Chapter 1 #2
“Listen, I don’t need Mrs. Brighton, aka Mrs. Robinson, grabbing my dick and getting her crazy-ass husband jealous.
The man has a room just for his guns. I’ll work much better over here.
It’s all about love at the bookstore. Plus, I’m the better woodworker, and we have a lot of bookshelves to build, as well as getting this register station put together. ”
“Fine, you big baby.” Nash glanced around the space and paused to look at the drawings from the architect on the table as I handed them each their iced tea.
“Thanks,” they said at the same time.
“Magnolia Beans’s finest.” I stared down at the design with them.
“You’ve already ordered the couches that you’re bringing in, right?” Kingston asked, and I swear his gaze zeroed in on my mouth when I pulled my drink away before it snapped back up.
“Yes. They’re already here. I’ve got them in my garage. I figured you’d want to wait until the floors are in and the shelves are built.”
“Yep, that’s the plan,” Nash said, as he glanced down at his phone when it vibrated. “For fuck’s sake. Mrs. Brighton wants to know where we are. I’m going to head out with a few of the guys. I’ll stop by later today.”
“Good luck. We’ve got this.” Kingston took a long pull from his iced tea, just as his team showed up, and they parked in the large alley behind the building.
He stepped out to help them unload the palettes of wood and supplies, and everyone got to work.
I’d purposely taken today off because I wanted to watch and learn, because who knows?
Maybe I’d expand my business someday. Learning how to take an empty space and turn it into something magical was a skill.
And Kingston Pierce was a very talented woodworker.
He had his saw set up on a table in the back lot as he directed everyone to specific tasks.
His team was working on the bookshelves inside while he was framing out the checkout station that I’d sketched for him.
I wanted it to look like a piece of vintage furniture and match the aesthetic of the place.
“You sure you don’t want to have the guys paint this when they paint the bookshelves? It’s going to be a big piece, and it’ll be a beast to paint yourself.” He ran his large hand over the piece of wood that he’d just cut for the base.
“Nope. I’ve watched a ton of YouTube videos now, and I am determined to put my stamp on this particular piece. It’ll be a real focal point for the bookstore.”
He nodded. “All right. I can help if you need me to.”
“I’ll be fine. I like getting my hands dirty.
” I shrugged, and the look in his eyes after I said that had me squeezing my thighs together.
Kingston was a flirt by nature, so I knew not to take it seriously.
He and I had always shared a bond, one not everyone even knew about.
I trusted him immensely, and he’d been a really good friend to me.
But he was also sexy as sin, and sometimes I had to remind myself to stop staring.
“I just mean I want to help where I can.”
“Yeah? All right, how about I teach you how to use this table saw? You’ve already got the eyewear on, so we’ll just be careful.”
“Really?” I moved beside him, where he was cutting the next piece. “I’d love that.”
“Come here,” he said, stepping back and making room for me to stand in front of him. “It’s all about taking your time and guiding the piece carefully where you want it.”
His arms came around me, and his hands moved on top of mine.
They were calloused and covered in sawdust, and they engulfed my much smaller hands.
He turned on the saw and moved our fingers along the wood, with his chest pressed against my back.
He spoke in my ear. “Follow the line and keep it steady.”
I focused on the wood and leaned forward before I realized my butt was pressed against his groin.
“You need to stop wiggling your ass, Saylor. I can’t concentrate when you do that.
” His voice was gruff, and I startled when I realized that something was poking me in the ass.
I was fairly certain it was Kingston’s erection, unless he had a large flashlight tucked in his groin.
I stayed perfectly still until the wood was cut, and he leaned forward and turned off the saw.
“Sorry about that,” I said, trying to hide my smile when he pulled back. “I didn’t realize that was, er, you know.”
“My dick?”
“I thought it was a flashlight at first,” I said over a fit of laughter before turning around to look at him.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He ran his hand over his jaw. “I’m assuming you’re referencing a very large flashlight?”
I smacked his shoulder. “Stop. You’re ridiculous. You better not tell Nash that I grazed your junk like Mrs. Brighton did.”
His gaze moved to my mouth. “Trust me. Those are two very different things. And there isn’t a man on the planet who wouldn’t react to your ass rubbing against him.”
My cheeks burned, and I tried to play it off. “Okay. So what do we do with the wood?” He raised a brow, and I realized how that had sounded and threw my hands in the air. “You know what I meant.”
He laughed. “Come on, let’s take this inside and get the base built.”
When we walked back into the bookstore, my eyes widened at the sight of Coach Hotty holding a bouquet of flowers and smiling at me.
This day just kept getting better.