Love Me Sweet (Love Me book 1)

Chapter 2

Lia was up early, a habit of being a nurse that worked the morning shift. She had breakfast, went to the hardware store, and was up on the roof before nine. It was going well, and she was almost finished when a voice called down to her from above.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!"

Lia didn't bother to look up; she realized she was running out of time to get the job finished, so she started to work faster, ignoring the man. He couldn't get to her from where she was unless he came outside and climbed the ladder.

"I'm tarping your roof so that you have further time to consider my concerns!" she yelled back.

"Get the hell off my roof and my property you crazy woman!"

"Make me!" she challenged as she nailed faster, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the window above her slam shut.

It took her about five more minutes, and when she finished, she grinned at her handy work. She had done it, she may not have won the war, but she had won the battle. She slid down to the edge of the roof and looked down at the ladder, freezing at the man she saw waiting for her at its base.

He was not skinny and balding. He was a mass of quivering muscle, Lia could tell by the way his arms were crossed and the muscles in his forearms clenched and unclenched as if he wanted to hit something or someone.

"Well, you have to come down sometime!" he yelled up at her.

Taking a deep breath, she turned around to descend the ladder. "You can at least hold the ladder," she suggested.

"A little late to be worried about your safety isn't it?" he asked, placing a foot on the base to hold the ladder in place. She noticed he was barefoot, and the cuffs of his blue jeans were frayed, and the knees had holes. The t-shirt he was wearing was also worn and had a few stains and holes in it as well.

As she hit the bottom step, he didn't back off as she had expected him to. Instead, he stepped up behind her, trapping her between him and the ladder.

Lia took a deep breath and froze, holding tight to the ladder. It wouldn't do to admit she was scared; it would only make her more of a target. She couldn't help keeping her mind from remembering the story about him killing his wife. Still, the vibe she got from him was not menacing, even though she thought that might be the mood he was trying to get across. It was a sexy, warm, just woke up vibe, as if he was still half asleep.

He was a big man, and his dark brown hair fell in waves around his head, covering his ears and neck, and he had a thick beard that hid half of his face. It was apparent that he wasn't into appearances. However, despite his raggedy look, he smelled divine, like citrus and fresh laundry detergent, and the heat emanating off him surrounded her just as his scent did.

"If you're trying to scare me it's not working," Lia said honestly. Her heart rate accelerating as he stayed close to her. She didn't think she had ever been as aware of another person like she was aware of Benjamin Emerson.

"I can see your heart pounding in your neck," he said softly next to her ear, "I think that means you're a little concerned."

She gave a smile. "I'm afraid of heights," she insisted as she turned and leaned back on the ladder.

He wasn't expecting it, and his eyes grew wide in shock before they narrowed. His face was only inches from hers, and Lia could see the green specks in his hazel irises. He let his gaze skim her face before he moved further into her space. "Get the hell off my property before I call the police, and if you ever try a stunt like this again I will call the police immediately, and you can deal with them first," he whispered in her ear.