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My eyes go wide. “You made that? I thought she bought it online. Color me impressed.”
He proudly smiles as I reach out and touch the cut edges of the intricate flower close to the left side of the cover. “It’s gorgeous. I’d love to see your process. The detail of this is…Actually, I think I’m speechless. What other secrets have you been keeping?”
Kane lightly chuckles as he moves closer, then turns on the overhead light. “Sweet girl, if only you knew.”
I bite my lip, intrigued as hell.
As he sits, he pats the chair beside him, an invite I won’t refuse. I plop down, and I’m so close that our arms brush together each time he reaches forward. I don’t move an inch because I want to be as close as humanly possible without it being awkward.
Sparks fly, and the excitement builds in the pit of my stomach as I think about his earlier admission.
He would’ve kissed me.
Now I feel even more stupid for needing any amount of liquid courage for that party. I just didn’t want to be nervous around so many people, and at the time, it did help.
I try my best to focus on what he’s doing.
“If you look at the leather under the light, you can see the design I still need to carve.”
“Oh yeah, that will look incredible,” I admit as he holds it at an angle.
“So to start, we’ll use this tool. It’s called a swivel knife, and I’ll use it to gently trace what I’ve already drawn. You can’t go too deep, or it will cut through the material and ruin it.” He looks over at me and smiles, then goes back to it.
I can’t take my eyes off him and how precise he’s being as he carefully moves the sharp edge around the stem and leaves of the flower. The soft sounds of his breathing as he works, combined with the intensity of his gaze, have heat rushing through my body. The muscles in his triceps flex, and I love watching him work so precisely with his hands. Honestly, Raelyn is an idiot for letting him go, but her loss is another woman’s gain. Hopefully mine.
While I study him, I wonder who else knows about their breakup or if he’s keeping it to himself. It actually makes sense why she wasn’t there yesterday and explains why he’s been so flirty with me. I knew I didn’t imagine it, even if my self-esteem told me I was.
Kane continues carving, and it’s impossible for me to forget about how enamored I am with his man as the faint hints of his soap and cologne drift through the air. Being with him like this is intoxicating, and I don’t want this day to end even though I feel like crap.
He picks up another tool and a small hammer, then taps it into the leather a few times.
“Wow, it creates a shadow effect.”
“Yes,” he nearly whispers. “Gives the image depth and makes it almost three-dimensional. Do you want to try?”
I blush. “I’ll probably mess it up.”
“You can practice on scrap first,” he offers.
“Sure.” Kane positions the square piece of leather in front of me, then tells me to draw whatever I want, so I do the easiest thing—my name. He hands me the swivel knife and walks me through the steps.
“You’ll hold it like this.” He places his large hand on top of mine. “But be careful because it’s very sharp. Take your time to steady your wrist.”
I slowly draw out the I, then the V, and Y. The canvas I’m working with is even slicker than I thought, and the tool cuts through it like butter. It makes me respect how perfect his lines are because it’s not as easy as he makes it look. Thankfully, my name is short and without curves.
“Perfect.”
He guides me through the next steps, and I appreciate his patience. “You’re a good teacher,” I offer.
“You’re a good student,” he encourages, and it makes me smile.
After an hour of leather working together, my stomach growls. It’s loud enough for Kane to hear so he speaks up.
“Wanna grab some food at the B&B?”
“Together?”
He nods. “Well, yeah.”
I tuck my bottom lip into my mouth and turn my body until I’m facing him in the chair. He searches my face.
“It’s probably not a good idea. I’m not working today, and I’d prefer not to be questioned because someone will ask why we’re together.”
“It’s no one’s business, Ivy. I’ll tell them as much,” he confirms.
“I know, but you’re aware of how rumors spread around here. I’d just rather not be bombarded by it or have to explain what happened last night to my sister. Trust me, I’m already embarrassed enough after how I nearly humped your leg.”
His head falls back with laughter. Kane rests his palm against my cheek when he catches his breath as his thumb lightly brushes across my skin. “Just know I’m not embarrassed to be seen with you, Ivy. I wouldn’t care what they said, but I’ll respect your wishes. Having a big family can be overwhelming at times, especially when everyone is in your business. So whatever you want, I’m game.”
