After examining his expression, she broke his hold.
He stared at her, noting her narrowed gaze. “If you don’t want me, say so.”
“You’re getting really tricky now. You don’t plan to touch me. I just can’t work out why you want to make me think you do. If you’re trying to be faithful to this Lonny, why not say so?”
“Don’t you think it’s more comfortable getting to know someone before you fall into bed with them?”
She tossed her head and the rest of her pencil-clasped knot of hair bounded in curls onto her shoulders. The pencil clattered onto the concrete floor. “If everyone knew everyone else, I think condom sales would take a dive. Knowing someone is the greatest deterrent to sex that I can think of.” She bent to pick up her hair holder, apparently sure she’d had the last word.
“I don’t think it hurts to see the color of someone’s eyes first.”
She put a finger in the middle of his chest. “Yours are green,” she said, her voice husky. “A deep, dark, confident green and you have thick, girly eyelashes.”
“We’ll have to stop this.” He stepped back. “And you can guess why.”
Her eyes widened and she breathed out. “Here we go again.”
He ate his doorstop sandwich, appreciating the fact that she had noticed the color of his eyes. She’d met his single stipulation. He didn’t have to hold her off forever, as long as they could be very discreet. If Lonny found out, she would have a cow, but if Vix’s father found out, he could produce a whole stampeding herd. James Tremain was one of the most powerful men in the state and once he’d had influence in Jay’s life. Although the fight with Tim had ended that connection, he still had the power to mess with Jay’s prospects. A smarter man than Jay wouldn’t play with fire, but Jay didn’t intend to be intimidated by money, now or ever.
He would like to be good enough for a woman like Vix, who was educated, quick-witted, earnest, fresh, clean, and wholesome. Just once he wanted to have a woman with inborn class. She played volleyball well, too, not like an athlete but like a fit, active woman. He liked that. Apparently, she’d spent the past year at the gym instead of mourning the loss of Tim. He liked that, too.
After the game, she went back into the paint room, he and the guys started shifting flats and reclaiming wood, and Sherry went home to the kids. Kell’s girls huddled, possibly playing rock/paper/scissors to see who got the muscle-bound clod, though by now Jay knew the girls were friends who would leave the decision to fate, if that’s what women did.
By the time he and the guys had stacked as much wood as they could, Vix had a pile of paint cans outside her room, and finally she emerged looking sexily flushed. She brushed her hands together, as if finished with the job. Her smile said satisfaction. “What’s the rule for throwing out paint?”
“The same as for domestic dumping. You have to leave the paint to harden and then it’s red-top waste.”
“I can’t reuse any of this, which is a shame because there’s enough to paint a house.”
“Mine needs painting.”
She rested her forefinger on her chin. “What color do you want?”
“I don’t care.”
“There’s not enough of a single color to do a whole room.”
“I’ll mix a few together so that I get enough.”
“You ought to buy the colors you want. This lot mixed together will only make murk,” she said, toeing a can. “Or, maybe…You could mix all of these greens with this dreadful yellow and get a quite interesting citrus green. Which room are you planning on painting?”
“All.”
“Are you going to do up the whole of the inside of the house?”
“Sure. Eventually.”
She gave him a delighted smile. “The house is yours, then. You have great bones there.”
“Worst house in the best street in the worst neighborhood. But I got a good deal when I bought it. When I sell it, if the Port goes ahead as predicted, I might make some money. I sure could use some.”
Her expression veiled. “Most people could. Anyway, I’m about to head off. Would you like me to give you a lift home? We live in the same direction.”
He saw Steve and Trent were sitting on the floor, clearly ready to leave. “Yeah. We’ll be starting at eight tomorrow. Right, guys? Let’s go.” He rattled his keys and the guys shuffled out of the door, last minute comments consisting of no more than “See ya.”
Jay thought if Vix took him home, he could persuade her to stay the night. Maybe. She looked rather more businesslike now. Forever an optimist, he ushered her out to her car and piled in. As she backed her car out of the lot, he said, “Would you like me to cook tonight, or do you want to go out?”
“Sorry. I have work to catch up on.”
The finality of her tone shot his eyebrows to his hairline. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Somewhere along the line, he’d erred, but he didn’t know where. “What happened?” he asked, staring at her classic profile as she put the car into forward.
“Nothing, fortunately, as you know.” Focused on the road, she began to drive like an elderly lawyer, slow and careful.
“I thought we had an understanding.”
“No. You played with me, I played with you, and now we’re even.”
“You mean you had no intention of sleeping with me tonight?”
“No more intention than you meant to have sex with me last night.” She laughed.
“Did you want to do it without a condom?”
“You had others.”
“Watch out. That guy in front wants to change lanes.”
She gave him the look. “You had a box in the bathroom.”
“You’re kidding. You went through my cabinet?” He tried to sound outraged.
Her cheeks tinged with red. “Do you know a woman who wouldn’t?”
“I forgot I had condoms in the bathroom.” The lie clogged his throat.
“Yet, that’s where you went to get the one that you took into the bedroom to break in front of me. So, you really do care for the woman who came to see you this morning. Lonny, is that her name?”
“That’s her name, and no, I’m not involved with her that way.”
“Well, I just don’t care what way you are involved with her.” She took a right that led through the parklands to Port Road.
Although she might think she could put him off with her hauteur, he knew she would only have mentioned Ilona if she felt a tinge of jealousy. And someone who didn’t care didn’t get jealous. “You don’t have to take me home. You can stop here and I’ll walk.”
“Don’t be huffy. It would take you a day and a half to walk to your house from here.”
“You think I’m unfit?”
“I think you’re narked.” She gave a satisfied smile. “It’s best this way, really. We have to work together and we need to keep our relationship on a purely professional basis.” She lifted her lovely chin.
“You’re right.” He gave her a friendly smile, like he didn’t care either. Normally, he wouldn’t. At this stage of his life, a casual relationship