steps ahead of her so he could open the door.
“Thank you.” She took off her hat and hung it on a hook by the door. “Nice setup.”
“It is.” Adrenaline pumping, he followed her in and closed the door because he knew from experience it was easier to vacuum that way. Yeah, right. That’s why he’d closed the door, so they could clean more efficiently.
Now they were alone, more alone than they’d ever been. The intimacy teased him with possibilities as he stood behind her, trying to breathe normally. Wisps of hair that weren’t long enough to fit into her updo curled against the tender skin of her nape. God, how he wanted to kiss her there. Other places, too. Lots of other places. But they had a job to do and there was no telling how fast Cade and Lexi would finish up and come over here.
So he did what most guys did when they couldn’t decide whether a move would be appropriate. He babbled about nothing. “Last year I managed a quick visit home after Damon and Phil added the built-in loft beds and desks. We just had regular bunk beds when I was here. This is better. Everybody gets a top bunk and their own private area.”
“It’s a great idea.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and laid it on the nearest desk. “So we’re supposed to vacuum, flip mattresses and look for stray items. Does that cover it until we move into the next phase?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She still had her back to him. He thought he’d detected a faint shiver and her shoulders seemed tense, but he could be imagining things. If she was determined to go straight into work mode, so would he.
She swallowed. “Do you want to kiss me first or—”
He put down the vacuum and spun her around so fast she squeaked. “I want to kiss you more than I want to breathe.”
“I see.” Her green eyes simmered with heat. “Then I won’t be needing these.” Slowing removing her glasses, she perched them on top of her head where they nestled against her glossy hair.
His heartbeat picked up speed. Shoving back his hat, he pulled her close. Her full lips parted on a sigh. He could almost taste their velvet softness “This is risky.”
She wound her arms around his neck. “Is it?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He slid his hands over the warm denim covering her backside. For someone so slender, she perfectly filled his cupped hands. His breathing hitched. “Once I start kissing you, I’m liable to forget about cleaning.”
She pressed her sweet body against his. “I’ll remind you.”
“You do that.” He took her mouth with the desperation of a starving man. He’d only had a few chances to kiss her, but it seemed that was enough to make him addicted to the supple movement of her lips and the erotic dance of her tongue.
She caught fire immediately and he dove into the richness that was Geena’s mouth. His hat fell to the floor. He left it there. He might yearn for a peaceful meadow, but he craved this, to be engulfed in a passion that made him forget his problems, forget everything but the heat of her body and the sound of her moans.
He’d told himself to go slow, but they were alone in this cabin and he wanted...more. Heart pounding, he untied her shirttails and worked his way up the row of buttons. He gave her time to object, but instead she deepened the kiss.
When he’d breached the barrier of her shirt, he discovered the front catch of her bra. What a terrific invention. Anticipation made him clumsy but eventually he flipped open the clasp.
She gasped as his hand closed over her breast.
Breathing hard, he lifted his mouth a fraction from hers. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No.”
That one word traveled like a flame along a fuse. Cupping her warm breast, he supported her with his arm and leaned down. His tongue grazed her nipple and she whimpered. Now he knew what that meant.
Slowly he drew her in and listened to the wild sound of her breathing as he hollowed his cheeks and created a rhythm with his mouth and tongue. Her soft whimpers turned into nearly incoherent words.
He lifted his head again. “What?” he murmured. “Tell me.”
“I want you so much,” she wailed. “But we have to clean!”
Clean. His passion-soaked brain struggled with the concept and finally delivered the bad news. He might have a bed available, although they’d have to climb a ladder to get there, which lacked class. He might have an erection as rigid as the logs used to build this cabin. He might even have a condom in his jeans pocket.
Didn’t matter. Instead of making sweet love to Geena, he had to vacuum floors and flip mattresses. Life wasn’t even remotely fair.
With a resigned sigh, he released her soft, inviting breast. He didn’t dare let go of her completely, though. If she was anywhere near as jacked up as he was, she might lose her balance. He wasn’t entirely confident that he wouldn’t lose his.
She gulped in air. “I shouldn’t have started this. I should have known we couldn’t just kiss each other without...”
“Right.” He swallowed. “But don’t take all the blame. I had a hunch things could get out of control in no time.”
“You did?”
“Yes, ma’am. But I was willing to take the risk because kissing you is my new favorite thing.”
“Kissing you is mine, too.” She took a shaky breath. “Okay, you can let me go. I’m reasonably steady and I should put myself back together so we can get to work.”
He did as she asked and edged away. But he couldn’t stop looking at her, although he definitely should because his package strained against his fly. Her creamy breasts trembled with each breath and her nipples, the rich color of burgundy wine, remained taut and eager for his mouth.
Then she gathered all that bounty into the white lace cups of her bra and fastened the catch, depriving him of that particular view. But he still had the tantalizing sight of her unbuttoned blouse and the inviting shadow of her cleavage. He willingly suffered continued pain in his crotch.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she buttoned her shirt and tied the tails in a loose knot. Last of all, she retrieved her glasses from the top of her head and put them on. “All done.” She took another deep breath. “Do you want to vacuum or flip mattresses?”
“Neither. I want to strip off all your clothes. Then I want to kiss you until we’re both crazy with anticipation. Then I want to make love to you for as long as it takes for both of us to be so satisfied that we can’t imagine wanting even one more orgasm.”
A fire burned in her green eyes. “That sounds amazing. And we’ll do that eventually, I’m sure. But right now, we have to—”
“Clean cabins. I know.” He sighed. “I’ll flip the mattresses. I’ll be done first so I’ll haul water and put it on the front stoop for later.”
“But I want to haul water.”
That made him smile. Apparently she really did look upon this as an adventure. He clenched his hands into fists so he wouldn’t reach for her again, because she was just that appealing. “Okay. Want to split some kindling while you’re at it?”
“Could I? That would be awesome!”
“Don’t see why not.” He picked up his hat from the floor and dusted it off. “In fact, there’s a dead tree about fifty yards into the forest that Dad wants to cut down.”
“There is?” Her eyes widened.
“Yes, ma’am.” He stroked a hand over his face so she wouldn’t notice his grin. “He mentioned it yesterday. When I fetch the ax from the barn, I could also gas up the chain saw. That way you could—”
“Now you’re making fun of me.”
“Just