Plastering that fake smile back on her face, she said, “I’ve got it under control, Uncle Jared,” she reassured him as she tried not to think about all the work that she was going to have to do by herself today.

Granted, she really didn’t have to plaster all the damage to the walls by herself. All she had to do was ask and Uncle Jared would provide her with as many men as she needed, but thanks to the man outside putting Trevor in a headlock as they fought over only God knows what, she decided that she couldn’t risk asking for any help today.

She still wanted to know why that bastard was working for Uncle Jared today and not picking up an extra shift at the station. She’d been counting on having some time to clear her head today and figure out what she was going to do about this new dare of his, but he’d quickly put an end to her plans when he’d shown up a few hours ago, looking suspiciously smug. She’d been struggling to come up with a plan to end this since three o’clock this morning when she’d been forced to lay there, trying to ignore just how good it felt to have his body curled up against hers and how badly she wanted to shove him onto his back, straddle him and-

“I’m going to have Darrin and Trevor give you a hand after lunch,” Uncle Jared said, interrupting her thoughts and making her realize that her day was about to get a lot worse.

“I don’t need any help,” she stubbornly persisted as she struggled to come up with a reason to keep Darrin outside today.

Uncle Jared looked around, shaking his head slightly as he took in all the damage to the living room walls. “We need to start priming tomorrow, sweetheart.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but quickly shut it and reluctantly nodded in agreement, because he was right. They had a deadline to meet on this renovation and if they didn’t finish painting the walls on time she’d end up delaying everything.

“How about Danny and Trevor?” she suggested, hoping to buy herself a little more time before the bastard started trying to entice her again.

“Danny’s working at the new library today. The City Council decided that they wanted the ceiling molding after all,” he answered distractedly as he looked around the room, taking in the water damage to the ceilings.

“Okay,” she said, nodding even as she decided to leave the downstairs to Darrin and Trevor and work upstairs where she could work in relative peace.

For now though, she was going to take a lunch break, because she had a feeling that she was going to need the full hour to prepare herself for whatever hell Darrin had planned for her, and she damn well knew that he had something planned.

*-*-*-*

“A pleasure doing business with you,” Uncle Jared said with a satisfied sigh as he accepted the two large boxes of donuts from him.

“Bon appetite,” Darrin said with a nod and a satisfied sigh as he reached down and flipped open the box of donuts he’d bought for himself.

Grabbing a vanilla cream filled donut, he took a large bite and glanced over at Marybeth’s truck. He released a satisfied sigh as he noted his cousins’ trucks boxing her in and stopping her from escaping and he knew damn well that she would do anything to get away from him right now. He was winning and they both knew it.

He’d taken her by surprise last night with that dare and hadn’t allowed her a moment’s peace since to come up with some bullshit plan to delay his happily fucking ever after. He wasn’t stupid after all. He had her on the run and he was damn well going to give chase, teasing and enticing her until she begged for him to put her out of her misery and then…

Then she really would be his.

He couldn’t wait, he thought as he absently slapped his Uncle’s hand away when he made a move on his donuts. “Mine,” he simply said as he glanced over his shoulder and smiled as he watched Marybeth, looking incredibly pissed as she stormed past them on her way to the house they were working on, carrying two white grocery bags.

“But-” Uncle Jared started to argue, but unlike most of his cousins, Darrin didn’t let his uncle get away with touching his food.

“Mine,” he repeated firmly as he shifted his attention back to his Uncle to find him pouting.

“I’m hungry,” Uncle Jared muttered bitterly as he stared longingly at the box of donuts placed protectively by Darrin’s side.

“Then eat your donuts,” he said, glancing back over his shoulder to find Marybeth standing on the decrepit old porch that was scheduled to be torn down today, glaring at him.

Deciding to have a little more fun with her, he made a calculated decision and stepped away from his donuts, officially abandoning them. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he reached down and grabbed the hem of his grey tee shirt and slowly pulled it up. Even from this distance he was able to catch her muttered groan. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside, revealing the well-defined torso that she loved running her greedy little hands over.

When she licked her lips hungrily, he knew that he had her and judging by the way that her eyes snapped up and narrowed on him, she knew it, too. It was just a matter of time and they both knew it. Unable to help himself, and he really wasn’t trying all that hard, he shot her a wink, which earned a round of muttered curses as she turned around and stormed off.

She was definitely his…

“Oh God, these are so good,” Uncle Jared groaned, drawing his attention back to the box of donuts that he’d abandoned only seconds earlier to find the box empty and his Uncle savoring the lemon filled donut that he’d planned on saving for last.