Falling For The Plumber

Chapter 1

© 2023 by Sara Leanne Adams

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Warning: this book contains sexual content not suitable for persons under 18 years of age.

This is a three chapter excerpt only.
You can find the remainder of the book on Inkitt.

https://www.inkitt.com/stories/romance/1142541

Milly

I glanced down at the fresh blood on my white capris. It belonged to me. I fell off my bike during my hasty getaway from the spa. There was no way it came from anyone else. My lab coat protected my clothes from that.
My heart hammered against my ribs, the erratic bounding rhythm making me dizzy. Sweat poured down my back, soaking my white t-shirt, and turning it into a clingy, transparent cloak. I always went out of my way to hide my boobs, choosing clothing that didn't draw attention to the oversized mountains that didn't belong on my skinny body. But they were on display for the world on that horrifying afternoon.
Christmas music spilled from the bars. Tourists clogged the sidewalks, taking in the festive glow of red and green. Duval Street was all decked out for the holidays.
I steered my bike onto a side street, dodging cars and pedestrians as I pedalled toward my house in Bahama Village. A few of my neighbours waved from their porches. I pulled out around the garbage truck and just missed a head-on collision with another cyclist.
"Watch where you're going, Milly!" the guy yelled when he flew past me.
I came to a stop in front of my house, gasping for air as I stumbled from my bike.
The front of our house had a white picket fence. I reached over the tall gate, feeling around for the latch. It swung open forcefully, sending my body flying backwards. I landed in the pile of trash bags at the edge of the road.
"Oh, for Heaven's sake," Brenda sighed, shaking her head. "I've never met a kid as clumsy as you before, Molly."
"It's Milly," I growled. "I'm not a kid. I'm twenty-three. And that was your fault. How did you not see me on the other side of the gate?"
"Is that some kind of dig at my lack of height?" she huffed. "I'd rather be a little on the short side than too tall. Good luck getting a man. Most guys won't look twice at a woman who towers over them."
I sat up, wiping a mystery liquid from my arm before I pushed to my feet. "The reason I don't have a boyfriend is because I don't want or need one."
"Sure, honey," she said with a condescending snort. "You're an esthetician, but you don't use any of your skills on your own appearance. It makes no sense to me."
"If you're done insulting me, you're free to go."
She wrinkled her nose, cringing when I pulled a chicken bone from my hair. "Oh, that's so gross," she gasped before turning to head down the sidewalk.
"I'm okay!" I called out. "Thanks for your concern!"
I picked garbage from my clothes while I watched the snooty bitch climb into her orange convertible.
Brenda was dating our boarder, Levi. She was the third girlfriend he'd had since moving in with us six months before. My older brother worked as a chef on a cruise ship for a couple of years to gain experience and save money. Greg met Levi, who was working onboard as a plumber on the same ship, and they became best friends. We didn't have an extra bedroom, so Levi was sleeping in the sun porch that used to be my craft room.
I grabbed my bike and wheeled it into the yard, closing the gate behind me. After the mishap at work, and my unfortunate fall into the trash, a shower was definitely in order.
The events of the day were on constant replay in my mind as I headed for the bathroom.
What if I got fired?
It was an accident, but my boss was kind of mean.
The client was a very famous loudmouth. Inez Ingerson was the host of her own talk show, and she had millions of followers on social media. She was all about garnering attention and staying relevant. But even Inez had to have some limits to what she was willing to share for the sake of publicity. She probably wanted to forget what happened just as much as I did.
We always kept the bathroom door closed. After our cat fell in the toilet, we implemented that household rule.
I turned the handle and pushed the door open.
I was on autopilot.
My brain was busy trying to manage the brewing storm of anxiety and panic.
I didn't notice the steam.
Didn't hear the water running.
I pulled back the shower curtain.
"What the fuck?!" Levi hollered.
I screamed and yanked the curtain closed.
But not before I got a glimpse of a wet, naked man.
I'd seen his chest before. He walked around shirtless all the time.
It wasn't his pecks that shocked me.
Nope.
The startling part was quite a bit lower than his chest.
I'd seen lots of dicks in the course of my job. And none compared to the girthy snake hanging down to Levi's knees.
Fine.
That was a slight exaggeration.
I did only see it for a split second.
But it was definitely not a cocktail wiener.
And it wasn't erect.
I couldn't even imagine what that thing would be like if it was aroused.
The water shut off.
I scrambled to grab my robe from the hook on the back of the door.
"Are you still in here?" he asked.
"I'm leaving," I said. "Just give me two seconds."
"How did you not notice the shower was occupied?"
"Why wasn't the door locked?"
"I wasn't expecting you to come home for two more hours."
"I got off early."
"You don't say."
"How did you not hear me?"
"I had headphones on."
"Who wears headphones in the shower?"
"I do."
"That doesn't seem very smart."
"Unless you want another glimpse of this sexy bod, I suggest you take your sweet rack and get the heck out of here, because I'm opening this curtain in about two seconds."
I opened the door, stumbling down the hall to my bedroom.
Thank God it was Tuesday, and my father wasn't home. He played shuffleboard on Tuesday afternoons.
Levi saw me naked!
I was so busy thinking about his body, that I forgot he also saw mine.
I waited until I heard him walk through the house to the sun porch. When I felt confident it was safe to come out, I peeked into the hall. The coast was clear. I made a beeline for the bathroom, locking the door behind me.
He thinks I have a sweet rack.
I smiled to myself while I massaged the shampoo into my scalp. No man had ever said anything complimentary to me about my body before.
Except Corgi.
He doesn't count.
Corgi is a heterosexual male.
He most certainly does count.
He's your best friend.
He does not count.