Ignite (Wildwood 1)

I approve of filthy.

The moment he sent the text he worried. Would she be offended by his remark? He always remembered Harper having a pretty easygoing nature and a sharp sense of humor but he didn’t want to upset her. Not when he was trying to work his way back in her good graces.

You would, you big perv. ?

More relief flooded him.

Take your shower. Text me before you leave your house.

A few minutes ticked by and he was suddenly nervous. It was so insane he felt that way, about Harper of all people. But she’d always managed to get under his skin.

I’m staying at my grandma’s. It’ll take me five minutes to get to your place. If that.

He didn’t want to appear too anxious, but . . . he wanted her here. Now.

Text me when you leave your grandma’s house anyway. Just so I know.

Will do. ?

She liked emojis. Smiley faces. He liked that about her. There were a lot of things he liked about Harper. Many things that had kept him up at night since his return to Wildwood. Hell, if he was being truthful with himself, he’d thought about her a lot even when he hadn’t been in Wildwood. The one night they’d shared hadn’t been enough. Not be a long shot.

So what he was going to do with all those old memories and current thoughts, dirty ones and all? That he wasn’t so sure of.

Chapter Six

THE DOOR SWUNG open within seconds of Harper knocking on it, her hand still hovering in the air. West stood in the doorway, looking fresh and clean and stupid gorgeous in a pair of cargo shorts and a black T-shirt that stretched across his broad chest in the most fascinating way.

Harper took a step back, needing the space. Oh, boy. How was she going to concentrate on not throwing herself at him when he looked like that?

“Hey.” He smiled, looking completely at ease and comfortable in his skin. How she envied that. She was nothing but restless energy and a bundle of nerves. “Glad you made it.”

West held the door open wider and she walked inside, the familiar smell of her former home now filled with the unbelievably delicious scent that was Weston Gallagher. As discreetly as possible she inhaled, keeping her back to him as he closed the door.

Soap. Man. Spicy. Clean. He was her new favorite fragrance.

“Tough day at work?” he asked, stopping directly beside her.

She glanced up at him, appreciating the fact that he was so tall. Roger was average height. Most of the guys she’d dated weren’t especially tall. But West towered over her, her head barely meeting his shoulder. He made her feel small. Feminine.

“Brutal,” she said. “I plowed my way through receipts that were dated back to 2004.”

“That’s over ten years ago,” he pointed out.

“Wow, you’re a mathematician master,” she said with a somber nod, making him laugh.

“Not even close. I failed geometry and had to take summer school as a redo.” He made a face. “Worst summer of my life.”

Harper silently called bullshit on that statement. She’d lived that moment in time, had spent most of her days and nights at the Gallagher house. That was the summer West and Delilah got together. She’d been retaking geometry too and they were in class together, but whatever. No way did Harper want to bring that little fact up.

“I spent most of the afternoon shredding all of those receipts. You don’t have to keep them that long for tax purposes, though my grandma sure thought so,” Harper explained.

“I’m guessing you found older receipts too?”

“I haven’t found them—yet. But she confirmed they’re waiting for me in boxes in a storage unit she has just outside of town.” Harper grimaced and West chuckled again. It was a nice sound, if a bit rusty. She had a feeling he didn’t laugh much, and that was a shame.

“Want one of the engines to come in and help you? Start a controlled burn with all those boxes?” he asked. “Might be easi

er than shredding everything.” Clearly he was joking, but she was tempted to take him up on the offer.