“You made it all didn’t you?”
His fingers sifted through her hair as he stood behind her, letting her take it in. “Out of extra or throwaway parts, yeah. I didn’t have a television. Had to find some way to entertain myself.”
“This is amazing, Asa. If you ever got tired of repairing bikes you could sell some of these pieces.”
“Funny.”
“I’m serious.” She turned around, unable to hide her reaction. “You’re incredible.”
“So are you, Delilah. And I wanted to show you that I always saw it. Even when you were too young for that to be a good thing. Come here.” He guided her to the bedside table and handed her a ragged sketchbook. “Take a look.”
She heard him moving around, taking off his jacket while she sifted through pages filled with drawings.
Almost all of them were of her.
A teenage Delilah in her overalls sitting on the ground, holding a modified wrench to adjust the timing cam on a beautiful 1930 Henderson. A detailed sketch of her profile, wisps of hair damp against her cheek in the summer heat. Still another of her standing in the rain, her grease covered hands outstretched and the shirt she hadn’t realized was that thin clinging to her round breasts and hard nipples like a second skin.
Delilah bit her lip. It didn’t make any sense. Every day it seemed he’d come into the garage with another story. Another conquest. Another woman. The damn arrow tattoos. But he’d drawn her as if he’d memorized every inch of her body. Every expression on her face. As if she were the only girl he could see.
Why, in all these years, had he never let her know?
Asa shifted on his feet and sighed when she closed the book without a word. “Dallas was my mentor and you were a minor, Del. I was already walking on thin ice with the law as it was. Not only that, but you were special. Smart. And you had a father who wanted you to reach your potential. You were destined for big things. There were so many reasons why sending you away was the right thing to do…and only one for keeping you. I know the past is in the past, but I wanted you to know. I need you to know that you weren’t in that crush by yourself.”
His words were making it hard for her to breathe.
“Thank you.” Delilah stood up and took off her jacket, balancing on one foot and then the other to slip off her boots. “And congratulations.”
Asa had gone still, his blue eyes narrowing as if he sensed the charged change in the atmosphere. “For?”
She tugged her peasant blouse over her head and let it drop on the floor, watching him stare at the sheer fabric and lace of her matching turquoise bra.
“Shocking me. You’ve done it.” She undid the top button of her jeans. “Breaking and entering. Secret rooms. Hidden talents.”
Delilah pushed down her jeans and stepped out of them, leaving her standing beside his bed in nothing but her underwear. “Surprise me again, Asa Wilder. Give me some action to go with that sweet talk.”
“Jesus, Delilah.” Asa was beside her, his mouth on hers before she could take another breath.
Yes. His kiss was as passionate as she remembered. As fierce. His teeth bit her lips and his tongue tangled with hers while she reached between them and undid his jeans.
When her hand closed around the thick, hard length of him he groaned into her mouth and she smiled, pulling back to gasp, “I had no idea what I was missing.”
“Let me show you, baby.” Asa tore his T-shirt off and reached for the back clasp of her bra. “And let me see you.”
When her bra was dangling from a strap on her wrist, Asa shuddered, his hands lifting and his expression almost reverent as he cupped her breasts in his hands. “You don’t know, Del. Fuck, you don’t know how many times I dreamt about your full, luscious… You thought you were hiding them but every time you walked by, every time you bent over me…” He closed his eyes and squeezed. “I just wanted to rip off the bib of those damn overalls and bury my face between them.”
Her grip tightened on his erection. “I won’t stop you.”
He moaned, lifting her breasts as he lowered his head and pressed his face against her flesh. He inhaled and growled, licking her skin and making her gasp.
Yes. Oh God, it felt good. Perfect. She wanted more.
As if he’d heard her, Asa turned his head and closed his mouth over one painfully hard nipple, sucking deep. She felt an electric arc of sensation zap her from her breasts to her sex and back again. Reaching up with her free hand, she grabbed his hair with her fingers and arched her back. “Yes, Asa. Like that. Harder.”
He bit down almost too sharply and she cried out, her thighs clenching, her panties soaked. “Asa.”
He lifted his mouth and reached down to pull her hand away from his cock. “Delilah, if you don’t stop touching me, moaning like that, this will be over before either one of us wants it to be.”
She struggled to break away from his grip and touch him again. “I don’t care,” she gasped. “I don’t want to stop.”