“Thanks.”
I nod, blushing, and get dressed. When I pull my shirt on, I notice a four-inch long rip along the side seam. I arch an eyebrow, glancing at Benji. He just laughs.
“Sorry,” he says, not sounding sorry at all. Benji moves toward me and wraps his arms around my waist. His hands drop to my ass and he pulls me close, nuzzling his lips against my cheek. “I’ve been dreaming of that for weeks,” he growls, “and it was still better than I expected.”
He kisses me softly, tenderly, and I melt in his arms.
Benji holds me, swaying softly from side to side. I lean my head against his chest, letting out a sigh as tiny, almost imperceptible thrills continue to shiver through my body. His hands stroke the side of my head, and he pulls back to lay another kiss on my lips.
When we pull apart, he lets out a happy sigh. Then, he cocks his head. “How do you feel about some food?”
I grin. “I’d love food.”
“Good, because I’m starving. I need to refuel after that.” His eyebrow cocks up. “And you can order a thousand burgers if you want. I won’t food shame you.”
I laugh, slipping my hand into his. We leave the garage, taking his truck into town and parking it outside the Woodvale Skydive center. He nods to the café where I sat with Willow and Nadia.
“Best breakfast in town.”
A thrill courses through my chest at the thought of being out in public with Benji. It’s one thing to go find him at the garage, or to be alone with him at his house. But to be here, in full view?
I love it.
I’m proud to be beside him. I like the way he puts his hand on my lower back and leads me inside, as if he’s announcing to everyone in town that we’re together.
We find a table near the front, and I keep stealing glances at him. He grins, and whispers of heat wrap around me. How is it possible for one man to be so handsome? For him to slay me with one look and make me want to circle my arms around him and take him somewhere private?
It’s like he has a direct line to the pleasure center in my brain. He’s plugged into me, and I can’t do anything about it.
Not that I’d want to.
We order coffees and food as my stomach grumbles, and I remember that there are other needs I have to attend to. Benji’s foot nudges against mine under the table, and his lips tug as he stares at me.
Everything is easy with him. Comfortable. All at once, we’ve broken down the walls that stood between us, and it feels like we’re finally how we should be.
Together.
But I’m pulled from my daze by a familiar voice.
“Well, well, well,” my brother calls out from across the café. “That didn’t take long.”
Benji stiffens, his eyes widening. I glance at Sawyer, who arches an eyebrow. Doubt swirls inside me as my cheeks start to burn. I know I’m turning beet-red, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
Sawyer saunters over to us, arching an eyebrow. He glances at Benji. “What are you doing with my sister?”
Benji straightens up in his chair and clears his throat. “Sawyer, I…”
“I’m kidding,” Sawyer interrupts, laughing. He claps a confused Benji on the shoulder, who jerks forward from the impact.
Benji meets my eye, bewildered.
Sawyer laughs again, shaking his head. “Did Rae not tell you? I gave her my blessing. I could see the looks you two were giving each other all week. Haven’t seen you that mopey in the whole time I’ve known you.”
Benji glances at my brother. “You knew?”
“When you emailed me to come back and talk to Rae, I had my suspicions. It wasn’t like you to change your mind. I knew there had to be a good reason.” His face grows serious. “But if you hurt my sister, I’ll kill you.”
Benji’s face goes white. He shakes his head. “I won’t.”
Sawyer nods. “Good.” He turns to me. “If you hurt my best friend, I’ll kill you, too.”
“Shut up, Sawyer.” I grin.
My brother laughs. He pulls a chair over to our table and plonks himself down. He’s not worried about being the third wheel, apparently, because he orders himself a coffee and breakfast as soon as the waitress comes over. When he glances over at me and sees me watching him, he grins.
“What? I’m hungry.”
I smile as my heart grows. This is my brother, through and through. He cares about things like loyalty and betrayal, but doesn’t have the same hang-ups when it comes to love and relationships. He has his own set of morals and values, and I’m glad I’m on the right side of them again.
“I was worried you wouldn’t approve,” I say.
“Of what? You and Benji?”
I nod.
Sawyer shrugs. “Better than the guys our parents used to push on you back home. I’d rather see you happy.”
My eyes mist as a lump forms in my throat. “All these years, I thought you hated me.”
Sawyer gives me a sad smile. “I did, I think. But I was an idiot. I forgot who you are.”
In that moment, on a sunny Sunday morning in the town I’ll soon call my permanent home, I don’t think it’s possible to be happier. The one thing I’ve wanted—a repaired relationship with Sawyer—has happened. Not only that, but he sees me and loves me and wants what’s best for me. He’s not afraid to push Benji and me together. He’s not awkward around us, or worried about what a relationship might mean.
As the waitress arrives with our plates of food, I steal a glance at Benji, and then at my brother. Sawyer is so unbothered that it makes me realize I misjudged him, just as he misjudged me.
He’d never care about me dating Benji, so long as we treated each other right. Sawyer is a purist. He cares about people being good to
