Page 33 of Everything I Desire

Curiosity gets the better of me. “Ask away.”

I sit on my stool, extending one leg out in front of me to keep balance.

“When are you going to accept my girl’s love for you? No one has ever compared to you, and I see the way you two watch each other.”

“I’m not good enough for her, Mrs. Harper. You should want better for her than me, your husband was right.” I look at the floor.

“Oh, you stop that. My husband was many things, but being right in that situation was not one of them. My girl loves you with every bone in her body. Always has. I could see that back when you were seventeen and sneaking off to the lake.”

My cheeks blush at the fact that she knows about that. “I’ve only ever loved her. I don’t think that’s a secret. But Mr. Harper made our future impossible. I don’t mean to speak poorly of him, I know he was just looking out for Addy, but I know he’s the one who called Sheriff Miller and gave my name. And you saw what just happened. You want Addy to be involved in that mess?”

“She already is. She has been since the day Kayla set foot in her classroom. Better yet, since the dayshe met you in Preschool. She’s involved whether you like it or not, whether you love her or not. She’s a strong girl. But I know you need to get over this nonsense of not being deserving of my girl. You love her, and that’s all I could ever ask for any of my daughters.” She walks to the bay entrance. “I’ll leave you with that thought, and you can do what you wish with it. Have a good night, Porter.”

With that she walks back to her car and drives off. Leaving my mind spinning.

Isn’t this what I want? Lorelei is as close to closure as I’m going to get with Mr. Harper. But she didn’t agree with him all those years ago? Why was he hell bent on getting me out of Addy’s life at the expense of disagreeing with Lorelei?

Addy is all I want, all I’ve ever wanted. Without her my life isn’t half what it could be with her in it. What would my life be like without her permanently? If I had to stand back and watch another guy take their chance and give her the future she wants?

I shake my head at that. I can’t fucking do that. She’s mine. She belongs to me. But I just want her to have the life she deserves. Is that something I can truly give her?

I run my hands through my hair, tugging at the ends to ease the headache that’s coming.

Since tonight is not going as planned, I might as well pack it up and head home. I shut the bay door and start cleaning up my tools.

As I’m washing the last of the grease off my hands, I hear the click of the door. “Goddamn it, what now?” I mutter to myself.

I whirl around, ready to have an attitude with anyone else who dares to interrupt my night.

Instead, I’m met with the baby blues that I’ve been dreaming about. “Baby, what are you doing here?”

She steps in and closes the door, but doesn’t come closer to me, so I stay put where I am.

“You need to stop ignoring me, Porter. You need to stop putting me on this pedestal like I’m a perfect saint. I’m not. I’m a regular woman who loves you, and I’m done letting you figure it out. You’re here to stay. It’s time to stop.” She crosses her arms, pushing her cleavage up.

“You know, you’re the second person to say that to me tonight.”

She looks at me confused.

“Your mom was here earlier.”

“Well. She’s a smart woman. And I’m sure she picked up on what was happening tonight,” she says standing her ground.

I step closer to her, within inches of her perfect body, and the perfect view of that cleavage she’s still pushing up. “You know what, baby? I am done. I am so fucking done.”

I take two steps past her toward the door. She sucks in a breath not knowing if I’m going to walk out the door or not. Even if I wanted to walk outright now, I couldn't. The pull to her is stronger than any willpower I will ever possess.

Chapter Thirteen

Adelaide

He flicks the lock to the garage and stalks toward me. The heat in his eyes is undeniable and matches mine.

My head is saying we can’t do this, we need to finish our conversation, but there is nothing I want more than what I think he’s about to offer. “Porter. We nee-“

“Don’t say it Addy. My restraint is gone with you. You have no one to blame but yourself. All thoseaccidentaltouches.” He watches me like he’s getting ready to devour every inch of me. Stalking me like his prey.

His fingers graze across my cheek on their way to the wall behind my head, his knee deliciously settles between my thighs, blocking me in and creating a friction that I can’t deny any longer.

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