I chuckled, hitched her higher. Pressed her irresistible body closer to mine. She smelled of turpentine and paint that couldn't mask the intoxicating scent of her skin. A scent that only Kara possessed. I closed my eyes, let the warmth of her comfort me, assure me. "Is that all you want from me?" I asked. "Well, not only." "What else do you want?" "It's a secret." We were whispering. "Let me tell you one." "Okay." I tucked her hair behind her ear. "I missed you." Her grin left her face, replacing it with a soft smile that made the green in her eyes darker. "How much did you miss me?" "Don't you know already?" "I want to hear it." "Like I'm going out of my damn mind. And," I leaned closer so that my mouth was touching the tip of her ear and no one would hear my words but her. "I miss you naked." She bit her lip, staring at my mouth for a moment. "You're stinky." "Get off me then," I teased. She opened her mouth to blast me with a comeback when we heard a loud clunk. I moved my head so I could see behind her, but she'd already turned to look. The guy was staring at us, with a smirk on his face. A spilled can of paint lay at his feet and all over the carpeted floor. I narrowed my eyes at him. He was lucky the floor was covered in plastic. He had dark hair that was long enough to tie in a ponytail. His features were sharp, and I guessed attractive enough not to call him ugly. Despite the cold weather outside, he wore a muscle shirt and worn jeans that had holes on the knees. He'd placed his hands in his pockets, assessing me. "Dick," Caleb said from behind me at the same time when Kara yelled, "Damon!" She slid off me, turning to face him with her hands on her hips. "Oops. Sorry. I'll clean up," Ponytail said, but made no move to start. "That's the last can of—" "I'll buy you a new one. I swear." "You know what, never mind. I changed my mind." "Don't tell me... For real?" "Yes, for real. This is the main bedroom. I need to feel the zen. The zen. When Mrs. B and Tala comes back, I want this place to look like a vacation to them. You know what I mean, right?" They argued like they'd known each other a long time. Who was this guy? "This is Damon. We grew up together and that's the only reason Tala hired him to do the reno," Kara said, making Ponytail chuckle. "Dame, this is Cameron, my boyfriend, and his bff Caleb." "So, he really is real?" "Shut up." She rolled her eyes at him, then glanced to where Caleb was placing the takeout bags on the table. "Is that my food?" Damon. Suddenly it clicked. Dylan had mentioned him to me before. A childhood friend who was very close to their family, especially to Kara. I didn't like it then, I sure as hell didn't like it now. Women and men can't be friends. Not as close as Kara and Ponytail were without one of them eventually having more than friendship in mind. I could see this guy had feelings for Kara. The way he was looking at her told me a lot. How deep they were, what kind I had no fucking clue. I didn't give a damn. What I gave a damn was how she looked at him. She had a lot of guy friends—that Todd or Tim or whatever his name was, who'd picked her up at The Yard. This was something I never had to deal with before with the women I went out with. I never felt the desire to get to know them, much less the people in their lives. Kara was different. She was aware of what I thought about her guy friends. She also made it clear what she felt about that. I didn't want to be a dick and upset her, so I figured I'd try my best. Didn't mean I had to like it. "Hey," Ponytail said. I gave him a polite nod. Caleb didn't say anything. Ponytail bent down to fold the makeshift plastic floor. "Kara hasn't shut up about you since morning." Morning? He looked up at me suddenly, smiling, making sure I got the message. Been with her all day. "She has nothing to worry about. She'll be with me all night," I replied. He lost the smile. "I think her dad wants her home tonight." "Then I'll take her home." "Let's stop painting this room until I figure out what paint color I want," Kara said, appearing on my side with a drink in her hand. She turned to me. "Did you eat already?" I nodded. "It's all for you." She raised a brow. "Will you tell Caleb that then? He's eating my fries." She gestured behind her. Caleb sat on the table, picking at her fries. "Dame, let's focus on the balcony." "Aw, Kar. No one, absolutely no one, told me I have to do the balcony." "Can I tell you now?" He looked at her with affection and exasperation, tugged at her ear. I had no clue what it was like to have a female best friend, but at least I knew not to touch someone else's woman, especially in front of them. "Kara, have mercy. Tala contracted me to paint the interior. I didn't schedule the exterior. You know I'll do it for you, but you'll have to wait. Got another job lined up already after this."