Chapter 11
Zane
I never knew a woman could look so hot covered in mud. However, Hattie, she isn’t like most women. It would be easy to claim her lips right now. Those velvet pink lips are calling to me, daring me to take what I know will be mine.
If I kissed her, right now, I know our hormones would take control. We are both attracted to each other, but I want to do things differently with her. The past few years everything has been about sex for me. I respect her too much to do that to her. When I kiss her again, it will be because I know I can give her what she needs. I can tell she has been hurt in love before and I don’t want to be that guy that uses her for sex.
Hattie is the kind of girl who wants the fairytale and she deserves it.
Her cheeks are flushed, and I wonder if she wants me to kiss her. Lord knows it is taking every ounce of self-control I have not to claim that pretty mouth and slide my tongue between her lips.
The tension between us is strong. After last night, I know she wouldn’t pull awa
y if I tried. When she stripped down to her bra and panties, telling me to have my way with her it was so hard to walk out of her room. The woman has banging curves. She isn’t fat, but she isn’t a stick either. Her curves fill her body out in all the right spots. She is a full-figured goddess—a total Betty.
Smearing mud on her nose, I have to move away from her. Being this close to her…I am afraid I will lose control with her and ruin the friend thing we got going here. I want to get to know her on a deeper level. Show her that I can be her friend even if it kills me.
I help her up out of the mud that we now are both caked in. There is a hose hooked up at the storage shed over where the house was going to be built. There should be a gas can in there too. Hattie can get hosed off while I refill the tank and load the ATV back onto the trailer.
After taking care of the ATV, I join my hottie at the shed, so I can get cleaned up some too. Damn. Fuck me.
Hattie is standing barefoot on the cement pad outside of the shed. Water is cascading over her chest while she rubs the mud away with her free hand. She is a walking and breathing Playboy magazine cover right now. She catches me gawking with my tongue hanging out. Her cheeks blush but she quickly recovers as I just stand and stare.
“Come on, I’ll rinse you,” she says playfully.
Swallowing hard, I pull my t-shirt over my head and watch as she tries not to check me out. I nearly jump out of my skin when the cold water sprays across my back. Her free hand rubs across the smooth flesh of my shoulder blades. Her fingers feel nice. I tense slightly as she traces the outline of my clover tattoo. I got it when my divorce was final hoping my luck would change.
Her skillful fingers continue to torture me as she washes the dirt away. My eyes are closed, and my lips are parted as I wish she would take control and kiss me right now. Fighting the urge to be with her is killing me right now. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up with her. She continues her torture of rubbing the pads of her fingers around the base of my neck all around my collarbone. A groan of appreciation slips from my lips and I feel stupid. Women never make me feel self-conscious, but Hattie Mae, man, she has me overthinking every move I make.
I don’t know how to proceed with her.
I want her, but I need to respect her. I am afraid if I sleep with her too soon—I’ll do what I always do…bail.
I don’t want to hurt her but fuck if I don’t want her.
Chapter 12
Hattie Mae
Zane wanted to treat me to dinner, but I drew the line there and told him some other time. What I really need is a long hot bath and an evening in with a book boyfriend. I feel exhausted between getting drunk last night and riding today. My legs are wobbling like Jell-O. I run my bath water, adding in some relaxing lavender bath salts. That stuff is magic. After getting my hair pulled up from my neck, I sink down in the tub with a glass of wine and the newest motorcycle romance from my favorite author, Dawn Martens. I am too tired to wash my hair right now. It probably has twigs and bugs in it, but I just don’t have the energy to care.
Sinking into the warm water, I already feel much better. I get comfortable and open my book. I have a feeling this is going to be a good one. A hot tattooed biker with a beard, hell yes! I get two chapters in when my reading time and relaxation is interrupted when I hear my front door shut and Kiesha calling out, “Hey, bitch!”
She comes on into the bathroom when she spots me from the hall. She really has no respect for privacy or boundaries. At first, I was put off by her, but now she has grown on me.
“So…tell me how your date went today. And don’t even deny it. I already ran into Zane and he was all smiles. So, spill it. I need the juicy goods.”
Groaning, I hand Kiesha my book, so it doesn’t get ruined. She lays it on her lap. “Fuck, maybe I need to start reading. This bearded tattooed hottie on the cover is sexy!” She mock fans herself. “But tell me, how was he?”
“The book? I haven’t gotten very far but I am loving it.” I grin and sink further down in the water knowing she meant Zane, not my book.
“Come on, Hattie. Wouldn’t you rather tell me rather than I hear it from Sienna?”
“I am sure whatever story she has will be more exciting. Nothing happened. He slept on my couch and we went mudding.”
“Zane took you mudding? That man doesn’t take women anywhere. He is sweet on you, girl. I gotta get to work and I am so borrowing this.” She takes my book with her as she goes.
“Kiesha, bring that back!” I yell at her, but I hear the door shut. “Argh!” I smack my fist down and water splashes in my eye. Damn it. The lavender is burning my eyeball. I try to reach the towels, but I can’t. I stretch my fingers, begging them to reach just a bit further.