Deeper Than Need Read Online Free PDF

grab the nearest fool causing him problems and just lay into him.
    Like the fool on the phone. The irresponsible, self-centered fool.
    One hand clenched into a fist as Noah fought against the urge to slam it into the hood of his truck as the voice droned on.
    Instead, he stared at the clipboard and tried to breathe past the red rush of rage choking him.
    Calm down. This, too, shall pass. He relied on the words his father had told him so many times.
    It had worked, sometimes, coming from the old man.
    “You can see where I’m coming from, right, Preach?”
    He pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes. “I can’t say that I do.”
    “Aw, now…”
    As another stream of excuses started to come out, Noah bit back the ugly words rising in his throat. He couldn’t go flying off the handle. Trinity Ewing and her cute little hellion were sitting on the porch, eating muffins and drinking juice. Giving in to the temper building inside definitely wouldn’t help matters any.
    Maybe some part of Noah didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of the pretty woman. So instead, he took a deep breath, squeezed the phone so hard he thought he heard plastic crack. And through it all, the bum on the phone continued to ramble on. “Teddy?” Noah said, cutting in. “Enough. You already went through all of this. Just tell me how we’re going to make this job work out.”
    “Well, Preach. That’s just the thing. I don’t see how I can. Not for the next few weeks. It was a lot of money Belinda won. A hundred and twenty-five thousand. You ever seen that kind of money?”
    Noah blew out a breath. “I can’t say I have.”
    “Us neither. So we’re going to Vegas. Getting married.”
    “Congratulations,” Noah said, forcing the word out as the dread continued to rise in his throat. He already knew where Teddy was going with this. He knew it. Please, God. Let me be wrong. “When do you leave? Maybe we can adjust the schedule—”
    “Well, you see … we’re already at the airport in Lexington. We’re flying out just as soon as we can make it happen. I called my brother, but he don’t feel he can work that job all by himself and he got an offer to help do some flooring on the project they got up at the school, so him and the boys are going to do that instead … it’s an easier job, you see. None of them are used to working on a place as old as the Frampton house without me around to help.”
    Curling one hand into a fist, Noah resisted the urge to slam his hand onto the hood of the trunk. “Teddy, you agreed to this project weeks ago. Since when do you back out on your word?”
    “Well. Normally, I don’t. But I don’t need the work now.” There was a smug tone in his voice.
    “I’ll keep that in mind when that hundred thousand is gone. I’ll be looking elsewhere from here on out when I need flooring work done. I guess Caine and his boys will be getting more work coming their way.”
    Before Teddy could say anything, Noah hung up.
    For a minute, he just stood there, staring at nothing. So far, the highlight of his day had been when he had lain in the bed, the echoes of the dream with Trinity fading from his mind, while he dealt with the heavy ache of the erection brought on by the dream. He’d handled it with good old-fashioned hand service as he showered.
    Then he’d dressed, left the house.
    That was the problem.
    He’d left the house.
    Everything since then had gone wrong.
    The worst part, though, Trinity was going to catch some of the bad luck that seemed to follow him like a cloud. Slowly, he turned and met her pretty grey eyes. He was already spinning scenarios in his head.
    He had to take another look at the floors.
    He had to dig out the estimates.
    He had to make some calls.
    He had to go tell her what had happened.
    This was a complete mess.
    *   *   *
    It was a crazy thing that the grim, broody look on Noah Benningfield’s face didn’t fill her with foreboding the way she knew it