Chapter 19

Lawson

“What are you thinking about?”

I turn to find Delilah watching me as we wait at the red light.

“Your mouth,” I answer truthfully.

She grins wider and shakes her head. “And exactly why does that make you smile like a fool?”

“I was thinking about the way the syrup from your waffles yesterday morning clung to your bottom lip.” I take her right hand from the steering wheel and close my fingers around it. “The way your tongue peeked out to lick it away.”

Fuck, I’m getting hard.

“You’re obsessed with my mouth.” I nod knowing I’m obsessed with every single thing about her.

She’s still staring at me when a horn blares behind us. Her eyes dart to the rearview mirror before she pulls her hand from mine and places it back on the steering wheel as she accelerates. I leave my hand on her thigh, the innocuous touch shooting fire into my blood.

Her throat clears. “How did your test go last week?”

I’d already forgotten that I went in for my GED exam on Thursday.

“Good,” I answer. “I passed.”

She beams with pride, and it makes me a little uneasy. Did she think I wouldn’t?

“What’s that look for?”

“What look?” she says but doesn’t take her eyes off the road.

“Did you doubt my ability to pass it?” She shakes her head. “I’m a criminal deviant, not an idiot.”

I can’t even hide the agitation in my voice as I pull my hand from her thigh.

“Really?” she asks looking down at her leg as if the sensation of moving my hand is all that she can focus on. “I can’t be proud that you passed your test without you getting upset that I’m happy?”

“Whatever,” I mumble and look out the window.

“Don’t whatever me,” she snaps. “I don’t think of you in a negative light at all. What you’re struggling with is self-deprecation and shit from your past. Don’t deflect that mess on me. I don’t deserve it.”

I bite the inside of my cheek until the taste of blood fills my mouth. She’s right, but admitting that out loud is another character flaw.

Without a word, I put my hand back on her thigh. She doesn’t swat it away, but a tension fills her muscles where there was nothing but welcoming calm a few minutes before.

***

My day has gone from bad to worse, I realize as I stand in front of Buddy’s empty kennel.

“What happened?” I ask Dana when she walks up.

“He was adopted on Saturday.” She’s beaming, pride filling her eyes.

“By who?”

“A family with two excited little boys,” she answers. “They’ll take great care of him.”

“How the hell do you know that? They could be budding psychopaths and only adopted a dog so they can torture him.”

Far-fetched, but with my luck lately, I can see how it may have rubbed off on Buddy just by association.

A calm hand clasps my shoulder, and even though I want to pull away from her, I remain stock still.

“The preacher at the Baptist church, his wife, and their two very excited little boys will treat Buddy like the king that he is. I guarantee it.”

“Did you vet them? Run a background check?”

She only chuckles as she walks away.

“Be careful,” I hear Dana say on the other side of the door. “He’s crabby today.”

My brows are drawn together by the time Delilah comes into view.

“Crabby?” She tilts her head a little to the left. “You’re not supposed to be crabby.”

I shrug. “Buddy’s gone.”

I point to the empty kennel.

“Buddy is with a loving family. He’s not gone. Now you can direct your attention to another sweet puppy.”

She grabs my hand and drags me behind her to the supply closet.

“We’re going to clean the kennels, then we’ll walk the dogs and pet the kitties.”

“You’re going to help me clean kennels?” I raise a skeptical eyebrow at her as she pulls down two sets of coveralls.

A smile plays at the corner of her mouth. “Don’t make assumptions about me. It’s rude.”

“Touché,” I mutter.

We dress in the coveralls in companionable silence and then get to work on cleaning.

“I passed my test,” I confide as we strip out of the soiled coveralls. “All I have left now is wrapping up my community service this week.”

“I bet that’s a huge relief.”

“The biggest,” I agree. “I feel lighter. Like I can get on with my life. Make plans for the future.”

I hand her a bundle of three leashes and grab the same amount for me.

“What kind of plans?”

I follow her to the kennels all the way at the end. We’ll start there and work our way back.

I chuckle. “Couldn’t honestly tell you. I’ll start in the garage today. Jaxon made me wait until the test was over. He wanted me to study for the test, but it’s one of those things that if you don’t know it, spending a couple hours a day for a week isn’t going to do much good.”

“You spent those hours in your room,” she says as she clips a leash to the collar of a black dog.

“Yep,” I say with a pop of my lips.

“But not studying? Were you hiding out from everyone?”

“At first, but then after a while, I would just lie in bed and think about where I’m heading.” She smiles waiting for me to expand. “Don’t give me that look. I haven’t figured shit out.”

“College?”

I shake my head. “I’m not really a classroom kind of guy.”

We make our way to the second set of kennels so I can leash my three dogs. She remains silent, but I can tell from the mood surrounding her that she has plenty to say.

“Out with it,” I say nudging her shoulder with mine as we begin to make our way across the field.

“It’s just…” She looks off into the distance. “I don’t want to sound naggy, but you need goals or something to work toward.”

“I know.” Her telling me this doesn’t cause the same agitation as it would if it was Jaxon or Rob. “I think a mechanic would suit me well. Bikes, cars, that sort of thing.”

“To be a legit mechanic, you’ll have to go to school.”

“Yeah,” I shrug. “But it’s mainly hands-on experience. I can deal with that. I just have no interest in taking government and history.”

“The History of the Harley?” she offers.

“Now that I can get behind.”

The dogs bounce around, not having been walked by Delilah since Friday. I’d be anxious and full of energy if I had to go two full days without her, so I understand their eagerness.

When we finally have the last of the animals back in their kennels, fed and watered, we make our way to the supply closet to rehang the leashes.

With her back to me, I wrap my arms all the way around her, enjoying the way she relaxes into me.

“I hate that things were so hectic yesterday.” My breath whispers past the hairs that have escaped her ponytail. “It’s been over twenty-four hours since I’ve tasted your lips.”

“There you go with my mouth again,” she says with a sigh, but I can tell she’s not agitated by it. If anything, her breathless words reflect the same need I feel.

Turning her in my arms, I look down at her.

“Not just your mouth,” I vow against the soft spot below her ear.

Her head tilts, giving my mouth unfettered access to the delicate column of her neck.

“Every inch of you.” My hands find the break in the fabric between her tank top and the top band of her jeans. The coolness of her sweat-misted skin is almost more than I can bear.

My mouth seeks hers. When she whimpers at the kiss, I press against her more.

“Dana is going to catch us,” she pants against my swollen lips.

I grin and close my mouth over hers again. The world could implode around us, and it still wouldn’t be enough to pull me away from her.

As much as I hate it, the soft push against my chest by her small hands is enough to make me back away. I want this girl more than anything on this earth, but she’s calling the shots. If things are too heavy for her, if she’s pumping the brakes, all I can do is wait until she’s ready for everything I want to give her.

And I want to give Delilah Donovan the world.

“It’s time to go home.” Her breathless warning skates across my mouth, drawing my eyes to the pink of her lips.

I take a step back, my hand reaching up to cup her at the nape.

“Would you throw me out if I snuck into your room tonight?”

I see the war in her eyes as if she wants me there but being able to resist her temptations isn’t something she can handle. Her gaze drops to my chin and I miss the gorgeous beauty of her eyes the second they fall away.

“I’ll never push you, never pressure you. I’ll never expect more than you’re willing to give me.”

She takes a step back, her back meeting with the rough wood of the outdoor supply building. “My head doesn’t work like normal when I’m around you.”

“Likewise, Princess.” I clasp her hand in mine, uncaring of who sees us walking together to her car.

She’s not some dirty secret, some fling I don’t want to be questioned about in case things don’t work out. She doesn’t seem to mind either and only releases my hand long enough to climb behind the driver’s seat. Our hands are joined once more after we settle inside and get our seatbelts in place.

“Are you excited about working in the shop this afternoon?”

“More than I probably should be.”

“I heard Scooter and Rocker talking about you the other day.”

“Really?” I frown. Showing Scooter up with the bike tire my first day here probably didn’t make me a friend in his eyes. “I bet they hate me.”

She shakes her head and uses our joined hands to put the car in drive. “They were impressed. I know Diego is impressed with your skill level. He wouldn’t allow you in the shop if he didn’t think you could handle it.”

“The vote of confidence is a huge ego boost. I still have lots to learn,” I add.

“Make sure you talk to Dad about mechanic school. He knows people all over, and I know he’d love to get you hooked up with someone to make your dreams come true.”

“We’ll see,” I tell her with non-committal wariness.

If only for being the catalyst to meet Delilah, I feel like I owe him everything. I don’t know how much more I can give the man without handing over my soul.