Page 37 of Back in the Country
“Hey,” I say quietly.
Bending down, Waylon pulls a single sheet of paper from the mess of piles I’d created. There have been a couple of alterations to the design, but what he holds is the logo I’ve made for his business. I hold my breath as I wait for his reaction.
I’d chosen clean, heavy lines and a masculine feel.JT & Cowas situated on the top and centered overWoodworking, which I had done slightly smaller. I’d underlined both pieces. In my head, the logo would be black and most likely metal.
JT & CO
Woodworking
“You did this?”Nodding, I bite my bottom lip. His eyes track the letters and then so do his fingers. It’s a featherlight touch and almost reverent.
“Do you like it?” I ask when I can’t take the silence anymore.
“Baby Girl,” his voice is hoarse as he speaks, “it’s perfect.” He sets the paper gently on the couch and then scoops me into his arms. My legs automatically wrap around his waist as his lips land on mine.
The kiss is delicious. It’s hot and heavy but also worshipful and holds so much promise for later.
“You’re so sexy,” he growls into my mouth. “You’re so damn talented, Baby Girl.” He kisses me again as his hands grip my ass.
I moan.
“Don’t we need to go?” My words are breathy as his teeth nip the column of my neck.
“I’m going to devour you later.”
I shiver at his words as they vibrate against my skin. With one more hard kiss, Waylon lets me slide down his body before adjusting himself.
“Get in the truck before I change my mind.” He means the words as a threat but I only hear a promise. Grinning, I look at him seductively over my shoulder as I climb down the porch steps.
“You sure, Way? You seem tense…” I let the words trail off as I reach for the handle to open the door.
His scents of wood and motor oil box me in just as much as his body does—his hands on either side of my head and my back against the hot metal. The hardness of his body in addition to his length pressed firmly against me make me dizzy, and I like it.
I like it so damn much.
“Thank you.” His words are completely at odds with the raggedness of his breaths and the tension of his body. His eyes though, those crystal-blue pools, hold nothing but sincerity.
“Always,” I whisper.
He kisses my forehead gently and then moves away so he can open my door. A quick slap to my ass has me yelping and him growling as I settle into my seat.
Way looks proud as punch as the truck roars to life and then we are pulling onto the road. I shake my head with a smile of my own and set to work finding the perfect song for this impromptu adventure.
15
WAYLON
The barn looks just as worn down as the day I first saw it and my pulse races. The entire north side of the building is a stiff breeze from collapsing but all I see is potential. Repurposing the wood from barns isn’t anything new, but in the last few years it has become a fashion statement or an accessory, and I want to take it back to being something unique and not just reproduced.
Maybe it is cheesy, but I want people to look at the pieces I make and know that they are holding something that has weathered a literal storm. I like the feel of the wood planks and the stories they tell. Different colors of paint washed away by wind and rain give each sign a unique look and feel.
“Took you guys long enough,” Otto yells from the bed of his truck. He and Case had both brought their landscaping trucks with the trailers they use to haul equipment.
“Yeah, yeah.” I wave him off and look back to see Marlee with a strange look on her face. “You okay, baby?”
“I have an idea.”
“What’s that?”
