Free Already Freakn' Mated by Eve Langlais Page A

busied herself pouring, still not meeting his eyes, nor speaking. Funny, because he’d not taken her for the super shy type.
    He broke the silence. “Sorry about what happened before. I think I might have still been groggy from the blow to the head. I usually don’t molest the wives of clients.”
    Big brown eyes met his. She looked startled at his boldness. “Oh. No worries. I shouldn’t have hit you in the first place.”
    “And I should have knocked longer or harder.”
    “Yes, you should have.” Her mischievous smile stole his breath, lighting up her whole face. “Now that we’ve ascertained you’ve won the blame game, how do you like your coffee?”
    Cute and sarcastic. He liked her more and more. “Hot. Dark. And in my mouth.” Okay, so he imbued the harmless words with a little more meaning than he should. Totally worth it. The pink in her cheeks heightened, and taut nipples poked through the fabric of her shirt. Damn, but she knew how to tempt a man, even if inadvertently.
    “Here you go.” She didn’t reply to his innuendo as she handed him the cup.
    He intentionally touched her hand as he grasped it, watching her closely for a reaction. He got one. Her breathing hitched, and her fingers trembled before she yanked them away.
    Chris hid a grin by taking a large sip. Damned coffee just about turned him into a furry wolf. Strong didn’t come close to describing it. Something of his shock must have shown because her lips twitched.
    “I guess I should have warned you that my coffee sucks. I’m a much better cook than I am a coffeemaker.”
    “No, this is great,” he lied taking another gulp. Oh yeah. Strong enough to wake the dead. With the amount of caffeine already coursing through his body, he’d probably have to do a few hundred laps before going to bed in like fourteen hours.
    “So how’s it coming?” she asked as she wandered around peering at the two by fours he’d gotten in place against the exterior concrete walls.
    So the hot kitty wanted to talk? Excellent. “I’m just getting the framework up first. Then, the insulation followed by drywall. Once that’s done and approved by the city inspectors, I’ll get started on the actual gym itself.”
    “Will it take long to build?”
    “Depends. I’ve been told I can only work from nine to four thirty.”
    A small laugh left her. “Ah yes. My husband wants to make sure you don’t impact our home life, and yet, here you are on a Saturday.”
    Time to play dumb. “Was I not supposed to work on weekends? He didn’t mention any specific days, just time.”
    Turning to face him, he could see the mirth in her gaze, a look that clearly said she didn’t believe him. “How remiss of him.”
    “Indeed. I take it he’s not home?” Chris asked casually as he picked up his tape measure and marked out the next pieces to cut.
    “Nope. But he’s coming back soon,” she warned.
    “He seems rather protective.” With good reason given Chris wanted his woman.
    She shrugged. “I guess. But he has his reasons. What about you? Do you have a wife or girlfriend waiting for you to finish work?”
    He ducked his head lest she see his grin at her casual foray into his personal life. “Nah. I’m a single guy. Just waiting to meet the right woman.”
    “And when you find her?”
    Chris raised his eyes until he caught her gaze, and held it. “When I find my mate, nothing will keep me away. I will seduce her. Mark her. And claim her.”
    “What if she’s not available?” she asked in a low voice.
    “I won’t let anything stand in my way.”
    Caught in a staring match, he could hear her heart pounding. Smell her lust. Craved to clasp her in his arms and show her the truth of his words.
    The phone rang and broke the spell. Like a skittish cat, she bounded up the stairs, away from him. But while she could run for now, he’d catch her in the end. And make her mine.
    Of course, that task got harder when Jack, the annoying husband came home, exchanged