So I do just that.
At first, she is surprised, but it only takes her a few seconds to match my tempo. Her nails dig into my skin from her tight grip around my neck, and I pay back the bite of pain by sliding my hands through her hair and tugging at the roots until she gasps.
Kissing Dahlia feels like a battle of teeth and tongues as I fight the temptation to hike up her skirt and fuck her against my newly decorated desk.
You need to take things slow, I tell myself while dragging my tongue across hers.
You’re supposed to wait until her arm is cleared. I groan as she slides a hand over the material covering my cock.
Stop before you can’t anymore. I rip my mouth away from hers, earning the sweetest frustrated sigh.
Only a few more seconds, I promise as I tug on her hair and expose her neck.
She teases my cock, brushing the tips of her fingers across it while I kiss, nip, and suck on the column of her throat.
She latches on to my hair and yanks hard enough to have my head snap.
“Hey.” I rub at the sore spot.
“My mom would freak out if she saw a hickey.”
“Perfect time of year for a scarf.” I lean in, only for her to hold me back with a single finger to the middle of my forehead.
“Who knew you were so desperate to mark me?”
“Your neck might be off the table, but your ass is still fair game.”
Her eyes widen.
I brush my index finger across the red blotchy skin of her neck. “Would you like that?”
“Not sure, but I’m up for finding out.”
“I’ll hold you to that after you get your cast off.”
“Fine.” Her deep sigh of resignation can probably be heard a mile away. “I better get to work anyway. I’m on a tight deadline for my décor launch, and I don’t want to miss it.”
“See you at the Founder’s house later?” I ask before she disappears out the door.
“Why?”
“I want to check on a few things and make sure we’re still on schedule.”
“Still itching to get me out of here?” Her eyes glimmer.
“You knew about that?”
“There was only one reasonable explanation for why you wanted to get the project finished in half the time.”
“Perhaps I should slow things down, then.” Now that I admittedly want to spend time with Dahlia, there is no reason to rush things.
What happened to keeping things casual? The small, paranoid voice in my head asks.
“Why—” Her question is cut off by the rattling of keys. “I need to see Sam’s reaction! Bye!” She darts around the corner, leaving me alone with the silliest smile on my face.
I’m not sure if Ryder hired another male carpenter to spite me, but he’s lucky I need him, or else I’d fire him.
Hell, I’m tempted to do so to prove a point.
The attractive carpenter leans into Dahlia’s side under the guise of getting a better peek at her drawing.
My blood pressure spikes. “You there. With the goatee.” I keep my voice neutral, although my stiff posture seems to draw Dahlia’s attention.
The carpenter beside her looks up. “Me?”
“Well, I’m certainly not talking about Ms. Mu?oz.”
“Of course not, Mr. Lopez.”
“What’s your name?”
“Patrick.”
“Congratulations, Patrick. You’ve been promoted.”
His brows jump. “What?”
“Go find Ryder outside and tell him I want you working on the Lake Aurora project.”
“Really?”
“Yup.” I wave him away.
Patrick takes off running for the door, leaving Dahlia and me behind.
Dahlia’s brows furrow. “Is everything okay?”
“It is now.”
Her eyes light up. “What did Patrick do to earn a promotion after only a day of working here?”
“I needed his skills elsewhere.”
“And what about the house?”
“I’m going to take over Patrick’s job.”
Dahlia blinks a few times. “You can’t be serious.”
Deadly so.
Jealousy might be one hell of a motivator, but it doesn’t change the facts. I’m tired of avoiding what I love because of the pain associated with it. Just like I’m tired of pretending I would rather be in meetings when I would prefer to be out here, getting my hands dirty with every project Dahlia throws my way.
My plan to work on the Founder’s house goes beyond jealousy or my need to impress Dahlia.
It has everything to do with me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Julian
“I knew it was only a matter of time before Dahlia and you began pulling pranks again.” Rafa checks out the tree beside my office door.
“What do you think?”
He glances around the suite. “The whole place is an eyesore.”
“Most definitely.”
“Do you plan on taking it all down anytime soon?”
“Probably after New Year’s.” My lips curl.
His brows rise. “You want to keep the decorations up for another six weeks? Why?”
“They’ve grown on me.”
“Oh no,” he mutters up to the ceiling.
“What?”
“You’re falling for her. Again.”
“So what if I am?”
“The fact that you’re not denying it is proof enough.”
I sigh.
He follows with one of his own. “Should I go ahead and warn the rest of town?”
“We won’t involve civilians this time.”
He glares.
“Or animals,” I add.
His lips press into a thin line.
“And I made sure no one will get hurt.” Especially Dahlia. God forbid she has some crazy reaction and breaks her other arm in the process.
Rafa cocks his head. “What do you have planned?”
“Depends on whether you’re willing to help me or not.”
He shakes his head. “Hell no. You can both keep me out of whatever is going on.”
“You haven’t heard me out.”
“Anything that makes you smile like that is a bad idea.”
I wipe the stupid grin off my face. “But I’m going to need your help if I plan on pulling this one off.”
“Helping you start another prank war is a recipe for jail time.” His arms cross against his chest.
“That only happened one time.”
“Do you know that I’m still not allowed to park within a hundred feet of a fire hydrant?”
I laugh. “Must make parking in town a total pain in the ass.”
“Which is exactly why I am steering clear of you two.”
I clasp his shoulder and give it a squeeze. “Come on. It’ll be like old times.”
He grunts something unintelligible. Pranking Dahlia again wouldn’t only be good for her but also for Rafa, who could use a little fun in his life.
“I can’t do this one without you, man.”
He glimpses at the ceiling decorated with flickering icicle lights. “Don’t you pay Sam to help you?”
“His loyalties are split.”
Rafa rubs at his stubble. “Fair enough.”
“Does that mean you’ll help me?”
“I don’t remember you being this pathetic when we were younger.”
“Only because you were willing to prank first, ask questions later.”
His eyes narrow. “What do you have in mind?”
“Something that will have her sleeping with a light on for the next four to six months.”
“I do enjoy scaring people.”
“Doubt you have to try too hard lately with your attitude problem.”