Unexpected Rush
Page 14

Barrett spent most of Saturday trying to talk himself out of going over to Harmony’s place.
In the end, he couldn’t figure out a legitimate reason why he shouldn’t go that wouldn’t make him look like a total wuss. So he decided he’d suck it up and do it. They could be friends. She was going to be working with him, so this was as good a time as any to get used to being around her.
He got into his SUV, turned up his radio and hit the highway.
He did the grocery shopping first, then drove out to her place. When he’d last come here with Drake, he’d paid no attention to where they were. Now he took the time to notice the community. Pretty nice complex with a good view of the water. He could see why she chose this location.
He parked and grabbed the grocery bags, walking the short distance to her door. He rang the bell and waited.
She didn’t answer.
He frowned and rang the bell again.
She finally opened the door, wearing a yellow and white sundress that was tight on top and full at the bottom and made him notice her body in ways he had no business noticing.
“Hey,” she said with a smile. “I was on the phone. Sorry it took me so long.”
“Not a problem.”
“Come on inside. It’s hot out there.”
He walked in, thankful she had the AC cranked up. “Feels good in here.”
“It’ll feel even better once you have something to drink. You can unload those bags on the counter.” She led him past the small living area.
He stopped and peered into the bathroom.
“Got it painted, I see. The green looks good.”
“Thanks.”
“So, whatever had you upset is out of your system now?”
Her lips quirked. “Yes.”
“Good to know.”
He stepped into the kitchen and laid his bags on the counter.
“What would you like to drink?”
“A beer would be good.”
“Coming up.” She opened her refrigerator and pulled out a beer, handing it to him.
“Thanks.” He took out the chicken and slid it into her refrigerator, then pulled up a seat at her kitchen island and popped open the beer, taking a couple long swallows.
“Nice place.”
“Thank you.” She smiled. “I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it, and I knew it had to be mine. The view from the bedroom balcony is fantastic. I’ll give you a tour later.”
He wasn’t sure he wanted to be anywhere near her bedroom. She was already too tempting as it was. “That sounds great.”
She took a peek inside the grocery bags. “Interesting.”
His lips curved as he took another swallow of beer. “I’m going to rock your world tonight.”
She swiped her fingertip along the condensation sliding down her glass of iced tea. “I look forward to that.”
Her warm brown eyes melted him when she said those words, and his dick got hard.
Dammit.
“I meant the food, Harmony.”
She blinked an innocent smile. “Of course you did.”
“We discussed the rule.”
She shrugged. “That’s your rule, Barrett. Not mine.”
Damn she was frustrating. “It’s a rule I intend to adhere to.”
She reached across the island and patted his hand. “Whatever you say. So, would you like to see my town house? It’ll give you an idea of my decorating style.”
He got the idea she’d just patronized the hell out of him, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. But he wasn’t about to continue that line of conversation, so the best thing to do was let it drop. “Sure.”
“This is obviously the kitchen. I bought into the town house before it was built, so I chose the countertops, backsplash, cabinets and all the hardware.”
The kitchen was spacious. It had dark maple cabinets with dusky gray quartz counters and stainless steel appliances. The white and gray glass herringbone backsplash seemed to work well with everything else and wasn’t wild or crazy.
She moved around the island. “The flooring is actually a porcelain tile that looks like hardwood. I had it put in throughout the house.”
It was a dark terra cotta color, and really looked like wood flooring. “I like it. I definitely might want to consider it for my house.”
“I thought you might. Easy to clean, holds up much better to our high humidity than wood floors. We’ll talk about it when it comes time to order flooring.”
She led him into a spacious second living area.
“This is the family room, where I spend most of my time because of the view. It has a balcony as well.” She went to the doors and opened them, walking him out onto what was a decent-sized deck.
“I sacrificed backyard for two decks and a view,” she said, as she stepped out next to him.
The view of the water was pretty awesome. “This is nice. But I guess no dog for you, huh?”
She laughed. “Sadly, no. My hours are so erratic I don’t think it would be fair to get a dog anyway.”
He turned to her, leaning an elbow against the wood rail. “I remember when I first met you. You told me that after you graduated college you were going to get your own place because you wanted a puppy and your mom was allergic, so you couldn’t have one at her house.”
She frowned. “I said that? I don’t remember.”
“You told me that the first day we met. You told me a lot of things, because you talked all the time and never shut up, but that’s the one thing that stuck with me the most.”