Reaching out my hand, I take the paper from hers. Our fingers brush, and a spark shoots up my arm. When her eyes widen, and she steps back, I know she felt it too. I glance down at the paper.My brain finally catches up, and I realize she is glamping in one of the tents on my side of the family property.
Teddy is responsible for maintaining the tents on the north side of our property. Tyce is in charge of everything on the west side of our property, and his twin, Trae, is in charge of the east side. That leaves me in charge of the south side of our property—the most active of all the glamping tents. This is the first time since Teddy dumped the responsibility on me that I’m actually glad.
“Yeah, you’re in the right place. I can help you get wet—I mean, I can help with your water situation.” Damn, she has me so flustered, I’m acting like a pre-teen around his first crush, not a thirty-three-year-old man.
“I’m Kysa, by the way.” She tucks a strand of long black hair behind her ear, only for it to fall back down. I watch in fascination as she pulls a hair tie from her wrist and runs her fingers through her hair, gathering it into a messy bun on top of her head, one I’ve seen other women wear. I never thought much of it until now—now all I can think about is tugging the hair tie from her hair, wrapping the long strands around my fist, and guiding her mouth to mine.
A low growl escapes my lips at the thought, making her eyes go wide in surprise. “Sorry.” I cough into my hand, trying to hide the lust in my voice. “My name is Tobias.” Suddenly, a thought hits me—what if my dream girl is already taken? “Are you here with a boyfriend or a husband?” I swallow hard, not wanting to hear her answer, but knowing I need to hear it to put my lustful thoughts in check.
“No, no boyfriend or husband.” Her eyes soften, the surprise gone as a bright smile crosses her face.
“Girlfriend?” I blurt out needing to cover all my bases.
“No girlfriend either.” Her smile widens. “How about you? Do you have a girlfriend or a wife? Maybe a boyfriend?” A mischievous glimmer sparks in her eyes, and I know this woman is going to be trouble with a capital T.
“No, I don’t have any of those.” Her smile is infectious, and I find myself smiling—something I haven’t done in a long time. “Okay,” I clear my throat. “Now that we’ve settled that, let me grab my tools, and we’ll be on our way.”
three
Kysa
“So, are you fromaround here?” I ask, walking stride for stride beside Tobias on the trail connecting his cabin to the campsite. I’m pretty sure he’s slowing his steps, so I don’t fall behind.
“Um, yes, you were just at my cabin.” The corner of Tobias’s mouth lifts. Of course, he’s laughing at me. I might be able to write bestselling romance novels, but in real life, I have zero finesse when it comes to talking to the opposite sex.
“I mean, originally. Have you lived in the mountains of Temptation Ridge your whole life?” I silently congratulate myself on the smooth recovery.
“Born and raised here, with my three brothers.”
“Wow, three brothers. That must be nice.” A vision of my lonely holidays pops into my head, with only my parents there, arguing over something or another, as always. “I’m an only child.”
“Some days, I wouldn’t mind being an only child.” A playful tone in his voice lets me know he’s only teasing.
“Tell me about your family.” The sun set about fifteen minutes ago, leaving us surrounded by darkness, with only the stars and moonlight lighting our way. The hoot of an owl nearby makes me jump. Without commenting on my reaction to a bird, Tobias takes my hand in his, pulling me closer to him.
“I’m the oldest at thirty-three. Then there’s Teddy—he’s a year younger than I am. The glamping tents were his idea. Our regular business is geared toward hunters and fishermen. Myidentical twin brothers, Trae and Tyce, are two years younger than Teddy. We all live on a section of the land our parents gave us.”
“Sounds amazing.” A wistful sigh escapes my lips before I can stop it.
Tobias squeezes my hand, “It is. I wouldn’t change it for the world.” He turns his head to look at me, and the moonlight cuts through the trees, making me wish I could spend the rest of my life here with him.
Where did that thought come from? I don’t even know Tobias.
My feet tangle, nearly tripping me. Tobias drops my hand, wraps his arm around my waist to catch me before I fall, and presses me against his big body. “Are you okay?” Our lips are inches apart—if I lean forward just a bit, they’d touch. He must realize it too, because he shifts his gaze from my eyes to my lips, his head lowering. But just before our lips meet, he shifts, pulls me upright, and steps back. “We’re almost there.” I nod, lowering my head to hide my disappointment. The setting is perfect for a first kiss, just like in my books, but Tobias pulled away. The last thing I expect is for him to slip his hand into mine. “Tell me about your life.” He doesn’t say "family," which is a relief, since explaining that my parents never wanted to marry each other but had to, out of family obligation, is not a story I like to repeat. It makes me feel like a burden or a consequence.
“I’m twenty-three.” He stumbles at my words, and I hold back a giggle as he catches himself.
“You’re twenty-three?” I can hear the shock in his voice. For years, people have thought that I’m older than I really am. I’m not sure if it’s my height or being an only child that makes it seem that way. “And you’re out here in the wilderness by yourself?”
The old anger stirs deep inside me, threatening to spill out. I’m tired of being judged on my age, making me tug my hand out of his, coming to a complete stop in the middle of the trail. “I’m an adult if you haven’t noticed.”
“That’s the problem, Kysa, I’ve noticed.” His words come out low and gravelly, sending a deep, pulsing throb between my legs. I’ve written about this feeling before, but I’ve never felt anything like it. His eyes bore into me, and his breathing sounds like he’s run a marathon in ten minutes. All I can do is stare at him, my bravado from earlier vanishing in a heartbeat, leaving only the raw pull of desire. “Come on,” he says, tightening his grip on my hand. “Let’s get you back to your tent so you can take a shower.” A flood of desire soaks my panties as I think about taking a shower with him—which isn’t what he offered, but something I can’t stop thinking about. Something I can’t wait to write about in my next book.
four
Tobias
“There, that should doit.” I tighten the last screw on the new piece of pipe I had to install. Teddy said the last glamper mentioned low water pressure at checkout. I should have fixed it before Kysa checked in, but I’m glad I didn’t, or I never would have met her. The water temperature was another quick fix—now it should be perfect for Kysa to shower.
