5. Jameson
Chapter five
Jameson
" O w, ow!"
A catcall from the hallway has me turning my head quickly in surprise, but it's Aubrey, grinning at Max as he pretends to do a striptease for her.
He holds his voltage tester to his chest and makes a buzzing sound like it went off, and Aubrey bursts out laughing.
She walks over to him and kisses him so passionately that I turn away politely.
"Hey, Jameson," Aubrey calls.
I grunt out a hello.
Max is wiring the foyer today, which is the last room before he starts installing light fixtures.
Archer is working on the plumbing in the kitchen, and Hayes and Emmett are cleaning upstairs.
We’re getting close to the final punch list for the project, and even though I don't need Max distracted, I'm happy for him and Aubrey.
And I'm secretly hoping she drops something about Naomi because I'm dying to see her, even though I swore to myself I would leave her alone. After two cold showers and three obsessive jerk-off sessions in the past twelve hours, I still can't stop thinking about last night.
"How'd it go? Are you getting the bridal experience of your dreams?" Max asks, his arms wrapped around Aubrey's waist as she grins up at him.
"Yes!" Aubrey bounces excitedly, and Max leans down to kiss her again. "Oh, by the way, can we get the bakery apartment cleaned up enough for Naomi to check it out?"
My ears perk up. Why would Naomi want to see that place? Max said it's a wreck.
"Yeah, but are you sure? It needs work," Max replies, echoing my thoughts.
Aubrey shrugs. "I figure we can rent it to her for peanuts." She puts her hands on Max's chest. "Piper said her budget is pretty low, and I'm worried she won't find anything around here that allows dogs. Maybe we can help her out?"
Rage swells in my chest and courses through my body. Naomi is a queen. She shouldn't be willing to live in dust and dirt.
"Yeah, the biggest thing is the shower leak." Max turns to me. "Jameson, could you spare some time to help me with some plumbing work this weekend?"
"No," I growl, my cheeks heating when Aubrey rears back in surprise.
Max studies me through narrowed eyes. "Why not?"
Because I should be the one taking care of her, I want to say, but I turn and stalk out of the room.
"Is he okay?" I hear Aubrey ask Max.
Thank God I can't hear his snarky response because it might send me over the edge.
I realize I'm storming toward the studio space, but Naomi is most likely in the office today, meeting with clients.
It's the only part of the project that’s complete.
Brooks asked us to make sure Violet's office was done first, as the wedding business has a long lead time.
She told me Naomi would be meeting with clients back there this week.
It also has one of the only finished restrooms.
Taking a sharp left, I recognize that my heart is leading me toward the woman I love.
The sound of her voice makes me smile, but the male voice with her has me holding back.
I peek around the corner to find her standing by the restroom with a guy I don't recognize.
He's wearing tailored pants and a polo with loafers. I hate him immediately.
"Here we are." Naomi's soft voice floats across the room, and I can practically smell her strawberry and vanilla scent from here.
"Thanks." The guy grins at her, and Naomi takes a step back.
Good girl. That guy’s a douche.
"Maybe next week I could come check out some options for the groomsmen. Take you to dinner to thank you for your time." The guy's eyes travel the length of her body.
Naomi gives him a tight smile and crosses her arms over her chest. "I don't handle the groom experiences, but I'll let Brooks and Violet know you're interested in finding out more about what's available the morning of your wedding. Or I can let Marie and her mom know if that would be helpful?"
I suppress a chuckle. Nice try, moneybags.
My skin prickles as Mr. Asshole snorts and steps closer to Naomi.
"Mr. Thorton, let's keep this professional, please," Naomi says firmly, stepping back from him to get some distance.
White-hot rage floods my body. I want to shake the guy by his neck, but I'm frozen in place.
"Of course. Totally professional." The guy holds up his hands and acts like he's heading into the restroom.
Naomi sighs and bends over to search in the cabinet along the wall for something. As she pulls out a ream of copy paper, the dickwad slides up behind her and grips her hips.
"I like girls with a little meat back here."
Naomi shoots straight up, and the pack of paper drops to the floor with a loud thud as she shoves his hands away.
"Get your fucking hands off her!" I bellow, storming into the room.
I knock over a stool on my way to protect Naomi, shoving the guy's shoulder so hard that he reels back. He's tall, but I'm taller, and I've got about forty pounds of muscle on him.
Naomi's mouth drops open, her eyes wide with surprise. "Jameson."
The guy smirks as he rubs his shoulder. "He's your boyfriend?"
"Don't talk to her," I grit out, glaring at the prick with my fists clenched as I contemplate punching the smug smile off his face.
Naomi's hand slides over mine as she steps between us. "Mr. Thornton, the restroom is right through there. Then you can follow this hallway back to the client space."
Naomi doesn't take her eyes off me as she speaks to him. She shoves me toward the entryway as the guy chuckles softly and disappears through the door.
"Jameson!" Naomi hisses, pulling me into one of the side rooms we haven't cleaned yet. "He's a client!"
"He's a dick. That's sexual harassment and assault. He's lucky I didn't break his hands," I growl, struggling to keep my voice down. I want to kill that asshole.
Naomi nods, her hands on my chest the only thing keeping me grounded right now as she shushes me. "He's an entitled prick, yes, but we do not hit clients."
I stare into her eyes, wanting to listen to her with all my heart, but also needing to teach that guy a lesson.
"You don't need to take that. Why are you always willing to settle for less than you deserve, Naomi? You’re incredible, and that disgusting waste of humanity doesn't deserve to lick your boots." I want to calm down. For her. But right now, nothing is more important than kicking that guy's ass.
Naomi stares at me for a long moment. Then she fists her hand in the front of my shirt, rises on her toes… and kisses me.
As her warm, sweet mouth touches mine, all thoughts of kicking that guy's ass evaporate. I've found one thing more important.