Chapter 10
Rowan poured hot water over the tea bag.
Peter and Bex had a plan. Miss Tibbie had a plan.
Everyone seemed to have a plan. Except him.
His plan was to keep Nellie safe, but he was struggling with wanting so much more to happen between them.
Rowan prepared the tea and carried it to the guest room.
He knocked on the door and waited for Nellie to answer.
“Come in!”
He opened the door and stepped into his guest room.
“I brought you some tea,” Rowan told her as he set it on the nightstand.
Nellie was in one of his T-shirts and, from the glimpse of her long legs, that was all.
Rowan tried to cover the groan of desire with a cough, but Nell didn’t seem to buy it.
Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink and Rowan wanted nothing more than to cup her cheek and rub his thumb over the blush.
“I have a favor to ask,” Nellie said nervously.
“Anything, it’s yours.” Rowan wasn’t exaggerating. He took care of patients every day, but his need to take care of Nellie was completely different.
“Will you stay with me for a while?” Nellie asked. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep. I heard a woman scream outside and it really freaked me out.”
Rowan bit back a laugh. Nellie was so serious that he didn’t want to tell her that the screamer was Forrest’s goat, Blackbeard. That would take more of an explanation than he wanted to get into at this hour. Plus, he’d take any excuse to stay with her longer.
“I’m sure it wasn’t a woman screaming, but I’m happy to stay with you.” Rowan froze. He didn’t know where he should sit.
Nellie patted the spot on the bed next to her. “Maybe we can watch a movie?”
“I’d love that.” Rowan walked around the bed and took the spot next to her as she flipped on the television. He didn’t care what movie she put it on. He only cared that after finishing her tea, she turned on her side, placing her head on his shoulder, to watch the rest of the movie.
Rowan had been with women before. He was not inexperienced, by any means.
However, there was something about this woman.
Knowing that Nell already trusted him enough to curl up against him after such a short time that made his heart beat even harder.
He felt the moment Nell fell asleep. The way she threw her leg over his and used her arm that was across his chest to pull herself closer to him as she slept.
Rowan moved his head to place a soft kiss on her hair as the television’s sleep timer turned it off. In the dark, he pulled Nell as close to him as possible. He breathed her in, felt her body against his, and felt so content he never wanted the night to end.
But end it did.
Rowan woke up ten minutes before his alarm went off at five the next morning. He took a moment to enjoy the feel of Nellie in his arms before he tried to slide out of bed without waking her.
It took several minutes, but he managed to do so. He started a pot of coffee, took a shower, and got dressed in his scrubs. He’d left his door closed, so he was surprised when he sniffed the air and smelled something cooking.
“Nell?”
“In the kitchen!”
Rowan grabbed his hospital badge and clipped it to his scrubs as he walked into the kitchen. Two cups of coffee sat on the table as Nellie divided up some scrambled eggs onto plates.
“You didn’t have to get up so early, but thank you for breakfast.”
“You’ve been taking care of me. But I started wondering last night, does anyone take care of you?”
Rowan blinked as he heard Damon’s voice echo in his head. He’d been preaching the same thing for months. “My sister-in-law does. But besides Jordana, no.”
Nellie smiled then as she set out some buttered toast. “Good. Then I’ll gladly be the one to do so. Speaking of which, remember you have Bex’s party tonight. Go, and have fun. I promise I’ll stay right here so you don’t have to worry.”
Rowan shook his head and sent a quick text to his family. “Nope, you will not stay here hiding by yourself. You’ll meet me there. After sleeping with you in my arms all night, I can’t wait to hold you while we dance.”
Nellie felt her whole body warm at that. She’d never slept better than she had last night. And, she really wanted to go to that party. Bex was amazing, and she couldn’t wait to see WET.
Rowan ate quickly and was clearing the plates as a knock sounded at the front door a second before it opened and Damon walked in.
“Text me so I know how you’re doing. Can’t wait to see you tonight.” Rowan kissed her cheek before heading for the garage. “Damon, take care of my girl.”
Nellie knew she was blushing again, damn it. She and her darn fair skin that turned red at the drop of a hat. Damon grabbed an apple and bit into it. “Come on, sister-in-law, we've got a busy day.” Damon took another bite of the apple and watched as she hurried to grab her things.
“Is this okay to wear?” she asked, looking down at the borrowed jeans and T-shirt. She didn’t think she’d need to dress up for a garage. But when she looked at Damon she began to laugh. “We’re twins,” she said of the jeans and black T-shirt they were both wearing.
“Oh goody. Let’s go.”
Damon locked the door after her and saw Nellie standing in the grass, staring at the motorcycle. “Ever ridden before?” Damon asked, tossing her a helmet.
“Um, no. You won’t let me fall off, will you? Like, is there a way to strap me on it?”
Damon’s lips twitched, but he didn’t make her feel bad by laughing. “Just hold on tight.”
Damon slung his leg over the bike and sat down. He turned to her and waited. She’d ridden horses, so it couldn’t be too different, right? Nellie lifted her leg over the bike and straddled it. The curve of the seat sent her sliding into Damon’s back.
“Put your feet here,” he said, showing her the pegs. “Now, hang on.”
Nellie clung to Damon as they roared out of the neighborhood.
He opened the bike up as they headed toward Charleston.
Her heart rate increased with the speed of the bike.
And at some point, she stopped being scared.
She tossed her head back and enjoyed the freedom of it all.
On the side of Charleston closest to Shadows Landing, he pulled over into a state-of-the-art, modern motorcycle dealership with an immense attached garage.
Townsend Motorcycles was written on the sign over the dealership and Custom Garage was written over the garage to the side. This was not what she was expecting after Damon told her he was a mechanic. Damon pulled up near the garage and cut the engine.
“That was amazing!” Nellie told him as she took off the helmet and handed it back to Damon.
“Good. I’ve been trying to convert my sisters into bikers, but it hasn’t worked yet. But now I got you.”
“Oh, I don’t know if I could ever drive one, but it sure was fun riding on one.”
“What, the school counselor doesn’t think she’d be cool driving up to school on the first day on a bike?”
“I’d be cool, all right. But I might wreck it.”
Damon was smiling as he unlocked the garage and raised the doors, showing off a spotless garage lined with bikes and tools.
“There’s a driver’s course out back. If I get a break today, I’ll teach you.”
Nellie walked up to one of the bikes and couldn’t stop looking at the small details on it. “This is gorgeous. How much does a bike like this cost?”
“Ninety-five thousand. It’s a custom order that I made from scratch.”
“Damn!” Nellie jumped away from the bike. She didn’t even want to get near it in case she damaged it somehow.
“This is the line I designed for this bike company.”
“Wow,” she said, taking in the bike in the next stall. “I even know that company. I didn’t know you partnered with them.”
“Yup. I build custom bikes and have designed for two of the three top motorcycle brands. I sell those collabs at my stores. The first one and this one are finished with my custom touches. They’re both being picked up today.”
“So, the fancy modern building is your dealership?”
“That’s right.”
“How many dealerships do you have?”
“I have them in every major US city, London, Paris, and Rome.”
Nell couldn’t stop the laugh. “Mechanic?”
Damon smirked at that. “I am a mechanic. Just one who built a brand from being the best mechanic I could be.”
“Tell me, who buys a ninety-five thousand dollar motorcycle?” Nellie asked.
“Someone like me.”
Nellie spun around to see a man standing by the door.
Her mouth dropped open as she took him in.
He was in black jeans, a white shirt, and a black leather jacket.
It was six-thirty in the morning, but even that didn’t hide the identity of the wildly popular Hollywood action star as he stepped out of the darkness and into the garage.
“Kai, meet my sister-in-law Nellie. I’m turning her into a biker. Are you ready to see your new ride?” Damon asked, ignoring the way Nellie’s mouth hung open when Kai nodded his head in greeting toward her.
“I’ve been waiting two years.” Kai slapped Damon’s back as Damon led him to the first bay where the bike was. Kai let out a low whistle as he walked around the bike. “Damon, you outdid yourself.”
Kai straddled the bike and Nellie almost passed out. “You look even better on it than you did in your last movie when you jumped the canyon on a bike.” Nellie blushed again and snapped her mouth closed.
“That’s the best compliment you could give me. Of course, my stunt double did the actual jump there. Actually,” Kai said, turning to Damon, “we’re wrapping up the latest in the Night Assassin franchise in Georgia. Can I buy three of your newest collabs for my stunt team?”
“Of course. Where in Georgia?”
“Just outside Atlanta. I’m heading back there now.”
Damon headed over to the computer and typed away. “I have three at the Atlanta shop that I can have delivered to the studio.”
“I love you, man. That’s perfect. The wrap party is next Friday. Think you can get them to arrive at five o’clock?”