Chapter 19
19
Cortney
I tore down my booth around four, packing my tent and closing my RV. I drive the beast back to Jude’s property, where we park it for the family dog sanctuary. The mobile clinic comes in handy there for vet checks. It has all the basic supplies I might need if there’s a problem with one of the rescue dogs and saves Jude a trip into town since he’s a bit of a hermit.
Without hesitation, I drive back into the heart of Fairview Valley and pull into the parking lot of Tony’s Auto Shop.
Goose bumps appear on my skin that have nothing to do with the air temperature. The heat from the summer day has only gotten worse as the afternoon fades into the evening. The events on Main Street are winding down as the locals shift to the racetrack and the bars for the evening festivities. People will get drunk late into the night while watching the races and enjoying the street dances and music until midnight curfew.
My heart thuds at the lack of people on this end of town. The parking lot is half filled with customers’ cars waiting for parts and services, but the owners are long gone. The lobby windows reveal a dark, empty interior. The only light is the bright orange Closed sign attached to the glass.
My desire to see Spencer again wins against the feelings of stupidity creeping in. A little voice in the back of my head nags at me to leave. To go home and check on Ollie and Lincoln, and make sure they’re staying out of trouble. Or find an available friend and head to the bar like all the other locals this evening.
But before that voice can get any louder, the big door covering the bay slides open with a grumble of a motor and cranks, and the silhouette of Spencer appears. His big hand waves me in.
I suppose he wants to keep up with the appearance of doing me a favor. With a sigh, I throw my car into drive and roll inside. The big door lowers shut behind me with a quiet thud .
“You do know my car works just fine, right?” I say as I slip out from behind the wheel.
Spencer shuts my door with a loud bang in the large, empty garage before pressing my back tightly against it.
Without so much as a hello, his mouth slams down on mine.
My breath stutters to a stop, lungs seizing at the implication of his passionate kiss. My lashes flutter, eyes closing as I sink into him. My fingers curl into the sides of his tee shirt, keeping myself upright.
I moan at the feel of his lips on mine, opening to grant him access.
He takes advantage of the lack of resistance and slips his tongue inside, inviting me to sample the remnants of a fresh, cold beer he recently consumed.
The way his hands cup the sides of my head, fingers speared through my hair, convey a dizzying need. His desperate hold warms the cold, lonely parts inside me. Reaching into the newly mended cracks and reinforcing them with all that is Spencer Stone. Forcing me never to forget the feelings he’s able to rouse.
Just as suddenly as he drew me in, he pulls away. His thumb swipes the moisture left along my swollen bottom lip.
“Let’s not be strangers.”
Before I can get my bearings, he dips in for one more kiss as if he simply can’t resist.
“Did you miss me?” Spencer smirks, but I sense the hint of vulnerability lurking just beneath the hard exterior.
Spencer Stone isn’t used to being missed by anybody.
“Do you even have to ask?” My voice is soft and breathless.
He brushes his hands through my hair and settles them on my waist. “Just checking.”
“What happened to what you said on the plane?”
“What?” He leans in and brushes his nose against mine. “Did you really think that our two weeks alone in the Caribbean was just a fling?”
My eyelashes flutter. “That is what you said.”
“Things were moving really fast. I believe it was you who said I was a good rebound.”
A breath leaves my parted lips. “That was self-preservation. You do have a history of leaving me after we spend a night together.”
A grumble sounds from Spencer’s chest. “I thought I more than made it up to you in our villa.”
I release a pleasant hum. Memories flood forward, bringing an arousing clench below my waist. “That you did. But then you did it again when we arrived in Minnesota.”
“Maybe I had a need for some self-preservation as well.”
Apparently, somewhere during our two-week stay, he didn’t get the message that I’d moved on from my ex-fiancé. For that, I only have myself to blame.
I hold his gaze as I tell him, “I wouldn’t hurt you.”
Spencer’s shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath. “Not intentionally, no. I don’t think you would.”
“What does this mean?”
His corded arms tighten around me when he lifts his head to glance around the open space. “I think this means I’m here to stay for a while.”
“Back in Fairview Valley.”
He chuckles. “I never thought I’d say that again.” Just as suddenly, the smile melts from his face as what looks like a decade of guilt settles in its place. “I’m ready to try again. I mean, I even got a job here.”
“Something about oil and grease really calls to you, huh?”
The corner of his full mouth tips up. “What can I say? I like to get dirty.” His eyebrows bounce, and his gaze heats.
A shiver races down my spine at the promise in his voice.
Laying my palm flat on the center of his warm, muscled chest, I push him back. I roll my eyes at the measly inch of space I create. “Unlike you, I get dirty enough at my job, so a mechanic shop isn’t all that appealing to me.”
“Don’t lie.” Spencer yanks me flush against his torso, his mouth dipping low to the shell of my ear. “I know just how dirty you can be, Kitten.”
At my full-body tremble, Spencer laughs again. The sound is rich, uninhibited.
“Come on.” He releases me to take my hand in his warm grip and tugs me away from my car.
“Where are we going?”
Spencer turns halfway around with a full smile on his face. I’m instantly transported back in time to blue skies, teal water, and sandy beaches.
“I have to show you something.”