Chapter 24
Sutton
“Tell me what I’m missing?” Tanner looks at me, my eyes still glued to the doorway she just fled through. I’m itching to follow her, but I know she needs space, and I need to get back to set in a minute.
“She’s a private person.” I shrug, not telling him a thing.
Her secrets are safe with me. She’s safe with me.
Hell, just feeling her go rigid the moment Tanner stepped forward had me so on guard, I felt like a pit bull.
I know Tanner wouldn’t hurt her; I knew he wasn’t a threat, but my instincts kicked in, and there was no way he was getting closer to her.
“She’s smart, confident, talks like a city girl but hides out in the country…” Tanner trails off, a contemplative look pinching his expression.
“She’s very smart. I could listen to her for hours.”
At that, Tanner looks at me and raises an eyebrow. “Seems like you two are close?”
Shit. If he only knew I came in my jeans last night like a fucking teenager. I thought a little taste of her might have me more settled, but all it did was make me want more. More touching, more kissing, more of her.
“We’re spending time together. I like her.”
“Hmmmm. I bet you are.” Tanner gives me a small grin, one that I can’t stop from forming on my face either.
My brother walks in a moment later, asking, “Hey, what happened with Nikki? I just saw her bolt out of here like she was on fire.” He’s been here all day, watching the shoot.
We kicked everything off at five this morning.
Grabbed some footage of Tanner and Connor walking through the morning mist, starting their day.
I did a photoshoot in the aging rooms before I went in front of the camera just now to shoot the first part of the commercial, in my suit, with a whiskey, acting like the billionaire everyone wants to be.
“Tanner offered her a job.”
“No shit. She declined you too?” Head reared back, Sawyer looks at Tanner, and I watch with interest. Both of these men have had their ego bruised by the woman I can’t stop thinking about.
But it does concern me. Sawyer’s job, I could understand.
Who the hell wants to work in law? But here at Whiteman’s, a sustainability job? It sounds right up her alley.
“Why? Did she decline you?” Tanner asks.
“Yeah. Something’s going on with her. She must have a record.” Sawyer’s words have my shoulders tightening.
“She doesn’t have a fucking record,” I grit out, wanting him to drop that line of thought.
“How do you know?” Sawyer’s eyes pin me in place.
“I asked her. She said she doesn’t, and I believe her.” She wouldn’t hurt a fly.
“Sure your views on her are not… clouded?” Tanner’s tentative with his words, I’ll give him that, but he still has a big, shit-eating grin on his face. One I match.
With a shake of my head, I dismiss him. “No idea what you’re talking about.”
“Does this have anything to do with the fact I picked you up from her house last night in a delightful pair of overalls?” my brother teases. Those overalls were bad. I looked fucking ridiculous, but it was worth it.
“Overalls?” Tanner looks perplexed before he grins, putting two and two together.
“Fuck the both you.” I can’t help it when my mouth turns up at the sides.
“Protective of her too, hmm? You’ve been watching her and hanging out with her at the diner for a while now. Is this getting serious?” Sawyer’s playful grin changes to a gaze full of caution, and I wonder how I tell them that it kind of is. At least for me. I can’t stop thinking about this girl.
“Hey. Why didn’t I get invited to this meeting?” Connor walks in, saving me from having to answer as he grabs a sandwich from the tray, shoving it in his mouth.
“I offered Nikki a job,” Tanner tells him.
Connor lifts an eyebrow, talking through his mouthful. “A job?”
“She declined,” Sawyer adds with amusement, his ego not so bruised now, knowing he’s not the only one she turned down.
“Technically, she didn’t accept or decline…” I can see the wheels turning in Tanner's head.
“She’s running from something, that girl.” Connor grabs another sandwich half, and if we don’t start eating soon, they’ll be all gone.
“Do you really trust her?” My brother's words penetrate deep as he turns to me.
“With my life,” I say without any hesitation.
“Then so do we.” Tanner’s statement is firm before he walks out the door, Connor following.
Sawyer’s eyes are still on me, and I can feel his interrogation isn’t over yet. “Are you sure about her, Sutton? I mean, let’s be serious. This isn’t like you. You never get attached to women. You have a different one every week, but you never catch feelings.”
“I can’t stop fucking thinking about her,” I admit to him, and he looks a little surprised.
“Maybe it’s just Whispers. Being here, not working, not having anything else to do but pine over a cute girl you’ve met?”
My head is already shaking. “That’s not it.”
“Maybe it’s because she’s forbidden. No one really knows her, and she has you intrigued? Like a puzzle you want to put together?”
“Nope.” I’m armed with the truth, and my brother’s eyes narrow.
“What is it, then? What is it about her that has you coming home in overalls, smiling every time you see her?”
“She doesn’t like Sutton Silvers.”
That has his brow pinching. “What?”
“She doesn’t like my name. Doesn’t like my job.
Doesn’t want the limelight, doesn’t want to be associated with me and my celebrity at all.
Doesn’t want my money. Isn’t with me to grow her social media following—hell, I doubt she even has social media.
She just likes me for me. Do you know how refreshing that is? ”
Understanding washes over his face as he nods.
“I do.” He’s talking about Annabelle. The woman he managed to sweep off her feet who didn’t care about his money or his status.
“Do you know what she’s running from?” His concern is now back in full force. “I won’t say a word.”
“No. I have no idea. But it isn’t good. I think she’s from money. She has her own status she’s hiding from.”
He nods resolutely. “Then we keep her hidden, and we’ll be ready to help her when she asks.” Sawyer slaps my shoulder, giving me his approval. Not that I needed it, but I do appreciate it, nonetheless.
“Can you babysit on Friday night?” he asks, catching me off guard.
Given that I’m currently living in a wing of his massive mansion, he already knows he has a built-in babysitter.
“Sure, where are you going?”
“I just want to take Annabelle out to the bar. A break from the boys.”
That gives me an idea. “I might see if Nikki and James want to come over to hang out.”
“Fine. Just clean up the mess you make this time.” His parting words have me chuckling, already wishing it was the weekend.
I hear the call to get back to set, and I quickly shoot her a text.
Sandwiches are almost as good as the chicken pies.
I keep it lighthearted. I know she was taken aback by the job offer and she might have a wall up because of it.
I made them myself.
I huff, surprised.
They just went up to number one food source in my book.
Chocolate is the number one food source. Everyone knows that. Specifically peanut butter cups.
“Sutton, we’re ready for you,” Lacy, the marketing manager here at the distillery and Hudson’s girl, pops her head around the door.
“Coming.” I pocket my cell, and my smile doesn’t dissipate all afternoon.
With the Whiteman’s shoot taking a few days, I haven’t seen Nikki since she walked in carrying trays of sandwiches and spouting her smart facts to Tanner before rejecting his job offer. Now, as I step through the back door of the diner and slide into my booth, it feels like coming home.
I look up from under the brim of my hat, catching her eye from where she is across the room. Her grin is immediate, and her eyes sparkle at seeing me.
“Good to see you too, Tinker Bell.” God, I’ve missed her.
Not even a minute later, she’s approaching me, her little notepad in hand. “Hey there.” My mouth waters just from looking at her.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes…” I reach out my hand and rub it up and down her thigh inconspicuously, blowing out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
The tense feelings from working long days, ignoring Bobby’s incessant calls, and having Griffin's team already on-site, the slab to my place poured and framing already in progress, starts to dissipate just from being in her presence. I see Rochelle eyeing the move; that old woman is smart as a tack and doesn’t miss a thing.
But I don’t remove my hand. I keep it on her, liking being close to her again.
Leaning into me slightly, she asks, “Did you finish up your shoot?”
“All done. It’s still a secret project, though. A few edits and things need to happen, but we’re all proud of it. It’s going to be amazing when it releases.”
“I’m so happy for you.” Her words are genuine, as is her bright smile.
“Do you guys have plans tonight?” I ask her.
She shakes her head, eyes on mine. “No. Nothing.”
“How about after work, I take you home to change, and then you come over to my place to hang tonight?”
She looks hesitant to leave her safe haven of the cottage in the woods. “I’m not sure…”
“Sawyer and Annabelle are going out. I need to babysit my nephews, and I was thinking maybe James would like to spend some time with Kevin, you know, outside of school.” Nerves dance around me, wondering if she’ll agree.
“He’s been loving playing baseball with them all…”
“The boys can all watch a movie or something, and we can have dinner…” My voice trails off as I squeeze her leg, because I know exactly what I want to be eating tonight, and it isn’t fucking dinner.
The grin that pulls at her lips is sexy as fuck. “Dinner?”
“Mm-hmm, then dessert.” My words are laced with innuendo, and I watch in delight as pink tints her cheeks.
She nods, speaking almost shyly. “That sounds… good…”
I nod right back, slowly, my eyes on hers. “It will be very good.”
“Okay,” she says with more confidence than I was expecting. When she smiles, I bite back my groan. I’m so fucking needy for her, it’s almost embarrassing.
“Okay?” I confirm, not believing she said yes.
“Yeah. Sounds like fun.”
I already know it’s going to be downright electric.
So electric, she won’t need her fucking turbine to charge any battery.
I feel a warmth rush over me, knowing that she’s trusting me.
She’s counting on me to keep her and her brother close, keep their secrets hidden and look after them.
And I will. I also know that she’ll never go anywhere without her brother, so if I want her in my bed, then he needs to come and sleep over too.
Thank God Sawyer’s house is big. Kids down at one end, adults up the other.
As she clears her throat in question, I realize I got lost in my head for a minute.
“Pies are fresh out of the oven.” She looks at me expectantly, biting her bottom lip, making me want to stand and suck it from her mouth.
“You’re a woman after my own heart, Tinker Bell.” I might as well just open my chest, take out the beating organ, and pass it right to her at this point. Sawyer’s right; I’ve never been this smitten for anyone. I’m clearly losing my mind here in this small town.
“Coming right up.” She walks away with a little more pep in her step, and I smile to myself.
I want her. She wants me. If only life were that simple.