Blush(41)

He chugged half the tea before saying, “Roof’s fixed. But I’d get that NOLA company to come and replace it sooner than later. Those patches are only going to hold a season.”

“Hmm.” Noncommittal. Mia had no idea where she’d be in two weeks. Todd could call her at any second and tell her it was a false alarm, or that they’d caught a deranged ex-lover, and it was safe to come home. She wasn’t sure what she’d do with the house. Sell it? Keep it as her secret hideaway? Bronze it because this was where she’d met Cruz and had the best sex of her life?

Watching her with dark, intense eyes, he leaned against the sink and silently finished his drink.

A little chill breathed down her neck as he assessed her. He didn’t give the impression that he was bowled over by her sex appeal. More like he was analyzing a weighty problem and didn’t like his options. Mia was intuitive, a handy skill when managing so many people at Blush. There was a vibe about him this afternoon that hadn’t been there last night, although, now that she thought about it, he’d been a bit weird when she almost killed herself on his ladder earlier.

“Everything okay?” Of course, she didn’t have a hell of a lot to base that feeling on. She didn’t know the guy at all, really. Wanted, had the hots for, but didn’t know what went on behind that bad-boy attitude and those rock-hard, rippling abs. Maybe it was her imagination.

Daisy walked into the kitchen lugging the vacuum cleaner, which looked bigger and heavier than she was. “I’ve finished upstairs, Miss Mia.” She gave a little relieved huff as she set it down, then wheeled it out of the way of the doorway. “What would you like me to do next?”

The large house was practically empty; Mia was waiting until the painting and wallpapering were done to have the furniture delivered. There was nothing much to speak of to dust, and she didn’t care if there was a layer of dirt on the floors in the rooms she never used. She had not even thought about having someone in to clean. But Daisy looked as though she needed the work.

“Thanks, Daisy, great job upstairs. There’s nothing else I can think of for you to do today. Would you like some lemonade before you go?”

“The windows,” the woman offered a little desperately, shaking her head at the offer. “I can clean them windows.”

Mia didn’t care about the windows, and she really, really wanted the couple to leave so she and Cruz—

“Just the ones on this floor,” Cruz told her, a smile curving his mouth. Mia felt a jab of unreasonable and therefore annoying jealousy. Cruz pushed away from the counter to grab a handful of the peanut butter cookies Mia had baked that morning. “I don’t want ladies climbing ladders.” He gave Mia a pointed look that shot through her all the way to her girl parts, and despite the fact that there was no smile for her, she still had a flash of how his hard body had felt as he pounded into her.

The fact that she was horny, that she wanted to be laid. Again. By him. Was aggravating. He wasn’t here to service her sexually. Unfortunately. And if the son of a bitch wasn’t willing, then who was she to force herself on him?

As soon as he went outside to work, she’d call the Bon Temps agency and have them send someone over tonight. Then she’d lock the front door. If Cruz needed to pee, he could go in the damn bushes. Perhaps the alligator would bite off his penis.

Apparently being horny and spurned made her childish as hell. Mia didn’t give a damn. She was the boss, and it was time she reminded him she didn’t do rejection. Well or otherwise. He’d had his shot, now it was time to assert her authority.

“Thank you, Mr. Cruz.” Daisy gave him a quick, shy smile. “I’ll get my cleaning supplies and get right on i—” Her face drained of color, and she grabbed Mia’s forearms with both hands when they heard a loud cry from outside. “Charlie—”

“He’s fine. Just playing with Oso.” At a blank glance from Daisy, Mia clarified, “Cruz’s dog.”

Daisy snatched her hands off Mia’s arm as if burned. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay, for a moment there I was startled, too. Come and look.” Putting a gentle hand on the small of the other woman’s back, Mia slid off the stool and edged her to the window. “Look how sweet they are together.”

“He’s playing,” the child’s mother said in wonder as she watched Charlie laugh and throw a stick for the dog. Barking, Oso raced across the grass to catch it on the fly.

Mia smiled at the cute picture they made. The boy in his too-large secondhand clothes and, Mia suspected, too-small shoes, and the sweet-tempered mutt so happy to have a boy to play with.