Page 52 of From That Moment

“Yes, it’s the height. I work hard at it. You got that filter?” he asked.

“Yes, let me get it,” I said, going to the shelving unit where it was stored in a large black bag so it wouldn’t get wet.

I handed it over to him, and he crawled up the ladder. I winced at how flimsy it was.

“You need better brackets on this.”

“It came with the house, and I’ve never been up there other than the first time during the inspection. I never want to do it again.”

“How have you changed your filter before?”

“I sort of just ask friends to help. Or my neighbor. Or a handyman once, but that cost me an arm and a leg.”

I did my best to keep my eyes off Prior’s very nice ass as he ascended the ladder, but I failed.

I couldn’t help it. He filled out his jeans so perfectly.

I clearly needed to go on another date, but not with him. This was going too far.

“Almost done,” he called out, and I looked up at the hole in the ceiling and hoped he would get down soon and then leave so I wouldn’t have to look at him anymore. Or think about him the way I kept doing.

Not that I needed him to be here for me to think about him like that.

He made his way down the ladder, and I winced when it started to squeak.

“Get off that, I don’t want you to fall.”

I must have startled him, and his forearms bulged as he held himself tight to the ladder, having missed three rungs above the bottom.

My pulse raced, and I reached forward, holding out my hands to stop him from falling.

Only my hands were on his ass and not on the rest of him. My face burned.

Prior looked over his shoulder, his brows raised. I quickly lowered my hands, my heart beating so quickly that I could actually hear it pulsing in my ears. And then he was off the ladder, standing in front of me, his chest heaving.

“Sorry for touching you. For your butt. Well, not sorry for your butt. Because you have a great butt. I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry for touching that part of you, but…thank you. Because I couldn’t have done that on my own.”

“Are you done?” he asked, and my brows rose.

“No need to be rude. I said I was sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry.” He let out a breath. “I only wanted to make sure you were done talking.”

“What do you mean?”

“This is what I mean.”

And then I thought I was dreaming again. Prior’s hand was in my hair, and his mouth was on mine. I couldn’t breathe.

Though I didn’t think I needed air again if I had this.

Chapter 11

Prior

I should not be doingthis.

I was doing it anyway.