Build And Break novel Chapter 26

"Yes." Angela muttered somewhat shyly. She wasn't sure how she felt to let Steven know about her wood burning talent.

Steven reached for the wood piece to slide it towards him, to inspect it closely. "This is good. This is very good, Angie."

"It's just finished." Angela placed the tool on its stand, switched it off to cool down.

Steven spotted the wooden box Angela had brought from her old place and it was open. From where he stood he could glimpse her drawing book and small wood pieces. "Can I see?" Steven inquired. For once, he didn't impose himself and waited for her answer.

"Sure." She smiled with her answer but truth was she was unsure if should let him. She was granting Steven to look into her life, to know her.

The first Steven had surveyed were the six wooden blocks laying in the bottom of Angela's box. Each cube had a flower drawn on every side. The details drawn on that small canvas was impressive. Even the pollen was distinctly clear. When he checked the inside of her drawing book, he found yet more flowers penciled in. They were even more pleasingly beautiful than her wood art. "You love flowers. Don't you ever get tired of drawing roses? You have a dozen in here."

"They remind me of Tony." Angela muttered truthfully. Steven's eyes flew up to meet hers instantly. She expected to see anger. But instead Steven was surprisingly calm.

Steven replaced the drawing book in Angela's wooden chest. "May I ask why?" Even his voice was impressively gentle.

"It was the first flower he taught me to draw. And it was the last one he drew." Angela smiled as her hands ran over the freshly carved rose.

"He taught you that?" Steven pointed to the wood piece.

Angela nodded. "He did. We started our own little shop at his mother's house and sold the pieces. I haven't had the guts to continue myself after I woke up from coma and he was gone. I haven't been able to finish a piece since."

"Now you did." Steven remarked. "Why now?"

Angela shrugged a little. "I don't even know." She brushed away the stray hair that had fell over her eyes before placed the wooden rose in her box.

Inwardly Angela smiled. Steven had took her advice. After four years of divorce, Steven still accepted her advice. Just like he always did when he had no advice to give himself. "And?"

"I'm still working on it." He picked up the shoes he had took off his feet and took them to his bedroom.

And after all these years, Angela still ogled the sway of Steven's perfectly rounded backside like a horny teenager. Boy, did he look good in a suit! She was nearly drooling when Steven reappeared and approached her with one hand flicking open the buttons of his shirt. Oh, dear. He looked...

"Did I ever tell you what you biting your lips does to me?" Steven broke her thoughts.

Oh, perfect. He caught her gawking at him. And he basked in it. His sexy chuckle said it all. Angela returned to her scattered stuff on the table, began boxing everything back in the wooden chest to occupy herself and pretend the awkwardness didn't exist at that moment. Except in all her hurry, she dropped her case of pencils scattering all. That was exactly what she needed - more humiliation before him. She quickly gathered them up, leaving the one pen close to Steven's socked foot for last. And when she reached for it, Steven's hand met hers, their eyes locked. For a moment, they just stayed there.

Steven picked up the pencil from beneath their fingers and offered it to Angela. Wasting no time to escape from his deep gaze, Angela accepted it, quickly standing up to return to her wooden chest. She knew his eyes were still on her and when she clicked the lock on the box, she refused to face him. She was afraid of what she might see.