He grinned. “Yep. Let me stow your flip flops in the saddle bag and I’ll get it.” He picked her discarded flip flops off the ground and stowed them before handing her the extra helmet. “Do you need any help with that?”
“I’ve got it, thanks.” She fumbled with the straps as Sawyer donned his own helmet. He had it fastened in no time and then watched patiently as she continued to struggle. Finally she blew out a breath and gave up. “I guess I do need a little help,” she conceded.
To his credit, Sawyer didn’t say anything, he simply stepped forward, bending down to see the straps. His breath tickled her neck, bathing her in warm goose bumps as he gently secured the helmet strap beneath her chin.
“Does that feel tight enough?” he asked, leaning back to look at her, his face mere inches from hers.
She swallowed. “Yes. It feels good.” With his face this close she thought about his kiss earlier and her eyes instinctively dropped to his mouth. Her cheeks caught fire and she cleared her throat, taking a step back to create distance. It was getting hard to think straight with him near … and yet here she was about to climb onto the back of a motorcycle with him where there would be very little distance between them. What was she thinking?
“Okay.” He smiled and climbed onto the Harley, looking like some incredibly hot bad-boy biker in his T-shirt and jeans, his biceps flexing as he started the motorcycle. He motioned behind him. “Go ahead and climb on whenever you’re ready. Just be careful of the muffler. It gets hot so you won’t want to put your boots near it.”
“Right.” Lily nodded once, telling herself this was no big deal. She was simply going for a motorcycle ride with her ex-boyfriend. An extremely attractive, ridiculously wealthy ex-boyfriend, who was interested in getting back together with her. Right. No big deal at all.
She bit the inside of her cheek and climbed onto the seat behind Sawyer, carefully placing her oversized boots on the foot pegs. She fluttered her hands, unsure where to put them until Sawyer reached for them, wrapping them around his waist. Her heart hammered at the feel of his defined abs beneath his T-shirt and his warm back against her chest. He’d always been muscular with football practice and his lawncare business, but he was even more so now.
“I won’t do anything crazy, but it’s a good idea to hold onto me tight. You never know when a deer might jump out of nowhere.”
“Oh. Okay,” she stammered, secretly thrilled with the request. It had been so long since she’d wrapped her arms around Sawyer, and she was unprepared for her response to him. Holding onto him felt safe. It felt exhilarating. It felt like—home.
He revved the engine once and she grinned, loving the sound of the horsepower as they waited for the garage door to lift.
“Here we go,” he said, before slowly pulling forward and down the drive.
8
Lily couldn’t hold back her delight from the moment Sawyer lifted his feet off of the ground. She’d never ridden a street bike before, and she was already hooked. The seat was comfortable, and the night air was cool on her face, enlivening her senses as her blonde hair streamed behind her like a banner in the wind.
“This is amazing!” she called, leaning forward so Sawyer would hear her above the noise of the engine.
He smiled over his shoulder. “We’re barely getting started.”
“I know, and I already love it.”
He laughed. “Adrenaline junkie through and through.”
“I guess I am,” she admitted before holding him a little closer.
He slowly picked up speed on the quiet road toward Eureka Springs, and for a moment Lily let go of all of her cares and concerns. There were no business meetings to worry about, no product reviews, no deadlines. It was just her and Sawyer, together, like some kind of beautiful vision from the past she was allowed to relive for a brief moment … but maybe it didn’t have to stay in the past. Maybe they could still have a future.
Her stomach fluttered. In her deepest heart of hearts, she wanted to rekindle things between them. She wanted to give it another try and see if being with Sawyer was as incredible as she remembered. Judging by the way he made her heart stutter and her chest warm, she had a feeling it would be.
But then her practical side spoke up—the one that reminded her they lived in two different worlds now. She had a life in New York, and he would always be an Arkansas boy. They were adults with responsibilities, and beyond that, the truth was, she didn’t know him anymore. Not really. Five years was a long time to be apart. Maybe this brief visit was meant to give her closure so she could make peace with the past and move on. Maybe now that she’d seen him again, he would stop haunting her dreams and she would stop comparing every guy she dated to him, feeling they always came up short.
The drive to Eureka Springs was over sooner than she’d expected—sooner than she was ready for. Sawyer pulled up in front of her mom’s house and cut the engine. She reluctantly let go of him and climbed off, unsure if her wobbly legs were from the loss of his touch or getting used to solid ground again. She removed her helmet, and he helped her out of the boots, slipping the flip flops on her feet before he straightened.
“Thanks so much for the ride. I hope it didn’t put you out too much,” she said.
“Not at all. Let me walk you to your door.” He stowed the boots and helmet and then removed his helmet as well, propping it on the handlebar before walking alongside her toward the front door. “You seemed to enjoy the ride. Does that mean you’re a Harley fan now?” he teased, looking at her sideways.
“Totally. I could ride like that all day.” Especially if it meant she was holding onto him.
He smiled. “Sounds like you’re converted.”
She laughed. “Definitely. But somehow riding a motorcycle around on the busy New York streets doesn’t sound as appealing, so sadly I’ll have to stick with Uber and the subways.”
His smile stayed in place, but his eyes lost some of their warmth. “True. I guess it wouldn’t be quite the same.”
They approached the doorstep and Lily turned to face him, her heart beating fast as the air between them grew thick with unspoken words. The talk about New York was the perfect segue, but one look at Sawyer’s brown eyes and the words caught in her throat.
“It was good to see you today, Lil,” he said, his voice dipping lower as he took a step closer to her. “I’m sorry I interrupted your date though.”
“No you’re not.” She arched an eyebrow at him, folding her arms as she gave him a playfully accusatory glare.
He chuckled, the sound low and rumbling in his chest. “You’re right. I’m not.” He held her gaze, taking another step closer.
Lily’s lungs squeezed and her thoughts scattered as she smelled the familiar scent of his cologne; the kind he’d worn when they were dating because he knew it was her favorite.
Ugh! Stop noticing!
If she didn’t do something fast, she would forget her resolve to tell him goodbye. “It was good to see you too,” she stammered, taking a tiny step backwards. “It makes me happy to know that you’re doing so well. You deserve it.”
“Thanks.” He tilted his head to the side, his eyes crinkling in the corners as he studied her. “Why do I get the feeling this is a goodbye speech?”
She looked down at her hands, unable to maintain eye contact. “Probably because that’s what it is. We live in different worlds now, Sawyer.” She pulled in a breath and shook her head. “I just … don’t see how it could work.”
“We’ll never know if we don’t try.” He reached for her hand.
Sparks flew up her fingers at his touch and she could feel the tug of his gaze. She bit her lip, braving a glance at him. “I fly home tomorrow night,” she argued. “We’ve hardly spent enough time together to know if this is a good idea or not.”
One corner of his mouth lifted. “You agreed to a date tomorrow, remember? We can start early and spend time with each other until you leave.”
She hesitated. “About that�
�I’m sure my mom will want me to spend time with her too.”
“Invite her along. I love your mom.”
She couldn’t hold back a smile at the sincerity in his eyes. “She loves you too. She was disappointed that she didn’t get a chance to talk to you at the signing today.”
“Perfect. The three of us can spend time together and it will be a win-win-win.”
Lily raised an eyebrow and laughed. “You really want to go on a date with me and my mom?”
“If it means I get to spend time with you before you leave, yes.”
She let go of his hand and folded her arms, unable to think straight when he touched her. “Sawyer, you’re impossible,” she teased.
“Is that a yes?”
She blew out a breath and shrugged. “I guess so.”
He grinned, and before she knew what was happening, he wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. “Thank you, Lil. This means a lot.”
Her stomach fluttered at the feel of his firm chest against her and the familiar sweet ache of being held in his arms. She breathed him in, fighting against the magnetic pull before she finally gave up and melted into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He sighed and pulled her closer, tentatively, as if afraid that if he held her too close, he would break this fragile thing between them. “I missed this … I missed you,” he murmured, nuzzling her hair and breathing in deeply.
A delicious shiver ran up her spine. “I missed you too,” she said softly.
He tilted his head back and searched her face, his expression filled with adoration and longing. Desire welled inside her chest as she met his gaze, and suddenly her lips were on his. She wasn’t sure who had leaned in first, and she didn’t care. She wrapped her hands behind his neck, her senses on fire as his mouth moved against hers, hungry and demanding one moment, and then achingly soft and careful the next.
He pulled her against him, his hands at her waist and then up her back before they were in her hair. He placed kisses along her jawline, and she sighed deeply before he found her mouth again. Her heart galloped and her toes curled. He had always been a good kisser, but time had clearly given him more experience. She wanted this. She wanted Sawyer. But she couldn’t let the undeniable attraction between them make her lose her head. She pulled away abruptly, both of them breathing hard.
“Sawyer, we can’t do this,” she protested, backing up until her back pressed against the front door.
“You’re right.” He raked a hand through his hair, trying and failing to look contrite as his eyes smoldered, devouring her the way his lips had moments before. “I didn’t mean to get carried away. I’m sorry.”
She swallowed, trying to steady her breathing. “We have a lot of history with … this.” She motioned between them, her heart stuttering at the open allure of his gaze. “So I think we need to set some boundaries—especially while we’re trying to figure things out.”
His lip quirked up in the corner, his expression changing from desire to amusement. “Sure. What kinds of boundaries do you propose?”
She cleared her throat. “Well … specifically, I think maybe we shouldn’t kiss each other until we’ve decided whether it’s wise to give our relationship another shot.”
He squinted slightly but nodded. “Okay. I’m cool with that.”
“Good.” She nodded once, trying to convince herself that it was a good idea even as her mouth watered for want of his kiss. “That’s settled then.”
“Great.” He fixed his gaze on hers, his eyes dancing. “So what time should I pick you and your mom up tomorrow?”
She lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. What do you have in mind?”
He straightened. “If you’ll let me, I’d like to spend the full day with you. Would eight a.m. be too early?”
She checked her watch. It was almost midnight. “Better make it nine. Mom likes to sleep in a little on the weekend.” She honestly didn’t think her mom would want to come on the date with them, but it didn’t hurt to keep up the ruse. It touched her that Sawyer was inviting her mom along with them. How many men would do that?
“Nine it is, then.” He smiled, looking like he wanted to give her another hug before thinking better of it. “Good night, Lily,” he said.
“Good night, Sawyer.”
He dipped his head, giving her a smile that melted her heart to liquid before turning and walking back toward his Harley.
She folded her arms across her chest, trying to hold in the emotions that threatened to burst before she realized she was still wearing his jacket. “Wait!” she called after him. “What about your jacket?”
He grinned and hopped on his bike. “Keep it. It looks better on you anyway.”
Lily shook her head but wrapped her arms around herself as she watched him start up the motorcycle. He gave her one last smile before driving off into the night. She blew out a long breath and then released a tiny squeal before opening the front door.
“Mom?” she called, expecting to find her mom reading a book or watching a movie as she often did on a Friday night. The entry light was on, but other than that the house felt empty. She checked her bedroom, wondering if she’d gone to bed, but the room was empty as well. Confused, Lily pulled out her phone and dialed her mom. The phone rang four times before Meredith picked up, sounding a little breathless.
“Hi, honey. How did the date go?”
“Where are you?” Lily demanded, checking her watch again. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, of course.” Meredith cleared her throat. “I’m out with a friend and didn’t expect that you would be home this early. Sorry if I made you worry.”
Out with a friend? Her mom had several friends from town, but not anyone she was particularly close to that Lily knew of … at least not the kind she would spend a late Friday night with. She was too devoted to her work. “Who are you out with?” she pried.
“Oh … just,” Meredith paused, sounding uncomfortable. “Lily … can you hear me?”
“Yes, I’m right here,” Lily said, glancing at her phone to make sure she had service.
“Lil?” her mom repeated.
“Yes, can’t you hear me?”
“It’s breaking up. If you can hear me, I’ll be home soon. No need to wait up.”
“O-kay.” The call ended abruptly, and Lily stared at her phone. “That was weird.” She was tempted to wait up to confront her mom about her cryptic answers, but her early flight that morning combined with the time change was making her eyelids heavy.
She went into her old bedroom to get ready for bed, impressed when she glanced in the mirror and saw that her makeup looked as fresh as it had that morning when she’d applied it.
She tested all of Lily O’s products personally and only approved those which met her high standards. She knew there were plenty of cosmetic companies that cut corners on quality in order to keep prices competitive and to pocket the difference, but that wasn’t something she was willing to do. She’d invested countless hours with research and development teams, marketing, packaging, retail, and a thousand other elements to make these products come to life. She stood behind each and every one, and she was proud of the cosmetics line she’d created.
She’d worked so hard to get where she was, and she loved her work. It was satisfying offering something so many women raved about, and a small percentage of every sale went to support women starting their own businesses. Her mom had been her role model in that respect, and after struggling to find investors herself, she wanted to give something back. Creating Lily O Cosmetics had been a long, sometimes stressful journey, but she wouldn’t trade it. And deep down she knew she wouldn’t have gotten there if Sawyer hadn’t given her the freedom to pursue her dreams.
She wanted to be mad at him for breaking her heart, but when she really took time to analyze his point of view, it was incredibly sweet. He’d sacrificed his happiness for hers, and he’d done it out of pure love.
Her heart tripped as she thought of the passionate kis
ses he’d given her that night, and the fluttery feeling stayed with her as she got ready for bed and climbed under the covers. She was so tired she doubted she would have any dreams at all … but if she did, she hoped they would be of Sawyer McCall.
9
Sawyer tossed and turned all night, too excited at the prospect of seeing Lily again to get much sleep. His blood had caught fire ever since she’d kissed him, and his heart couldn’t rest until he saw her again. He’d yearned for her for the past five years, and now that she was less than an hour away, he couldn’t be still.
Their date today had to be spectacular. It was his one shot to prove to her that their love was strong enough to make the distance issue work and to give him another chance, so he was up with the dawn, sitting on his dock and watching the sunrise while he made preparations.
He was often up early, enjoying the peace and stillness of the lake in the morning hours, fishing or occasionally getting in an early ski while the water was calm. Many of his neighbors in the Mountain Cove development used their homes as a vacation spot and weren’t permanent residents, so he often had the lake to himself.
While it was peaceful, recently he’d found himself getting a little lonely … especially very recently, since Lily had arrived. Suddenly his house felt empty, just as his heart had been for too long. From the moment he’d seen her in the bookstore it was as if she’d filled the empty spaces inside of him, bringing color and meaning back into his world. And all too soon she would be leaving again.
He shook his head. He couldn’t think about that. He would focus on what he could control: their date today. He picked up his phone and dialed. It was early, but Boyd would be up, he was sure of it.
Sawyer pulled his pickup to the curb outside of Meredith’s house at exactly nine o’clock and cut the engine. He was so nervous and excited, his stomach felt jittery. He probably should have eaten something before he came, but he’d been too busy planning, and he wanted to treat Lily and Meredith to breakfast anyway. He hopped out of the truck and started up the walkway. Meredith opened the front door before he had a chance to knock.
The Billionaire's Second Chance: Billionaire Bachelor Mountain Cove Page 6