How to Rebuild (Hearts & Horsepower #4)

by A. K. Evans

  “Thank you for the flowers, baby,” I murmured.

  There was a pause before he hissed, “Shit.”

  “What?” I asked, feeling alarmed.

  “I like hearing you call me that,” he shared. “I’m just pissed that I’m not there right now, so I can give you a kiss to communicate just how much I liked hearing that.”

  I smiled. That hadn’t been part of my plan to give Kieran something as unique as he’d given me, but I wasn’t going to complain that it worked. Now I just had to add to it.

  “You’ll have to wait until tonight, I guess,” I teased him. “But don’t feel bad because I’ve got to do the same to show you how much it meant for me to get these flowers from you.”

  “It sounds like the evening is looking up for the both of us,” he joked.

  “Does whatever you’re planning for dinner tonight include dessert?” I asked.

  Kieran didn’t immediately answer. There was a long stretch of silence before he finally said, “I mean, I had something prepared, but I’m open to suggestions if you have a craving for something special.”

  Wanting to tease him and make sure he spent the rest of the day looking forward to what was coming later, I mustered up the most seductive voice I could and shared, “Oh I’ve got a craving alright.”

  “Elise,” he warned.

  “What?” I replied, doing my best to sound innocent.

  “Don’t be naughty like that when I can’t do anything about it,” he ordered.

  “What are you going to do, baby? Spank me?”

  Kieran growled.

  I laughed.

  “I’ve got to get back to work, Kieran. I’ll see you tonight.”

  Without waiting for a response, I disconnected the call and smiled. I had no doubt he was standing there struggling with what just happened. I liked to tease him, but that was probably the farthest I’d ever gone with it. There was no question in my mind that he was wondering where that came from, but I had a feeling he’d let me know when I saw him tonight.

  A shiver ran down my spine at the thought.

  I gave myself another minute to appreciate that thought and the sight of my flowers. Then I got to work and stayed focused. I had to leave a little early tonight if I was going to give him a Valentine’s Day he’d never forget.

  Finally.

  It was time to go.

  I came into work this morning expecting it would be just like any other day. And I guess from a work standpoint, it was. I did exactly what I planned to do today—finished up one engine assembly and completed disassembly on one that was having a full race build done on it for the upcoming season.

  We were just weeks away from the spring rush. If this year turned out to be anything like last year, we had less time than we thought. It was right around this time a year ago when things started to pick up for us, and we’d attributed that to the unseasonable warm winter we had last year.

  Of course, it had still been cold by all usual standards. It was just that in the racing world if there wasn’t snow on the ground, it was racing weather. Considering cars typically ran better times in colder weather, it was no surprise that racers and enthusiasts alike would be doing anything they could to prepare their vehicles for the first test and tune session of the season when the race tracks opened.

  Given that we’d had a pretty big snowstorm just over a week ago, I believed we’d have a few more weeks before things started to get crazy. In fact, Avery had mentioned yesterday afternoon that she was beginning to get an influx of calls and emails from customers who were looking to get themselves on our schedule now before the early spring rush hit. There were no spots left without substantial waiting times.

  So, while things weren’t quite hectic just yet, they were steady for me. As an engine builder, I found that things remained relatively consistent for me throughout the year. There was always a bit of a lull around the holidays, but then it picked right back up for me. This was because many customers realized the number of steps involved in building a race car, and without an engine that was ready to go, little else could get done on their project.

  I kept myself disciplined and on track. Rarely did it ever occur that an engine wasn’t delivered to a client on time. In the rare cases that it did happen, it was typically due to a back-ordered part. Otherwise, I stuck to my schedule and got things done.

  That was precisely what happened today.

  But I couldn’t have been more relieved that the day was finally over. Everything had been going along just fine and as expected this morning.

  Then I got a call from Elise because she wanted to thank me for sending her flowers. From that point on, it just felt like the day was dragging.

  I knew the reason for it was because I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her or the conversation we’d had.

  There was so much there consuming my thoughts. No sooner did I think I’d resolved one thing in my head when another popped in.

  The truth was, up until she called me, I had been a bit worried about what I was doing. Elise and I had only known each other for a little over a month. Even though we’d slept together that night I took her home from Lou’s about two and a half weeks ago, we’d really only been officially together for little more than a week.

  So, it was no surprise that I was struggling a bit.

  Because I was always content to move slow and take my time, especially with something like this. I had no interest in jumping into something without seriously considering what I was getting myself into ahead of time.

  But it had been different with her.

  I didn’t know if it was because we’d spent so many hours talking to one another on the plane—more hours than most people spent talking on a first date—as well as all the hours we were snowed in the other weekend at her place that it didn’t feel like I was rushing. Regardless, I couldn’t stop how I felt, even if the pace at which things moved was faster than I’d ever expected.

  What worried me was that if I didn’t find a way to control what I felt, I might risk going too hard and too fast for Elise and wind up losing her. That was the last thing I wanted to see.

  Because I knew I was falling for her.

  The woman who didn’t even know it was Valentine’s Day. That had been one of the things that crossed my mind throughout the morning. Days ago, I’d asked her about how she wanted to spend the day today because I wanted to make sure we celebrated it in a way that wasn’t too over the top for her and would send her running in the opposite direction. Of course, I never specifically mentioned exactly what day because I assumed it was a day that every woman in a committed relationship had marked on her calendar.

  Elise was not like other women.

  That wasn’t saying anything—good or bad—about her or other women. It was just that, for me, I liked knowing that she wasn’t caught up on something like Valentine’s Day for all the wrong reasons. For someone with the amount of wealth Elise had, I’d have been lying if I said it hadn’t crossed my mind that she might wonder how I could ever be an equal partner to her.

  It did.

  Only once.

  And then I threw that ridiculous thought out the window. I met her and had a connection with her from the very first time we locked eyes. She felt it, too, which is why it was crazy for me ever to think that we couldn’t be partners. Elise liked what she liked, and I liked what I liked.

  I loved that people could take one look at her and see that she was all class and sophistication. People only saw that, her physical beauty, and the fact that she was the boss of a huge company. Many probably believed that’s all there was to her.

  I knew differently.

  It was like there was this little secret between the two of us that nobody else knew. Elise had a wild side in the bedroom that was solely for me, a side that was willing to surrender to someone else being the boss, and I loved that.

  But Elise was so much more than just a boss, a pretty face, a gorgeous body, and an incredible partner
in bed. She was the bright light in a dark room. She was joy where there was sorrow. She was peace in chaos.

  Or, at least, that’s what she was for me.

  Even though I hadn’t experienced much chaos or sorrow in the last couple of weeks, I knew that if and when I did, she’d be the only thing that could bring me the opposite of it. And even though I knew she was living in her version of hell with what she’d been experiencing at her company, she still managed to find a way to light up my world.

  So, it was no surprise I was falling for her.

  My only dilemma now was trying to find the right time to tell her. If I didn’t think there was the chance it could send her running in the opposite direction, I’d have shared it with her already. But Elise was still dealing with a lot.

  I needed to be patient. I’d do everything I could to show her what she meant to me, but I’d hold back on the words for just a little bit longer for her sake.

  Having cleaned up and put away all the tools I’d used throughout the day, I walked out of the back room at the shop and toward the front office. When I made it there, I found Avery was still there—likely waiting for Knox to finish up—and Ryker had just walked in from the shop.

  “Heading out?” he asked.

  “Yeah. You?”

  “Yep.”

  Glancing over at Avery, I asked, “Is Knox going to make you wait here all night long, or is he taking you out tonight?”

  “We’re actually staying in to celebrate,” she replied. “We didn’t want to go through the hassle of getting all dressed up to wait to eat out somewhere. So, we’re picking up food on the way home. What about you two?”

  “Scarlet and I rarely go out, so we decided to go out for dinner,” Ryker answered. “By some miracle, she managed to select a place where she wanted to eat, so I called a week ago and made the reservations.”

  “What about you and Elise?” Avery asked me.

  “Staying in,” I told her. “We prefer being in, but I also think she’s trying to stay as low-key as she can right now.”

  “I can’t say I blame her,” Avery noted. “I can’t even imagine having to go through everything she’s been through for the last month or so.”

  Ryker put a hand to my shoulder, squeezed, and said, “Nice touch on the flowers today, Kieran.”

  My brows pulled together. “How do you know I sent her flowers?”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet,” Avery chimed in. “You sent them to her office? You probably made her whole day.”

  “Scarlet told me when I called her at lunch,” Ryker answered. “She said Elise took a picture and sent it to her in a text message.”

  That made sense.

  It also made me feel just a bit more relief. Even though she’d already communicated that she appreciated the flowers, it was good to know she wasn’t just saying that for the sake of it. Of course, I didn’t think that was the kind of woman she was anyway. But any news like that was a boost, so if she had shared them with her best friend, I would celebrate that as a win.

  “Well, I’m out of here,” I said. “I’ve got some things to take care of before I head over to her place. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Later, Kieran,” Ryker replied.

  “Have a great time tonight,” Avery called to my departing back.

  When I got to the door, I looked back at her and responded, “You too.”

  At that, I walked out with a smile on my face. Just the simple thought of knowing I was going to see Elise was enough to have me feeling like a little kid in a candy store.

  I hopped in my truck and took off.

  Roughly an hour later, I’d showered, changed, threw some extra clothes in a bag, and packed up all the food I was going to need for dinner.

  Yes, I had decided to cook.

  And as I told Elise, I had prepared something for dessert already.

  With everything I needed ready to go, I was back in my truck and on my way to her place. I couldn’t wait to see her. That feeling, knowing I felt such excitement about seeing her, was just one more thing that told me she was the one for me. I was convinced I could spend another five years with her, and that feeling wouldn’t fade.

  Before I knew it, I was at the front door waiting for her to open it.

  I wasn’t there more than ten or fifteen seconds before the door flew open, and my eyes fell on her.

  I smiled at her and stepped inside. Once the door was closed behind me, I set the bags down and moved to her.

  Slipping my hands around Elise’s waist, I tugged her toward me and buried my face in her neck. As one of my hands traveled down over her ass, the other slid up to the middle of her back. I inhaled her scent and trailed kisses up the side of her throat toward her ear.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, lady,” I whispered.

  Before she had the chance to respond, my mouth found hers and took it in a bruising kiss. Elise moaned into my mouth while I squeezed her ass.

  Fuck.

  I wanted nothing more than to tear her clothes off right here, right now.

  But I couldn’t.

  I needed to feed her first.

  Reluctantly, I tore my mouth from hers. She stared up at me and rasped, “Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.”

  Baby.

  Elise said that on purpose. She’d said it to me before, when we were having sex, but never just in general conversation like she did earlier today. Now that she knew I liked it, it seemed she wanted to give it to me more frequently. I’d take it. I’d take anything she wanted to give me.

  I pressed another kiss to her lips before I asked, “Hungry?”

  She nodded. “What are we having?” she replied.

  After giving her another squeeze on the ass, I turned and picked up the two bags with all the food in them, leaving my bag with the extra clothes sitting there on the floor.

  “Let’s go to the kitchen and see what’s here,” I suggested.

  Elise looked curiously at the bags in my hands and nodded as she walked to the kitchen. I followed behind her and wasn’t too proud to admit I watched her ass the whole way there.

  Once we were there, I quickly pulled the dessert out and found a place for it in the refrigerator.

  “What was that?” she asked.

  “Dessert,” I answered. “It’s an Oreo cookie dessert my nan used to make all the time when we were kids. I thought you might like to try it.”

  “It sounds delicious. Oreos are my favorite cookies, so you’re already off to a good start, Kier,” Elise said.

  I stopped moving and stared at her.

  “What?” she asked, looking alarmed.

  “I like it when you call me that, too,” I told her.

  “Kier?” she repeated.

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  I liked that she’d given me her own nickname—a nickname only my family members used. Everyone else here in Wyoming called me Kieran. Kier was hers, which meant a lot because it made me believe that she was becoming more comfortable with me.

  Unpacking the other bag, Elise started taking an inventory of the ingredients. Her eyes were growing larger by the second.

  “What are you making?” she pressed, the excitement in her tone evident.

  “Lobster mac and cheese.”

  Her lips parted, and her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

  I chuckled. “Yeah. That’s why I asked you last week when we were talking if there were any foods you were allergic to or didn’t like,” I started. “Once you told me you wanted to stay in tonight, I knew I wanted to make you something special. I thought this would be nice. Do you like lobster mac and cheese?”

  “I love it.”

  I grinned at her.

  “Here’s hoping I don’t make you hate it,” I replied.

  The silence stretched between us briefly before she responded, “That won’t be possible.”

  I had a feeling her statement had less to do with the taste of the food and more to do with the fact that I was planning to cook it for
her.

  Leaving her to her thoughts, I turned on the oven and put a pot of water on to boil. As I started gathering the first few ingredients I would need, Elise asked, “Can I do something to help?”

  “Yes. Grab yourself something to drink and sit your ass down,” I ordered.

  “You don’t have to do this all by yourself,” she declared.

  After dropping a couple of tablespoons of butter into the saucepan to melt, I turned toward her and insisted, “I know I don’t. But I want to make you dinner tonight, Elise. Let me do that for you. Okay?”

  She nodded. “Do you want anything to drink?”

  “Whatever you’re having,” I answered.

  A few minutes later, while I was working on dinner, Elise asked, “When did you learn how to cook?”

  “Moving out to Wyoming all those years ago, I had no choice but to put in the effort to learn how to cook,” I started. “If I didn’t want to spend all my money on takeout while simultaneously getting a gut, I had no choice.”

  “I can’t picture you with a gut,” she replied. “Your body is perfect.”

  “So is yours,” I told her.

  Shooting me a look of indifference, she noted, “Yeah, but with the amount of cheese I see there and the fact that you’ve got an Oreo-themed dessert, that may not last long.”

  I let out a laugh. “You’re crazy, Elise. You’re beautiful. And don’t be too worried about what you eat tonight. I want you to enjoy it. We’ll find a way to work it off later. Okay?”

  She got a devious look in her eye and agreed, “Okay.”

  I loved that look.

  Shit.

  I didn’t love just that look.

  I loved her.

  It took everything in me to tear my gaze away from her and focus on the food. If I had any hope of making her fall in love with me, I didn’t think ruining dinner on our first Valentine’s Day together was an excellent way to make it happen.

  With my attention on what I was doing, I struggled to swallow past the tightness I felt in my throat and the squeeze in my chest. Is this what the realization of how much you loved someone felt like?

  “So, how was your day today?” Elise asked, breaking into my thoughts.