Peyton walked in the kitchen. She didn’t like how he had played her in front of Donna. So smug and sure of himself. What did he expect her to do but accept his offer? Her home was her investment; of course, she couldn’t walk away from it. He had pounced on her weakness and reeled her in like a big fish using his skills and offer of credit as bait. What she had to find out is why he offered and what he expected in return.
She leaned on the center island as he poked at the drywall by the sink. “So, why the change of heart?”
Jason pulled the drywall off letting the material crumbled between his fingers. “Excuse me?”
Peyton repeated herself. “Why the sudden change of heart. Do you like having something to hold over me or is it retaliation for calling your insurance company about my car?”
He chuckled. “Fixing your car won’t cost nearly as much as repairing this disaster of a kitchen. As I see it, I’m on the losing end not you.”
“Then, why are you doing it? What do you want from me?” She asked raising a perfectly arched brow.
“Is it so hard for you believe I might be a good guy?”
Peyton forced her eyes to meet his, and her breath caught in her throat. She saw something burning there. “That remains to be seen.”
He moved closer to her. The scent of his cologne fading out the musty smell of the kitchen was welcoming. “Oh, a skeptic. Seriously, I’m helping a friend of a friend—good guys do that. But, you sound like a woman who’s been hurt. Has a man hurt you, Peyton?”
Peyton suppressed a shiver at the feel of Jason’s breath on her face. She knew their bantering bordered on childishness, but he made her go there. If she had any other choice, she would’ve walked away from him and his generosity.
“Look, I’m accepting your offer of help; that doesn’t mean we have to get to know each other personally. We’ll agree that I won’t ask about your life, and you don’t ask about mine.”
“I think you’d like it if I didn’t talk to you at all.”
She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “We won’t be talking since I’ll be at my job and you’re here working on my kitchen. So, I guess I get my way.”
Jason tapped his chin with the tip of the ink pen. “Hmm, I didn’t factor that in. I’ll be here tomorrow morning. Since I won’t need a full crew to help me demolish what’s left of the kitchen; you get to help me.”
His grin had an evil edge, but those dark blue eyes caused a stirring within her. She didn’t like this man. How could she have an arousal for a man she detested.
She squinted her eyes. “You’re pushing it, buddy. Believe me; I’m not the one to push too far before I start to bite back.”
He smiled in reaction to her tirade. “I’m not afraid of your bite. Anyhow, I doubt a woman as beautiful as you, bites as hard as you claim.” He placed his hand on her lower back and nudged her toward the living room.
Peyton planted her feet and refused to budge. “As I said, don’t let my pretty face fool you.”
“And don’t let my handsomeness fool you. I saw how you checked me out. But try to control your urges until the work is done. Giving in to sexual tension has a way of slowing progress on a project.”
No, you didn’t just say that! Is it possible Stoney had been reincarnated and come back as Jason Green? The arrogance was there, but Stoney didn’t have a humorous side. Working with Jason would test her wits. If she made it through the remodel without killing him, she would reward herself with a gift of her liking.
She leaned on the center island as he poked at the drywall by the sink. “So, why the change of heart?”
Jason pulled the drywall off letting the material crumbled between his fingers. “Excuse me?”
Peyton repeated herself. “Why the sudden change of heart. Do you like having something to hold over me or is it retaliation for calling your insurance company about my car?”
He chuckled. “Fixing your car won’t cost nearly as much as repairing this disaster of a kitchen. As I see it, I’m on the losing end not you.”
“Then, why are you doing it? What do you want from me?” She asked raising a perfectly arched brow.
“Is it so hard for you believe I might be a good guy?”
Peyton forced her eyes to meet his, and her breath caught in her throat. She saw something burning there. “That remains to be seen.”
He moved closer to her. The scent of his cologne fading out the musty smell of the kitchen was welcoming. “Oh, a skeptic. Seriously, I’m helping a friend of a friend—good guys do that. But, you sound like a woman who’s been hurt. Has a man hurt you, Peyton?”
Peyton suppressed a shiver at the feel of Jason’s breath on her face. She knew their bantering bordered on childishness, but he made her go there. If she had any other choice, she would’ve walked away from him and his generosity.
“Look, I’m accepting your offer of help; that doesn’t mean we have to get to know each other personally. We’ll agree that I won’t ask about your life, and you don’t ask about mine.”
“I think you’d like it if I didn’t talk to you at all.”
She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. “We won’t be talking since I’ll be at my job and you’re here working on my kitchen. So, I guess I get my way.”
Jason tapped his chin with the tip of the ink pen. “Hmm, I didn’t factor that in. I’ll be here tomorrow morning. Since I won’t need a full crew to help me demolish what’s left of the kitchen; you get to help me.”
His grin had an evil edge, but those dark blue eyes caused a stirring within her. She didn’t like this man. How could she have an arousal for a man she detested.
She squinted her eyes. “You’re pushing it, buddy. Believe me; I’m not the one to push too far before I start to bite back.”
He smiled in reaction to her tirade. “I’m not afraid of your bite. Anyhow, I doubt a woman as beautiful as you, bites as hard as you claim.” He placed his hand on her lower back and nudged her toward the living room.
Peyton planted her feet and refused to budge. “As I said, don’t let my pretty face fool you.”
“And don’t let my handsomeness fool you. I saw how you checked me out. But try to control your urges until the work is done. Giving in to sexual tension has a way of slowing progress on a project.”
No, you didn’t just say that! Is it possible Stoney had been reincarnated and come back as Jason Green? The arrogance was there, but Stoney didn’t have a humorous side. Working with Jason would test her wits. If she made it through the remodel without killing him, she would reward herself with a gift of her liking.
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