw desire , that’s what. Maybe I’m finally in a place where I feel secure seeing where things go.
Hi. This is Iris. Dakota and I have cleared your office. I get the sense you want this done quickly, so do I have your permission to get some cleaners in here this afternoon to make every surface shine?
He responds almost instantly.
Ben: Of course. Do you have a moment to come out in front of the building?
I look out the front window to see his truck. We practically run to each other, meeting just outside the doorway.
“Congratulations on those design awards, I?—”
“I can’t believe you’re taking this so seriously. I didn’t even think of hiring cleaners. Also, I?—”
His hands slide around my waist and suddenly we’re snuggling, my cheek brushing against his chest, one of his hands rubbing in circles around my lower back. The fingers of his other hand spear into my hair as he tilts my face up to his.
He turns us both toward the orange and purple streaked sky to the west. “Iris, I can’t stop thinking about you. I already feel…so much. Not just because you’re helping me. Because we just click .”
For a few moments, we simply breathe together, marveling at the colors in the sky. Then we face each other again, and our eyes lock.
“It’s a lovely sunset,” he murmurs. “But you deserve moonlight and roses and a lot better than a parking lot for our first kiss.”
“Good thing I’m not fussy, then.” My chin tips up, breasts tingling as I press against his hard chest and he pulls me close.
The second his lips meet mine, the backs of my thighs begin to tremble. It’s a light, sweet kiss, but the heat simmering just below the surface feels explosive. It’s only a matter of time before it takes over. As if Ben and I are not truly in charge. Our lust is.
That’s an intriguing thought that I’ll be examining later. For now, the only thing on my mind as he pulls me in for another soft, tingling kiss is that I can’t wait until we’re truly alone.
“One of my jobs has been put on hold. So, dinner tonight?”
A few hours of staring at this gorgeous man across a table? Is there even a question?
“Yes.”