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I discreetly sniffle and cock my arm out for her to link. Her smile is huge as she accepts, and we start toward the track that will lead me to Ryan. And Alex doesn’t shut up the entire way, talking about anything and everything.
I’m so engrossed by our easy chatter, I neglect to notice that we’ve arrived at the cabin. Until a sharp thwack steals my attention. I look away from Alex and find Ryan by the shed chopping wood.
Holy fuck.
The axe rises. His muscles undulate. His face twists as he puts his full weight behind his swing. And two pieces of wood fly in opposite directions, along with my dignity. Mother always taught me not to stare. She surely didn’t mean when faced with Ryan Willis.
‘Dad!’ Alex yells, and he swings around, giving me an eyeful of that lovely, rough chest. I have to close my eyes and work hard to grab ahold of my scattered senses.
The head of the axe hits the ground, forcing my gaze back up, and Ryan leans on it, wiping his sweaty brow. His relaxed position only accentuates every muscle on his torso. ‘You picking up strays in the woods again, Cabbage?’
‘Oh, you’re too damn adorable,’ I quip, forcing my eyes to my feet so not to ogle Alex’s father in front of her.
‘I saw Hannah at the shop,’ she declares, releasing my arm and taking my wine from my hand. ‘I’ll put this in the fridge for you.’ She skips off, leaving me all alone to hold myself up.
The conniving sod. She knows what she’s doing. I stand, still as can be, waiting for . . . I don’t know what. A sign that he’s pleased to see me? Is he? I glance up and shrug. ‘I only went to the shop for wine and ice cream. She’s very persuasive.’
‘Oh, I know.’ He wiggles the handle of the axe, drilling it into the dirt so it stands up.
‘Hope you don’t mind.’ I motion around his lovely retreat. ‘Me invading your sanctuary.’
His lip quirks at the corner. Ryan Willis has one of those memorable smiles. Not because it’s crooked from his scar, but more because it has such an impact on me. It’s genuine. Sexy. And not only that, it seems to always trigger one from me. That alone makes it the best smile I’ve ever encountered. Not to mention the blaze of desire that tears through me each and every time he flashes me one. I have never in my life been so out of control of myself. It’s exhilarating. Stimulating. And on that thought, my thighs tighten, and I take a long, stabilizing inhale. It doesn’t work. And really, I don’t care that my attempts to compose myself fail. I don’t care that he sees how flustered he gets me.
He steps forward, his boots crunching through the debris. ‘I don’t mind at all.’ His full-blown smile breaks as he paces over to me, that chest shimmering with sweat. His jeans are hanging low, the waistband of his boxers peeking out of the top, the hems caught in the tops of his boots. God save me from this torture. My eyes flick to the cabin where Alex just disappeared, worried, and I step back, though my attempt to escape is pathetic. I’m captured by him, his big hands virtually circling my waist.
‘Trying to run again?’ he asks, lifting me from my feet, leaving me no choice but to grab his naked shoulders.
‘Ryan,’ I wheeze, wanting to check for Alex again, but being unable to tear my attention from him.
He says nothing, just maintains his disarming smile and eases up his hold so I slide slowly down his front until our mouths meet, Ryan dipping to keep us connected when I come to rest on my feet. Every concern escapes me. Every woe I’ve ever had is forgotten. Every tiny piece of my lost soul is found. He kisses me without a care in the world, so deeply, so meaningfully, and with a pressure that screams devotion.
Lost completely, I slip my hands over his shoulders to his neck, curling around him, squeezing him tightly. And the deadly storm that possesses me becomes damaging for different reasons. Peace has never been so tumultuous. My arms around his neck, his palms firm on my waist. My tongue aches, my lips feel swollen, I’m out of breath. None of it matters. The world melts away, and I melt with it, right in the arms of this breathtaking, mesmerising man.
‘Ryan, what?’ he whispers across my lips, pecking the corner lightly before pulling back a few inches to get me in his sights.
I shake my head mildly, telling him I’ve forgotten what, and drag my palms back down onto his front, unapologetically feeling his chest as I watch.
‘You okay?’ he asks, and I nod, a while away yet from finding my tongue. ‘Alex and I were going to head down to the lake. Up for that?’
