Hammer & Nails (5 page)

“Let me show you what a real furniture store looks like,” he says and walks to his car.

I begrudgingly follow. I should have driven myself, dammit. I get into the passenger seat of his BMW and slam the door closed. He sends me a bored look and starts up the car. Stupid asshat.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” he demands.

Shit, did I say that out loud?

“Nothing,” I mutter and turn slightly to stare out the window.

We pull into the parking lot of an upscale furniture place about twenty minutes later. Nolan smiles at me, looking pleased. Why the hell does he have to be so handsome? It’s not fair for all the handsomeness to be wasted on a dickwad like him.

We walk into the furniture place and I immediately feel out of place. I’m wearing baggy beat up work jeans, a T-shirt that’s covered in dried up spackle and paint, and of course, my work boots. This place is so upscale that they have an espresso bar for shit’s sake! The people working here are dressed to the nines and the other customers look like Nolan, who is wearing slacks, a dress shirt, and a tie. Fuck me.

As we walk through the place, I take notice of the constant dirty looks from one of the female salespersons. If she keeps it up, she’s gonna be sorry. Who the fuck does she think she is? Nolan walks over to the area of the store where all of the office furniture is. I wander off toward the bathroom set-ups. I’m very aware of the saleswoman following me, as if she’s waiting for me to steal something. Oh yeah, let me just stick a lamp down my pants and run out of the store. Bitch.

I stop next to a very large infinity tub. I covertly glance at the woman to see her watching me like a hawk. I’ll teach her. I climb into the tub and lounge back. Within seconds, she appears next to the tub, her expression flustered.

“What do you think you are doing?” she asks in her hoity toity tone.

“Trying out a tub. Do you mind? I’m trying to pretend I’m at home to see if I’ll like this tub or not,” I tell her and close my eyes with an exaggerated sigh as I settle back. I give her my thickest accent, knowing that will annoy her even more.

She makes a high-pitched noise and I crack an eyelid to see her struggling to find something to say. I roll my lips in so I don’t smile.

“You are not allowed to be in there! Get out right now!” she snaps.

I slowly open my eyes and give her a bored glance. “I’m actually pretty comfy, I think I’ll stay.”

“Your boots are dropping dirt into the tub. You need to get out right now!”

I can see that she’s on the verge of hysteria.

An irritated Nolan appears next to the woman. “Harley, what are you doing?”

“Chillaxing in a tub. What does it look like I’m doing?” I snort.

“Get out, Harley,” he says calmly.

“Nah, I’m good. Go finish your shopping, darling,” I coo with a flirtatious smile.

The saleswoman gives Nolan a nasty look. He flushes bright red. I can’t tell if it’s from embarrassment or anger, though.

“Sir, you need to get her out of the tub before I’m forced to call the police,” she says tightly.

“Bitch, call the boys, you ain’t better than me!” I say, putting on my best diva and snapping my fingers.

“Oh Jesus,” Nolan breathes and face palms.

“Well, I never!” she exclaims angrily.

“Dammit, Harley. Let’s go, you’ve made your point.” Nolan sighs, looking completely mortified.

He holds out his hand to me. I raise an eyebrow at him. “Point? What point?” I ask innocently.

“Don’t make me carry you out of here,” he says through gritted teeth.

I send him a look that is pure challenge and defiance. “I dare you,” I hiss.

“That’s it, I’ll calling the police,” the saleswoman says and storms off.

Nolan glances at her before turning back to me. “You are really pissing me off. Get out of the tub before she calls the cops.”

“I want the table,” I state, daring him to say no.

“Are you fucking serious? That is why you’re doing this?” he spits vehemently.

“I’m pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve heard you use the F word, Nolan. Good for you.” I smile.

“Out! Now!” he barks.

“I want the table,” I sing.

He makes an aggravated noise and paces away. He turns back and grips my arm. “Fine, get the goddamn table! Now get out!” he snarls and yanks me up by my arm.

I step out of the tub and stumble as Nolan starts dragging me toward the door.

“We’re leaving, no need to call the police!” he yells to the salesbitch before hurtling me out the door.

~ Nolan ~

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I shout at Harley when we finally make it outside.

“Nothing, that lady was a complete bitch,” she replies with a nonchalant shrug.

“Unbelievable,” I mutter in disbelief.

I shake my head as I walk across the parking lot toward my car. I shove my hand through my hair, still unable to wrap my mind around what just happened. Not only did she almost have us arrested, but she got me to agree to buy that goddamn table. Just by acting like an immature little brat. I won’t deny that the woman was an absolute bitch, but seriously, that’s to be expected in a place like this.

“What I find unbelievable, is that you thought bringing me into a place like that would be acceptable. Did you even see the way those snobs looked at me? Like I was some kind of trash.” Harley grunts from behind me.

I round on her, making her stop in her tracks. “Well, acting like that didn’t help! It was childish and completely uncalled for. What are you, seven? God, grow the hell up,” I snap.

A multitude of emotions rush across her pretty face. “Maybe, instead, you should open your eyes and realize that not everyone is accepted in your fancy-schmancy world. That woman followed me around the store looking at me like I was about to steal something. So fuck her and fuck you too, Nolan! You set me up!” she shouts, poking me angrily in the chest with her finger.

“Set you up? What are you talking about?” I ask incredulously.

“You brought me in there knowing full well how those people would react. You set me up to be humiliated!” she barks, her green eyes flashing angrily.

I open my mouth to argue, but snap my mouth closed. She’s right. Damn, how did I not realize what I was doing, or the situation I was putting her in? Am I really that self-centered? “I…it wasn’t intentional. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry,” I say softly.

She blinks at me, some of the anger in her eyes dying down. “Thanks.”

Something catches my eye over Harley’s shoulder. I look up to see the woman from the store standing at the door watching us. Her disapproval clear on her face. Harley glances over her shoulder and sighs heavily before turning back around to face me.

“Can we just go?” she asks, an odd tone to her voice.

I frown. “Yeah, sure. But I have to do something first.”

Harley rolls her eyes. “And what’s that?”

I step into her, wrapping one arm around her tiny waist while cupping her face with the other. “This,” I whisper against her lips before kissing her.

Harley instantly melts against me, her hands fisting the front of my shirt. Her lips part and I take what she is offering. Our tongues meet and it sends a jolt of lust straight to my groin. I let the hand that is on her waist slide down to cup her ass. I pull her body flush against mine and moan at the contact. I haven’t wanted a woman this badly in…well ever.

Her hands snake up my chest and shoulders to tangle into my hair. The bite of her blunt nails on my scalp has me gasping into her mouth. I move the hand that is cupping her face down her body. I go slowly, taking in the feel of her. My thumb grazes over the side of her breast before gliding ever so slowly over her ribs and hip. I grab her ass with both hands and tug her more firmly against my achingly hard cock. She moans, her fingers tightening in my hair.

Someone on the street yells for us to get a room, which has us smiling against each other’s mouths. Harley slowly pulls back and looks up at me, her green eyes heavy lidded with desire.

“Why did you kiss me?” she asks.

“I didn’t want you to be the only one she looked at like that,” I say and motion with my head toward the woman who is looking downright scandalized now.

Harley glances over her shoulder at her again and bursts out laughing at the look on the lady’s face. She turns back to me with a grateful smile. “Thanks,” she murmurs and extracts herself from my arms. “But you can’t just keep kissing me whenever you feel like it. Especially when you don’t even like me. It’s weird.” She gives my chest a playful swat.

I follow her when she starts for the car. “I never said that I didn’t like you,” I mutter and make my way around to the driver’s side.

Harley gives me a “Get real” look over the hood. “Please, you didn’t actually have to say it.”

I unlock the car so we can get in.

“You’re just…so…” I start, looking for the right word.

Harley waits, her eyebrows raised, an expectant look on her face.

“…Hard to handle. I’ve never dealt with anyone like you before,” I try to explain.

She smirks, her eyes glittering with amusement. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

I snort as I start the car.

“I obviously find you attractive, though,” I tell her, making sure to catch her eye so that she knows I’m serious.

Is that a blush I see creeping up her cheeks?

“Well, I would hope that was at least one of your reasons for kissing me twice now,” she says with an uncomfortable giggle, like she’s trying to play off her discomfort at my previous words.

“So, should we go back and get the other table then?” I ask, changing the subject to save her from more discomfort.

She brightens up immediately. “Yes!”

I smirk. “Okay.”

~
Five
~

~ Harley ~

“How is the Hammerstein project coming along?” my dad, John Jameson, asks me.

“It’s slow going. The house keeps throwing me wrenches. I just found water damage in the floorboards of the upstairs bathroom. Now I have to pull up the subfloor, which wasn’t in the original plans.” I sigh.

We are sitting in the living room at my dad’s house, waiting on my brothers to show up for dinner.

“And you’re only a month in. Do you think it’s going to set back your timeline?”

“If I keep finding more problems, yeah, it’s going to set me back. But that’s the problem with old houses; there are all kinds of surprises behind the walls.”

“How has Mr. Hammerstein been?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow in question.

I told my dad about how bad we were butting heads in the beginning. And even though I still annoy the shit out of Nolan, it doesn’t seem like he hates me anymore.

“Nolan’s fine. He’s been helping out here and there,” I tell him.

“Nolan, huh? You’re on a first name basis with him now?” he says with an amused snort.

I shrug and fight the blush sliding up my cheeks.

“I’d like to meet him,” my dad muses, rubbing his chin.

I give him a dry look. “You just want to try and get him to give you tickets to the season opener.”

My dad bursts out laughing. “Yeah, so?”

“What makes you think he can even get tickets?”

“He’s the owner’s son; of course he can get tickets!”

“True.” I grunt.

My cell phone rings, interrupting us. I pull it out of my back pocket and check the screen. Nolan. Wonder what he wants. I swipe my finger across the screen then put it to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Harley, I just stopped by the house and when I walked into the living room I found a large puddle of water on the floor and the ceiling actively leaking,” Nolan says.

“Shiiiit.” I sigh. “I’ll be right there.”

“Okay, see you soon,” he replies.

I hang up and look at my dad. “I gotta go, there’s a problem at the house. A pipe is leaking.”

He nods. “Okay, do what you gotta do.”

“Thanks. If I get done quickly, I’ll come back.”

He smiles. “Okay, sweetheart.”

I give him a kiss on the cheek and leave. I get to the house as quickly as I can. I pull into the driveway and hop out of my truck. I climb into the bed where my tools are in a large metal toolbox attached to the truck bed, just under the back window. I get out my tool belt and put it on. I grab a few extra things I think I’ll need then make my way into the house. The lights in the living room are on. I can see the water dripping from the ceiling like Nolan said. Luckily, we haven’t put the sheetrock up yet. That would have pissed me off if we had put it up only to have had to tear it down because it had water damage.

“Nolan?” I call.

“Upstairs,” he answers.

When I get upstairs, I can see that the bathroom light is on. I stop in the doorway to see Nolan standing in the center of the bare bones room, his hands on his hips. He looks sexy as hell in his dark gray slacks and purple shirt. He has his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top button of his shirt undone.

“Hey,” I say.

He looks up at me. “Hey. I have no idea where it’s coming from.”

I smirk. “I didn’t think you would.” I step into the room and pull my hammer from my belt. “I think it’s coming from one of the pipes in the floor.”

I go over to where the old sink used to be and start prying up the plywood subfloor. It only takes me a minute to locate the leak.

“Nolan, do me a favor? Go down to the cellar and shut the water off. I really can’t do anything until tomorrow when I can get a plumber in here,” I tell him.

“Great,” he mutters and leaves to go turn the water off.

A few minutes later, the leak slows and eventually stops. Nolan returns and leans a shoulder against the doorframe, folding his arms over his chest. I pull a rag and black marker out of one of the pockets on my belt. I dry the pipe as best as I can and then mark it where the leak is so the plumber can easily find it tomorrow.

“Alright, I got some towels in my truck that we can use to dry the floor downstairs,” I say.

Nolan nods. “Okay. Want me to take that wood down?”

“Yeah, just toss it in the dumpster.”

“Okay.”

Nolan grabs the large piece of plywood that I tore up only to yelp and immediately drop it. He clutches his left hand with his right and starts cursing up a storm. It’s the most I’ve ever heard him curse before. He bends over and rests his elbows on his knees.

“…Goddamn motherfucking sonofabitch!” he grits out.

“What the hell happened?” I ask, bewildered.

He straightens up, his face red and straining. He holds out his hand toward me. I step closer and see a large sliver of wood shoved deep under the skin in the palm of his hand. I wince.

“Ouch.” I grimace. “I have a first aid kit in my truck, too. Pretty sure there are tweezers in it. Let me go get it.”

Nolan hisses in pain and nods. He follows me downstairs and sits on the bottom step while I go out to my truck. When I get back inside, I grab an empty 5-gallon bucket and turn it over, setting it in front of Nolan. I set the kit down on the step next to him and take a seat on the bucket. I fit my knees between his and pull his hand into my lap. My stomach flutters and my blood heats at the contact. It’s been a couple of weeks since Nolan and I kissed last, and I kinda wish he would do it again. He’s a really good kisser.

I open the kit and find the tweezers. I pull my little flashlight from my belt and hold it out for Nolan.

“Hold this so I can see better.”

He takes it and turns it on, placing the beam on his injured palm.
Damn, that’s the biggest splinter I’ve ever seen!
It’s so deep that it’s bleeding. I also can’t help but notice how nice his nails are. They are perfectly trimmed and the skin around them is unmarred. Mine, on the other hand, are chewed to shit, both the nails and skin around them.

“Do you get your nails done?” I ask.

“Yeah, why?” he answers.

I laugh. “Really?”

He lifts his blue-eyed gaze to meet mine. “More guys get their nails done than you think. I promise you.”

I give him a skeptical look. “I doubt that.”

He shrugs. “I’m telling you. I see plenty of guys in there.”

“If you say so,” I reply dubiously. “And you are totally straight, right?”

He gives me a dry look. “Yes. I kissed you, didn’t I?”

I cock an eyebrow at him. “You did say I act like a man.”

He barks out a laugh. “Touché. I’m completely straight, I swear. I just like for my nails to look nice,” he says.

“Alright, let’s get this monster out of your hand.” I smirk.

I rip open two gauze pads and place them on my thighs, one on each. One is going to be for the splinter; the other will be to clean the blood off when I’m finished. I hold his injured hand steady in my left hand while using my right to work the tweezers. I grip the edge of the splinter and lightly tug, a small piece breaks off.

“Dammit,” I mutter to myself.

A couple more pieces break off before I can get a good grip and pull the giant thing out. Nolan hisses in pain. I set it on the gauze. The thing has to be an inch and a half long. I take the other piece of gauze and blot the wound to clear the blood away so I can see if there is any more.

“I think I got it all,” I tell him.

“Good,” he says gruffly.

I take out the small bottle of rubbing alcohol from the kit and open it up.

“This is gonna sting,” I say and pour a little on his hand before he can protest.

He yelps, his body tensing up against the pain. He breathes out a curse before sticking the end of the flashlight between his teeth and raking his good hand through his hair. I fold the bloody gauze over and use it to dry off his palm. I then take the Neosporin spray and give his palm a couple of spritzes. I grab the largest band-aid - one of the big ones that are usually for a scraped knee or elbow - and plaster that shit to his palm.

“Keep an eye on that and make sure to keep it clean. You don’t want it to get infected. Better yet, maybe you should go get a Tetanus shot,” I say and start to clean up.

“Thank you,” he murmurs.

“You’re welcome.”

I stand and throw the trash in the trashcan a few feet away. As soon as I turn back around, Nolan’s mouth is on mine and his hands are gripping my hips as he propels me backward, until my back hits the front door. His hard body presses against me as he sweeps his tongue into my mouth. I’m not playing games anymore, though. Every time he’s kisses me, he leaves me all hot and bothered and yearning for more. Not tonight. I’m not settling for just a kiss anymore.

Nolan drags him mouth down to my neck where he starts nipping, licking, and sucking on the sensitive skin just under my ear. I suck in a sharp breath as heat pools between my thighs. I tilt my head to give him better access.

“You better not kiss me and run this time.” I pant.

“I won’t…I can’t stop…thinking about you,” he breathes between kisses. “I want you…so badly.”

“I want you, too,” I whisper.

My hands find the buttons of his shirt and I start to undo them. Nolan undoes the buttons at his cuffs and pulls his shirt out of his pants. I don’t even get to finish unbuttoning his shirt when he yanks it over his head along with his undershirt.

Can you say drool?

He stands in front of me, letting me admire his impressive physique. I’ve seen him shirtless once before, but this is so much better for some reason. Maybe because I actually get to touch him and explore? I reach out and run my fingers over his rippled abs. They clench and I flick my eyes up to see him fighting off a smile.

“Ticklish?” I purr.

“A little,” he murmurs before capturing my lips again.

We bang back against the door again as we ravage each other’s mouths. He carefully pulls my hair out of its ponytail and sinks his fingers into it. I think he’s got a thing for my hair. I reach for the front of his pants and cup him through the fabric. He moans and it sends shivers of pleasure down my spine. I had grabbed him a while back, he felt impressive then, and he wasn’t even all the way hard. Now, though, he’s rock solid. And big. Not like “Oh my god, that can’t be real” big, but “Oh yeah, that’s gonna feel good” big.

~ Nolan ~

Ever since the last time we kissed, I haven’t been able to get Harley out of my mind…and dreams. Almost every night for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been having erotic dreams of Harley in different states of undress and positions. Fuck, just thinking about it makes me want to come. Then when she so sweetly takes care of my hand tonight, I just can’t resist her any longer. Will there be consequences? I don’t know and I don’t care.

Harley’s hand is rubbing me through my pants. It feels good, but I need more. I pull back from the molten hot kiss and pull her shirt over her head. I expect to see a sports bra, but what I get is a pale pink lace bra. She has great tits. They are nice and big, but not ridiculous. They fit her body well. Her stomach is flat and toned, and her hips have a slight flare to them. She may act like a man, but her body is all woman.

I lift my eyes to meet hers as I unbutton her jeans. Her gorgeous green eyes are locked onto mine, her luscious lips are parted, and her cheeks are flushed. My heart thumps in my chest and I don’t think it’s just from anticipation. I like her. I
really
like her, despite her tendency to annoy the shit out of me. How did that happen?

I slip my hands into the waistband of her unbuttoned jeans and push them down. She wiggles her hips to help get them down her thighs since they are pretty tight. I drop to one knee and pull off her boots and socks then help her step out of her jeans. When I look up, I’m face to face with low rise black boy short panties with the Boston Bruisers emblem right on the front. I shake my head. I just can’t get away from it, can I?

“A fan of the Bruisers, are we?” I tease.

She smiles down at me. “Hardcore fanatic would be more like it.”

“Great,” I mutter dryly.

She chuckles.

I get back to business by gliding my hands up her silky thighs to grip her hips. I lean forward and nuzzle my face against her lower belly, right at her panty line. She sucks in a sharp breath and shoves a hand into my hair. Her skin is so soft, which is so unexpected because of her line of work.

“When’s the last time a man’s been here?” I ask, kissing her through her panties.

“Earlier today,” she breathes.

I look at up her, shocked, and find her fighting off a smile.

“Harley.” I warn with a frown.

I use my thumb to rub her clit through the fabric. She whimpers.

“I don’t know the exact date, Nolan, it’s been a while.” She pants, her fingers tightening in my hair. “Stop yapping and get busy with that tongue.”