Exposed: New Adult Sport Romance (The Boys of Winter Book 5) (16 page)

I huff because I don’t have time for their sparring. I look down at Garret’s text.

“Just say when Boss.”

My thumbs pound in frustration. “Thanks, 5 please.”

I don’t bother to look at Trevor’s reaction because I’m sure he’d be pissed at just about anything Neal said. I say, “I’ve got to get going. Garret can sew tonight, and I’m sure I’ll hear back from the girls soon.”

I’ve grabbed my hoodie and am putting it on as I ask Trevor, “I’m parked in the back, walk out with me?”

Once my coat is zipped up I reach for my backpack but Trevor takes it. I say, “Bye, Neal, thanks.”

“Text me if you need anything, like food.” His eyes are crinkled in a grin, and I smile back because he gets me, and he knows I won’t come up for air until I’m done or the shop opens.

Trevor and I link arms as we walk to my car. I say, “Thank you so much for helping me today. I know it wasn’t fun, and I appreciate it.”

“No problem, but I didn’t exactly get my payment.”

“Yeah.” We’ve reached my car and I open my door before taking my backpack.

Trevor hands it to me, and I toss it over to my passenger seat. I turn to him and reach my hands around his neck. “Earlier, that was so hot.”

Trevor has his hands on my hips and leans against me so I’m pressed against the car. The cold metal seeps through my clothes. “Does talking dirty turn you on?”

“Uh-huh, I liked it.”

“So do I. You can speak that way to me, too.”

I pull him down for a kiss, and while I want to get into it, I’m distracted, thinking my shipment might have arrived. I could be wasting precious time. When Trevor’s hands squeeze my butt, I stop.

“I’ve really got to go. I’m sorry.”

He groans. “You’re killing me, baby.”

“I know, but this is important to me.”

He twists a strand of my hair. “I know. It’s okay.”

I smile and lower myself into my car. He leans in, and says, “Text me when you want a break.” He winks and adds, “I’m always up for a snack.”

“You are so bad.”

He waggles his eyebrows at me. “And you love it.” He slams my door shut before I can respond.

I wave at him as I drive off. When I get home ten large boxes are by my door, and I’m glad Garret is coming to help because there’s no way I can drag them in by myself. Too anxious to wait, I slice one open with a key and bring a few bolts of fabric into my house as I enter. I prop the door open and continue the trips until the first box is empty.

Finally closing the door and taking off my coat, I check my phone for replies. While Lisa can’t make it tonight, Elaina can and said she’ll work until I kick her out. Knowing Garret is the same way we may very well work through the night.

Maybe I should contact Neal for supplies. As if he got a telepathic message, he texts me. “Tracking says it’s there. Need anything?”

“It is, and I hate to ask, but since you offered…”

Neal replies, “Food?”

“Yes, we’ll need dinner, and I’m not going to want to take a break to get it.”

“Got it. How many?”

“3”

I watch the gray dots dance as I wait for his reply. “I’ll be there around 8.”

“Thank you!”

I seriously have the best partner. The cutting table groans across the floor as I drag it out to make access easy. Laying a drop cloth under it, I stack the silks I retrieved and place one on top. I’ve barely finished cutting the first project before Garret arrives.

He enters with a box in his hands. “Tell me what to do, boss.”

“You’re doing it. Get all those boxes in here so we can get them unloaded and clean up before we get dirt on the silks.”

When we’ve sorted the fabric, Garret sits down to work on his first piece, and Elaina arrives. When she sees the piles, she says, “Oh my gosh! These are gorgeous. I can’t wait to get my hands on them.”

I give her a project. “Feel away.” She grins and takes it to her favorite machine.

Because I can sew too, I decide to cut enough for a day’s worth of sewing and leave the rest for when there’s four of us working.

The music is loud, and I’m singing along with everyone else when I glance up to the movement that catches my eye. Neal has walked in, and he’s got two big bags in his arms. I stop work immediately to help him.

“Holy cow, how much food did you bring?” I grab one of the bags and look inside. The odor of fried yumminess wafts up to me.

“I wasn’t sure what everyone liked, and I figured you could use the leftovers tomorrow too.”

We set the bags down on the kitchen counter and I say, “Neal, you’re too good to us. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.”

Garret and Elaina have both stopped working and join us as I lay plates out on my small table that fits four comfortably. Glasses clink as Elaina gets them out to pour water for everyone.

Besides fried food, there’s salad and a variety of sandwiches. Neal sits down next to me and asks, “So, how’s it going?”

Garret answers, “We’ve got a lot to do in the next week, but I think we can hit the ultimate goal.”

Neal asks, “Can I help?”

I answer, “You already are.”

“But I want to help with sewing. Surely there’s something I can do.” He’s placed his hand on my arm, and those deep blue eyes are intent. “If you don’t put me to work, I’m going to hang out and watch so I can understand how you create the product. It’s a good thing for me to know. You might as well give me something to do.”

Elaina says, “I’ll bet he could cut.” She focuses on Neal. “Cutting silk can be tricky, but it’s mostly concentration to keep it from slipping.”

Neal stands. “Show me.”

Garret says, “Go wash your hands or boss lady will hurt you, man.”

Neal grins as glances at me. “We can’t have that.”

I grab the plates on the table to clear them. “You’ve got that right. I pack a mean punch.”

Garret helps me clean while Elaina takes charge of showing Neal how to place the pattern pieces based on my diagram and cut properly. As I dry a dish, I take a moment to watch Neal. His strong fingers move deftly as he works with Elaina’s guidance. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed how sexy a man’s hands can be before.

The deep baritone of Garret’s voice sounds behind me. “It’s cool that he wants to learn what you do. He’s a pretty awesome guy, right?”

“Yeah, he really is.” I’m impressed with how much Neil cares about Ruby Raines. He’s invested in how everything works and wants to learn every aspect. Neal catches me watching and winks. Warmth spreads through my being, because not only is he invested in our business, he’s invested in me.

Chapter 24

Si
nce the fabric arrived, I’ve been working at least eighteen hours a day. I go to bed with the sound of sewing machines whirling and presser feet clicking in my head and wake up wondering why it’s so quiet. We open on Friday, and while I’ll let the others sew today, I need to get the clothes in the shop and spend the next two days getting ready.

My shoulders ache from hunching over for hours on end, and instead of getting out of bed when my phone alarm goes off, I check through my texts.

I groan when I open Trevor’s. He becomes increasingly impatient with my refusal to take time off to be with him. “I know you’re busy, but it’s been almost a week. Don’t you want to see me?”

“Of course I want to see you. Can I call?”

My phone rings, and I answer. “Hey. I’m sorry. I’ve got a deadline, and I’m scrambling to meet it. I wish I could make you understand this has nothing to do with us.”

“I bet you see Neal every day, right?”

“That’s not fair. We’re partners, and trust me, when he does see me, I put him to work.” I whip off the covers and sit up. The sudden chill makes me wrap an arm around myself.

“I want to believe you, but I’m having a hard time with not being important enough for you to want to see me.”

I sigh. “Trevor, please don’t do this.” I glance out at the snow-covered mountains glistening in the morning sun. The sky is the color of hyacinth, and it’s going to be a gorgeous ski day. “Look. I’m renting a van today to bring clothes into the shop. I’ll be hanging and steaming all afternoon and into the evening. If you stop by, I promise I’ll take a break for you. Okay?”

“Okay, I’ll come by after skiing.” He sighs and says, “I miss you, baby.”

“I miss you, too.” But once I hang up, I think about how I haven’t. I’ve been so busy Trevor hasn’t been in my thoughts except when he annoys me by trying to shame me into seeing him.

But Neal has. Sometimes when I’m sewing, my mind drifts off to the night he worked with us. Or the times he’s stopped by with coffee, tea, and pastries and then rubbed our shoulders while complementing our work.

He even grabbed my laundry and did it for me so I wouldn’t have to take time out to get it done. I flush a little, thinking about how he folded my underwear and bras, and am so grateful I had recently thrown out the icky ones.

It’s as if he knows what I need before I do. None of it’s expected, but I can’t help compare Neal’s easy way of making me feel special to Trevor’s way of working on my guilt. Something’s wrong with that.

The roar of an engine in my driveway makes me bolt out of bed. I don’t have to guess who’s here, but for a moment I panic that maybe Trevor decided to stop by. I scramble down my ladder to peek out the window and sigh in relief. Another man in my life who makes me smile, Garret, has arrived.

I pull open the door with a grin and say, “You know, you may need to get a girlfriend so I can get some sleep.”

“Aw, boss, you’re going to miss my wake-up calls.” His hair falls to his shoulders and is damp.

“I probably will. Give me a half hour, and I’ll be ready to go get the van.”

Garret is going to help me load the clothes so I can drive them to the shop. Twisting my hair up on top of my head I hop in the shower while he starts sewing while he waits.

Leaving Garret behind to work, I’m bouncing along down the road in a white van that has the strong odor of a past smoker and a bold advertisement painted on the outside in case anyone else wants the pleasure of driving it, too. I texted Neal, and he and Christian will be ready for me in case I have to double park outside Ruby Raines to unload the multiple rolling racks of clothes.

Gazing out at the majestic mountains in the distance inspires my mood to float along like the puffy clouds in the sky. I’m looking forward to hours of quiet as I organize, steam, and hang the clothes on their respective racks. A week of little sleep and constant noise has pushed me to the edge, and I need today and tomorrow to recharge my batteries for the opening.

At the traffic light I send the text I pre-typed before I left telling Neal I was minutes away. It’s early, and because I’m here before most stores open I get a space in front of the shop. Neal and Christian are waiting on the sidewalk for me, and I’ve barely parked before the twang of the metal doors sounds as they open up the back.

The ramp creaks and thuds to the ground, and I hop out to go prop the door open. I smile when they both work to ease one rack at a time out of the truck and into the shop. These guys know that while nothing would break, the clothes on the racks are precious to me.

Neal slams the back doors shut and comes to me with the bungee cords. I gather the snake like restraints in my arms as I gaze into his face. He has a day-old stubble happening, and I’m tempted to rub my fingers against the roughness. He asks, “What time do you need to drop this off?”

“Did you want to take it for a spin? Pretty sure it would be a hit if you’re trolling for the ladies.”

He grins at me. “As long as they don’t think I want to kidnap them.”

I nod. “Good point. It needs to be back by five, so I’m going to park it in the back until later.”

“If you don’t want to leave I can return it for you at four. I’ll just need your car keys to get back.” He’s standing in dress slacks and an Oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and I think he must be cold as I watch wind blow through his hair.

“Thanks, I may take you up on that.” Tossing the cords into the passenger seat, I climb in and drive off to park in my shop spot.

On my way back I cut through Rhinestone Cowgirl so I can thank Christian. He’s in his office on the phone, so when I get his attention I mouth the words as he gives me a wave. When I flip the light switch for the overheads in Ruby Raines, I stand and take in the atmosphere. With the mossy-green carpet and twisted-vine wood fixtures, my vision for a fantasyland has turned into something special.

Relishing the quiet, I roll the racks to the back of the store and begin to pull the clothes that don’t need to be steamed. For the most part, the only ones that do are the silks because the centerfold has been pressed in for decades. The light clink of hangers being placed on metal rods is soft and lets my mind wander as I work throughout the morning.

By the time Nika comes over to chat with me, I’ve won Project Runway and been written up in Vanity Fair. I turn to my ex-model friend as she stops to take in the store. “Oh, Ruby, it’s magical.” She crinkles her nose. “But that new-carpet smell needs help.” Her eyes widen a bit. “I know just the thing!” Nika turns away and calls over her shoulder, “Be right back.”