Джей Крауновер - Built

I sent her a text to let her know I was heading home from the jobsite. I had recently bought an old Victorian not too far away from where her house was and was working on switching it over from multiple apartments and living spaces back into a single-family home. It was a massive project, but I knew once the work was done, the return on my investment would be huge. I told her I could just come get my kid since I was so close, but she texted back NO! in all caps and said she would drop him off within the hour.

When she showed up at the condo both she and Hyde looked a little wilted and worse for wear, but my son’s green eyes were alight with mischief and glee. He also had splotches of what looked like blue paint in his hair and on his hands. He hugged me around my knees and took off running for his room so he could ditch his coat and gloves.

Sayer also had blue streaked across her cheek and splattered in her pale hair. Her normally sharp appearance was nowhere to be found as she hovered in my doorway in stained jeans and a too-big-for-her sweatshirt.

“Did you guys get into a paint fight?” I reached out and plucked a colored strand of her hair up and let it fall.

She laughed a little and shook her head. “Kind of. We’re working on a secret project.”

That piqued my interest, so I leaned against the door and crossed my arms over my chest. I had to admit it was a stroke to the old ego when her eyes widened at the motion. She stuck the tip of her tongue out to trace her bottom lip and I growled at her. I wanted to follow the trail of moisture with my own tongue and then bite on the lush curve that pouted out. Aside from my time locked up, this was the longest I had ever gone without sex and it was starting to make me a little crazy. Every move she made seemed like a come-on or like it was designed to entice.

“What kind of secret project?” My voice was gruff and I saw her shiver.

“You’ll find out soon enough. Can I come get Hyde next Saturday, too?”

I wanted to tell her she could only have my son if she was willing to take me, too, but I understood whatever she was working her way through was thick and snarled. She was slowly picking her way through it, though, and all I could do was wait on the other side.

“Yeah. You can come and get him next Saturday. I think my mom actually likes having a day for herself. Do you want to come in and have dinner with us? I’ll probably let Hyde order pizza.”

She cocked her head to the side and then nodded. “Sure. I would like that.”

The three of us spent the rest of the night eating pizza, watching some silly family-friendly movie, and laughing. I tried repeatedly to get Hyde to tell me what special project he was working on at Sayer’s house and each time he just giggled at me and shared a conspiratorial look with Sayer while telling me over and over again it was a surprise. He also told me his favorite color was red, that Sayer’s favorite color was green, and that Poppy liked purple. I wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything, but when I walked Sayer out to her car when it was time for her to leave, I pushed her up against the side and trapped her between my body and the chilly metal.

“Your favorite color is green, huh?”

The corner of her mouth kicked up in a grin and she lifted a hand and put it on the side of my face. Her fingernails raked lightly through the side of my beard and it made my entire body go tight. “Your favorite color is blue, huh?”

I grinned back at her. “Touché. I hope you figure your shit out sooner rather than later, Say. I sure do miss the fuck out of you.”

I pushed back from her car and watched her long lashes drop over her eyes. “I’m working on it,” she said.

I sighed and my breath fogged up in front of me. “I know you are. Renovation takes time and there is always something unexpected behind the walls when you knock them down. I’ll see you next weekend.”

WHEN SHE SHOWED up the following weekend she looked different. She was dressed like she had raided the Salvation Army for their most used and abused jeans and I recognized the T-shirt she had on as the one I left at her house on our last night together. She seemed so much less polished and worried about being put together than she typically did. Even though her clothes were casual and even slightly sloppy, she still made it all look really good and I wanted to peel her out of it.

I let my gaze skim over her and told her, “Nice outfit. More secret projects on the agenda today?”

Hyde clapped his hands and squealed a little. “Yeah, Sayer, are we finishing our surprise today?”

“You bet, but I have a small stop to make before we do, okay, buddy?”

Hyde pouted a little bit, but I think the kid and I were in the same boat when it came to this woman. Any chance we got to spend time with her we were going to snap it up and hold on to it with greedy hands. I walked them to her car and helped get Hyde situated in the new car seat she had bought for him. It tugged at parts of me that were forever tied to her. She went and bought a car seat for my kid. That had to mean she was planning on keeping us around. Didn’t it?

“I’ll see you guys in a little bit. Be good.” I wasn’t sure if I was talking to Hyde or her, but either way the warning felt fitting.

When she showed back up at the condo later that evening, at first I didn’t know it was her. I heard a car pull up and looked out the window to see who it was, but there wasn’t a Lexus parked behind my Jeep. Instead, a brand-new, cherry-red Jeep Grand Cherokee was where she usually parked. It wasn’t as tough looking and as masculine as mine, but it was still rugged and made for more than looking pretty. I thought it must be a neighbor until her blond head emerged from the driver’s side and she walked around to let Hyde out on the other side. She had to heft the boy down from the height, and as they walked toward the front of the building hand in hand I knew that was everything I was ever going to want in my life.

They were perfect together.

They were perfect for me.

I couldn’t ask for anything more and I would do everything in my power to keep them and to keep them safe.

I pulled open the door when I heard her quiet voice and Hyde laughing. They pulled up short when they saw me and I watched both their smiles turn just a shade brighter.

“New car to go with the new hair and new duds?”

She smiled and let go of Hyde’s hand so that he could throw himself against me like he liked to do. I picked him up and mock-growled at him as he put both his hands on my cheeks. I almost died laughing when he growled back at me like a little animal.

“Sayer let me pick the color. Red. It’s my favorite.”

“I saw.” I looked at her over her shoulder and she lifted her hands and let them fall.

“I never really liked the Lexus and the Jeep makes more sense for winter.”

“You bought a Jeep?”

She shrugged again. “Yeah. I like yours.”

I wanted to growl again, but instead I flashed her a predatory smile and muttered, “I like yours, too.” I wasn’t talking about the Jeep and she knew it. “Want to stay for dinner?”

This time she shook her head. “No. Not tonight. I have a few things I need to finish up at the house. But thank you, and I’ll see you next weekend, if that’s okay.”

“It’s okay, but one of these days I want my shirt back.” I stared at her so that she knew I meant I wanted to peel it off of her while she was wearing it and get to all the pretty, pale, and pink things underneath.

“Soon. I’ll see you guys next weekend. Bye, Hyde.”

“Bye, Sayer. I can’t wait for Dad to see the surprise.”

“Me, too, kiddo.” She smiled at me and both my heart and my dick responded. “Next weekend, Zeb. I’ll see you soon.”