Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Two weeks later, Sloane drove through downtown Sweetbriar Ridge and smiled. It was late Wednesday afternoon, and she was back for the opening of The Ridge, the Meet in the Streets festival, and to see Will after what had seemed like the longest two weeks of her life. Her job was still sucking her will to live, and she was frustrated beyond belief. No one was listening to her ideas, and she was stuck fixing everyone else’s mistakes and not getting any of the credit.
“What are you complaining about?” her boss had asked. “You’re getting a paycheck.”
Didn’t he realize that at this point, a paycheck was secondary to her frustration level? If he’d just let her have one of the bigger name accounts—the ones that were looking for a high visibility and eye-catching posts with high engagement—she’d be able to prove that she wasn’t that same intern who came to him three years before!
And, once again, he suggested she take the long weekend to think things through. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand if he was giving her the time because he knew he was being a total jerk, or if maybe, just maybe, he wanted to see how things ran around the office when she wasn’t there.
“Pfft…like he deserves to get the benefit of the doubt,” she mumbled.
She pulled into Will’s driveway and smiled when she saw him coming out the door to greet her. Yeah, the weeks had seemed endless, but seeing him right now made it all just fade away. As soon as she climbed out of her car, Will was there to scoop her up in his arms and kiss her.
For maybe the hundredth time, she wondered how this was all possible. Getting swept off of her feet was not typical behavior for her and yet with Will, it seemed natural. When they finally broke apart and he lowered her back onto her own two feet, he smiled that devastating smile that made her weak in the knees.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, caressing her cheek. “How were the flights?”
Shrugging, Sloane took a step back and reached into her car for her small suitcase. “Uneventful, thankfully. I hit a little bit of traffic near the airport, but other than that, it was fine. It took a little over two hours rather than the usual hour and fifteen. I really wanted to be here earlier.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come and pick you up. With the festival this weekend, we want to close the shop and that means putting in extra hours to get it done. Next time, though, I promise to be waiting for you at baggage claim. What do you think?”
“I think I’d like that a lot.”
Together they walked hand in hand into the house, where Will took her bag to his bedroom and put it down before coming back out to the living room. “I got us a couple of steaks to grill for dinner. I hope that’s okay.”
“I believe we’ve already talked about my love of food,” she teased.
“Yeah, well…that doesn’t mean it’s what you’re in the mood for.”
The blush was instantaneous, and when Will pulled her in close to kiss her again, she was grateful for the chance to hide her reaction for a minute.
When they broke apart, he had her face in his hands and all she could do was marvel at how handsome he was. “As much as I would love steak tonight, can we save it for tomorrow? I got here late and I really want to get over to The Ridge. There’s going to be food there, so maybe…that can be dinner? Is that okay?”
Slowly, his hands skimmed down her body until they rested on her hips. “That is totally fine. I should have had something ready for when you got here, but I was busy making sure the place was cleaned up.” Winking, he added, “Especially the bedroom.”
“Hmm…maybe I should check it out and see for myself,” she teased.
He tugged her close and she could feel his erection pressing against her belly. “If we go in there, we’re going to be late to the party.”
Right now, she didn’t care. They’d get there eventually.
“Then we’d better be quick,” she said seductively, and in the blink of an eye, Will scooped her up in his arms again and carried her into the bedroom. As soon as he placed her on the bed, she whipped her shirt off and tossed it on the floor. Will stood beside her and did the same. They were both frantic about getting naked, and once they were and he joined her on the bed, covering her body with his, she sighed happily.
“Damn, I missed you,” he said gruffly, kissing his way down her body. His mouth and hands were doing deliciously wicked things to her, and Sloane arched her back, moaning with pleasure.
“More, Will,” she panted. “I want more.”
Without another word, he knew exactly what she needed and took her to the edge over and over before bracing himself above her. He was sexy as hell, and she couldn’t believe this man was hers.
For now.
Don’t think about that! Stay in the moment!
And when he kissed her—consumed her—he was all she could think about. It was wild and glorious and if she had her way, they’d stay like this until the sun came up. But they couldn’t, and she simply held on for the ride and enjoyed the hell out of it.
An hour later, they were sitting in Will’s truck, parked outside of The Ridge. There were a ton of cars lining the street and they could hear the music even from a distance.
“Okay, before we go in, there are a few things you should know,” she said, turning in her seat facing him. “I told my parents about you. Sort of. I mentioned that we’d met a few times before at some of the town festivals and we’ve just started dating.”
Nodding, he smiled. “That’s pretty close to the truth. Don’t worry. I won’t say otherwise.”
She nearly sagged with relief. “Thank you. I knew if I told them how it really was, I’d still be getting lectured on being immature and risking my life by kissing strange men in booths at festivals. They’d compare it to hitchhiking across the country with serial killers and being lured into unmarked vans with candy.”
“Um…okay? Are they the dramatic type? Is your dad overprotective? Anything I need to know about him personally to make him like me and not treat me like a guy who isn’t good enough for his daughter?”
“He’s in construction and did a lot of work on the bar, so if you praise the craftsmanship, he’ll appreciate that.” She thought for a moment about what else he could talk about and, unfortunately, she knew the answer. “And…cars. Dad’s a bit of a classic car enthusiast. Whenever one of those car shows comes to the area, he and my brothers all go.”
“Brothers? You don’t mention them much. Are they here?”
She nodded. “Ben is the oldest. He’s a single dad to the cutest five-year-old boy, and the most chill of all my brothers. Kyle is the middle brother and the biggest rebel because he feels like no one paid enough attention to him as a kid.”
“What does he do for a living?”
“He’s a video game designer who also dabbles in independent filmmaking. He makes indie horror films that just…” She shuddered. “I don’t get them, but he’s been getting a lot of attention for them. I think it’s a bit ghoulish, but his wife stars in most of them, so…I guess it works for them.”
“That’s kind of cool. Okay, who’s next?”
“My youngest brother—who is still older than me—is Finn. His real name is Finley, but ever since he was little, he insisted on being called Finn. He’s a plastic surgeon who specializes in cases where the patient has been in an accident, things like burns or victims of domestic violence. He’s not really into the whole vanity surgery thing.”
“Wow. That’s wild. You have some seriously talented relatives.”
“And then there’s me,” she murmured.
“Hey.” Reaching out, he tucked a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You are seriously talented too. Those videos you’ve been sharing with me are very creative. Don’t ever tell yourself that you’re not good enough, because you are.”
She felt herself blush and was about to respond when someone knocked—loudly—on the driver’s side window. They both jumped and turned to see her cousin Ashlynn and her husband Reid standing there.
“I guess that’s our cue to join the party,” Will said lightly, but leaned in to kiss her.
They climbed out of the truck and joined Ash and Reid on the sidewalk. No introductions were necessary, but the guys immediately started talking about trucks as they walked ahead. Ash hooked her arm with Sloane’s and grinned.
“Sorry to interrupt when you were looking cozy, but Reid was looking forward to chatting with Will.”
“No worries. We really should have been inside already.”
“So? How are things going? I was so excited to hear that the two of you finally met and that you came back again.”
“Things are going…well,” she said carefully. “The long-distance thing sucks, but we talk every day. And text. And video chat. It’s been nice. And I wasn’t sure about coming back for the festival this weekend, but my folks were adamant about me being here for the grand opening of the bar. They even paid for my airfare.” She laughed softly. “It might have to do with the fact that I told them I met a great guy here in Sweetbriar Ridge and they want me to be able to see him.”
“Ooh…that must have been an interesting conversation! Give me all the details!”
They were walking into the bar and were immediately greeted by both their dads, Max, his dad, and his brother, Marcus. After that, they were swallowed by the crowd. Sloane marveled at how many people were here to celebrate and it took her almost an hour before she finally greeted everyone in her family, plus all her cousins—including some who came all the way from Laurel Bay to join the festivities.
“I didn’t think Ryleigh and Ryker would come all this way,” Ashlynn yelled close to Sloane’s ear to be heard over the music and all the talking around them. “Same with Arianna and Will. It’s so cool how we all support each other!”
Nodding, she looked around trying to find Will—her Will. They had gotten separated as soon as they walked in the door. She was about to excuse herself to look for him when Hailey came walking over.
“Hey! Did you try any of the food yet? It’s amazing! Isn’t this fun? I am so happy to be out and doing something that is just for adults!”
“Who’s watching Layla?”
“One of the instructors from my studio. Her name is Sarah. She teaches the chair yoga for seniors and has eight grandchildren of her own.”
Sloane’s eyes went a little wide.
“That means your sister can trust her,” Ash said with a laugh. “Reid’s parents came for the weekend, so they’re at home with our little guy. I love that they get that time with him without me and Reid hovering.”
“Sarah—and all the girls that work for me—we’re all like family now. It’s so cool because I never felt like that with my coworkers before. I always liked my coworkers but never considered them to be…you know…family-ish.”
“Same,” Ash agreed. “All the other salons I worked at, I never really got along with the other stylists. But the girls working for me now? I adore them. I’m still their boss, but we all hang out a lot and…yeah, I guess they’re like family too.”
Then the two of them started talking baby stuff again and Sloane decided to take that as her chance to step away and find Will.
Awkwardly, she made her way through the crowd and found him standing in the corner talking with her father.
Oh no…
Letting out a long breath, she made her way over to them with a bright smile on her face. “Hey! There you are!” Hooking her arm through Will’s, she smiled at him and then at her father. “Hey, Dad! The place looks amazing! Good job!”
“Well, it was a group effort, but I’m definitely pleased with the results,” Kevin Donovan said with a smile of his own. He looked completely happy and relaxed, and Sloane took that as a good thing. “I was talking to Will while we were waiting for you to finally join us, and he was telling me about some of the cars he’s worked on. Very impressive!”
Now she braced herself for the car conversation that was going to make her want to jab something pointy in her ears.
“It’s nothing compared to the artistry you created here,” Will said, moving his arm so it could wrap around her waist. “I remember what this place looked like before you and your team came in. You took a blank space and made this feel like an old-time tavern. The woodwork is amazing, and the shine is almost blinding. Seriously, I never thought it could look like this. I brought some tanks here to Max a few weeks ago and even though everything was in place, it wasn’t completely finished.”
“That’s when the proper work begins,” her father said proudly. “But you know that. You put a car back together and do all the structural and mechanical stuff, but it isn’t until the paint is on and it’s waxed within an inch of its life that you know it’s done.”
Beside her, Will nodded. “It’s such a thrill knowing you built something with your own hands.”
“Exactly!” her father agreed loudly, clapping Will on the shoulder before looking over at Sloane. “I like him! He’s a good one. And if you moved here to Sweetbriar Bridge, you could keep an eye on this place for me until your mother and I decide to retire here.”
“What?” she cried. “When did you decide that?”
“We haven’t decided,” he said with amusement. “But…that’s what I’m thinking. Or maybe we live here part time and be one of those snowbird couples that spend the winter down in Florida. Wouldn’t that be fun?”
Honestly? She was too stunned to respond and was saved from it when her mother came over and introduced herself.
“Hi! You must be Will! I’m Bridget Donovan!” she said giddily as she shook Will’s hand. “It’s so nice to meet you! Sloane only recently told us about you and…well…you can imagine, we couldn’t wait to meet the man who made this one stop running around aimlessly!”
“Mom!” she hissed, but no one was listening.
“Kevin, the local newspaper is here and they want to talk to you, Ronan, Max, Marcus, and John. They’re going to head upstairs to Max’s office so they can interview you without so much noise.”
“Fantastic!” He glanced around. “I thought I saw Shane and Kate. Grab them and bring them up for the interview! Let them see that we might not have the Donovan name above the door, but we’re going to be just as popular!”
“It’s not a competition, dear,” her mother said as she led her father away.
“Oh my God,” she moaned, hiding her face against Will’s arm. “I am so embarrassed.”
Kissing the top of her head, he carefully wrapped his arms around her. “That’s what parents do. And nothing they said was terrible.” When she looked up at him in disbelief, he grinned. “Your dad’s a nice guy! We talked a lot about cars and the bar and…” He shrugged. “There was nothing embarrassing that you need to worry about.”
“You mean other than how my mother thinks I’m running around aimlessly?” The groan was out before she could stop it.
“Come on. Isn’t that what our twenties are for? We’re all just running around trying to figure shit out. Personally, I think it’s awesome that you maybe stopped running around because you found me.”
Her heart raced at his words. God, it would be so easy to just say yes to all of it: moving to Sweetbriar Ridge, being with Will, doing what…
Everyone expects me to do.
Sloane never went the traditional route with anything in her life. She hated conforming and hated being put in a box. But more than anything, she hated the feeling of being just like everyone else.
Independence was important to her, and so was being unique. If everyone was moving here, didn’t that just make her a sheep following the herd? Running around aimlessly was fun because she never knew what to expect, and that’s what made her life interesting. Looking around the bar she saw a ton of people having fun. They were all laughing and smiling, but ultimately, they were all doing the same things—hanging out at a family bar, out on a date night with their spouses, and hanging out with the family. Sure, it was fun once in a while, but she had a feeling with this many Donovans in one place, it would become the norm. Hailey already mentioned how she and Max had dinner with all their cousins once a week.
I’d lose my damn mind…
Sure, she was already having dinner at her parents’ house every Sunday, but it was only their immediate family. Could she handle hanging out with fifteen family members every single week and listening to them all talk about baby stuff and home decorating and whatever else married people talked about?
“Hey, isn’t that one of your cousins waving us over?” Will asked, breaking her out of her reverie.
Looking up, she spotted her cousin Ryleigh and her husband, Ryker, and they were waving them over. “Yup.” It would be rude to ignore them, so she led Will across the bar to introduce them.
And did her best not to run out the door and book the first flight back to Florida.
It was after eleven when they got back to Will’s place, and he could tell that something was wrong. At some point this evening, Sloane had gone from the happy and carefree woman he was getting to know to being a bit withdrawn and almost hostile. When he had suggested they leave the party, she practically sprinted out the door without saying goodbye to almost anyone.
Tossing his keys on the coffee table, he went to the kitchen to grab himself a bottle of water. “Hey, can I get you anything to drink?”
“No, thanks.”
Water in hand, he walked back to the living room and found her sitting on the couch, looking miserable. “You want to talk about it?”
Surprise was written all over her face as she looked up at him, but she shook her head.
“I have to go into the shop for a couple of hours tomorrow in the morning. I tried to get out of it, but in order for me to have the entire weekend off, I need to work until noon. Two, the latest. Then the shop’s closing so we can all get ready for the festival.”
She was disappointed and wasn’t very good at hiding it, apparently, because when Will looked at her, his shoulders sagged. He was about to say something, but she stopped him. “It’s okay. I know it will just be for a couple of hours and maybe I’ll go over to Hailey’s and hang out with my family for a bit.”
She didn’t sound particularly enthused about it, although he had no idea why, and thought he maybe had the solution to whatever this was all about.
“Actually…I had something else in mind. If you’re open to it.”
“Like what?”
He thought about saying something silly, like waiting for him in bed or maybe thinking sexy thoughts of him while he was gone, but he decided against it.
“I thought maybe you could come to the shop with me.”
Her eyes went wide. “To the shop? You mean the garage? Why?” The pinched expression told him she wasn’t the least bit interested, but he had a reason for asking her.
“Devin’s business has been growing fast and he’s trying hard to do everything himself. He’s the owner, lead mechanic, bookkeeper, carpenter, customer service rep, and our IT guy.”
“Wow. That’s impressive.” Standing, she walked into the kitchen and came back with her own bottle of water. “Why is he doing it all? Is the business making money? Can’t he hire out some of those positions?”
Will nodded and stood back up just as Sloane sat down. He hadn’t eaten nearly enough at the bar and now he wanted a snack. He grabbed a box of cookies from the pantry and came back and sat down beside her. “He definitely is, for the most part, and his load is getting lighter thanks to MacKenzie, his wife. She’s managing most of the office stuff, but Devin is a bit of a control freak and likes to have his hand in everything.”
“O-kay…”
“But the shop really needs a good website and better social media presence. He’s got a very basic website that is little more than a web page with a picture of the shop, our hours of operation, and phone number.”
She nodded. “With this kind of business, it would seem that he doesn’t need much else. He’s not selling products through the website; he’s simply letting people know where to come to get work done on their cars.”
“Why can’t it be more?” Will asked casually.
Taking a cookie, Sloane thought about it. “What are you thinking? Or…what is Devin thinking?”
“He would love a new logo for the shop and for the site to be a little more informative—show some of the restorations we’ve done, and a page where people can ask the mechanic a question.”
“Sure. I can look at it and take it to my boss and see?—”
“I thought you’d like to do it,” he interrupted, a sheepish grin on his face. “You know, on your own. As a side gig.”
“Oh. Um…wow. Okay. I guess I could. I’ll have to talk to Devin and see exactly what he wants and…it’s not a fast fix. Especially to design a new logo. So it wouldn’t be done tomorrow, but I can certainly come in and talk to him to get a feel for what he’s looking for and then work on it over the next week or so. Unless he’s in a rush. Because if he’s in a rush, he should probably take it to someone else who has the time and resources to put into it. Maybe Levi. I hear he’s a whiz with advertising.”
“Sloane?”
“Hmm?”
“You’re babbling,” he teased and leaned over to kiss her on the nose. “Why does this make you so nervous? You said you’re not happy at your job. Why not take this as a little test to see if maybe working on your own is really more of what you want?”
“Hailey’s mentioned it to me several times recently,” she admitted after a moment. “And it’s not that I don’t want to; it’s just a little intimidating to get started.”
He nodded. “That’s completely understandable. And there’s no pressure. If you don’t want to do it, that’s totally fine. I think you and MacKenzie would get along great and you’d probably get more help from her than you would from Devin. It was just a thought, that’s all. Again, no pressure.”
For a minute, they ate cookies in companionable silence. He was offering her the perfect opportunity to test the waters of working for herself. But he had hoped she’d be a little more excited about it and silently prayed he hadn’t just screwed things up by being presumptuous.
Sloane moved the box of cookies aside and reached for him—pulling Will to her and then kissing him soundly on the lips. “Thank you,” she said after a long minute.
He was tempted to pull her onto his lap and kiss her until she was as desperate and needy for him as he was for her, but they were in the middle of a potentially important conversation. “For what?”
“For being wonderful. For thinking of me. For putting up with my crazy family tonight with a smile on your face.” Pausing, she smiled as she met his gaze. “And finally, for giving me an opportunity to see if I have what it takes to work for myself.”
Will reached up and caressed her cheek. “Why would you ever think that you don’t?”
She laughed softly. “Will, you’ve only seen a small fraction of my work with no real context. For all you know, I’m terrible at my job and that’s why my boss only gives me the simple stuff to do.”
He shook his head. “Not possible. You’re too passionate about it. I listen to you talk about your ideas and that’s not what someone who is only mediocre at their job does.” Pulling back slightly, he said, “One minute,” before getting up and walking out of the room. He returned a minute later with his laptop.
Sloane watched him warily as he opened it and went online. Then he slid it toward her. “Now? You want to look at some of my work right now?” she laughed. “You didn’t have to go and do this. We could have just used my phone.”
He nodded. “Humor me.”
She gave him a reluctant look but did as he asked and pulled up tab after tab of her work, briefly explaining who each client was, what their campaign was about, and the kind of engagement her posts garnered. Then she sat back and waited for his reaction.
“Holy shit.”
When he looked at her, her expression was completely closed, and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. So, he asked questions.
Lots and lots of questions because he never knew how much work went into anyone’s social media accounts. He realized almost immediately that Sweetbriar Ridge Auto Care was seriously lacking.
Then he thought about his own little side hustle with the restoration business and wondered if having video content of the entire process—and not just the before and after shots—would help him get more clients.
So he asked her specifically about it.
“Well, there’s no way I could stand in the garage all day shooting, so we would set up a camera and then do a time-lapse video of the whole thing. We’d add music and some basic notes and tips about what you did. If you were into it, we could include you in the video—like a commentator in the corner or just your voice—and take it from there. Since what you do takes a long time, so would one single restoration post.” Pausing, she considered him for a moment. “Or we do it as a series of posts; we could do each section of the job at a time, and then at the end, do the whole time lapse thing.”
“Wow, I’m like…I’m kind of pissed right now,” he said, feeling more than a little annoyed at himself. But when he looked up, he saw the look of confusion on her face and quickly shook his head. “Sorry. That came out wrong. I’m not pissed at you; I’m seriously mad at myself.”
She was about to comment on that when Will shut the laptop and twisted to face her. She winced and seemed to brace herself for something.
Dammit.
She figured he must be second-guessing her skills because it was taking him so long to explain what he was thinking.
“First of all, relax,” he said, taking both her hands in his. “I’m pissed because I didn’t realize how much more I could be doing. If I go onto social media, I’m just seeing what my friends are up to. I don’t look up businesses. Not really, anyway. And if I need to find out something about a car, I go to YouTube.” He chuckled for a moment. “That must sound completely lame to someone like you who knows how much more is out there.”
“It’s not everyone’s thing, Will. I do this for a living, but there are plenty of people who just want to be entertained and watch silly videos, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But a strong social media presence can really help a business grow.”
He loved listening to her talk—it didn’t matter if it was about her job, her life, or random current events. She fascinated him.
“Damn. You are too freaking talented to be working for someone who doesn’t appreciate you!”
Will watched as Sloane seemed to sag with relief. Her whole face lit up with a smile that told him she was pleased with his compliment. He might not know a whole hell of a lot about technology and web design, but the campaigns she’d worked on were eye-catching and pretty much exactly what the shop needed.
She launched herself into his arms, and he held her tight. There were so many things he wanted to ask her, say to her, but for right now he was content to hold her as she thanked him and then seemed to ramble on about each of the sites and why she did what she did with them.
He was more than happy to listen to her talk. Unfortunately, most of what she said—especially the technical stuff—went right over his head. If she were talking about engines and everything that went into them, he’d understand it. But all of this talk about engagement, music trends, and influencers was lost on him.
But it didn’t matter, because talking about it made Sloane happy and if she was happy, so was he.
When she stopped and looked at him expectantly, he almost cursed himself. Had she asked him a question?
“Um…”
Laughing, Sloane waved him off. “Sorry. I tend to get carried away when I talk about my work. It’s not often that I get to go off like that. Most of my clients don’t sit and talk directly with me. They talk to my boss instead and then he gives me the assignment and acts as the go-between.”
“Wouldn’t it be better for the clients if they got to talk with the person who was doing the actual work?”
She nodded. “I’ve been saying that since I got hired, but Dan—my boss—likes to be the only one talking. He thinks it makes things easier if he’s the face of the company.”
“Or he enjoys taking the credit for everyone’s work,” Will muttered.
“That too,” she readily agreed and then sighed. “Anyway, I really think I can do something nice for Devin. Will he be around tomorrow for me to talk with?”
“Definitely. When I told him you were coming for the weekend and what I was thinking, he said he’d make sure he was available for you.”
“I don’t want to make him come in if it’s his day off…”
“Nah, Devin hardly ever takes a day off. The shop is his baby. Plus, we’re trying to get as much as we can done so we can all have off for the festival.”
“From what you told me, he started it on his own and built it up from nothing. That’s impressive. And the fact that he’s there putting in the time just like the rest of you says a lot for his character.”
“Devin’s a great guy—and a great friend and boss. I’ve known him for just about my whole life and there was a time when I thought I wanted to go into business with him.”
“So why didn’t you?”
He shrugged. It wasn’t the most flattering story, but…he wanted Sloane to get to know him—all of him.
“I went to trade school right out of high school—local,” he began, “and I felt like I knew what I was doing. But…I was young and stupid and for a while I was more interested in partying than working and the few part-time jobs I had at shops outside of Sweetbriar Ridge didn’t last long because I wasn’t taking them seriously.”
“What changed?”
He liked that she didn’t try to make excuses for him. “I went into work one Saturday and I was hungover—hadn’t slept more than two hours before going in. I was working on a car and put it up on the lift, but it wasn’t secured and it came off. Totaled it. It didn’t fall from the full height it could have, but it fell far enough where it was beyond repair. It was a miracle that no one got hurt, but it was totally my fault.”
“Wow.”
Will nodded. “I was fired. The accident was covered by insurance—both by the owner and my boss—but there was damage to some things in the shop and I had to make restitution on it. I was a complete screwup and for a while, no one wanted to hire me. I was a liability.”
“What did you do?”
“I took odd jobs. Stopped partying so much and got my shit together. It took about three years before I even tried to get a job with a mechanic again. That’s when Devin began talking about opening a shop. We would talk about it and I wanted to ask to go in on it with him. I didn’t have a lot of money, but I had some.”
“And what did he have to say about it?”
He shrugged. “Nothing. Back then, I didn’t tell him what I was thinking. He was so organized and had this great plan and I didn’t want to mess that up. He offered me a job as a part-time mechanic at the beginning. It didn’t take long before the business grew and he promoted me to full-time. It’s the greatest job I’ve ever had. All the guys I work with are friends and…you know…a little like family.”
“Do you still want to be more involved? A partner?”
“Maybe,” he said with a grin. “There’s a lot to consider. We’d need to build an addition to the shop and get new equipment and…
“I can see you’re thinking about it,” she said with a smile.
“I’m always thinking about it. But…”
She sighed lightly. “But you and I just found something else in common.”
He looked at her quizzically. “What’s that?”
“We’re both scared to take that giant leap toward achieving our dreams.”
Carefully, he moved the laptop over to the coffee table and shifted closer to her. When he reached up and cupped her face, she leaned into it while humming softly. “I know it’s late and you need to go to work early,” she whispered. “But I was really hoping we could go inside and do what we did earlier. Just…slower this time.”
And just like that, he was hard as a rock and practically ready to take her right here on the couch.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he slowly got to his feet, holding out a hand to her. When Sloane stood, he gently tugged her to him and kissed her.
Slowly.
Deeply.
Thoroughly.
When they broke apart, Will rested his forehead against hers and took a moment to catch his breath. “I don’t care if I don’t get any sleep tonight. All I want is to lay you down and kiss every inch of your beautiful body and show you how much I’ve missed you these last two weeks.”
When he met her gaze, he saw there were tears in her eyes.
“Sloane, I…”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “I feel the same way. All I’ve been thinking about is being alone with you and…”
Silencing her with a kiss that left them both breathless and panting, he lifted his head and grinned. “Then what are we waiting for?”