Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

BENNETT

I forced myself to exit gracefully and allow Theo to do his job. Even though I wanted to offer to share the load, I knew instinctively not to cross the lines between his work—in which I was technically his client—and our personal relationship.

While he began mowing the grass, I made my way inside to begin preparing dinner. It was after four already, and since I wanted to make a grilled chicken caprese recipe one of my coworkers had recommended, I needed to go ahead and do as much of it as I could so I'd be free to swim with him when he finished his work.

Vivaldi's "Summer" played as I pounded the chicken breasts and chopped fresh tomatoes and basil. Cooking was a hundred times more rewarding when you were doing it for someone else, and I'd gotten into it since Vega had come to live with me. She was an adventurous eater, and the two of us had fun scouring the grocery store and the farmer's market for new and interesting ingredients.

I could admit now that seeing a certain pair of blue eyes at the Ross Landscaping booth had made those trips to the O'Leary Farmer's Market extra fun.

After I had everything ready, I changed into swim trunks… then sat on my hands at the kitchen table and tried not to pull a muscle peering out the window.

This was not like me at all …. or not like the organized, intelligent Bennett Graham everyone in Manhattan knew, anyway. That guy saved his creativity, his passion, for his architecture. That guy was so dedicated he'd moved to Copper County so his niece could have stability and routine. That guy was far too reserved and aloof to ever bounce with mortifying eagerness on his kitchen chair, let alone shift his summer plans to moon over Theo Ross.

But I had. And I didn't regret it.

Theo Ross was bright, energetic, seemingly carefree, and filled with limitless potential… not unlike one of those newborn stars my grandfather had talked about. I hadn't realized how conventional and predictable my life had become until I'd wandered into his orbit. But now, he'd pulled me in like gravity, and I… well, I liked it.

It felt right.

Like stargazing. Like peaceful Copper County. Like home.

When Theo finally loaded his equipment back onto the trailer, I grabbed two glasses of lemonade and made my way outside. His face lit up at the sight of the cold drinks.

"For me?"

I nodded but bit my tongue against speaking. If I opened my mouth, I'd say something stupid like ask him to get naked or tell him I enjoyed watching him tie his shoes.

Theo took one of the glasses from me and drank down several large gulps. My eyes stayed riveted on his Adam's apple moving up and down.

"Ready for a kiss?" he asked.

"I'm… I'm sorry, what?" My face felt like pure fire.

"Ready for a swim?" he said, enunciating each word this time. He moved closer to the pool, and I followed him without even realizing what I was doing.

"Oh fuck." I let out an unsteady laugh and tried to tell myself to get it together. I hid my nerves behind a sip of my drink. "I thought you said kiss ."

Theo's face widened into a bright, teasing smile. "I did."

I sputtered the drink. "What? Oh, I…" I felt off-balance, which was very unusual for me. But then again, I'd never been in lust with a twenty-four-year-old before. Well, not since I was in my early twenties.

He reached out and grabbed my wrist to pull me closer. "You are the sexiest man I've seen in hours and hours. So I was hoping?—"

"Hours?" I sputtered with a laugh.

The teasing expression on his face made my heart zigzag in my chest. "At least. Minutes , for sure. But sexy is only skin-deep, so… I think this requires deeper study."

His playfulness drained some of my nerves. "How deep, exactly?"

He released my wrist and brought his palms up to my chest. This time, his voice was lower. "I really want to kiss you. Tell me what I need to say to?—"

I lurched forward and crashed my lips into his. Theo's fingers curled into my shirt and held on tight. He smelled like cut grass and summer sunshine, clean sweat and potting soil.

And he felt like a bright, shining star finally within reach.

"I want you," I confessed against his lips as he sucked in a breath.

"God, yes." His words tasted sweet against my lips. "Have me."

Gone were the extensive plans to get to know him before pressing him for more, the careful consideration that he might not be as experienced as I was.

I was hungry for him, and as his hands took full possession of my chest, my shoulders, my back and ass, I realized I wasn't the only one ready to devour.

"Come inside," I murmured against the damp skin of his neck.

"I'm filthy. Let me jump in the pool first to rinse off."

I debated about whether or not I wanted to stop kissing him long enough to let him take a dip in the pool, but then Theo decided for both of us.

And pulled me over the edge.