Chapter 24
Scotty
The steam curls up from my coffee. I made it extra strong this morning, both of us needing the extra caffeine with the lack of sleep we had last night.
Adrienne’s porch creaks under the weight of my chair as I lean back.
The morning air has a bite to it these days, and since I’m only in my boxers, my exposed skin feels it.
Adrienne’s toes are in my lap, pink polish catching the sunlight.
She’s curled up, wearing only my shirt, sleeves swallowing her shoulders, the hem riding up enough to flash the tops of those endless legs.
I should probably be thinking about what this means, about what the hell we said last night.
But all I can do is press my thumb along her ankle bone and soak in the quiet.
She watches me over the rim of her mug, eyes still heavy with sleep. “You’re staring,” she murmurs, lips curving into a teasing smile.
“Yeah.” I don’t bother denying it. My voice comes out low, rough. “Been staring at you for a damn decade.”
“And now,” she wriggles her toes against my fingers, “you have me.”
“You know, it feels worth it. All the years of waiting. Even the ones I didn’t realize I was waiting.”
Her eyes widen before she tries to hide it with a grin. “Wow. Look at you, Mister Romantic. Should I grab a pen? You’ll want that line saved for my wedding vows.”
I laugh, tugging her foot higher and pressing a kiss to her arch just to hear the startled laugh that bursts out of her. She wiggles, nearly sloshing coffee onto her shirt.
“Scotty!”
I grin, satisfied, my hand tightening around her calf. “Keep sassing me, and I’ll haul you back to bed. Coffee or not.”
“It was worth it.” She smiles, settling back against her chair and enjoying her coffee.
We both do, just basking in the comfort of each other’s presence.
It feels like a glimpse into our future, and for once, the thought of the future or marriage doesn’t make me want to run for the mountains. In fact, it makes me want it even more.
We’re both relaxing, but the quiet doesn’t last long. It never does around this family. I hear the crunch of tires before the engine cuts. Adrienne tilts her head, hair falling loose around her face, and groans softly. “Bet you a hundred bucks it’s one of my cousins.”
I mutter into my coffee, “No bet. I know that sound.”
Sure enough, two familiar faces smile back at us from the cab. Ranger climbs out first, smirk already locked and loaded. “Well, well. What do we have here?” He whistles low, tugging his cowboy hat lower. “Look at you two, playing house.”
Adrienne buries her face in her mug to hide a laugh. Her shoulders shake, but she doesn’t move her feet from my lap.
“Fuck off.”
Decker shuts his door more slowly, eyes flicking between us with a huge grin.
Ranger leans his elbows on the porch rail like he’s settling in for a show. “Don’t fuck this up, Scotty. You’ve wanted her too long.”
My throat tightens, heat climbing up my neck. Adrienne chokes on her coffee, biting back another laugh, “Subtle, Ranger. Real subtle.”
“Not trying to be subtle,” Ranger fires back, straight-faced. “Just honest. You’ve been mooning over her since we were teenagers. Hell, the whole family knows it. Took you long enough to do something about it.”
“Yeah, you’ve given me this speech already.”
“Sometimes you need to hear things twice, so they stick.” Ranger winks.
Adrienne finally lowers her mug, smiling at the guys. “Guess the secret’s out.”
I roll my eyes, squeezing her calf in warning. “Secret, my ass. It never was a damn secret. Everybody’s got a big mouth in this town.”
Ranger just tips his hat, smug as hell. “Damn right we do. Which is why you'd better treat her right. Or every Slade from here to Texas will come for your ass.”
Decker finally speaks, “Starting with her dad.”
Adrienne groans. “Can we not bring up my father right now?”
“Can I help you boys?” I interrupt.
“No,” Ranger smiles, “on our way out to the back pastures. We just saw your truck and thought we’d come wish the lovebirds a good morning.”
“You can go now.”
“Be nice,” Adrienne playfully smacks my arm.
Ranger grins, unbothered. “Then I’ll leave you two to your… coffee date.” He taps the brim of his hat and heads back toward the truck.
Adrienne sighs when the truck pulls away, leaning her head back against the porch post. “Well. That was painless.”
“I don’t think it’s them we have to worry about,” I say, half under my breath.
She looks over at me, concern in her eyes. “My brothers will be okay, I know Axel is a big mouth, but—”
“It’s not your brothers I’m worried about,” I confess for the first time, “it’s your dad.”
“Hey,” she tugs her feet from my lap and sits up. She places her coffee mug on the table next to us and grabs my hands. “It’s going to be fine, I promise.” I smile back at her reassuringly, but the unease doesn’t leave.
“It’s Sunday.” I intertwine our fingers together, “Should we head to the garage, get to work on the final stages of the Mustang?”
“That sounds like a great idea. I just need to get dressed.” She stands, stretching. I reach out and wrap my arms around her. “Easy, or we’ll never make it to the garage.”
“Mmm,” I nip at her breast through the shirt.
“I like that idea better anyway.” I pick her up, making her squeal.
I carry her though the house, putting her onto her feet in the bathroom and spinning her around to face me.
“I promise to behave and let you get ready.” I plant a soft kiss on her lips, then swat her ass before walking out.
We’re several hours into work and I still can’t get my pulse to calm down around her.
How can I when she looks like that in cutoff shorts showing miles of leg, a tank top smudged already from leaning over the Mustang, hair piled into a messy knot that’s losing the battle against the heat.
And fuck if that isn’t sexier than anything Chanel’s ever made.
“Pass me the socket,” she says without looking, one hand braced under the hood, the other held out like she’s queen of the damn garage.
I drop it into her palm, but catch her wrist before she pulls away. “You keep bossing me around like that, and I’m gonna make you pay for it.”
She flicks me a glance over her shoulder. “Oh yeah? How exactly?”
I step in close, chest pressed to her back, voice low at her ear. “Thinking I’ll bend you over this hood and fuck you till you’re screaming louder than the air compressor.”
Her laugh comes out shaky. “You’re disgusting.”
“Disgusting,” I echo, sliding my hand down to squeeze her ass through the frayed denim. “That why your thighs are pressed together right now?” I grab a handful of her flesh, squeezing it before swatting her again. “Is that why I know your pussy is already wet and throbbing for me, baby?”
She doesn’t respond, at least not with words. Her body is telling me everything I need to know though. Her back arches, and she thrusts her ass back against my hand harder.
“That’s what I thought,” I chuckle before stepping away from her. Her head snaps up, the wanton look in her eyes turning to frustration. “Like a cat in heat.” I laugh.
“Asshole.” She swats me with the wrench, but her cheeks are pink when she turns back to the engine. But it’s not much later, and she catches me staring at her again. “What?”
“Nothing,” I rasp, tugging her in by the waistband of her shorts. I kiss her hard, then pull back just enough to whisper, “Just thinkin’ how fucking good life looks right now.”
Her smile softens, her hands sliding up my chest. “Are you happy?”
“Yes,” the question startles me a little, only because I didn’t realize she was questioning that. “Yes, so fucking, incredibly happy.”
“Me too.” She kisses me this time. When we break apart, she rests her forehead against mine. Both of us were sweaty and filthy from the garage, but grinning like idiots.
Adrienne’s perched on the fender, legs swinging while I sort through tools.
Sweat glistens on her collarbone, strands of hair sticking to her neck, and she looks…
settled. And for once, instead of spiraling, instead of questioning it, I just enjoy it.
I let myself truly believe that she belongs here, in this quiet garage with me, instead of in some skyscraper office in another state.
I’m halfway to cracking a joke about her being the hottest grease monkey I’ve ever seen when her phone buzzes on the workbench. She glances over, and for a split second, her whole face tightens before she snatches it up. The screen flashes long enough for me to catch the words: Los Angeles, CA.
She doesn’t answer. Just hits the side button, shoving it face-down.
“Spam call?” I ask lightly, attempting to hide the tension I feel.
Her laugh’s too quick. “Probably. I get random ones all the time.”
I nod, but something in my chest twists.
Because she didn’t look at it like spam.
She hops down, wipes her hands on a rag, and slides next to me, brushing her shoulder against mine.
“Come on, don’t look so serious. We’re almost done with cleanup, and then we can go back to your place and have some fun cleaning up in the shower. ”
“I like the sound of that.” I swallow down my fear and kiss her. Because while she’s smiling, my brain won’t shut the fuck up.
What if this L.A. thing isn’t over? What if I’m just the safe stopover before she goes back to chasing bigger, shinier dreams?
She leans into me, happy, relaxed, like nothing’s wrong. And I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her close, pretending I don’t feel the first cracks of doubt splintering through my chest.