“You sure you want to do this?” Chad asked, as if she was out of her mind. Yeah, she probably was, but fuck it. She was all in at this point. A displeased Scott would show up at the shop any moment so she needed to hurry.
Tori ran her hands across the etchings she’d made in the large piece of sheet metal to guide her. “I’ll keep my finger a few inches ahead of the torch. I’ll feel it if it gets too hot, right?”
“Of course,” Ryan said, but didn’t sound too confident. “It’s only the plasma cutter, it’s not quite as much blowback fire as the blow torch. As long as you keep your fingers out of the way you should be ok.”
“Don’t let that fool you. It’ll still saw your damn fingers straight off. May make reading braille pretty difficult,” Chad pointed out.
“Good thing I suck at braille.” Tori laughed a little too loud as she put on the gloves and pulled down the mask on the helmet. She reached out with her left hand to feel for her markings and fired up the torch with her right. She began by trailing her left hand down her lines with the plasma torch a few inches behind to keep her in line. She turned off the torch after a few seconds and pulled up the helmet.
“What’s wrong?” Ryan asked.
Tori shook her head. “I can’t feel the lines through the thick gloves.” Tori took off the glove on her left hand.
“Tori, I don’t know if that’s a good idea and Scott will be here any minute…” Chad sounded like he was going to jump out of his skin.
“I’ve got this.” Tori pushed the helmet back down and bent over the metal. She could feel the etching easily now. Plus, it was a stupid simple shape—just a heart. Nothing crazy for her first stab at this. She had the piece cut in no time flat. She then took it and cut it into smaller sections.
“Give me the next one.” Tori ordered. She listened as Ryan swapped out the flat, smooth metal for the embossed, raised, checkered sheet. She cut the same pattern and same lines. Right about the time she was finishing up, Ryan nudged her on the shoulder. Tori turned off the torch and lifted the helmet. “Did I mess it up?”
“No, Scott’s here with his crew,” Ryan whispered. “Oh, boy does he look pissed.”
Scott pulled the SUV in front of the open garage door of his brother’s shop and turned off the engine. He leaned his arms over the steering wheel and stared dumbfounded for a moment, taking in the sight of his woman.
She was hunched over a workbench in cutoffs and cowboy boots with a goddamn welding helmet on her head. The butt of a gun poked out her waistband as sparks flew around her. Scott didn’t know whether to be pissed or turned on. His cock was extremely confused.
“Is Tori welding?” Presley snickered from the passenger seat.
“Damn, that’s fucking hot,” Blaze said as he leaned his elbows on the back of their seats.
The last he’d heard from her had been earlier that morning when they said their goodbyes at lunch. He’d tried calling her and she never answered, or at least she must have thought she didn’t answer. The phone was on speaker the entire time during the nice little exchange she had with the cronies his brother apparently owed money to. Scott had heard nearly every word, up to and including her promising Jett money and him threatening to rape her. Over his dead body would he ever let Tori around those men again, and that was if he didn’t murder them first.
Now she was welding? Did she want to lose her fingers next?
The woman was out of her goddamn mind.
Scott got out of the car and slammed the door, the gravel driveway crunching under his heavy boots as he walked toward her. Presley and Blaze trailed behind him. Chad and Ryan looked like they were about to piss themselves, his woman, on the other hand, sighed, dropped the welding helmet down onto the bench, and flashed him an innocent grin.
“I’m welding!” She squared her shoulders with pride.
“That, I can see,” he huffed as if unimpressed. He glanced over at the pieces of metal scattered across the workbench. Yeah, he was damn proud of her, but he was still pissed as hell. “You’ve had quite the busy day today.”
“You could say so.” She shrugged. Her nonchalant response made his blood boil that much more.
“Guys, can you give us a minute?” He bit his tongue to avoid unleashing on her in front of an audience.
“Let me go show y’all the shop in the front.” Chad motioned to the others and herded them around to the front of the building.
“Yeah, I’m not done with you either, Chad.” Scott narrowed his eyes at his brother.
“What the fuck, Tori?” Scott growled at her once they were out of earshot. “You leave the house without even telling anyone where you’re going—and with Chad of all people?”
“Like I’d ever do something with your brother.” Her face twisted, as if insulted.
“I know that, dammit. That’s not what I mean.” He rubbed his temples. “I warned you about him—the crowds he runs with. That’s nowhere I want you to be.” He tried to keep his voice down so Chad wouldn’t hear.
“Oh, whatever. I was in rural hell climbing the walls in boredom. Needed to get out of the house. I was perfectly fine.” She dismissed him with a wave of her hand then turned toward the pieces on the table and arranged them like a puzzle. “How did you find me, anyway? Did you run a fucking trace on my phone?” Her spine stiffened.
He walked closer to her, his chest touching her shoulder as he growled in her ear. “Are you fucking kidding me? Are you really going to lie and pretend like nothing just happened here?”
Her brow furrowed.
“Tori, your phone was on the whole time. I heard every goddamn bit of what happened here.”
“Oh,” she said flatly, turning to him. Her brow went up and she shrugged again. “Well, I guess that cat’s out of the bag.”
“Tori you could’ve gotten yourself raped or killed!” His gravelly voice echoed off the walls of the garage. He was boiling and couldn’t hold it in any longer. “That stunt you pulled with those men, it was—”
“It was brilliant. I saved those boys’ asses.”
“It was dangerous and reckless!” he shouted. “You’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met. Speaking of reckless—I think you have something in your shorts you need to turn over to me,” Scott reached around and grabbed the gun out of her waistband, cleared it, and tucked it into his own. “Of all the stupid things…” he mumbled.
“I know how to shoot. You taught me.”
A pang went through his heart remembering the last time they’d been together before she lost her vision. He’d taken her out to the woods and taught her to shoot, then they made love on a blanket right before it started to downpour. They climbed in her tiny car, soaked to the bone. He’d almost told her that day he loved her. He could kick himself now for not telling her.
“You knew how to shoot. This is extremely dangerous for you to have now that you can’t see what you’re shooting at.” Scott didn’t mind her having a gun but there were a thousand safety procedures and a lot of training he wanted to go through with her before that ever happened. He was a stickler about safety.
“Hey, I didn’t ask for that thing,” she protested.
“Yet you had no trouble taking it!” he shouted.
“Whatever.” Tori crossed her arms. “I can take care of myself fine—”
“Yeah. You were doing so swell last week. By the time I’d shown up, you’d vomited on your floor, cut open your foot and spilled every last secret out of your drunken mouth to a reporter who’d been lying to you about his identity. If I hadn’t shown up—”
“What? What would’ve happened had you not shown up? I got medical attention—on my own. I told Hunter to take a hike—on my own. You think I need you to protect the poor little blind girl?” Tori’s words dripped venom as her voice grew louder. “Because I’m so weak and vulnerable that I can’t possibly take care of myself?”
Scott groaned and rubbed his temples. “Babe, you aren’t weak. Not at all, but you don’t realize you are vulnerable. You’re so fucking hard-headed, and you always have been—even before you were blind. Now with that added and your need to prove yourself capable to the world, you’re impossible. You can’t do everything exactly like you used to. It puts you in danger constantly trying to live like you can!”
Fire flashed across her face and he knew he’d crossed a line.
Fuck, what the hell did I just say?
He rubbed his forehead. That did not come out the way he meant. He was only speaking from experience. It was a struggle for him to learn what limits he could push and when it wasn’t worth the risk. He tried to explain. “Listen, babe what I’m saying—”
She balled her fists. “No, you listen.” Her voice rose to a chilling level. “Nobody is more aware of my limitations than I am. I live with them every goddamn day.” Tori poked his chest. “The thing you have wrong, though, is that you think I need you. I. Don’t. Need. You.”
It may have been a hundred degrees outside but the frost in her callous words cut him to the core. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. “You don’t need me, fine,” he huffed and walked away.
“Scott,” Tori stopped him. “Wait.”
He turned and looked at her face clouded with regret. “Need and choice are two different things. Scott, I choose you,” her voice softened. “Now can we drop this and you show me to the office so I can get my things?” She crossed her arms over her torso and tapped her foot.
“Like you said, you don’t need me. Figure it out yourself, badass.” He walked down the gravel pathway to the car, slamming the door as he climbed inside.
Tori stood there stunned for several moments. He’d actually walked away?
As pissed as she was, she knew Scott was right to an extent. Ever since her accident, she’d been so hell-bent on making certain people didn’t pity her—most of all Scott. She was constantly trying to prove to the world that she could do it all.
Once it was apparent he wasn’t coming back, she sighed and cursed herself for not having her cane nearby. She put her right arm in front of her face to protect her from any low hanging or sharp objects and reached in front of her with her left hand in the direction she thought the office was. She hadn’t paid much attention to the layout of the garage. Her hand found another work bench so she turned to her right and ran smack into another piece of machinery—right in the shin.
“Fuck!” Tears welled up in her useless eyes.
“Tori?” Presley’s voice came from behind her. “You need some help?”
Tori wiped her cheeks and turned around. She was positively humiliated knowing Scott—and god only knew who else—was watching her stumble around like a bumbling invalid.
Don’t cry. Don’t fucking cry.
“Yes, please.” Her lip quivered, betraying her. “I can’t find the door.”
She heard the tell-tale exhale of Presley blowing out smoke followed by her boot stomping on the ground as she put out her cigarette. “You aren’t too far off.” Presley put her arm on her elbow. “Just weave around this sander and then a couple more feet and you’re there.” Presley pressed Tori’s hand to the wooden door.
Tori grabbed the handle and tilted her head to the ground to shield the hot tears streaming down her face. “Thanks, I’ll be out in a minute. I’ll meet you all there.”
“You sure?” Presley’s voice drooped.
“Yeah. My cane is in here. I’m good once I have it.” Tori nodded.
“Ok.” Presley cleared her throat, then disappeared.
Tori went inside the office and shut the door behind her.
“Chad?” Tori called out but was thankfully met with silence. Her chest heaved heavy sobs as she unleashed her tears and sunk down on the sofa. Her hand moved to her left and she curled her fingers over the cold poles of her cane—her goddamn, stupid lifeline.
She hated to admit it, but she’d always need people—even with the stupid cane. As much as she tried to put on a front that she was well-adjusted she still struggled and grieved her loss every damn day. She was exhausted from taking three steps forward only to take two steps back. She hated being needy and loathed being blind. Her fists clenched as she let out a deep, groaning scream from the pit of her stomach. Grabbing the cane, she flung it across the room and listened as it crashed into the wall with a sickening thud.
Scott leaned his arm against the window of the SUV and watched her. It was a jerk move to leave Tori there, but he was pissed as hell.
Doesn’t need me, my ass.
It ate him alive watching her struggle to find her way to the door, and he thanked God that Presley was nearby to lend a hand. Tori disappeared into the office and Presley walked over to the car. She climbed in, slamming the door.
“You fucking asshole! How could you leave her like that?” Presley screamed, punching him in the arm.
“She said she didn’t need me.” He shrugged. “She gives no regard to what I’d go through if I lost her!” The thought of something happening to Tori made him physically ache. She may not need him, but he damn well needed her. “This is her thing. She shuts me out.”
“Oh, stop acting like a bitch. That’s not what she meant, and you damn well know it,” Presley groaned and rolled her eyes. “She’s talking about her independence. She’s trying to find herself again. You of all people should know better than anyone what it’s like to lose a piece of yourself.”
Speaking of her losing a piece of herself, he died a little inside thinking about her burning off her pretty, little fingers with the torch. “This is different, Pres.” Tori’s disability was far more dangerous and crippling than his.
“She helped your brother today. She was making art today. Do you realize how proud she was of that? Does your egocentric, Neanderthal brain not realize how big of a hurdle that must have been for her?”
His mind flashed to the missing easel and absent art supplies from her bedroom. He was pretty sure this was the first time she’d attempted anything artistic since she’d lost her vision.
Fuck.
Scott rubbed his face as the weight of that sunk in.
“Try to imagine for one goddamn second how she feels to be utterly and totally reliant on others after she first lost her vision. She regains some sort of independence only to have you treat her like she’s made of glass.”
He knew full well what it was like to rely on others after his injury. Tori never treated him like he was less of a man. He loved to pride himself on the fact that he made Tori try new things. Reality was, he was only comfortable as long as he was there to keep her safe.
“She’s the strongest woman I know, but she is fragile.” The weight of her worth was immeasurable. The risk of losing her, the chance of her becoming only a memory was more than his soul could bear. He’d felt that agony almost a year ago when she nearly died. “She doesn’t realize how valuable she is to me—never has. For years I’ve tried to show her that.”
“You have to keep showing her, even when you don’t feel like it. Especially when you’re angry.” Presley nodded toward the building. “Scott, she’s not one of your men that you can order around.”
Even with his skilled leadership, he still lost several of his men. A pang went through his heart. No matter how much he tried to protect her, even with the best laid plans—it could all still go straight to hell.
Scott got out of the truck, slammed the door, and headed to the shop. He flung open the door and marched past all the men mulling about without so much as one word.
He reached for the office door’s handle and hesitated. Sucking in a heavy breath, he went in. His eyes darted around the dinky office.
Tori was on her knees, hands searching across the floor. There was a small hole in the wall on the opposite side of the room and her cane lay under it on the floor. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out she’d thrown it across the room in a fit.
He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, feeling like such a bastard.
“Yes, Scott?” Tori crossed her legs under her, giving up the search.
“Can I come in?”
She shrugged and wiped her nose. “Do what you want,” she said icily, turning her head downward.
He shut the door and crossed the room to her, pulling her up by the hand. “I’m well-aware that you don’t need me. You’ve made that abundantly clear over the years.” He tipped her chin upward to see her face.
Tears clouded her eyes, threatening to pour over, but she held back and tightened her jaw. “Scott, I…” Her lip quivered as she tried not to cry.
This woman. She made him crazy. She brought him so much pain and pleasure at the same time. She was the sweet heroin coursing through his veins that could destroy him, and he was the addict who would do anything for a fix.
She has me by the goddamn balls.
“Stop,” he ordered. He didn’t want her apology, he just wanted her heart and for her to be safe. That’s all he’d ever wanted, and he was so angry at her putting herself in constant peril. He hated that about her, and it enraged him that she’d probably never stop. He opened his mouth to speak and inhaled her spicy, sweet perfume.
God, she smells so fantastic.
Even frustrated with her, his body responded to that. His cock tingled at her sweet, intoxicating scent. He grabbed her cheeks, pressing his lips to hers and kissing her with all the fury that was in him.
She pulled back, turning her head—denying him access to her lips. Her jaw clenched, not ready to make nice yet.
“Tori, don’t shut me out.” His hand traveled her smooth thigh, reaching under her shorts, clenching her perky ass so hard that it made her whimper. His other hand slid under her shirt, lifting it. He grabbed her breast, taking her nipple into his mouth, giving it a bite.
“Fuck! That hurt.” She scowled, but this time she didn’t push him away, in fact she grabbed him by the arms, digging her nails into his biceps.
Lord, she drove him wild.
There were far worse ways to take out their aggression on each other. Her fingertips laced through his hair, giving it a swift tug. She cocked her head to the side, offering her neck to him and he obliged by grazing his tongue over her smooth collarbone. A small moan escaped her lips as his teeth nipped at her ever so slightly.
As he went back to claim her mouth, her hands found his belt, unbuckling it.
She yanked his pants down below his ass, grabbed his cock forcefully, and gave it a tug as he kissed her again, biting her bottom lip.
She whimpered as his fingers threaded through her platinum locks, giving them a pull, yanking her head toward the ceiling.
Her hand went to his bare ass, gripping the cheek, her nails digging into the flesh. He swiftly took her hand and yanked her arm behind her back, spinning her around and tossing her over the side arm of the sofa.
She pushed her ass up toward his hips and he snatched her shorts down around her ankles, revealing her bare cheeks, tracing her lacy white thong with his fingertips as he pulled it toward the side to enter her.
He ran a finger down her spine to her crevice, pulling her cheeks apart, exposing her openings in front of him for his choosing. He reached his hand around her and felt her silky pussy, shoving two fingers in.
Tori let out a yelp.
Holy shit—she was soaking wet.
“More,” she moaned.
He pulled out and re-entered her with three fingers this time.
“I said more!”
He grinned like the devil. He was the damn luckiest man on the planet. He adored how primal she could be. This time he almost had his entire hand inside her as she moaned in pleasure.
He pulled out and rubbed his hand on his cock, wetting it with her juice. He entered her from behind, pulling her waist in toward him. Her ass slapped his thighs repeatedly while he thrusted out his frustration.
He flipped her around after several moments and she tore off her top. Scott pulled her shorts off, throwing them carelessly on the floor. He then pushed her down onto the sofa, sweaty and naked except for her cowboy boots.
Holy fucking hell, she was hot.
She pursed her lips and sat up on her elbows as he mounted her. She folded her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his torso, gripping him like a vice.
He leaned backward, cupping her ass as he shoved his tongue deep into her mouth and carried her across the room. He pushed her up against the wall, her booted feet wrapped around him. He planted his hands on her ass to support her and thrust her up against the wall.
“Fuck me, Scott! Harder!” Tori yelled louder.
Scott threw her back onto the sofa, face up, wiping the sweat from his brow. He mounted her with his weight on his good leg and entered her again.
“Not there. You know where.” She pulled her knees up higher, giving him the full view. “Fucking bring it.” The fire in her voice made him nearly blow his load.
“Oh, hell yes.” Pulling apart her cheeks he pushed his cock into her ass and she winced in pain for only a moment. Gentle at first, he rocked back and forth, taking it nice and slow until her face changed from pain to pleasure and her moans grew louder. Licking his left hand, he pushed his middle finger inside of her feeling for her sensitive spot, as his right thumb worked her clit her legs shook and quivered.
“Oh God, oh God, yes…” she cried as she reached her peak.
His body climbed toward the edge.
She licked her thumb and rubbed it across his nipple—which she knew drove him absolutely nuts.
God damn, the things this woman did to him. Scott tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes, sweat covering his body. Electricity shot through him and he trembled as he spilled every last drop into her.
They collapsed on the dingy sofa in a sweaty mess, and lay there catching their breath for several moments.
“I’m sorry I left you in the shop.” Scott apologized. “It was a dick move.”
Tori shrugged. “It was, but I know I scared the shit out of you.”
“Doesn’t matter. I promise to never leave you in the dark again—even if I’m angry with you.” His words caught in his throat and his eyes welled up as he pressed his forehead to hers. “All I want is for you to be safe, Tori,” he whispered. “That and your heart.”
“I’m sorry it took me so many years to give it to you, and I’m sorry I still keep parts of it hidden. I’m trying,” Tori breathed. “Please know: you have my heart. You always have. I’ve always loved you.”
“I know you have.” He rubbed her cheek with his thumb and kissed her gently.
“So, you do still choose me?” she asked, still breathless. “Even with all my stubbornness and recklessness?”
“I wouldn’t want you any other way, baby.” As much as he hated it, he also loved how it was woven into her. It made her the amazing creature she was. He kissed her on the cheek as he got up off the sofa and pulled up his pants. “Don't get me wrong—you drive me absolutely insane. I can only assume we’ll have this same damn argument for years to come, but God I love the fight in you. You don’t give up, even when you probably should.” He grabbed his shirt off the floor, pulling it over his head.
He tossed her clothing to her and she dressed. While she righted herself, he grabbed the cane over by the wall, flipped it open and inspected it. Thankfully it didn’t appear damaged. He pulled her off the sofa and placed it in her hand. “Now come show me what you made today.”
They walked out into the garage and were met with shifty eyes and awkward grins. Blaze started a slow clap, then the others followed.
“Congratulations on a spectacular performance!’ Presley put her fingers in her lips and whistled.
Scott chuckled and put his arm around Tori as she buried her head into his chest laughing.
“I take it all is forgiven?” Chad questioned.
“I told you I had my ways with him.” Tori smirked.
“Well, yeah, with fucking that hot, he’d be an idiot to stay pissed at you,” Blaze remarked.
Scott grinned like a madman. “Now show me this welding project of yours.” He led her over to the bench.
“It’s not a big deal.” Her cheeks reddened.
It was positively adorable when his confident woman got bashful. “I mean, it’s only a heart, a stupid simple shape. Obviously, I couldn’t start with something complex.” Tori rested her cane against her shoulder and fiddled with the pieces, feeling the edges and placing them in their proper order—discarding the ones she didn’t need. “I got this idea that I could raise it off a background somehow to make it more tactile, once I smooth the edges. I want to solder the pieces together, like stitches.”
Scott looked down at it. There were smooth pieces and rough checkered pieces mixed together. “Like a stitched heart. I get it. Like you.” He squeezed her shoulder and kissed her on the top of the head.
“No, like us. Two hearts make one.” She scratched her brow. “I know, it’s cheesy…”
He loved it. God, she was too precious for words. “I think it’s perfect.”