Chapter One #3
Roxanne drew in a breath, attempting to keep her expression in check.
Declan was skilled at reading people. Meanwhile, Evie was clueless of Roxanne’s increased tension filling the hallway.
It wasn’t Evie’s fault. She had no clue she was throwing Roxanne under the bus.
When she put in the bid, she’d intended to do it without anyone noticing. It was supposed to be my secret.
Declan handed it back to her. “The work is familiar.”
Of course, it was. Much like her brothers, Declan was friends with the artist too.
“Yeah, Jonah something. I couldn’t make out the last name on the back,” Evie offered, and Roxanne’s face heated.
“McMillian. Jonah McMillian.” Declan grinned, keeping his amusement directed at Roxanne. “Over two grand, huh? You must really like his work.”
“He’s talented,” she blurted, sounding defensive.
Shit!
“Yeah, he is.” Declan’s lips twitched. “Good guy too.”
Until now, she thought she’d kept her interest in the artist concealed pretty well. Aside from her best friend and some of the other girls, she’d never talked about him. How the hell does Declan know?
Roxanne immediately turned her attention to Evie, taking her friend in for a hug. “Thanks again, Evie.”
She glanced at Declan, who was now openly grinning, holding nothing back during their embrace. She narrowed her gaze and mouthed. “Shut up, Declan.”
It was juvenile and only intensified his amusement, which rolled into a deep chuckle. Thankfully, Evie seemed none the wiser. She stepped back and gave a short wave.
“Bye, Roxanne.”
Declan grasped Evie’s hand and led her down the hallway to the exit. “Later, Rox.”
“Drive safe, guys.”
When the doors closed, she waited a second before touching the wooden art.
She’d spent a lot of time inspecting and appreciating the piece when it arrived last week.
The moment she laid her eyes on it, her decision was made.
She traced her finger over the etched grooves.
There was so much attention to detail. It must have taken forever to complete.
He obviously had a passion for his work.
What else was he passionate about? That thought had her mind shifting in an entirely different direction.
Her heart rate spiked, and a warm rush raced through her veins as she tightened her grip. She was no longer thinking of the art but of the artist.
Jonah.
He was barely an acquaintance. A longtime friend of her brother’s but not the usual type. Jonah hadn’t grown up around the family. Until recently, she’d never seen him at any gatherings or parties. He was a bit of a mystery and one that had intrigued Roxanne since the moment she’d laid eyes on him.
She’d experienced instant attraction before, but nothing to this extent.
She was hyperaware of his presence and drawn to him.
He was gorgeous, muscular and rugged, which explained the attraction.
But there was something else. In any situation, Roxanne was the epitome of confident, calm and engaging.
With Jonah? She still hadn’t worked up the courage to speak to him aside from a few pleasantries. The man knocked her off balance.
Roxanne had thought she’d come up with the perfect plan to force another interaction.
Under the guise of soliciting a donation, she’d sent an invitation to the benefit.
It would’ve been a convenient starting point for getting to know him better without appearing too obvious.
Much to her disappointment, he’d declined.
So damn disappointed.
Roxanne sighed, tucking the piece under her arm, and making her way to the back to retrieve her pocketbook. It’d been a long night.
My bed is calling me.
****
What the …
Jonah straightened his back, switched off the sander, and glanced at the door of his shop.
The space wasn’t much more than a converted garage, but had more bells and whistles than the average outbuilding.
Knowing he’d be spending plenty of time there, he’d added a heating and cooling system, along with insulation.
By outward appearances, it was a simple garage in his backyard.
The inside resembled a higher end workshop, along with an expensive security system.
He furrowed his brows, watching the door slowly open, and a woman poking her head inside. He pulled off his safety glasses and removed his earbuds, smiling as she crept inside.
“Chick on deck, are you decent?”
It wasn’t often that he had visitors to his workshop.
Occasionally, he’d entertain clients who wanted to see his work or those picking up their pieces.
Other than that, outsiders rarely showed up.
Just the way I like it. This was his escape.
A sanctuary, in a sense. What started out as a hobby had rolled into a lucrative business.
Still, he was selective about whom he invited into his space.
However, some people were pushier than others, and impossible to resist.
Jonah shook his head and drew in a breath, smirking. “Don’t usually hang out naked in the shop, Kenzie.”
Jonah eyed his workbench. He was finishing a project that was overdue.
A week, to be exact. It needed to be stained and coated before he finished.
He was hoping to get it done by tonight, but with his surprise visitor, it wasn’t looking good.
He was peeling off his gloves when the brunette weaved through the mini showroom.
It wasn’t much, but there were a few pieces of furniture.
She stopped near the double Adirondack, sweeping her fingers over the arm of the chair.
“Oooo … I like this.” She smiled. “Maybe I should get a chair too.”
Jonah muffled his chuckle. It wasn’t the first time Kenzie had made an impromptu visit.
Or staked a claim on projects that weren’t hers.
She always seemed so impressed, and made it known.
His relationship with her was what most people would perceive to be a friendship.
He had no doubt that was how she’d describe it if asked.
“How much is this one?”
Jonah tossed his gloves onto the workbench, shaking his head. “Bogs said a table, that’s it.”
She pouted. “I’ve got my own money, you know, and our place is half mine.” She folded her arms and cocked out her hip. “How much is it?”
This should be fun.
“Twenty-four hundred.”
Her mouth fell open, and her gaze darted between him and the chair, struck speechless. Jonah chuckled, dragging his hand over his mouth, concealing his amusement.
“It’s custom, Kenz.”
“Yeah, I know, but, hmm.” She tapped her finger against her lips. “Does it come with throw pillows?”
This time, he didn’t even bother masking his amusement.
Jonah burst out laughing. His relationship with her was unlike any he’d ever had.
With his vigorous work schedule and family responsibilities, he had little time for friends.
Of the ones he had, all of them were male.
Kenzie was the exception. Their friendship was a fluke.
Jonah had been repaying a past favor to Bogs Garrison, and in turn had been a saving grace for Kenzie.
It was Kenzie who’d forged the friendship, and facilitated get-togethers which usually included her man, Bogs.
But not always. It wasn’t unheard of for Kenzie to pop in and hang out while he worked from time to time.
When Jonah had noticed a pattern every few weeks, he’d reached out to Bogs.
They’d had a solid friendship for years.
There was something more that bound them tighter than most people.
Jonah wasn’t risking Bogs getting the wrong idea.
Or being a point of contention in Bogs and Kenzie’s relationship.
It was and always had been strictly platonic.
But … I sure as fuck wouldn’t want my woman hanging out alone with another man.
What woman?
Shut the fuck up!
After a conversation with Bogs, he was reassured that his friend had no issue with her hanging out with Jonah.
He glanced over at Kenzie, who’d dropped her bag onto his desk and was digging inside. She pulled out several items. How much shit does she have in there? After she spilled half the contents onto the desk, she grabbed a small notebook and flipped it open.
“Okay, it’s a little out of my price range right now, but I’m putting it on my wish list.” She scribbled in her notebook.
Jonah smirked. “You got a list?”
She jerked her head, cocking it to the side, and stared back as if he’d said something absurd.
“Yeah, of course. The coffee table I’m getting, but I want a set of shelves too.
” She pointed to the wall where he had a variety of different styles on display.
She glanced up at the ceiling. “Probably two sets. One for the living room and another for the bedroom. Then, the chair.” Her eyes widened, and her gaze shifted to him.
“Ooo, and I want a wood piece like you did for the auction.”
The auction. Ethan had mentioned it to him when they met to discuss a new construction job.
He understood the history behind the foundation and how much it meant to his friend.
To all of them. When Ethan went into further detail about Roxanne being nervous about the lack of donations at the beginning, he didn’t hesitate to offer something up.
He’d made plenty of donations over the years to countless organizations.
But this one was different. It was especially personal. Not to him but to his friends.
He folded his arms, leaning against his workbench. “Why didn’t you bid on it at the auction?”
Kenzie scoffed. “I did, but I was outbid.” A playful gleam lit up her eyes. “And from what I hear, by like a couple grand.”
What the fuck?