Blue Collar Hotties: A Callused Hands Collection by Cassie Mint

Author:Cassie Mint [Mint, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Cherry Publishing
Published: 2025-03-06T00:00:00+00:00

Lenore

Ifeel like the world’s biggest jerk on Thursday morning, hurrying out of the elevator on the eighth floor, already short of breath. Gabe’s out there on the scaffolding, working alone on the top level, and I fling my bag and coat at the desk without slowing down, then beeline over to the windows.

They’re old and heavy, hardly ever opened, but with some sweating and cursing I push one open enough to talk.

Gabe crouches by the opening, one eyebrow raised. His boots are level with the window sill, half his body revealed and half behind glass.

“Morning, gorgeous.”

If he’s mad at me for taking that phone call, he doesn’t show it. Even though it was horribly rude, and I’ve been kicking myself for it all night, hoping and praying that I haven’t offended the one man whose opinion I care about.

“Hi. Listen, I’m so sorry about last night.”

Gabe shrugs, but his smile is more cautious than yesterday’s. Crap. “No worries, Lenore. You gotta do what you gotta do.”

Except I don’t need to answer my family’s phone calls at all hours—that’s the annoying thing. And that’s what I was trying to explain to my dad last night in my kitchen, arguing round and round with him in circles, because as far as he’s concerned, I’m still a wayward child.

Should have just hung up and gone back out to Gabe. Or, no—should never have picked up in the first place. Should have switched my phone off, tossed it on the coffee table, then coaxed this handsome builder into trading places.

Him on the sofa.

Me on my knees.

That’s how last night should have gone.

Instead I let two decades of the Hattworth conditioning override all my natural instincts, and I let down my new favorite person in the whole world. My dad didn’t even listen, anyway. He never does.

“I wish I could take it back.” My smile is wobbly. “Seems like I keep messing up with you.”

Gabe frowns, the cold wind out there flapping his black work shirt against his body. He shakes his head, green eyes fixed on mine. “Not possible, baby.” His words are muffled by the window pane. “It’s okay if it takes us a minute to find our rhythm. We’re brand new.”

Yeah, we are. And when he smiles at me again, broad and warm this time, the knot of tension loosens in my chest.

Screwing up my courage, I stick my hand through the open window. Gabe reaches down and takes it immediately, knotting our fingers together and giving them a gentle squeeze.

“We’re good,” he says.

No one ever reassures me like this. I could cry.

“Next time it’s your turn,” I promise. “That’s twice now that I’ve—um. You know. And you haven’t.”

“Haven’t what, exactly? Not sure I follow.” Gabe tilts his head out there, grinning. His eyes glitter, teasing me.

And I open my mouth to say god knows what, but Uncle Roderick’s office door slams open behind me.

“Three minutes late again, Lenore,” my uncle says. “It’s unacce—oh.”

The temperature plummets in our stuffy office. I turn my head slowly, stomach already cramping with nerves, but I don’t let go of Gabe’s hand.

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