“Definitely going to start doing some exercise. I should get one of those running apps. It can’t be that hard to do. I’d probably be running five miles a day by the end of the week. Maybe I should start running half-marathons or something. There’s a thought.”
She pushed her headband back on her head. Today’s band was made of a stretchy pastel blue material that sparkled. It was one of her favorites.
With her gloves shoved into the back pocket of her jeans, she started climbing up the ladder. She had to grip the ladder tight as a wave of dizziness washed through her. That was weird. She was only one step up. Normally, she had to be at least five steps up before she started to feel ill.
But she’d been feeling off since she woke up this morning. Probably just tired. She’d been staying up late most nights to get some work done. Her days had been filled helping with the upcoming production of Aladdin. Each year, the high school put on a musical. And every year, she volunteered to do the backdrops. Not that she minded. But she still had to pay the bills, so she’d been working until after midnight each night. Steph had already sold all of the last stuff she’d given to her.
So yeah, it was no wonder she was feeling a bit light-headed and feverish. She cleared her throat, swallowing heavily to try and ease the slight burn.
She wasn’t getting sick.
Nope. No way. Not happening. She didn’t have time to be ill. Climbing up the rest of the way, her breathing started growing choppy.
She could do this. She could totally do this. So what if she was a few feet off the ground? Even if she fell from this height, she was unlikely to break anything. Unless she landed on her head. She drew her gloves on with shaky hands.
“You’re fine. You got this. Nothing to be worried about, you big scaredy-pants,” she muttered to herself as she dug her hand into the gutter and grabbed a handful of rotten, squelchy leaves. “Gross. Gross. Gross.”
“Do you always talk to yourself?” a deep voice asked.
She let out a startled cry and reacted without meaning to, her hand reflexively flinging the muck she’d pulled out of the gutter. She watched, horror filling her as it landed.
Right on the sexy man standing on the ground next to the ladder, his head tilted back as he frowned up at her.
Lucie had never been able to throw a ball properly. She’d missed every goal she’d tried to land in whatever sport she attempted. Basketball, baseball, soccer. It didn’t matter if she was using her hands or feet, she couldn’t get the ball where it needed to go to save herself.
Yet, she’d just managed to throw a handful of dead leaves, and other disgusting stuff she didn’t want to think about, right into the face of her neighbor.
Whoops.
To his credit, he didn’t yell. Or really react at all other than to reach up with his arm and wipe his sleeve over his face.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried, clinging to the ladder. “I didn’t mean to do that, I swear. It was an accident. You surprised me.” She moved down a step. “Are you all right? Did you get it in your eye? Oh God, you got it in your eye, didn’t you? Just wait there, I’ll get something to clean out your eye.”
She tried to move down another rung. Only in her haste, she missed the step and slipped. A scream of fear escaped her and she just knew she was going to fall to her death . . . then a large arm slipped around her waist, lifting her to the ground.
“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.”
“You okay?” he asked.
Turning, she plastered herself against him. Her nose rested in the middle of his chest, and her arms could barely reach around his waist. But she held onto him like a baby monkey clinging to her mommy.
Huh, had she just called him a monkey mommy? Funny.
“Hey, you okay?” The gruff voice gentled, and a huge hand awkwardly patted her back. She forced herself to draw away, feeling embarrassed as she realized a couple of tears had slipped free to fall down her cheeks.
“Um, yeah. Sorry.”
“Look at me.”
She kept her gaze down as she shook her head. “Thanks for saving me.”
“Look at me.” His voice had firmed.
She had to steel herself to refuse. It wasn’t in her nature to deny anyone anything she could give them. But she didn’t want him to see her like this.
A huge sigh escaped him, and she winced. No doubt she was annoying him again.
“Last chance.”
Last chance? What did that mean?
“I’ll have to do something drastic.”
Hm. Drastic like what? The part of her that was always curious wanted to find out, but the other part of her that was a wuss wasn’t certain she could stand it.
Then he did it. He said it.
“Lucie, please.”
He said her name. And please. In the same sentence. And he’d said it in a soft, cajoling voice she’d never heard from him before. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes with her hand quickly before glancing up at him.
Then she winced again. Because, shoot, she’d somehow forgotten that she’d gotten him with a fistful of gutter trash, right in the face.
He’d managed to get most of it off, but he still had streaks of brown gunk on his face.
And how did that not detract from how sexy he was? Seriously. That should be illegal.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to get you in the face with a handful of gutter gunk. Are you all right? I’ll get you a cloth. Did I get you in the eye? I’m so sor—oomph.”
He placed a hand over her mouth.
Right. She was babbling again.
“Hush.”
She was already hushed. She couldn’t talk with his giant hand still covering half her face.
“Why’re you crying?”
She wasn’t crying. Well, not anymore.
He raised his eyebrows. “Lucie?”
Darn it. Why did he have to keep saying her name? It sounded so sexy coming from his lips. When she’d been pressed against him, hugging him tight, all she’d been able to feel was how hard his body was. The man was all muscle. All six-foot-something of him. She felt dainty. If someone with curves like hers could be considered dainty.
He removed his hand from her mouth, only to slide it down to her chin. “What’s wrong? Why were you so upset?”
“I’m scared of heights,” she blurted out. “I thought when my foot slipped that I was going to fall to my death.”
He glanced up at the ladder, which was only eight feet tall, then down to her.
“I’m short, that’s a long way up to me.”
Did she imagine it or did his lips just twitch? Her near-death experience could not be the thing that made him smile. No way. No how.
Not happening, sunshine.
With a huff, she put her hands on her hips. “My fear of heights isn’t funny.”
Immediately, he frowned, and she wished she hadn’t said anything. He didn’t smile enough from what she’d seen. Of course, she’d only known him around six weeks now and maybe seen him a dozen times if she was lucky. And most of those times had been because she was peeking out her window at him while he’d chopped up firewood or worked in his yard.
Yeah, she’d been perving at him and she wasn’t going to apologize.
“No, you’re right. Why were you up a ladder if you’re scared of heights?” He crossed his arms and the material of his shirt stretched over his thick biceps.