Love at Furst Sight (Built Fur Love Book 1) Read online

  He couldn’t allow her to think he was just being casual, even if it was just until he told her the truth.

  He just wasn’t that kind of man.

  He reached out and took both her hands in his, insistently. “Dawn, I’m not playing around with you. I really want to see where this goes.”

  “I do, too,” she said. “At least until the house is done. And then I know you’ll be back to traveling around and building things, and that’s fine.” She smiled weakly. “I’m trying to be realistic is all.”

  A small flicker of hope lit inside him. So was his mate saying she would want more from him but she was afraid to hope and be disappointed?

  “If you weren’t being realistic, what would you want?” he asked.

  She looked into his eyes for one wistful moment, then released his hands to pick her up coffee cup and take another sip, looking out the window into the slowly falling dark. She sipped again, then sighed.

  “So many things. My grandpa back. For his family not to have made his funeral into a circus, fighting over things that never meant much to him. To have had a family that I could talk to, rather than one I couldn’t trust.” Her eyes met his. “And you know, to have a man I could be with where I could have his back and he would have mine.”

  “I see,” he said. His heart ached for the things he couldn’t give her but soared for the one thing he could.

  He would make sure she never went without anything. Never felt scared or alone. He’d fill in all those holes where her dreams had been, help her fly higher than ever before.

  She set down her cup with a frown. “But you know there are a lot of men in this town. A lot more than women, so I’m sure I’ll be able to find someone.”

  He slammed his fist down on the table, a little harder than he’d meant to. “Dammit, Dawn. Why not me?”

  Her eyes raised to his. “Because I would be afraid to even hope for that with you. I mean, it would be too much. I wouldn’t want you to give your life up for me. Not when we barely know each other. No, it would be better for me to find someone here.”

  “But you expect me to date you in the meantime, do things to and with you, when you don’t even know if you’ll be mine.”

  She cocked her head, flushing deeply. “You have the oddest way of saying things sometimes. I’ve just been thinking about this since we slept together. And as much as it’s the hottest thing that’s ever happened to me and I want it again very much, I think it would be best if we kept emotion out of it, don’t you? That way no one gets hurt.”

  His eye was twitching and his jaw was ticking in confusion. “Well, too bad.”

  “What do you mean?” She straightened slightly, looking shocked, probably by his less-than-pleasant tone.

  Goddammit, he couldn’t be all smiley when his mate had such low expectations of him.

  “Dawn Henderson, you aren’t getting any action from me without going on a date. And I’m not dating you unless you at least leave your mind open to the future.”

  She gaped at him. “Seriously? You’re mad about that?”

  “I’m mad as hell about that,” he said, pushing his chair back. “You’ve spent time with me, at the job site, on our date, and in bed. You can’t honestly think I’d be the type of man who’d be okay with what you just suggested?”

  “I was just saying we should protect our feelings.”

  “Too damn late.” He narrowed his eyes on her and felt her squirm with awareness. Did she like when he was a little more… firm?

  Well, that worked for him because he’d tell his mate as many times as she needed it. He wasn’t there to play and walk away.

  “I’m serious about this, Dawn.” He stood and took out his wallet, putting down money for the check. “If you go out with me, do it because you can see a future with me. Not for any other reason, or I can’t ask you out.”

  She bit her lip nervously. “You’re being silly. You know that? It’s only been—”

  He slammed his hand on the table again. “I don’t care how long it’s been. I like you and you like me, and we don’t have time to waste anymore. We can get to the specifics later. I just need to know if you’re willing to go all in, right now.”

  She laughed then, shaking her head and swiping her hand to wipe away tears of mirth. “I just… I’m seeing such a different side of you right now. And it’s hot, but… it just reinforces that I barely know you at all.” She composed herself, meeting his eyes honestly. “But it’s like, just as with everything else, I can’t put the brakes on when I’m with you. So fine, I agree to your terms.”

  Her words were tepid, but her tone said she was amused, so Garrett let himself feel at least a little bit of relief that they were on the same page now.

  He sat down and pulled his plate in front of him, sure he was burning bright red. He stabbed into his steak and ate it with vigor, pretending each piece was one of the idiots who’d violated Dawn’s van.

  When he’d finished eating, he saw her smiling at him, her hand over her mouth as if she were trying not to laugh.

  What he’d said that was so funny he didn’t know. “Is something wrong?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Can I walk you home, then?”

  She wiggled her eyebrows. “Are you going to come in with me? Give me another taste like last night?”

  He gave her a stern glare. “Did we have a date? I think not.”

  She laughed again but took his offered hand as he led the way from the restaurant.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked finally, when he couldn’t stand it anymore.

  “Oh, nothing,” she said, beaming up at him. “It’s just nice to see another piece of who you are.”

  “Oh.” He didn’t know what to say to that, so he just kept his hand protectively around hers as they made their way home.

  She was quiet, but he could sense her happiness, so he supposed whatever she had seen from him, it couldn’t be too bad.

  When they reached her door, he found he was reluctant to leave her. He’d have to go back tonight, but he wasn’t looking forward to his cold trailer.

  “Well, maybe just a movie would work,” he said.

  She smiled and just led the way in.

  Chapter 13

  The days flew by until the weekend, when Garrett had asked to take her out again.

  Thus far, Dawn felt she’d been doing a pretty fair job of keeping distant, only stopping by the job site to check on progress and answer questions. The house was already looking like a house in such a short time, and pretty soon it felt like it would be ready for her to move in, or at least starting.

  In the meantime, she’d tried to get everything possible in line so that when it was done, life could go smoothly. She’d filed every possible form necessary with the city, had scheduled for an internet provider to come in and set things up in a couple weeks, and with every spare minute, she’d been working on mockups for new clients and contacting her current clients about any projects they might have in mind for her.

  There were several raps on the door to her hotel room, and she checked herself once more in the mirror. Her soft green sweater and blue jeans accentuated her curves quite nicely, at least she thought so, and her hair was pulled into a loose braid that she’d tied with a ribbon so it wouldn’t come undone.

  Another knock sounded, and she came to the door and checked the peephole. Garrett, or rather Garrett’s chest, filled her view, and she opened for him.

  He opened his mouth to say something but paused as his eyes lingered on her for a prolonged moment, making her nerves tingle with anticipation. Then his jaw shut and he attempted a relaxed posture.

  “Ready to head out?” he asked. She nodded, and he offered an arm for her to take as they strolled toward his truck, which looked extra sparkly tonight, as if he’d just washed and waxed it.

  He was wearing a light-brown jacket over a blue flannel shirt with red lines going through it. And as always, his ass and thighs looked amazin
g in even a relaxed pair of blue jeans, and his short beard looked like it had been trimmed, showing off a little more jaw than usual.

  Garrett helped her into the truck, and as they drove toward the lake at the far end of town, they chatted about the day’s progress and he offered a few ideas as far as outside finishes for the house once they were done with the structural and could move to the aesthetic parts of the project.

  He was still describing the pros and cons of different materials when they arrived at a huge grass and dirt parking lot bordering the lake after which the town was named. Dawn got out, taking in the sight of the mild throng of people as they bustled around dozens of stands selling everything from fresh produce and pine nuts to local crafts and tchotchkes. The scent of hot cider and fresh beer and fried foods wafted over them, intermixing with the surrounding pine.

  “Wow, I never would have thought the town would put on something this big,” she exclaimed. Past the fair, the rising moon’s reflection on the lake lit the sky around them, casting the surrounding forest into shades of bluish-green.

  “Apparently people come as far as several counties over to visit. Good thing it’s a clear night,” Garrett said, coming to stand next to her.

  An unseasonably cool breeze blew over them from the direction of the lake, and Dawn rubbed her arms, surprised by the chill despite it still being the height of the summer season.

  “Here, take this,” Garrett said as she felt his jacket come around her shoulders. “You can never tell how cold it’s going to be when you live in the forest.”

  “I guess you’re used to stuff like that where you’re from, up in the mountains.” She pulled the jacket around her shoulders, taking in his masculine, spicy scent and hoping he didn’t notice.

  If he did, Garrett pretended not to, putting an arm around her side. “Yeah, you always have to be ready for the weather to change on you. But enough about that. How about we go find out what that delicious smell is?”

  Together they joined others strolling casually toward the denser throng as families and couples milled about. As they came in, Joe, the owner of the grocery store, waved at her, and she responded with a friendly wave back, proud that she was at least starting to get to know people from town. She felt Garrett’s arm tense around her, but when she looked up at him, he was smiling, albeit looking a little more strained than normal.

  Probably the same jealousy she’d seen at dinner the other night when he’d made his intentions clear toward her. At least as clear as they could be given the situation.

  “Hey, look, wood carvings,” he said, pointing to a tent not far from them.

  “Wow, so many,” she exclaimed, admiring a carving several feet wide made out in the shape of a wolf howling at the moon. The body and legs were fairly roughly hewn, but the face and ears were smooth and surprisingly detailed.

  “That one took me a whole week,” an old man puffing on a pipe said gruffly from behind a fold-up table as he crossed his arms and nodded to himself.

  “He needed something to keep himself busy after he retired,” presumably his wife said, sitting up, her face lined with years of hard work and smiles.

  “How about this one?” She picked up a small carved bear that looked adorable and fierce at the same time, in a seated position.

  “I’ll get it for you,” Garrett said, stepping forward as he pulled a worn wallet out of his back pocket.

  She flushed as he paid and handed her a carefully wrapped bag containing her present. “That was nice of you. Thanks.”

  “You enjoy that,” the wife of the shop owner said. “That bear will bring you good luck.”

  She grinned up at Garrett. “I hope so.”

  They exchanged a few more casual remarks, then headed down the corridor of tents lined up side by side. Piles of fresh summer produce made Dawn wish her house was finished so she could take something home to cook for tomorrow. They passed vendors selling everything from knives to jewelry to hats, all bustling with people coming to and fro.

  She nestled under Garrett’s arm around her, grateful she had someone so tall and recognizable with her here. Normally, Dawn avoided crowds whenever she could back in the city, to the extent that she knew when the quietest times to go shopping at the store or mall were. Granted, this dwarfed in comparison to rush hour traffic or weekends at the mall, but it was enough to make her glad that she couldn’t get lost in the crowd with him around.

  Gradually, they made it from one end to the other, stopping here and there to admire both expert and amateur craftsmanship along the way. The farther they went, the more the crowd thinned out as they reached the lake’s edge.

  The smell of sugar and something delicious caught Dawn’s attention, and her stomach grumbled slightly, making her realize it was almost midnight and she hadn’t had much to eat for dinner, which was hours ago.

  “How about I go get us some of those funnel cakes?” Garrett offered, as if somehow reading her mind.

  She looked over at the modest line and figured it was worth the wait.

  “That sounds awesome.”

  “Want to come with?”

  “I’ll go check out those earrings over there,” she said, pointing at a solitary tent with a sweet old lady selling jewelry that seemed relatively quiet and off to the side. He squeezed her side, then got in line at the end, watching her expectantly as she made her way over.

  Dawn and the vendor, Edith, chatted for a minute about the different stones she used and where she’d found them. How she and her husband had been working together for the past decade. Meanwhile, Dawn admired the workmanship and listened to her story, waiting for Garrett.

  Suddenly, she felt gooseflesh on her forearms, a slight chill that had nothing to do with the weather, and she looked over her shoulder suspiciously. Back in the direction of the center of the fair, she saw several men just standing together in the middle of the crowd as it moved around them.

  They were all fairly tall, lean, but in a muscular way. But their clothes were dusty, beat up from years of use, and they were all watching her, talking amongst themselves but not breaking eye contact.

  Their intense expressions gave her the willies, a heavy pit forming in her stomach, and Dawn looked in the opposite direction, curious if there was something behind her. But there was nothing but lake. When she turned to get a second look at the men, they were gone, and for a moment, Dawn wondered if she’d only been imagining them.

  But the dark expression on the one in the center had made her cold inside all the way down to her toes. She tried to peer through the crowd, but at this distance, it would have been easy to disappear.

  “Hey, what you looking for?” Garrett’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she whirled around, nerves on edge.

  “Uh… nothing. Nothing in particular,” she said, unsure exactly what she should say. There were some guys, but they left without saying anything. In fact, I’m not sure they were even there.

  The last thing she wanted to do was ruin their date by getting Garrett worked up over nothing.

  “You sure?” He raised an eyebrow, holding two funnel cakes in front of him, one with chocolate syrup and the other with a raspberry sauce, both heavily dusted in powdered sugar.

  “It’s fine. Nothing to be worried about.” She took the one with the chocolate, the scent of fried batter and sugar clearing her mind of any worry.

  Even if those men were around, Dawn had the feeling that Garrett wouldn’t let anything happen, which was a comforting thought. But right now, her brain and her stomach were much more interested in something else.

  He put his free arm around her and led them away from the throng of people toward the lake’s edge, where a large granite boulder sat stoically by itself, watching the water ripple over the pebbled beach. They both took a seat, and Garrett pulled utensils wrapped in napkins out of his pocket for them to eat with.

  Dawn took the first bite, and her mouth exploded with delicious, fried goodness, crunchy on the exterior and soft on th
e inside.

  “How is it?” Garrett asked hopefully.

  “Delicious,” she replied, raising a hand to cover her still half-full mouth.

  “Here, try this one,” Garrett offered, raising a forkful of funnel cake covered in red sauce up to her.

  Normally she didn’t like overtly mushy things like couples feeding each other. But somehow, she couldn’t say no to a huge, strong man.

  She took the forkful, trying not to spill anything, reveling in the contrast of sweet sugar and tart berry coming together, and she moaned a little at the sensation of it.

  “Can I taste?” Garrett asked.

  Dawn nodded and offered her plate up, assuming he was referring to her funnel cake, when he leaned down and his lips closed over hers.

  His lips were soft, warm against hers as he reached a hand behind her neck, cupping her nape as she opened her mouth to let him inside. Lingering sugar on her lips mixed with the rough sensation of his tongue as he swept inside, stroking against the roof of her mouth and making her entire body coil with heat.

  She sighed against his mouth as he went deeper, thrusting expertly inside her, making her almost lose hold of the plate in her hand. For a moment, she opened her eyes, endless stars sprawled across the heavens above her, then Garrett stroked against her tongue with his and sharp arousal forced her eyes shut again.

  When he finally let go, Dawn’s head was spinning with fantasies about things much tastier than funnel cakes.

  “Delicious,” he exclaimed, his voice husky as he licked his lips, catching a few stray specks of sugar that stuck to the short hair of his beard.

  Dawn felt herself at an impasse. If they had more sex, things could get awkward. They still hadn’t really figured out what this all really was after the first time.

  But on the other hand, sex had been absolutely mind-blowing. And round two sounded like it could be even more fun than the first.

  Life is short. Don’t waste a single moment, her grandpa had always told her when she was hesitant to try something new or put herself out there. Even if this was temporary, she wasn’t going to let opportunity slip away when something amazing was sitting right there next to her.