Chapter 5
Natasha
I woke up early and went for a run. I liked to run through the town and the nearby trails.
I'd thought about setting up a light trail on the paths, but the thought was daunting. It was our first holiday season, and we were supposed to be sticking with the traditional events, except for the parade. I had enough on my schedule without adding one more thing to my to-do list.
After I handed Ford the contract last night, he'd stayed for a bit. We'd watched people sip their hot chocolates, admire the Christmas tree, and go in and out of shops. It was nice to spend time with someone I knew so well and not feel the need to fill the silence with chitchat.
I'd told myself I wouldn't have to spend much time with Ford, but we needed to discuss the design and pick fixtures and tile. We'd be working together closely the next few months.
At the inn, I walked upstairs to the top floor, following the sound of demolition to the vacant room next to mine.
I picked my way over tools and boxes to get to the bathroom. Ford was ripping out the vanity. The mirrors and lights were in the bedroom already. "You don't waste any time."
He lifted the safety goggles to his head. "You wanted it done quickly."
I looked around. "Where's your crew?"
He leaned a hip on the counter, crossing his arms over his chest, which amplified his bulging biceps. "They'll be here tomorrow. I thought you and I could meet for lunch and go over the design for the bathroom."
"I'm free for lunch. I'll tell the hostess to save us a seat in the restaurant," I said, trying desperately to keep my gaze on his face.
He was wearing a Sterling Brothers T-shirt and worn jeans with work boots, and there was something inherently sexy about the look. He was muscular and strong, his skin tan as if he was used to working outside in the sun, and his jaw had a line of scruff I wanted to trace with my fingers.
He'd filled out since we dated. He was a man now where he'd been a boy before.
"We'll want to get started on ordering right away. We don't want to run into any delays with the holidays coming up."
"I figured that." I'd hoped we'd go our separate ways. Except Eve was counting on me to supervise the renovation. Maybe it would be easier when there was a team of construction workers, and I wasn't alone in a bathroom with my ex.
He rested his hand on the vanity. "You want to do the honors?"
I blanched. "You mean help remove it?"
He shrugged. "You're in workout clothes. Appropriate attire for demolition."
"I don't know about that." I lifted the edge of my shirt to wipe the sweat from my forehead. When I lowered it, his gaze was on my belly as if he'd been looking at the sliver of stomach I'd exposed. Was this weird for him too?
He turned away, refocusing on the vanity. He gripped the edge of the green surface. At one time, I was sure it was meant to go with the Christmas decor. I was positive white tile would look just as nice, and we could add a few touches, such as lush red towels to contribute to the ambiance.
Now that the work had started, I wanted to get rid of the old and bring in the new. "Let's do it."
He grinned. "I'm going to lift, and we just need to wiggle and pull. It should come right out."
I huffed a laugh. "Yeah, okay."
"It will be easy, especially with two of us."
I set my phone aside and gripped the counter next to him. He lifted, and the muscles in his arms rippled and bulged. I forced myself to focus on the counter. I couldn't drool over his physique when I was supposed to be helping.
"Now pull."
At first, it didn't seem to do anything, but then he wiggled it back and forth, and something broke loose. We managed to move it away from the wall. "Now let's turn it and walk it into the bedroom."
He'd placed tarps over the carpet, probably because we hadn't officially decided to change it yet. There was a plastic curtain between the bedroom and bathroom. He was trying to minimize the dust and mess.
He took the end, where he'd have to back out of the room, and I lifted the opposite. He had the harder job, and I appreciated that he'd taken that position. He'd always been a gentleman, a nice guy who looked out for other people.
We walked the vanity slowly into the other room and set it near the door.
"When my crew is here tomorrow, we'll start carrying things out. Let me know what time would be the quietest. We don't want to distract from the guests' experience."
"I know it can't be helped, but I appreciate you minimizing it as much as possible." The bathroom still had the shower and tub with the awful tile, but soon it would be a blank slate.
He cleared his throat. "I'm sure you have to get to work."
I grabbed my phone, and when I turned to face him, Ford's gaze was low again. Had he been watching my ass when I bent over? I must be imagining things. There was no way Ford was still interested in me.
I backed out of the room. "I need a shower. Then I'll be at the front desk, if you need me."
He nodded. "I'll wash up before I head down for lunch."
"Great. See you later." I turned and walked out of the room, my heart racing even though we'd only lifted a vanity. I felt like I hadn't cooled down from my run. Inside my apartment, I leaned against the door and let out a breath. How was I going to work with Ford and keep my attraction to myself?
I was in so much trouble.
I pushed off the door, heading toward the bathroom, stripping off my clothes as I went. I was sweaty and gross. There was no way he was checking me post workout.
I turned on the water and stepped under the steady stream. Dipping my head back, I wet my hair. I closed my eyes, biting my lip against the image that came to mind of him lifting that vanity. The way his muscles had bulged from the weight, the barely restrained strength in every line of his body.
I couldn't resist cupping my breasts, tweaking the nipples, then moving lower, between my legs. If I was going to work with him, then I'd have to take the edge off.
I was positive the reason I was so attracted to him was because he was the only male I'd been this close to recently.
Ever since my parents died, I'd been singularly focused on the estate, cleaning out their house and now starting the inn.
It was why my boyfriend at the time had said we should take a break.
I hadn't had time to date or meet new people. I barely had the energy to climb into bed at the end of the night.
Then I imagined Ford hovering over me, thrusting inside me. He'd feel so good filling me up. The orgasm hit me like a tidal wave, washing over me. I braced my hand on the tile, my body trembling from the aftershocks.
When I recovered, I shampooed and conditioned my hair before soaping my body.
This was going to be a long few months. My only saving grace would be to focus on our busy season. I'd block out how good Ford looked renovating a bathroom.
I got dressed and headed downstairs to cover the front counter. When there was no one working the front desk, I was available on my phone to respond to any requests. Eventually, I'd hire someone to handle the desk during the day, but for now, it was just me.
I did as much work as I could while checking people in and out, answering any questions, and monitoring the online reservations. It wasn't ideal. But until our profits increased, I was tied to the desk during certain hours of the day.
Guests expected in-person service, and we wanted to offer it to them. Some things were better done in person. Even if the interruptions threatened my focus.
The only good thing was that I couldn't think about Ford and what he was doing, because I was too busy. Before I knew it, it was lunchtime, and the hostess from the inn's restaurant called to say my table was ready.
I wondered whether I should go upstairs and let Ford know or if I should text him. He'd given me his cell phone number on the estimate paperwork. Before I could decide, he appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
It looked like he'd washed up a bit, probably in one of the vacant rooms with an intact bathroom. He smiled when he saw me. "Are you ready for lunch?"
My stomach growled as if on cue. "Yes."
He waited for me to shut down the laptop and lock it in the safe behind the counter. I put up the sign that told guests to text or call with any issues.
Then I walked with him to the restaurant with views of the town square. The hostess, Heather, led us to a table by the window.
She handed us the menus. "Enjoy your lunch."
"Thanks, Heather."
She wandered away, and I focused on the menu. I knew every item by memory because we'd spent so much time picking each offering with the chef. I decided to get the turkey club, lowering the menu to the table.
Ford raised a brow. "How's the roast beef?"
"I've heard it's great, but I haven't had it yet."
"I'll get that then." He set the menu down. "I was able to get a lot done this morning, even without my crew. Of course, it will go more quickly with them here."
"Should I have brought my laptop so that we could go over design choices?"
"I brought my tablet." He set it between us on the table. "These are the specs of your bathrooms. I know a few are different, but most are about this size."
I leaned in so that I could get a better look.
"I'm just not sure what style you're going for. Did you want something green again? Or something more traditional?"
"Traditional, I think. I keep imagining natural wood with white or ivory tiles."
He clicked a few things on the program, and the vanity changed to light wood, and the tile to a bright white.
"I like that. It's clean, modern, and updated, yet still fits the historic feel of the rooms."
"We can play around with other options, but what color fixtures were you thinking about?" He flipped through several options. "Brushed brass, aged bronze, and antique brass all work for a traditional feel."
"I love all those options."
The server arrived and took our order.
Then I took the tablet from his hands and flipped through the options on my own. "I think I like the aged bronze the best."
"Good choice." He took the tablet from me and said, "Now what size tile in the shower? A larger tile is easier to clean."
"Let's go with that then."
He guided me through several options for cabinets before our food arrived and he set the tablet aside.
We dug into our food. I was starving after the busy morning I had. Trying not to focus on something or someone made everything harder. I couldn't forget what it felt like to be in that bathroom, with him taking up all the space. I couldn't avoid his masculine scent or the way his muscles flexed.
Ford sipped his iced tea. "Hopefully, we'll have a lot of the work done by Christmas."
"That would be nice. I can't wait to share updated pictures online."
He tipped his head. "You need to decide if you want to replace the carpet before we open those rooms up again."
I chewed my lip. "It would be easier to do it while the rooms are vacant."
"I agree, but only if you can swing it. You can always wait to do more updates."
Eve was already on board, and it might be better to get it done at once. When the work was completed, Ford would move onto his next project. I wouldn't have to see him every day. "Let's do it now."
He raised a brow. "Are you sure?"
I blew out a breath. "It makes the most sense, and Eve is anxious to get it done."
He dipped his fry in ketchup. "You two work together on everything?"
"When it comes to major business decisions. She talks to me about her side of the business, the event planning and marketing, and I keep her apprised of the inn's issues."
"You don't want to be in charge of town events?"
"I prefer the hospitality side of the business. I want to create a wonderful place to stay, make it warm and inviting. What about you? Are you happy working with Cooper and your brothers?"
"I know they say not to go into business with friends or family. But I can't imagine it any other way. No other employer would have given me this shot."
"You mean to lead the project?"
"Yeah. It's a huge responsibility. I'm still surprised they trust me."
"They know what you're capable of." Ford had always been strong and steady. So I wasn't surprised when he went all in with the military. He had a sense of right and wrong, duty and obligation.
"Your guests are going to love the new bathrooms."
I sighed. "I hope so. Eve is worried about the reviews talking about the inn looking worn and dated."
"I'll take care of everything."
I had no doubt that Ford would do a good job. It was me I was worried about. The more we were around each other, the more I'd remember how good it felt to be with him.
I couldn't forget that he chose to let me go. And the other night, he said he'd wished he'd done it sooner. I wasn't the one for him. Thinking about what-ifs was a waste of time.