He pulls me against his chest, and I go willingly, wrapping my arms around his waist as I breathe in his now-familiar scent of oil and pine trees.
“I mean, if anyone was the curse here, it was them. They held you back, tried to keep you tied down to their level,” he points out.
It’s amazing how just a few days away from them and I can suddenly see things so much more clearly. Or maybe it’s just that Gavin took the time to show me how wrong I was.
He’s right. I don’t need them. I’m so much better off without any of them in my life.
“Are you okay?” he asks as he pulls back slightly.
“Yeah, I am,” I promise him, and he gives me a lopsided grin.
“Good. The last part for your car came in. Want to help me fix it? Then I can take you home or we can grab a late dinner or something.”
“Sure.”
I follow him over to my car and he grabs me a camping chair and sets it up nearby before he gets to work.
“It’s cool that you know how to do all of this,” I say.
He smiles. “It’s not super hard. Once you’ve done a few, you're pretty much a pro,” he says and I shake my head.
“I’m clueless about building and fixing things. It’s cool that you're so self-sufficient.”
His face heats slightly and I wonder if he’s blushing or if it’s just hot under the hood of my car.
“Do you want to learn?” he offers after a beat, and I’m tempted to take him up on it, but I shake my head.
“Nah, I’m enjoying the view too much,” I tell him with a wink, and he grins at me, shaking his head slightly.
He doesn’t seem to believe me, so I get comfortable in my chair and start to tell him what seeing him all greasy and sweaty does to me.
“I’m serious. The first time I saw you when you came to get my car, I literally said ‘holy shit,’ when I saw you.”
He peeks up at me and I stare back at him.
“Then every time I see you in those coveralls or all sweaty and covered in grease. Whew!” I say, fanning myself and his cheeks turn a brighter shade of pink.
He grabs the new belt, and I watch as he partly disappears under the hood of my car.
“Have you ever thought about making a calendar and selling them?” I ask him, and he bursts out laughing. “I’m serious! I would even take the pictures for you.”
“How generous of you,” he says dryly, and I grin at him as he tightens the last bolt on my car and straightens up from under the hood.
“I’m a giver,” I tell him, and he crooks a finger at me.
“Me too. Come here and let me show you.”
I stand on shaky legs and make my way over to him. My heart is starting to beat faster as I approach him and take in a quick breath as I look up to meet his clear blue eyes.
Lust tightens like a fist around my throat and even though I have no experience here, I know that I need him.
I keep eye contact with him as I reach up, slipping the straps of my sundress down. The material sticks to my damp bathing suit and I wiggle slightly to free it.
“Fuck,” he whispers harshly, and I smile as I see his eyes heat.
The dress pools at my feet and I kick it to the side. My flip-flops go with it and then I reach for the tie of my bathing suit on the back of my neck.
“Record,” he says, and my heart kicks against my ribcage. “Are you sure?”