Her hand came to his jaw, cupping his cheek and her thumb slid over his lips, and she let those good memories float through her mind. She watched his mouth open and capture her thumb. Her eyes lifted, connecting with his. They were filled with warmth and heat.
“Okay,” she breathed.
He released her thumb and grinned, repeating her word back at her. “Okay.”
An hour later, after a taking a shower together and getting dressed, they rode toward his shop on his bike. Shades felt Skylar tuck in behind him, her breasts pressed against his back. It felt right, natural, like it was where she’d always belonged. On the back of his bike, her arms wrapped around him.
Before they’d left her place, while she was getting ready, he’d stepped out on her balcony and called his sister and begged her to make a quick run to his shop to change his sheets. He owed her big time now. Oil change, tune up and a new paint job.
Damned if she didn’t drive a hard bargain, but she’d finally given in, like he knew she would. And he’d made her promise to get the good shit. 600 thread count or Egyptian cotton or whatever it was chicks liked.
She’d laughed at him, but she’d done as he’d bid.
When they’d gotten to his shop, he’d worked faster than usual and had the car ready by eleven. After a call, the car was picked up early.
Now he watched through the glass door as the car pulled off the lot, and then he reached up and flipped the open sign over to the closed side.
Then he turned to her.
****
Skylar watched a grin form on his face. A grin she knew so well. She watched him move toward her with purpose, and then he was taking her hand and leading her toward the stairs.
The stairs to the loft.
The loft where his bed was.
She pulled back, digging in her heels.
That had him stopping and turning to look back at her.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
She shook her head, her eyes lifting to the loft. “No, Shades. I can’t. Not here.”
He took both her hands in his, and his eyes searched her face. “Sweetheart, we had one bad hour there. And a lot of good ones. A lot. The bad? It’s over. It’s done. And I’m as sorry as I can be, and I think I told you that. But now I need you to let it go. ‘Cause, babe, you pull that out and throw it up between us over and over, and we are never gonna get past it.”
Shades was direct, he always had been. It’s one of the things she’d loved about him.
Still.
“Shades, I can’t,” she whispered, her eyes again going to the loft.
“Do you forgive me?”
“Shades—”
“Do. You. Forgive. Me?”
She nodded.
“Say it.”
He waited.
“Say it, Sky. I need to hear you say it. Out loud.”
“I forgive you, Shades.”