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"You ested

The smell of the room would drive her out "Good idea"

"Consider it an early Christed him hard "I never expected this" The home improvement projects had been hers Owen had helped when he could, but she hadn’t expected him to do any of it on his own

Owen yawned "We wanted to have it finished before you got hoet out of Manhattan before ten," Jason said

"I’d still be there if Julie had her way"

"I’," he told Jason

"Anytime"

The two bumped fists, and then Owen left them alone

"I don’t knohat to say," Rachel adhter shade brought the space into the current century

Jason took a few steps toward her, looked above her head "Thank you works"

She turned her back to his anyone could have done for me"

"It’s paint"

"It’s more than just paint It’s a project A ton of work" She turned back around to find hiht beside her A spot of paint dotted his cheek, and she lifted her thu It s

"The Early Aht?"

She laughed

He glanced down "The sexy black dress works well for you"

"Is that right?" She bounced his words back his way

He leaned closer

She didn’t back up Didn’t want to

"Rachel?"

She watched her naertips on her collarbone and onto her neck

She shivered

"You didn’t say thank you," he whispered

Rachel licked her lips "Thank you, Jason"

His eyes found hers, briefly, and his lips moved closer "You’re welcome"

Her chest lifted with short, unsteady breaths, the heat of his lips only a hair away fro the last step and reaching his kiss His lips were soft, his touch tender How did he sood?

This was stupid, on sohim any more than she could avoid the smell of fresh paint in the room

Jason folded her into his arled when his open-mouth kiss deepened and explored She could drown in his kiss alone, but when his fingers fanned over the small of her back, she melted When was the last time she’d been held this close, or felt this wanted?

There was no doubt Jason wanted her, and she’d be foolish to think she didn’t want h his shirt, his lips never left hers She should coic would seep in, and she wanted nothing to do with it

Jason’s hand slid past her hip and squeezed

There were starshot, desirable stars shooting in her sto her She lifted her leg, her hips pushed forward She didn’t realize her roan

He pulled back, sic marched forward

Not yet

She pulled him back to her lips, didn’t stop him when he filled his hand with her breast Nipples hardened and her body strained for more

"Hey, JasonI put your keys by the--"

Owen’s voice stopped them cold