When the scent of espresso mingles with the odor of the paint, I know he’s found me. I close my eyes for a count to three and a breath of composure before I turn, straightening.
He’s holding two Starbucks cups, one of which he extends towards me. “Truce?”
I take the cup, confused.
He’s smirking, having anticipated my reaction. “It’s a double-shot soy latte. If you hate it, my driver can go back and get something else…”
Blinking, I wonder what kind of stalking he did to know my favorite coffee drink.
Right. Because a celebrity is going to stalk me. “No, this is… fine. Thank you.”
He glances around the smal bathroom, takes a sip from his cup. “Second coat on the cabinets and trim today, right?”
“Um. Yes, that’s right.”
“You finished the tiling? How late did you stay?” He looks impressed, his fingers reaching towards the wal and curling back. “Is it okay to touch it?”
I nod. “Sure. It’s dry.”
Stroking one finger across the glossy white squares, he says, “They’re so even.” His laughter is unlike the derisive chuckle I’ve become accustomed to over the past few days.
“If I’d done this, it would look like a shitty optical il usion.” His half-grin dares me to disagree.
My mouth pul s up on one side, involuntarily. “Um, thanks.”
***
When I finish caulking the master bath shower, I check to see if Reid is on task with the cabinets in the second bathroom. I hear Gabriel e’s voice before I round the corner, so I hover just outside the door, listening.
“I just want to live my life, you know? I don’t care about col ege. I’ve been in school long enough.” From what I remember of a conversation with her mother, Gabriel e spent the past six weeks in summer school after having floundered her way through tenth grade, more interested in boys and partying than keeping up with her assignments.
“Mmm-hmm.” He’s noncommittal, when I would be trying to discourage such a foolish decision.
“I want to be a model. And then an actress, you know, later. After I’m too old to do, like, swimsuit shoots and stuff.”
“Gabriel e?” They both start at the sound of my voice, which echoes in the smal room. I pretend not to notice their matching reactions. “I thought you were working outside with Frank today?”
She glares at me, petulant. “I was just taking a break.”
“Ah,” I say pleasantly, leaning a shoulder on the doorjamb and pointedly waiting for her to leave.
She huffs a sigh and rol s her eyes, turning back to Reid.
“See you at lunch?”
“Sure.” His eyes flick to her and straight back to the cabinet, stroking the brush downward with the wood grain, remarkably straight. As he dips the brush into the paint, he looks up at me. “Need something, boss?”
“She’s only sixteen, you know.”
The brush stil s and he crooks an eyebrow, eyeing me.
“I’m aware of that.”
“Are you?”
“What’s it to you?” His voice is pure chal enge, his eyes narrowed.
I straighten, running my finger along the groove in the door trim. He should have primed this when he primed the cabinets. Doing al of the priming first is more efficient.
“She’s the daughter of the people for whom we’re building this house. I feel a responsibility to them where she’s concerned.”
“A responsibility to what?”
I glance at him and know he’s uber-aware of what he’s doing. Making me spel it out. Fine. I can do that. “A responsibility to make sure the court-ordered ‘volunteer’
understands that he needs to keep his distance from the underage girl while on this property.”
He stares at me for a moment. “So if I run into her off property, for instance—”
“No. That’s not what I mean. I mean… just stay away from her, period. Why would you even—I don’t get why—
don’t you ever want to be a better person?” My breath catches. I can’t believe I just said that.
“Okay, what?” he says, taken aback.
That was so out of line, but before I can backtrack, he slams the brush down, surrounding it with a halo splatter of paint on the plastic sheeting. He stands up and glares down at me. “What I choose to do or not do is none of your business. Who I choose to do or not do is also none of your business. Shit.”
Shouldering past me, he goes straight out into the back yard. I should fol ow him and apologize, but I doubt he wants to hear anything I have to say. Besides, I’m right about Gabriel e. She’s young and she’s starstruck. In no way are they on an equal playing field. I may think she’s a little twerp, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to keep her from ending up emotional y damaged by a guy like Reid Alexander.
So much for that truce.
Chapter 9
REID
What the hel is it with this girl? No matter what I do, I can’t catch a break from her nonstop condemnation.
Truth? That Gabriel e chick is hot, so in the interest of not being bored off my nut, I don’t mind her flirting with me. I’d also be wil ing to bet she’s no virgin. But virgin or not, she should be hooking up with some guy her own age, if that’s what she wants, not some guy who’s wel past eighteen.
And since I’m not a complete idiot, I don’t need to be told that.