Chapter 4
Chapter Four
SAWYER
T here’s part of my brain that knows I shouldn’t be staring at her ass, but most of the blood in my body has pumped straight to my dick. So that part of my brain is no longer working.
When Lane walks into Sofa King Cozy, I let her go a few steps ahead and enjoy the view. Her body is long and lean, but her ass is fat, and I remember exactly how it felt pushed against my cock.
“Something wrong?”
I look up and realize she’s caught me. Instead of making up an excuse, I shrug and give her my biggest grin. “Just remembering what it was like sleeping next to you.”
“Ugh.” She huffs, but I see the smile she’s trying to hide. “Are you sure you rode bulls and not pigs?”
“Give me a chance and I can ride anything, kitten.” My eyes move up and down her body, but she goes to the back, ignoring me.
She’s not in her usual playful mood. Well, I guess you could call it playful. Normally when I poke at her, she pokes back, which is my favorite. It’s one of the reasons I love her so damn much. Lane has never held back, and in a way, it’s kept me grounded. She’s quick to tell me what she’s thinking, but right now, something is off. She keeps bringing up the auction like she’s annoyed it’s happening.
When I push through the doors behind the counter, I step into her workspace. It’s where she spends all of her time, and it’s a beautiful studio. It’s flooded with light, especially this time of day. There are tools everywhere, workbenches covered in sawdust and wood shavings on the floor.
This is a place that’s lived in and well-loved, and I can see Lane in all corners of it. From the line of water bottles on the desk to the extra hair ties next to the chop saw. I can see her coveralls hanging on the hook by the door, and the cinnamon-flavored ChapStick she loves on the work bench beside her sander. It’s like walking into her heart, and every time I come in here, it feels like home.
“I don’t know if we can get this on our own. It’s not really heavy, just cumbersome.” She stands in front of a small china cabinet that is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. To be fair, I think that about everything she makes.
“Cumbersome is my middle name,” I tease, and she rolls her eyes. She does that a lot when I’m near her. I’ll take it as a good sign because she doesn’t seem to do it with anyone else.
“Please. We both know your middle name is Whitney because your mama loved The Bodyguard .”
I gasp. “Lane Thomas, you swore on your goldfish Mr. Fish Fisherman that you’d never mention that again. And I can’t believe you’d put his life in danger.”
That finally gets to her, and she snorts before she realizes she’s done it and claps a hand over her mouth.
“Look at you, murdering an innocent fish and now you’re laughing.” I shake my head in mock disappointment. “I shared my deepest, darkest secret with you, and you turned it against me the first chance you got.”
“First chance?” She’s grinning now, playfully poking back at me. “I’ve had ample opportunity to tell the world, and I’ve kept my mouth shut.”
“Yeah, right. Like you could have resisted telling Liv.” When she raises her chin defiantly, I blink at her. “Seriously? You never told her?”
“Nope.” She shrugs and then leans against the workbench. “I knew she wouldn’t be able to keep it.”
I think about that for a second then dismiss the thought. If Lane told Liv to keep it a secret, she would have. Liv loves to talk, but she wouldn’t break a promise to her sister. Not a real one.
“Or maybe you wanted it to be our secret,” I hedge as I step closer. She’s still against the workbench as I come over and put my hands on either side of her, blocking her escape. “Maybe you liked me telling only you.”
“It’s not that big of a secret.” She tries to play it off, but we both know she’s lying.
“Tell me a secret,” I say softly as I tuck her hair behind her ear.
“I don’t have any.” Her breath gets caught in her throat when my fingers touch the shell of her ear and then trace down her neck.
“I think it’s only fair now that you’ve broken your promise and killed your goldfish.” I love the way the edge of her lips turns up, and I want to kiss her right there.
“I’m pretty sure he died before I made that swear.” She licks her lips, and I don’t miss the way her pink tongue makes them shiny.
“Then you definitely owe me something.” I bend down, close enough that I can feel her breath against my mouth.
“W-what do you have in mind?” She’s looking up at me through her lashes, and my god, do I want her.
“I think you should buy me tonight.”
I must say the wrong thing, because an icy sheet falls between us, and she leans away from me.
“No thanks.” She’s pushing my arm out of the way, and I’m so stunned by what’s happened that I don’t get a chance to stop her.
“Lane, what?—”
“If you can manage the cabinet on your own, then I’ll be out front waiting.”
Before I can say another word, she’s gone. I’m standing in her workshop all alone wondering what the fuck just happened.
I was inches away from the woman of my dreams, and suddenly we are miles apart.