So gorgeous in his jeans and tee. The material stretching over the lines and planes of his back. The muscles in his arms flexing as he cranked and screwed, and damn…
I had to bite my lip when he glanced up at me again. In an instant, a smirk took to his face.
Crap. He totally knew I was enjoying the show.
Sure, I’d seen him working over plenty of bikes at the shop.
But this? This was different.
It was personal.
Intimate.
As if he were building something from the rubble.
Breathing it back to life.
With it? I didn’t know how to stand there without letting my mind wander to the places I shouldn’t let it.
Into a fantasy where this was normal.
Where it was right.
Where I didn’t have the urge to look over my shoulder to make sure it was safe.
That my daughter could play outside without an ounce of fear.
Where loving this man wouldn’t put him in danger.
It was that hope that bloomed and blossomed and became something terrifying.
Because forever whispered in my ear.
Taunting me with what the rational side of myself knew I could never keep but I wanted, anyway.
For him to touch me the way he had last night.
Ruin me.
Keep me.
This man who’d wormed his way in so thoroughly, I could literally feel his heart beating through my being, as if he’d become the blood in my veins.
This fierce, hard, intimidating man who was so incredibly sweet.
One who was broken and carried a guilt so dark and ugly I could almost physically feel the outline of the scars on his spirit.
And I wanted to heal it—heal it the way he was healing me. Like Mimi had said, the scars and the vacancies would never fully fill, but there was someone out there who could help hold them so they didn’t hurt quite so bad.
Jud eyed me like he’d felt the crash of reservations as he angled up to secure the basket on the handlebars. “You good, darlin’?”
“Yep.”
A smirk slanted at the edge of his mouth.
So sexy.
My stomach twisted.
“Huh, you look like you’re itching to take a run.” He said it like a tease, though there was no missing the current that ran through it. “And here I would have thought you’d have had plenty of exercise last night.”
“Nope, still plenty of energy,” I tossed out, popping up on my toes.
“Good thing,” he grated, so low, the words a promise that slicked across my flesh.
Shivers flashed.
He chuckled a dark sound.
Damn him.
He knew exactly what he was doing to me.
“And why’s that?” I cocked my head, mock innocence in my voice. “Did you have something in mind?”
Yeah, I should probably keep my mouth shut.
Balancing the bike upright, he reached over and tipped up my chin. “Sweet Enchantress…but now you’re not playin’ so sweet.”
“I like sweets, you wants some cookies?” Juni piped in, scrambling to her feet.
Jud laughed and dipped in and kissed my temple. “We’ll revisit this later, baby.”
He turned to Juni. “How about we save the cookies for later and we take this thing for a spin first?”
“Oh, yes!” She clasped her hands together. “I gotta gets my helmet and my pads and my best friend, then I’ll be all ready.”
“I’ll let them know.”
Jud thumbed into his phone and sent Trent a text.
A minute later, their front door flew open.
Gage came blazing out, hopping the whole way down to the edge of the street. “My dad said your bike is done. Are you ready, Juni Bee? We gotta race.”
“Ah, I think we aren’t quite ready for racing yet, buddy,” Trent told him as he went to wheel Gage’s bike from the carport and down the driveway, a helmet hanging from the handlebars.
Eden came out behind them, a soft smile on her face.
“But Dad, that’s what the wheels are for. The racin’.” Gage lowered his voice like it was a secret.
Clearly, Lawson blood beat fast in his veins.
“It’s okay, we can do the races. I’ll beat you so bad, you ain’t never gonna knows what hit you! Bet you five dollars,” Juni shouted.
Apparently, my daughter was secretly competitive. “Um, you don’t have five dollars, Juni Bee.”
She took Jud’s hand. “Who needs money when you gots a motorcycle man.”
My heart panged, and my attention whipped up to Jud’s face. Jud who looked like he was stricken.
He pressed his free hand to his chest, then he grinned at me, so soft, so tender, riddled with affection. “Seems I got stung by a little bee.”
Lightheadedness swept through my head.
A wave of joy and hope.
Needing to distract myself from the impact of it, so unexpected, so right, I rushed to help Juni into her helmet and the set of pads Jud had gotten for her knees and elbows.
I had to remind myself I couldn’t rely on anyone but myself. I was just begging for the pain. Because this man was carving out a place for himself inside me, and I was terrified of it becoming a vacancy.