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height. When not in use, the extension simply slid into place under the
counters. In order to reach the cabinets that extended to nine feet high,
tilt-out step stools, easily pulled out with the foot, hidden under the
lower cabinets, were to be installed. Her original plans were attached
to Jaime’s professional workups and Gavan inspected them with
surprised admiration. He noted that her illustrations were quite good,
and even without Jaime’s accompanying details he would have been
able to recognize her intentions. Her descriptions, however, bordered
on ridiculously overdone. Holding his palm to his forehead in
disbelief, he read her long explanation as to why the counter
extensions were necessary, options for the surface should the surface
on the actual countertops not be available, as well as reasons why
those options were feasible. A narrative with several examples of how
32
Cooper Lovell
the extensions would be used, so that Jaime would have a complete
understanding of her intentions, was neatly printed in the lower right-
hand corner.
“Aye, she’s a writer,” he said to himself.
For a few hours, he managed to keep his mind mostly on the
kitchen although it sometimes took more effort than others. So, when
he looked at the clock and realized that Tessa had been out with that
greasy, sports-car-driving bleach blond for more than seven hours, his
agitation increased exponentially. He’d been anxiously looking
forward to her return home. How is it that in only a week’s time he
had literally begun to ache for her? He didn’t understand how it could
be possible, but there it was. There was something about her that just
got to him from the word go. From her beautiful face, curvy body,
and vivid gray eyes to her intelligence and creativity, her bad temper,
and her habit of talking to herself when that temper flared. His
investigation of her home and what it told him about her didn’t do
anything but make the ache sharper and more defined.
By six o’clock, he had worked himself into a rage, envisioning
Tessa and Alex in an endless string of intimate scenarios.
* * * *
After several hours and a few more hot ciders by the fire, Alex
drove Tessa home. “I’m so glad you’re back. I missed you so much,”
Tessa told him as he opened her door for her to climb out of the car.
“Me, too. Double.” He kissed her on the cheek. “Now don’t forget
what I said about that hunk of man in there.” He flashed her a
dazzling smile. She shoved him on the shoulder, kissed his cheek, and
ran to the house to escape the cold.
* * * *
“Well, it’s about time you’re back.”
Tessa’s Highlander
33
He stood in her kitchen, feet planted shoulder width apart,
scowling, arms crossed over his chest.
“Wait. What?” she said, her confusion evident.
Uncrossing his arms, he put one hand on his hip and pushed the
other through his hair as he began to pace.
“Uh, I’ve had questions for you. I’ve tried tae work around them
but I…”
It was a complete lie and ridiculous at that, but it was the only
cover he could come up with to hide the true reason behind his
unexplainable rage.
She threw up her hands and shouted, “What are you talking
about? You had questions, you could have called Jaime. He knows
about all of this in detail. You don’t need me.”
Moving to her, he ground out, “I couldna’ reach Jaime.” Lie. “And
you were off all day with another man, doing who knows what so I
couldna’ continue working.”
She fired back, “First of all, I wasn’t aware that I need to be here
to oversee you at all times. If that’s the case, we have a problem here
because I am not a construction foreman. And second, I was not with
another man, I was with a man, who happens to be my best friend
since we were five. Not that it’s any of your business, you big, giant,
arrogant pain in my ass.”
* * * *
Hoo! It felt good to get that out, but he was overwhelming her
with his nearness, his energy stirring her insides so that she couldn’t
think straight. She turned on her heels to get away from him.
Gavan chased after her, grabbed her upper arm, and spun her
around to face him holding both her arms tightly in his firm grip so
she couldn’t move. But stronger than his hands on her arms was his
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