Just then Kerry heard the sound of steps on the back staircase to the residence. She smiled. Good. Sleeping Beauty was finally awake. She rinsed the last bottle and, despite her earlier thoughts, knew she couldn’t let Jesse off that easy and decided to still give him some ribbing for the mess and drinking so heavily with his brothers. “What the hell, Jes? Did you guys have a party over here last night? You could have at least invited me if you were going to leave all this crap for me to clean up,” she said, turning and fully expecting to meet his hazel gaze.
“Sorry, hon, but it was more like a private party. You know, just for two. I’m afraid you would’ve been a third wheel.”
Kerry froze as her eyes met dark-brown ones instead of the soft green hue she was expecting. This tall female bottle of sex was definitely not Jesse, and yes, she was right—Kerry knew immediately she would have been a third wheel. Though the woman finished her little speech with a smile, neither showing her teeth nor meeting her eyes, Kerry quickly caught her full meaning.
“Would you mind adding this to recycling?” the woman said as she pushed an empty liquor bottle toward Kerry. It was ornate and highly decorated with fake crystals and gold overlays to make it seem expensive, but Kerry knew the brand, and it was nothing but overhyped cheap hooch. She felt a frown come on—unbidden, but it came nonetheless—before she caught herself and nodded, cracking the slightest smile.
“Sure, no problem,” she said, taking the bottle from the woman’s hands, noticing the sparkly tips on the woman’s nails and how they perfectly matched the tips of her toes. How she would soak the rhinestones off her toes was beyond Kerry. Or how she could comfortably fit her feet into a pair of sneakers. It didn’t matter. Those were not feet for sneakers.
The thought of where those feet had been the night before came to Kerry’s mind and she turned away, quickly rinsing the bottle and dropping it into the recycling bin with a hard clang. The woman behind her chuckled, her laugh both throaty and coy at the same time, and it made Kerry feel like she somehow knew exactly what she’d been thinking about where her toes had been, and the thought pissed her off.
Why was she still here?
Shit, Jesse. Late-night-party picker-upper and booty-call cleanup crew were definitely not part of her job description. And would never be. Kerry bent to pick up the recycling and take it out front. Maybe if she left the woman would get the hint.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Kerry said, going to step around the woman, but was surprised when she didn’t immediately move out of the way. Kerry stilled and looked her straight in the eye. Okay, this was cute for a moment, but she no longer had the patience for it. Jesse’s women were his deal. She would not be taking on that baggage. Kerry blinked at her. “Is there anything I can help you with? If not, feel free to follow me out.”
There, that should surely give her enough of a hint. Too bad if Jesse didn’t give her the formal goodbye she was looking for, but she’d not get coffee, a kiss and a send-off this way. Kerry stepped around her, hoping the hint was caught and the woman would just follow, but then she looked up the stairs just in time to see Jesse barefoot in sweatpants, a shirt in hand as he was making his way down. He stopped, eyes wide when he saw her.
“You here already, Kerry? I didn’t expect you to show up so early since we’re not officially opened yet.”
Kerry glared at him. “I gathered. So is this morning’s surprise going to be a thing with you? Because it really shouldn’t be. News flash, this is the time I usually come to work. It’s the time most people start their days and we get ready to open. Maybe you should get used to it—that is, if you’re up to it.”
Jesse frowned as he pulled the shirt over his head and shoved his arms through the armholes. Kerry shifted her eyes toward the door, trying her best not to stare at his chest like she had yesterday.
“Of course I’m up to it. Didn’t we get that squared away yesterday? This is me,” he said, his voice full of earnest determination. “Here I am, up and ready to work. I’m all about the business.”
Kerry cocked her head to the side. “Yeah, my arms are full of how much you are all about the business.”
Jesse frowned, then seemed to notice for the first time the trash in her hands. “Okay, I get it. No need for the extra commentary,” he said, taking the bin out of her hands. “I’ll take this trash out and then we can get to work. And don’t worry, things might’ve gotten a little out of hand last night; that won’t happen again. The new me is with you and totally ready to focus.”
Kerry raised a brow. “Yeah, you’re all about the focus. I can sure see that. Nothing gets past you.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
Kerry shrugged, and at the same time the woman with the legs made her presence known. She sauntered up to Jesse slowly, her hips doing a little separate dance that somehow defied physics. She did that throaty laugh again as she caught sight of Jesse’s shocked expression. Kerry frowned, wondering just how much he had drunk and how soundly he’d been sleeping.
“Just a one-night thing, huh?” the woman said, and nodded as she bent to fix the strap of her sandal, though Kerry could tell it wasn’t in any way out of place. She looked back up at Jesse. Kerry couldn’t tell if Jesse’s openmouthed expression was over the surprise of seeing the woman still there in the light of day or over the fantastic show of cleavage she was putting on display. She came back up and gave him a little shrug. “It’s no matter, sweetheart. With the work you put in last night, I’d consider it enough for one night and then some.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “We can call ourselves good for—what? A week? Or will it be two days before I’m hearing from you?”
“Um, I thought you had left, Erika. Last night, as a matter of fact.” Jesse chuckled awkwardly and looked between Kerry and Erika. Wait, was he actually giving her a signal for some kind of help?
Kerry frowned, scrunching up her nose at him. Pretty-faced, horny bastard. She suddenly felt sorry for Erika, with her weighted-down toes.
Erika gave Kerry a sharp glare as if Kerry was about to steal her candy. Hmm. Maybe she didn’t feel that sorry for her. Kerry cleared her throat. “Jesse, the recycling. You don’t want to miss the trashman.”
Erika’s look went through Kerry, then all the way to the back of her skull. Damn. She was rough. But Kerry would not flinch. She stared back.
Jesse coughed. “Yeah, um, Erika, let me take this out. I’ve got to get to work.”
Erika turned to Jesse and put on a little pout. “I thought this was your shop.”
His brows went skyward. “It is, and I have to work,” he said, heading for the door. This time she got the hint and followed, gliding gracefully, though Kerry could see the toll the night and the height of her sandals had had on her feet.