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I tailed her like a shadow as she slipped out the swinging doors into the cool night, the neon sign of the Dusty Barrel flickering above us like a faulty beacon. The quiet of the outside world was a stark contrast to the rowdy interior we'd left behind.
“Trying to attract other men now?” Okay, so much for wanting to make sure she was okay.
I cornered her against the wall outside, my tone harsher than intended, the lines between wanting to protect and possess her blurring in my head.
“Gray Anderson, you're about as subtle as a bull in a china shop,” she said, her gaze steady. “I'm not trying to attract anyone. I'm just enjoying evening in Whittier Falls. These people,” She gestured vaguely back towards the bar, “they've been nothing but welcoming. Can't I get to know my neighbors without you thinking I have some ulterior motive?”
“I’d say Billy was being more predatory than welcoming.”
“Billy was fine until you showed up demanding a pissing match.”
I narrowed my eyes and she shrugged.
“Okay, maybe not Billy, but everyone else. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming and you’ve been nothing but confusing.” She slapped her palms against my chest for effect. “You’re a big, angry brute. You’re against me and my dream. And all I can think about is how it felt when you kissed me and I hate it.”
Eryn pushed past me, leaving me standing there with a mix of frustration and desire knotting up inside me, wondering what the hell I was going to do about this woman who'd come out of nowhere and shaken up my world something fierce.
I let her get two steps away before I grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to me and boxing her in against the wall again.
The night wrapped us in a cool, silent embrace. I stood there, toe to toe with this woman who'd waltzed into my life like a whirlwind of color and light, turning everything on its head.
She was still breathing heavily from our confrontation, her chest rising and falling beneath that dress that did nothing to hide the curves I was trying way too hard not to notice.
“Gray?” Her voice was softer now, and it tugged at something inside me, something that had been dormant for far too long.
“Sorry,” I muttered, but hell if I knew what I was apologizing for. The jealousy? The accusation? The lack of support for her business?
Or maybe for what I was about to do . . .
I caught the flicker of surprise in her amber eyes as I closed the gap between us. My hands found their way to her face, holding her still for me while I claimed her mouth.
It wasn't gentle or tentative. It was the kind of kiss that said all the things I couldn't find the words for. It spoke of raw need and a hunger that went deeper than flesh. For a second, I worried I'd pushed too far, but then her arms wound around my neck, pulling me closer, and I knew—she felt it too.
Our bodies clashed with an urgency that left no room for doubt. The heat of her pressed against me, the taste of her lips, it seared through me like a branding iron, marking me in ways I'd never imagined. In that moment, none of the day's conflict mattered. There was no bar full of onlookers, no small-town gossip. Just Eryn and me and this blaze we'd ignited between us.
We were gasping when we finally parted, both stunned by the ferocity of our connection. It was as if we'd stumbled into a raging inferno, and now the flames licked at every inch of our skin, threatening to consume us whole.
I gulped down the cool night air attempting to extinguish the flames. My heart pounded against my ribs. Her taste lingered, her curves pressed against mine, and the intensity in her amber eyes haunted me.
“Gray Anderson,” Eryn breathed out, a mix of wonder and frustration in her voice, “what in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Stepping back, her pink dress shimmered under the moonlight, contrasting with my rough world. A flush on her cheeks revealed our kiss wasn't one-sided.
“Me?” My voice sounded foreign, dragged through gravel and dust. “Princess, you're the one who barged into town and turned everything upside down.”
“Turned what upside down? Because you seem to have no problem kissing the daylights out of me, but when it comes time to express your feelings, you are conveniently silent.”
“I don’t know what I feel.” That was a lie and a truth. I knew it, but I didn’t know how it worked. I’d never felt this before.
“You don’t know how you feel, but you think you have the right to barge in on my night and let your jealousy ruin everything?”
My hands clenched at my sides. She was right. I came in with anger and jealousy. That kiss fueled a fire I didn't realize was burning. But hell if I’d admit it.
“Jealous?” The word growled out. “I don't get jealous.”
“Could've fooled me.” Her voice steady but her hands trembled slightly. “One moment you act like you can't stand me, then you're kissing me senseless. What am I supposed to think?”
“Think?” My brain was stuck on that kiss, lost in her hunger matching mine.
“Yes, think!” she snapped with fire in her gaze. “You can’t just take what you want without giving anything in return. It's not right or fair messing with someone's emotions like that, and I don’t know how to handle it.”
