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Gage heard the grass crunching behind him before Dom came up next to him. “Jesus, man.” He looked from Tilly to Gage. “Take this fucking shit in the car,” he bit out at the both of them, before walking back to where a confused Kyle stood watching the scene.
“For fucks sake, Tillian. Calm the fuck down.” He snapped, but thought about it, and fuck that. “Yeah, sweetheart, it does take two, the problem is, you keep bringing people in!” He rumbled and brought his face an inch from hers and roared. “One, Kenny. Two, your fucking husband. I didn’t go flaunting that shit in front of your face, did I?”
Tilly’s head reared back like he’d hit her. “Are you suggesting I invited him? That I wanted my husband to show up, that I wanted to put myself, you, our kids in that position?” And as his words settled, the angier she got.
“Well, gotta say, baby, kinda fucking funny for a guy to show up that all I keep hearing about is how he’s never around for you all.” Gage barked then growled. “Seems pretty coincidental for him to give a fuck on our weekend.”
She felt those words, her anger causing tears to burn her eyes. “Yeah, the same kind of coincidental for your wife, who spent your birthday with her friends, to decide after our weekend that she wants to be a wife again. And you sure as shit didn’t waste any time playing husband.”
“I said in the fucking car!” Dom roared from the front of the house.
Gage ignored Dom, taking a step back from Tilly like she had punched him in the gut. His voice was a menacing deep whisper, “That’s fucking low, Till.” He moved around her and started for his truck.
“Yeah, and walking away from me, ignoring me for two days and then accusing me of inviting my husband to flaunt in front of you. That isn’t low? And when I try to reach out to you, you ignore me. My calls, my texts, leaving me worrying for days over what’s going on with you.”
Gage took long strides to reach her; he snatched her arm, dragging her to the side of the house and away from view of the street and any possible spectators. He stopped them, pressed her up against the house, moving into her space and bit out lowly, “You wanna be in the fucking loop?” When he saw her eyes were wide, anger still heating them, he told her the truth. “I fucking love you. Seeing you with him tore the fuck outta me, Till.” He stepped back, staring at her a beat, before he looked to the ground, running a hand through his hair.
Her anger shifted, tears falling now for an entirely different reason. She didn’t move, needing the house to keep her standing. “I’m in love with you too. Watching you walk away, knowing how you had to have felt seeing Luke, knowing what I felt hearing about you and Heather, that did bring me to my knees.”
Gage slowly raised his head, meeting her tearful hazel ones. His heart splitting in two as he watched the tears fall down her cheeks. He stood where he was and whispered, “Fuck, what did we do?” It wasn’t a question directed at her, but one they both knew the answer to. They walked into each other’s lives when they needed someone. Someone to listen… someone to love. They found that in each other as their worlds around them crumbled. And neither did a thing but climb over the rubble to reach the other.
With her anger fading, Tilly realized the scene she’d caused, realized that she had shown up at his work. Guilt and shame hit hard. He’d been sharing the stages of the project with her, told her the general location, so she drove around until she found his crew. She’d been so angry she hadn’t let herself think about what she was doing.
His work, his employees, the likelihood his wife and daughter would hear about it. Her face went pale. “Oh Jesus…” she looked around, bile rushing up her throat. “What have I done?”
“The same thing I do when you’re around.” His voice was low, raspy when he said, “Forget about the consequences.” He closed the distance between them; reaching around her waist, he pulled her from the house. His arms enclosed around her, holding her firm against him, he tucked his head into her neck and whispered, “I love you, Tilly.”
She fisted his shirt, her face pressed against his chest. He loved her. She wanted him to say it again. A part of her thought she was coming here to say goodbye, but not without a fight. Knowing he felt it, too, her words were like a vow. “I love you.” She breathed deeply before adding, “I was going out of my head these last few days. I saw the pain in your face, hated knowing you were hurting. I came here to fight for you, but in front of your clients, your employees. I’m so sorry.”
He thought back on the scene that played out only minutes before. What it must have looked like. How many people could have seen. What people could have thought. How all of it could get back to Heather. Gage chuckled because, in a weird way, he didn’t give a fuck.
“My client is away on vacation; the house is empty.” He told her and lifted his head to look down at her.
That was something at least. And it was only Dom and Kyle. As far as damage, it could have been a lot worse. She looked into those brown eyes. “You love me.” She smiled, but sobered. “I can’t explain Luke showing up. Or Kenny.”
He placed a finger over her lips, stopping her words. “Shh.” He told her and smiled. “Are you gonna kiss me?”
She answered by touching her lips to his, softly at first, tentative, but just that taste brought the hunger.
Gage leaned down into Tilly, his moves causing her to lose her footing. He kept her steady by rocking them for a second, deepening the kiss as he held her tightly against him, molding their bodies together, the world around them forgotten.
Lost in each other, they never heard Dom calling to them. “Hey!” He shouted again from the corner of the house. Gage ended the kiss, lifted his head and moved his eyes to Dom standing there. His arms folded, his facial expression clearly showing anger, he snapped. “You gonna help us finish?”
Gage didn’t say anything, just nodded. That seemed good enough for Dom as he turned and walked away. Bringing his attention back to Tilly, he told her, “There’s a coffee shop in the next town over called Mugs, go, I’ll meet you there in about twenty minutes.”
“Okay.” The idea of spending time with Gage had her almost giddy, but realizing the mess she’d created, her gaze drifted to where Dom had been. “He looks pissed.” Turning her eyes back on Gage, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Gage shrugged, “He’ll get over it.” He laid a kiss on her forehead and repeated. “Go, and I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”
She smiled, lingering for a second, because despite how she’d done it, they were back to them. She started for her car. She hadn’t turned it off, the door was still open. Guilt and embarrassment washed through her letting her temper get the better of her. She avoided eye contact with everyone when she climbed in, turned the car around and drove off.
Gage walked to where Dom and Kyle were, planting the last of what needed to be in the front bed. Kyle was crouched down, pushing dirt around a croton when he glanced up at Gage. He no longer looked confused, he looked disgusted. Gage brushed that off and said, “Gonna head out, I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
“No, you won’t,” Dom voiced, never bothering to look at Gage, continuing on with what he was doing.
Gage drew his brows and cocked his head, his tone hard. “Come again?”
The tone in his voice had Dom standing, brushing his hands off and rotating. “Did I fucking stutter, I said,” he leaned in to Gage and bit out, “no, you won’t.”
