Layer by Layer (Riggings Brothers 1)

“What are you thinking about?”

“You. Us.”

“Yeah? My favorite subject.”

“I find that I look forward to each new day. Before I moved to Nashville, I was missing that. I lost my parents, and my job was miserable. I’m kicking myself in the ass for not leaving sooner.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I hate that you put up with that jackass for as long as you did, but I’m glad you waited. I’m glad that it was you who sat next to me on that plane. I’m glad it was you who took over for Sam, and most of all, I’m glad it’s you sitting here curled up in my lap.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

He wraps his arms around me, and I feel his lips press to my forehead. “I’m falling hard, Sawyer. So damn hard.”

“Can we make a deal?” I pause and feel him nod his agreement. “I’ll catch you if you catch me.”

“Come here.” His hand slides to my cheek, and I lift my head, allowing him the opportunity to press his lips to mine. “Promise,” he murmurs. Moving my head back to his shoulder, we lie together, unmoving, and watch the sun set over the water. It’s the perfect day, and the company’s even better.“I’m heading out,” Owen says, standing. We’re all sitting around the fire just talking.

“Be careful,” I tell him. I stand from Royce’s lap and give him a hug.

“We should get going too,” Hadley says, standing from her spot on Derek’s lap. “Thank you so much for having us. It was such a fun day.”

“We’ll have to do it again.” Royce stands and shakes Derek’s hand, then pulls Hadley into a hug.

“I’m so glad I got to see you both,” I say, hugging first Had then Derek.

“We should plan to get together again soon,” she tells me.

“Just tell us when,” Royce says, sliding his arm around my waist.

“You guys heading out too?” Marshall asks.

“You ready, babe?” Royce asks.

“Yes,” I say, covering a yawn.

“Yeah, we’re heading out. I’ll come out tomorrow and help bring the boat and Jet Skis into the garage.”

“Nah, we’re staying.” Conrad holds up his beer bottle. “We’ll take care of it.”

“Are you sure? We don’t mind helping,” I tell them.

“Nah, we’ve got it,” Grant assures us.

“Night,” I say, going to Grant and giving him a hug, making my way toward Conrad, and then Marshall before making my way back to Royce.

“See ya later.” He waves to his brothers, tossing his arm over my shoulder and leading me to his truck. He walks me to the passenger side and opens the door for me.

“You do this for all of your dates?” I tease him, climbing up in his truck.

“I haven’t dated since college.”

“Oh, I just assumed after your divorce…” I let my words trail off.

“I hooked up. It was random sex, and even more random in occurrence. It’s been over two years.”

“And you never brought anyone here?”

“Just my ex-wife, and she hated it. She never would have enjoyed today.”

“Well…” I lean out of the truck and place my palm against his cheek. “I can’t think of a better way to spend such a gorgeous day. Thank you for sharing this with me.” I kiss his lips.

“You’re going to fall out,” he says, stepping close and sliding an arm around my waist as he deepens the kiss.

“Nah,” I say when he pulls away. “I know you’ve got me.”

“You’re damn right.” He kisses me one more time before pulling back and shutting the door. The drive to his place is quiet, and I’m fighting exhaustion. He leads me inside and upstairs to his bedroom. “I need to shower, get this lake water off me.”

Without a word, he leads me to the bathroom. I watch as he reaches in and turns on the water, then gets to work stripping me out of my clothes. I waste no time stepping under the hot spray. I reach for the shampoo, but his hand stops me.

“Let me.”

My hand falls to my side, and I tilt my head back, letting him take care of me. My heart swells in my chest, and I can no longer deny what it means. I’m in love with him. This sexy multi-layered man has stolen my heart.

“Rinse.” His husky voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

Turning to face him, I tilt my head back, close my eyes, and let the water rain down on me. I feel his hands on my body, which causes me to raise my head. His soapy hands are traveling over my body. I stand still, letting him do his thing, relishing the moment.

“Turn for me,” he murmurs.

Doing as he asks, I turn to face the shower wall, and his hands repeat the process all over again. I’m no longer exhausted. How can I be with his hands all over me? “Your turn,” I say, reaching for the body wash, and stepping around him.