I laugh and smack his arm when he tries to pull his shirt over his head.
“The inspection has nothing to do with your abs, you show-off.”
“Noted. And since we’re clarifying,” he reaches for my hand, “isthisallowed during the inspection?”
I smile as my heart trips over itself. “Definitely allowed.”
“Taking you out to dinner?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Calling you? Texting you? Sending letters via carrier pigeon?”
“You get extra points if you do the last one,” I say, bumping my shoulder into his.
Nat’s gaze slips to my lips. “Kissing? On the table or off?”
A fire ignites under my skin. “I’d need a sample before I make any decisions.”
“I can totally provide a sample… for research purposes,” he says, leaning in.
Before his lips can meet mine, a twig snaps and muffled voices filter through the night.
“Bell, how many times are you going to see the garage?” a man says in a patient, adoring tone.
“If Chance would agree, I’d toss a blow-up bed in there and move in.”
Nat backs off and winks as if to say ‘later’, and my heart thumps erratically at the promise.
Chapter Forty
NATHAN
Rebel and Kinsey discover us on the trail, and the ladies gravitate to each other like long-lost sisters. Rebel offers to tour the garage together and it officially becomes a double date.
The garage is incredible, and I enjoy seeing the exotic sports cars, but I will admit, the women know more about each vehicle and the various engines inside them than me and Kinsey combined.
At the end of the tour, Rebel suggests we head back to the house, but Riley squeezes my hand, and I sense her resistance to the idea.
I speak up. “Riley wakes up early to open the garage and I want to put in a few hours of practice before the last day of training. We should head out now.”
Riley gives me a grateful smirk and my heart pounds faster.
“Okay, sure,” Rebel says. She waves goodbye and takes off with Kinsey whose usually cold mug is nothing but smiles as his girlfriend grins up at him.
Riley slips her fingers through mine. “Rebel asked me about… us,” she informs me as we stroll in the direction of our parked cars.
“Say that again?”
“Say what?”
“Us.”
Riley arches a brow. “It’s just a two-letter word that means you and me.”
“You and me. I like the sound of that even better.”
Riley smirks. “Are youthathappy?”
