AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She wiped them and shrugged. “They’ll stop soon. I heal fast, just not as fast as you and the bears.”
“You okay?” he asked, sliding those glowing bright-gold eyes to hers.
She offered him a soft smile. “Always.”
He inhaled deeply and leaned his head back on the rock, stared at the stone wall across from them. “I’m glad Gunner did that. Your name should be in here. You do belong. He did a lot of stuff like that back then.”
“I’m sorry for what happened to both of you.”
Lucas shook his head. “It was a long time ago. Water under the bridge.”
“If it was water under the bridge, you wouldn’t react every time you see or hear Gunner’s name.”
“I don’t think I ever figured out how to feel about it all. So I gave it to the animal, but all he feels is anger. So anger is what I go with.”
“That’s a hard way to live.”
Lucas gestured to the wall with only her name, and the name of her missing friend. “Being alone is also a hard way to live.”
Touché.
“We’re both just little messes,” she announced.
“Who are you calling little?” he muttered, but there was a teasing tone to his voice that drew her attention to his eyes. And indeed, they had softened and were even dancing with a bit of humor now. Thank goodness.
She got stuck. Stuck in his gaze, stuck in the striking color of his eyes, stuck just inches from his face.
He searched her eyes and angled his head just slightly, straightened his spine like he was actually considering kissing her. Her. Jenna Brown. She could hear the pounding of his heartbeat, or perhaps it was her own, racing.
His gaze lowered to her lips, and she could see it written on his face. He really wanted to kiss her.
But…
Lucas was a mess inside. She could feel the turmoil in him, could feel the up and down, could sense the roller coaster. When he was here, he was on unsteady ground, and it was terrifying opening up to a man on the rocks.
It was terrifying opening up to anyone.
He leaned down an inch, waiting. His eyes drifted back up to hers, asking. Asking what?
He was terrifying. Big, strong, addictive, masculine, dominant, confident, sexy, and he was looking at her like he wanted to drink her up.
He would leave, and she would be left to miss him, and she would. Why? Because she didn’t get attached. She didn’t allow it.
He was terrifying.
He was…
He…
“You’re terrifying,” he whispered.
She inhaled sharply and broke their gaze, looked down at her scraped-up knees, body tense.
“I get it,” he murmured in the dim light. “I’m a runner too.”
“Just let go,” she whispered, rolling her eyes closed. And then she angled toward him and pressed her lips against his. She held it for a three-count, and then released.
When she opened her eyes again, the color of his had lightened to gold fire. A small, surprised smile crooked up the very corner of his lips. “This is a bad idea.”
