“It may be worth it to take the early withdrawal penalty,” she said.
“I considered that, but it still wouldn’t be enough to buy the building. That’s what the loan is for,” he explained. “The perfect spot for my bike shop—the place I’ve had my eye on for years—is about to go on the market. Vanessa is the real estate agent handling the sale. She’s going to be flooded with buyers as soon as she lists it, so I want to be able to make an offer at or even above the asking price the morning it goes up for sale.
“The night we met? I was celebrating at The Corral because my meeting to get pre-approval for the loan went so well. I didn’t take into account that the bank may be reluctant to approve a single, 26-year-old with limited credit history for $400,000.”
Sonny grimaced. “I hate to say it, but that would be a tough sale for any loan officer. Especially the limited credit history.”
Ian held his hand out and hunched his shoulders. “It never crossed my mind that it could be a problem. I make good money at my job, the house is paid for, and between my dad’s social security and the money my mom sends for Kimmie every month, all the rest of the bills are covered. I have no reason to buy anything on credit. I thought I was being responsible by not running up a ton of credit card bills. Instead, it’s coming back to bite me in the ass.”
“Are you sure there’s nothing else you can do?” Sonny asked. “Nowhere else you can find the money?”
He shook his head. “I’ll think of something. Let’s get back to party planning.” He looked over at the door. “Actually, I should probably try to get the rest of Kimmie’s birthday presents ordered before she gets back.”
“What’s her present?”
“The iPhone she’s been wanting forever,” he answered. “At least that’s one of them. I’m also surprising her with this television and film summer camp in New York that she’s wanted to go to. Most of your rent money is going into a fund to cover her room and board and spending money while she’s out there.”
“And you don’t think you spoil her?” she asked with a laugh.
“Hey, you’re the one who said turning thirteen is this monumental event for a girl. It deserves a nice gift, doesn’t it?”
“There’s a huge difference between a nice gift and what you’re doing, but I understand it better now that you’ve explained the situation with your mom.”
His brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
Sonny debated whether or not she should say anything else, but Ian’s focused expression demanded she elaborate.
“Don’t take this as me trying to psychoanalyze the situation or anything, but all the gifts seem like a way to make up for Kimmie having to grow up without her mom and dad.”
“That’s not—” he started, but then he stopped. “Shit,” Ian whispered. “Who knows. Maybe I do spoil her because of the way my mom left.”
“At least you’re not turning her into a brat. As I said before, she seems to appreciate everything you do for her.”
“Yeah, well, maybe if I’m able to pull off this surprise party I can qualify for the Best Big Brother in the Entire World award.
“Actually, I think you’ve already earned that.”
A grin stole across his lips. “Close, but I’m not there yet.”
“Says who? Seriously, Ian, how many twenty-two-year-old males do you know who would step in to raise their nine-year-old sister?”
“I did what I had to do. If I hadn’t she would have been shipped to my great aunt Dolores in Jackson, Mississippi. She smells like stale bread and peppermint. I couldn’t do that to Kimmie.”
Sonny laughed. She had to stop herself from wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his neck. The fact that he evoked that kind of response in her rocked Sonny to her core.
Ian was the total opposite of the type of guy she’d dated in the past. If her ex had been in his position, Sonny had no doubt that Douglas would have gladly shipped his little sister to his peppermint-scented aunt. She couldn’t imagine him being considerate enough to even remember a child’s birthday, let alone want to throw said child a surprise party.
She looked over at Ian and wondered what she’d ever seen in her ex. She shuddered to think of what her life would be like right now if she hadn’t put her foot down and called off that engagement.
Miserable. That’s what her life would be like right now. One long miserable day after another.
But look at her now. On top of her fabulous new job with Kiera, she’d already baked two cakes as a part of her side business. Eventually, if she played her cards right, her cake designing skills would become her main business.
If only she could forget about those pesky complications that were preventing her and Ian from becoming anything more, her life would be damn near perfect.
Sonny rounded the chair and walked up to him. Without thinking, she cradled his cheek in her palm and said, “Don’t worry yourself over it. Good things come to good people, and as far as I can tell, you are very good people, Ian Landry.”
His gaze grabbed hold of hers as his hand came up to cover the one she’d placed on his cheek.
“If that were true we would be doing more than just standing here,” he said. He leaned forward, until his lips were only a hairsbreadth from hers, and said, “We would be doing this.”
The moment those ridiculously soft lips touched hers Sonny was catapulted to an entirely new world. A world where only she and Ian existed. A world where they could explore each other with abandon. Tasting each other, consuming each other.
His kiss was tentative at first, but when she licked at the seam of his lips, it exploded into a haze of teeth and tongue. His taste drove her wild, a deep, spicy mixture unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. With a boldness that was intoxicating, Ian’s tongue dove into her mouth, inhaling her as his hands traveled up and down her back.
It was as if an inferno erupted inside of her. Sonny wrapped her arms around him, pulling her body flush against his. She could feel him hardening against her stomach. The physical evidence of his desire grew stronger by the second, triggering sensations that turned her insides to liquid.
Something in the back of Sonny’s mind told her she needed to put an end to this right this second, instead, she said in a desperate whisper against Ian’s lips, “If you wrap my legs around your waist and carry me up the stairs, I won’t complain.”
“You promise?” Ian replied.
She nodded. “Please. Carry me up the stairs.”
Just then the oven timer buzzed loud enough to wake the dead. She and Ian both jumped, breaking apart.
“What the hell is that?” Ian asked.
“Your oven timer,” Sonny answered with a sigh.
“Shit.” He ran a hand down his face. “That damn near gave me a heart attack.”
“Which one?”
He looked up at her and grinned. “Take a guess.”
Sonny’s eyes fell onto his slightly red lips and she held in a sigh. Goodness, could she want him more than she already did? She doubted it, yet she was grateful for the interruption. Giving in to temptation would only lead to her doing something she would regret.
Or would she?
Of course you would, she argued with her conscience. Later that afternoon, after she had time to clear her head, she would try to remember just what those regrets were. For the life of her, she couldn’t recall a single one right now.
Sonny pointed over her shoulder. “My cake is ready,” she said.
Ian nodded. “You should probably get back to work.” He pointed to the clock shaped like the Eiffel Tower, something Sonny now suspected was a remnant of when his mother had lived here. “I’m back on nights, so I should take a nap before my shift anyway,” he said.
He started up the stairs.
“I’ll try to keep it down in the kitchen,” Sonny called after him.
Ian glanced over his shoulder. “Probably doesn’t matter. I doubt I’ll get much sleep.”
Ian heard the thump of Madison’s car door slam and had to practically order his heartbeat to remain steady. It truly was the sweetest torture in the world, living so close to her, imagining how things would be if they gave in to the powerful chemistry that pulsed between them. His current favorite nighttime fantasy was thinking about what would have happened if the oven timer had not gone off the other day and interrupted what would have undoubtedly led to some of the best sex of his life.
Dammit.
He knew it would have been spectacular.
What stunned him the most in these last two weeks was how well they got along when they were not naked in the front seat of her car, despite the fact that they were complete opposites. She had this natural, carefree vibe about her, while his main focus was on work. But in those little snippets of time when he wasn’t at the refinery, or at Trey’s, or here in the garage working on a bike, he loved spending whatever time he could with Sonny.
He hoped like hell that she had a cake to bake today. He’d become accustomed to hanging out in his kitchen, watching with no small amount of awe as she turned flour, water and sugar into a work of art. The only thing Ian didn’t like about it was how their conversations eventually turned into her talking about moving to a bigger city and opening up her own boutique cake business. She’d barely arrived in Maplesville and she was already thinking about the next city she would move to.
He couldn’t help but think about what might happen at the end of the month. Would she choose to stay, or would she pack up those vinyl albums and colorful throw pillows and say adios to this town? A rancid taste flooded his mouth at the thought.
The side door opened and Sonny stepped through. Her huge afro was as wild as ever. She wore tight jeans, a suede vest with long fringe that started just under her breast and fell nearly to the tattoo at her waist, and huge amber-colored sunglasses covering half her face. The smile that graced her lips at the sight of him was everything Ian needed in life right now.
“Hi,” she greeted.
“Hey,” Ian said. He slung the oil-smudged rag he’d used to clean the carburetor onto his worktable and wiped his fingers on a clean one. Then, unsure what to do with his hands, he picked up the torque wrench and started in on the stubborn lug nut he’d been trying to remove. “Done already at Kiera’s?” he asked.
She nodded and pulled the glasses from her eyes, hooking them between her breasts. Of course, now all he could do was think about her breasts.
“We spent much of today prepping for some church fair happening this weekend.”
“St. Michael’s,” Ian said. “It’s that huge Catholic church over on Wisteria Boulevard. Their spring festival is legendary around here.”
“That’s what Kiera told me. We’re bringing the food truck out there.” She gestured to the Yamaha he’d rescued from a salvage yard north of Denham Springs a few months ago. “So, are those the type of bikes you’ll be selling in your shop?”
Ian’s attention remained on the delicate shadows created by her cleavage.
Sonny clapped her hands together. “Hello, earth to Ian.”
“What?” he asked, shaking his head.
“The motorcycle? Is it the kind you plan to sell in your new bike shop?”
Ian lifted a shoulder. “Sure. Along with whatever else I can get my hands on.”
He gave the torque wrench a yank and heard a pop, followed by a sharp pain. “Shit,” Ian cursed, holding his finger against his chest.
Sonny was at his side in an instant. “What happened?” She tugged his hand away from his chest. “Let me see it.”
“I think…think I broke it,” Ian said, his teeth clenched.
“It’s not broken, just dislocated,” Sonny said. She caught the tip of his injured finger and popped it back into place. “How does that feel?” she asked.
“Still hurts like a bitch.” Ian tried to wiggle his finger.
“No, don’t move it just yet. You need to put some ice on it and take a couple of pain relievers. Give me a sec.”
She went upstairs to her apartment and just a few minutes later returned with a Ziploc bag filled with crushed ice, a bottle of water and two pills. She handed him the pills and uncapped the water bottle before placing it in his uninjured hand.
“Keep the ice on it for at least ten minutes. It’ll numb the pain and prevent swelling. It should already feel a little better now that the joint is back in place.”
“It does,” Ian said. “How did you do that? My finger,” he said. “Where did you learn what to do?”
She looked up at him. “In, um, in medical school,” she said.
Ian’s head jerked back. “Wait. You went to medical school?”
She nodded. “I got through one year of residency, but things didn’t work out. So.” She hunched her shoulder.
“So you decided to bake cakes? That’s a pretty big change.”
“Yes, but I’m much happier baking cakes than I ever was in the ER,” she said. She glanced up at him before continuing. “I wasn’t in medical school because I wanted to be a doctor. I was there because everyone else thought I should become a doctor. It was never discussed. I was never even asked if it’s what I wanted. It just...” She hunched her shoulders. “Happened.”
“All those years of school don’t just happen.”
“They do when you’re Carter White’s daughter.” Her words, though spoken lightly, held a trace of bitterness. “My dad’s a doctor. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps.”
“What about your mom?”
“She’s the executive director of a nonprofit in Houston.”
Ian let out a low whistle. “Sounds like the bar is set pretty high in the White household, huh?”
“You have no idea.” She huffed out a brief, humorless laugh. “Maybe I should call my dad and tell him all my medical training was finally put to use.” She nudged her chin toward his finger. “How is it feeling?”
“A hell of a lot better than it did ten minutes ago.”
“That’s probably because it’s numb from the ice. It’s going to be sore for a while.”
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’ve got you living right next door.” He started to speak again, then stopped.
“What?” Sonny asked.
“I was going to make a joke about the two of us playing doctor, but it sounded lame even to me.”
“Thanks for sparing me,” Sonny said with a laugh. She ambled over to the bike and ran her finger along the reddish-orange engine cover. “I’ve never ridden one of these before.”
“To be honest, I haven’t been out for a ride in a couple of months,” Ian admitted.
She whipped around to face him, her forehead creasing with confusion. “You rebuild bikes but you don’t ride them?”
“I do, usually. I just haven’t had much time since I started working for Trey.” He looked at her. “Do you want to?”
“What? Ride your motorcycle?”
Actually, if she were going to ride something of his, the motorcycle would be his second choice.
“I don’t know,” Sonny said, staring at the bike with a cautious dip to her brow, but Ian thought he sensed a bit of excitement lurking behind her gaze. She wanted to take a ride.
“Come on,” Ian said. “You know you want to.”
“I’ve seen the results of enough motorcycle accidents to know better than to get on one, especially with someone nursing an injured finger at the helm.”
“My finger is feeling better already. Come on, Sonny. I promise it’ll be safe,” Ian said. “Besides, I owe you a tour of Maplesville. You’ve been here two weeks and still only know this house and Kiera’s catering company.”
“And The Corral,” she said.
She looked up at him, her eyes wide, as if she let the words slip without thinking.
“Yeah,” Ian said after a deep breath. “We can’t forget about The Corral.”
There was that electricity again, humming betwe
en them like a live wire. God, he wanted this woman. He wanted her so damn much.
“You promise to be safe?” she asked him. “No showing off with crazy motorcycle tricks?”
“Never,” Ian said. “I’ve got Kimmie to take care of, remember? I’d never do something reckless on the bike. It’ll just be a nice stroll around Maplesville.” He paused for a beat before he said, “Maybe I can entice you to stay a bit longer.”
There was only a brief flash of indecision in her eyes before she said, “Okay. I’ll go for a ride on your bike.”
Yes! He knew he’d get her to cave sooner or later.
“Just give me a minute to clean up.”
She eyed him up and down. “I don’t know. I kinda like you dirty.”
Ian sucked in a swift breath and released it with a moan. “I had no idea you were so damn wicked.”
She bit her lip between her teeth, but couldn’t hold in her laugh.
He took the quickest shower of his life, and threw on a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt he’d grabbed from the laundry still waiting to be folded and put away. He was back in the garage in less than ten minutes.
Sonny was sitting atop his worktable, her sexy legs crossed at the ankle.
“You ready?” Ian asked.
She scooted off the table. “Which bike?”
He pointed to the black and gold Honda. He’d been working on it for weeks now. This would be the perfect opportunity to test it out.
“So, where do you want to go?” he asked her.
“You’re the one giving me the tour,” she said, “Take me wherever you think I’d have the most fun.”
Ian’s voice took on a husky note. “If that’s the case we don’t have to get on the bike at all.”
“Fully clothed,” she said.
He snorted as he unhooked a helmet from a peg on the garage’s wall and held it out to her. “I thought out of the two of us you were supposed to be the carefree risk-taker?”
“Nice try.” She turned the helmet around in her hands. “It’ll be a miracle if I can get all my hair inside that thing,” Sonny said.
Ian raised the garage door and walked the Honda out, then lowered the door behind them. He climbed on the machine, which if he were being honest, could use a washing before going out about town, and kicked the kickstand back.
All You Can Handle (Moments In Maplesville Book 5) Page 8