“And will you be able to bring him over the Saturday after next to start the work?”
“Yes.”
But she honestly wasn’t sure whether she was saying yes for Jeremy.
Or for herself.
* * *
Will punched the gas and veered around a slow car in the fast lane as he headed away from Harper’s house and to his office. The Lamborghini shot ahead, and the burst of speed was a rush.
But it wasn’t anywhere close to the rush he’d felt with Harper.
She’d had every right to call him on his intentions with Jeremy. But he still wasn’t sure she understood that the cost of the Maserati kit was nothing compared to what Will would get out of it. Jeremy made him feel like he had a second chance to make up for the worst of the things he’d done when he was a kid.
And Harper simply made him feel.
He’d been charmed by the animal mugs, and her endearingly messy house, so in contrast with the professional façade she wore. On the surface, she was polite and polished, but after seeing her at home, he now believed more than ever that there was a wild—and delightfully unruly—woman inside of her dying to break out.
She was so strong as she’d peppered him with her questions—and so sexy that he’d been this close to pushing for everything he wanted, right there in her kitchen. But he’d only let himself push a little bit. Only let himself tease her with words and brief touches until they were both panting with need.
Sweet Lord, had she ever been heaven against him. The leggings had revealed every gorgeous contour of her legs, while the sweater had made him desperate to uncover the rest of her sweetness. Even the striped toe socks had kicked his heart into high gear. She’d smelled delicious, like fruity shampoo and shower gel and lotion, and without makeup, her skin had been peaches-and-cream smooth.
In the end, though it had nearly killed him to push away from her and walk out of that kitchen knowing he wouldn’t see her again for nearly a week and half, the big tease had been perfect. Because they’d been riding the edge together. Soon, he’d push them both over.
Until then? Will knew he’d be going crazy with anticipation.
And if he’d played his cards right in her kitchen, hopefully Harper would be going more than a little crazy, too.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
As the Saturday of their next visit to Will’s garage finally dawned and Jeremy’s enthusiasm knew no bounds, Harper tried to keep her anticipation at seeing Will again at bay.
Jeremy had been so excited when Will told him about the Maserati kit and had asked her to take him out to purchase a new notebook in which he’d written furiously and also pasted numerous pictures. Making notes, he’d said, but they were a secret. Just for Will and him. Still, even if she couldn’t help but worry about Jeremy, she also couldn’t bring herself to crush his enjoyment.
As for herself...she shook her head as she put on the brakes for a stoplight in the thick Saturday traffic. She’d never been the kind of woman to go all gooey just from thinking about a guy. But every time she thought about Will, both her brain and her body went topsy-turvy.
“I like Will,” Jeremy said from the passenger seat with his usual big-hearted cheerfulness.
Harper couldn’t deny the truth. “I like him, too.”
And it wasn’t just Will’s sex appeal that drew her to him like moth to flame. It was all the little things that added up—his patience with Jeremy, the tin of caviar he’d given Mama Cannelli, and the genuine empathy on his face and in his touch when she’d told him about the car crash, the rich teen getting away with near murder, and then their parents’ passing.
“I brought drinks and sandwiches for when we get hungry.” She didn’t want to assume that Will would feed them. “Your favorite, PB and J.”
“I can’t wait to get there!” Jeremy said. “This is going to be the best day ever.”
Jeremy had clearly been swept away by Will. And the problem was, no matter how much she’d tried to deny it over the past ten days, Harper kept secretly fantasizing about being swept away by him, too. Will had an irresistible magnetism, much as she’d been reminding herself that she had to resist.
The way he’d turned her inside out in her kitchen with nothing but words was something her body couldn’t forget. Not when deep inside, she knew how good—how amazing—it would feel to be taken by him.
I intend to kiss you so slowly, so thoroughly, that you’ll be begging me to never, ever stop.
All of his sexy, crazy, wild intentions came back to her deep in the middle of the night when she couldn’t sleep. They were why she couldn’t sleep. Because she wanted so badly everything he was offering.
But again and again over the past few days, she’d wondered—what if she took her eye off the ball in her quest for even a small, but heady, taste of wildness, and something happened to her brother? What if she went in for a few perfect gulps of the thrills that Will was offering her and ended up putting the safe little life she’d created for herself and Jeremy at risk? Especially when, despite how kind Will had been to both of them so far, she didn’t know very much about him at all. He hadn’t shared anything about who he was or where he’d come from. In fact, he’d skillfully avoided revealing himself.
They pulled up at the top of the driveway, and as she came to a stop, Jeremy all but threw himself out of the car when Will appeared in one of the open roll-up doors. Harper opted for a more reasonable pace, yet her heart was beating wildly. God only knew why, since Will was covered in the long white overalls she’d seen hanging in the garage.