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“Look, I get it. I’m sorry I kissed you. It should never have happened and that’s my bad.”
I felt my blood start to simmer. “That’s what you’re apologizing for? I seem to recall you liking it quite a bit.”
His eyes flashed dark, and I knew he was remembering the feel of me in his arms. Because dammit, I was doing the same. And I had no idea why something that felt so so good, could all of a sudden mean nothing at all.
Gray crossed his arms, the muscles in his forearms flexing beneath the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt. “Look, Eryn, this isn't about that kiss. It's about business. This town has a way of life, a rhythm, and you waltzing in here with your big plans could disrupt all of it.”
“You don’t even know about my plans. You disappeared the second you heard the news and made yourself scarce.”
He looked off into the distance, at the creek separating our properties. “Word gets around, you know that.”
“So what exactly do you have against me running a small wellness retreat on this property? The house is certainly big enough to accommodate guests. The land is big enough for everything we want to do. I won’t be changing any of the main structures, if anything, I’d be improving them. And it’s not as if my business would be in competition with yours.”
I was so proud of the points I’d made off the top of my head, I had to conceal the smile that threatened to bubble up.
“It just doesn’t make sense here. Next door to a horse ranch? In a town like Whittier?”
“Gray, a large portion of the economy here in the summer is due to tourism. You act like I’m trying to reinvent the wheel.”
“Not reinvent it, disrupt it.”
I tilted my head defiantly. “Disrupt or enhance? You seem to be the only one against this idea.”
He let out a gruff chuckle. “Trust me, princess, this ain't some fairytale waiting to happen. And Whittier Falls ain't your playground.”
His condescending tone sparked a fire in me. “I didn't come here for playtime, Gray. I have a vision and I'm going to see it through. If you're trying to stop me from getting that business license, you're just wasting your time.”
He stepped closer, his blue eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. “You don't know the first thing about this town, Eryn. Whittier has its own way of doing things, and trust me, your fancy retreat won't fit in here.”
I held his gaze steadily, refusing to back down. “Well, lucky for me, I'm not here to make some ‘fancy retreat’. I'm here to make a difference, to create something special for people who need it. For people from all walks of life. And if that ruffles some feathers, then so be it.”
I stood straighter and poked him in the chest, fired up by my speech.
“People want peace and quiet, Gray. They want a place to go where they can reconnect with themselves. I know that better than anyone. This? It's more real than anything,” I said, motioning vaguely toward the expanse of land that surrounded us.
“Real?” He snorted, stepping closer, and the air between us charged with that same electricity I'd felt the night we kissed. “What do you know about real? Your life's been one big pampered photoshoot.”
“Excuse me?” I bristled, feeling the sting of his words—a sting that echoed my father's doubt. “Just because I appreciate a good filter doesn't mean I can't appreciate the raw beauty of this place. Or work hard for something meaningful.”
“Hard work?” His scoff sounded like a challenge, but when our eyes locked, the intensity made my breath hitch. For a moment, I wondered if he remembered the feel of my lips against his, because it was all I could think about.
“Look, Gray,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat, “this is happening. I've got plans, big ones. And you're not going to stop me.”
“Plans,” he repeated, the word almost a whisper now. He was closer than I realized, close enough that I caught the scent of leather and hay that seemed to cling to him. “Your plans involve running back home when things get tough?”
“Running isn't in my nature,” I countered quietly, my gaze unwavering despite the quickening of my pulse.
For a fleeting second, something flickered in his eyes—admiration? Desire? I couldn't tell. But then it was gone, shuttered behind the familiar scowl as he stepped back, reclaiming the distance between us.
“Then prove it,” Gray said gruffly.
“I intend to.”
His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek as he processed my words. “You're stubborn as a mule, you know that?”
I smirked, the challenge clear in my eyes. “It takes one to know one.”
For a moment, the air thickened with tension between us, the unspoken clash of wills hanging heavy in the space between our bodies. Gray's gaze flickered over my features before he exhaled a long breath, as if trying to tame the storm within him.
