Del kissed her and whispered, “I’m going to get done as quickly as possible. If you have pressing tasks at work, get them done early.”
She nodded at the unspoken command in his words and hoped the workday wouldn’t be so long after all.
* * * *
Clay checked his phone when it buzzed with an incoming text message from Del right before three o’clock that afternoon. He gazed at Lily as she rushed through the workroom doors, grabbed a tool from her workbench, gave him a hot look and heated whimper. He watched as she rushed back through the doors, admiring the swing of her shapely ass.
He watched in the monitor as she moved within the ring of showcases. She was wearing a snug-fitting dress that reached just below her shins. The angle of the security camera showed her in profile from head to toe, and he liked the hell out of the way the black-and-red print accentuated the smooth transition between her curvy hips and breasts. It was possible she’d worn those black heels for the sole purpose of distracting him because his eyes had been on the monitor watching her more than on the ring he was crafting.
He thought of the ring design he was working on as he looked at her and it knowing now why the design suddenly had new life. It was because he knew who the ring was for. It was hers.
That was what made all the other custom-made rings he’d designed so special. Each ring had been designed at the request of one of his friends for someone they were deeply in love with. When any of them had talked about the woman the ring was intended for, the words and emotions they shared had breathed life into the design. Making jewelry like that had been his intention all along in becoming a jeweler and in going to art school. He was able to create jewelry for them that became a symbol of their love. That was the reason he’d had difficulty. The design he had struggled with had no intended wearer, or at least it hadn’t until recently.
Of course there was little time for the contemplation of this realization as he watched her graciously greet a new customer who’d just come in the already crowded store. Shoppers were taking advantage of after-Christmas promotions, and his shop was enjoying a huge increase in sales compared to past years.
He had to wonder if Lily’s presence encouraged people to return to shop again. The little old lady she was waiting on held Lily’s hand in hers and patted it before moving toward the door. The smile on Lily’s face at the gesture made his heart ache.
He burned with lust for this beautiful woman, but she was also worthy of everything else he could give her. He wondered what she’d do if he offered her his ring…if they both did.
Remembering the reason for the pause in his work, he flicked the touch screen on his phone and read the text from Del.
“I’m done here. Please tell me you’re coming.”
Clay ground his molars and shifted the hard-on that had persisted for most of the day. The satisfied look Lily had worn that morning at breakfast had changed into an aroused, needful look as they’d talked. He’d wished like crazy that it was Sunday so they wouldn’t have had to be up at the shop at all. But it was the first Friday in January and they were getting hammered, even with the help from his “temp trio,” who were all out front with Lily and Tabitha. He wondered at one point if he should send Tabitha home because she seemed so “off,” but he needed her help and she didn’t complain of being sick.
He replied to the text message reluctantly and gave up the dream of an afternoon spent in Lily’s arms. “We’re packed to the rafters with customers. No way we’re getting out of here before six. Sorry.”
A juicy, unsatisfying curse word slipped from his lips as he heard the doorbell out front ring again. He glanced at the security monitor, watching as another customer walked in. His phone buzzed right back at him. Pulling his apron over his head and tossing it on the workbench, he groaned in commiseration when he saw Del’s single word response.
“Fuck!”
“Yeah, I’m feeling it, too, bro,” he whispered as he took a deep breath, willed his half-erect cock into submission, and joined the ladies out front.
* * * *
At the Divine Creek Ranch that evening, Clay looked on, trying to hide his amusement as all the men shuffled their feet and cast pained glances at Lily.
Moments earlier, she’d put the big question to them all. Looking sweet and innocent, with her big amber eyes, Clay knew there was no way the men would refuse her. The only ones who looked on with pleasure were Kendall, Boone, and Richard Warner because they’d already given their blessing to Maya posing for her.
“Have you considered using professional models?” Evan Garner asked with a discontented tone.