Page 5 of Sofa King Devotion

“Did I or did I not wake up in your bed?” Sawyer asks loud enough for the whole hardware store to hear. A frustrated growl rumbles from me. “Now why don’t you tell me who it is you need Rhodes to help you find.” I glare up at him, debating if I should answer him at all. “You better say me, kitten.”

“Or what?” I fold my arms over my chest. What’s he going to do? Spank me? Sure, he can try.

“You really want to challenge me?" Sawyer moves in closer, his voice dropping so only I can hear him. "Right here? Right now?”

I audibly swallow. Sawyer's blue eyes appear darker than ever, and a warning goes off in my head. It's signaling that now is not the time to push. He could very well toss me over Rhodes's front counter and spank me. I really need to reconsider taking book recommendations from my sister because I shouldn't have these kinds of thoughts.

"Sawyer,” I whisper, and I lower my eyes.

"Good girl." He kisses the top of my head, and my stomach dips. It’s the same sensation I get when Liv drags me onto one of the rides at the fair. I swear they aren't up to safety regulation, but no one listens. "Now, kitten, what do you need?"

"Nick and Greg are on their honeymoon," I say.

"I know, that's why I'm here. I was about to come over and discuss moving the piece you made for tonight."

"Really?" He'd already thought about it, and even I hadn't until minutes ago.

"Yes, really."

"All right." I shrug one shoulder, taking a step back from Sawyer. "If you're not too busy. I know you have to get ready for the auction." I say the last part as more of a reminder to myself about who Sawyer is.

"I've got it handled." He grabs my hand before I can protest. "See you later, Rhodes," Sawyer calls over his shoulder as he leads me toward the front exit.

"Hey." I tug on my hand. "Maybe we should use the back exit."

"Don't think so." When we hit the sidewalk, of course there are people roaming about. "Afternoon," Sawyer greets one person after another. How can there be so many people to say hi to in such a short walk? If I didn't know any better, I'd say he planned it.

"You're really going to ramp up these rumors,” I say, and Sawyer smirks.

That one look lets me know this was exactly his plan all along.

Chapter Four

SAWYER

There’s part of my brain that knows I shouldn’t be staring at her ass, but most of the blood in my body has pumped straight to my dick. So that part of my brain is no longer working.

When Lane walks into Sofa King Cozy, I let her go a few steps ahead and enjoy the view. Her body is long and lean, but her ass is fat, and I remember exactly how it felt pushed against my cock.

“Something wrong?”

I look up and realize she’s caught me. Instead of making up an excuse, I shrug and give her my biggest grin. “Just remembering what it was like sleeping next to you.”

“Ugh.” She huffs, but I see the smile she’s trying to hide. “Are you sure you rode bulls and not pigs?”

“Give me a chance and I can ride anything, kitten.” My eyes move up and down her body, but she goes to the back, ignoring me.

She’s not in her usual playful mood. Well, I guess you could call it playful. Normally when I poke at her, she pokes back, which is my favorite. It’s one of the reasons I love her so damn much. Lane has never held back, and in a way, it’s kept me grounded. She’s quick to tell me what she’s thinking, but right now, something is off. She keeps bringing up the auction like she’s annoyed it’s happening.

When I push through the doors behind the counter, I step into her workspace. It’s where she spends all of her time, and it’s a beautiful studio. It’s flooded with light, especially this time of day. There are tools everywhere, workbenches covered in sawdust and wood shavings on the floor.

This is a place that’s lived in and well-loved, and I can see Lane in all corners of it. From the line of water bottles on the desk to the extra hair ties next to the chop saw. I can see her coveralls hanging on the hook by the door, and the cinnamon-flavored ChapStick she loves on the work bench beside her sander. It’s like walking into her heart, and every time I come in here, it feels like home.

“I don’t know if we can get this on our own. It’s not really heavy, just cumbersome.” She stands in front of a small china cabinet that is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. To be fair, I think that about everything she makes.

“Cumbersome is my middle name,” I tease, and she rolls her eyes. She does that a lot when I’m near her. I’ll take it as a good sign because she doesn’t seem to do it with anyone else.

“Please. We both know your middle name is Whitney because your mama loved The Bodyguard.”

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