Page 33 of Ethan

He looked at her for a long moment, something dancing in his eyes that she hadn’t seen before.

“There’s a bedroom.” He nodded toward a door she hadn’t noticed to the left of the fireplace. “Small. Just a bed and a dresser.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “Nothing exciting.”

“Right.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at the fireplace. “Good. That’s good.”

He was quiet for a beat. “Naomi.”

She looked up at him.

“Stop apologizing for saying what’s on your mind.”

She stared at him. “That is not what was on my mind.”

“Wasn’t it?”

She opened her mouth, closed it.

He smiled then, slow, and warm, and it did absolutely nothing to help her situation.

“We should get back on the trail,” he said, and turned toward the door.

She stood there for a second, then followed him out into the sunshine, grateful for the fresh air.

Taking it slow, she reminded herself.

Extremely, painfully slow.

****

Ethan reached for the doorknob, but she was standing close enough that he caught the scent of her perfume and forgot what he was doing.

He looked down at her. She looked up at him.

He lowered his head slowly, giving her every chance to step back. She didn’t move.

He pressed his lips to hers.

Her mouth opened under his and he stopped thinking about taking it slow. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. When she moaned softly he deepened the kiss, his hand moving to the back of her neck, tilting her face up to his.

She tasted like coffee and something sweeter underneath, and he was in serious trouble.

He didn’t know how long they stood there in the doorway of the cabin before he finally lifted his head. She looked up at him, her lips slightly parted, her eyes dark.

She took his breath away.

“Well,” she said softly.

“Yeah.” He let out a slow breath. “Well.”

She searched his face for a moment. “So much for taking it slow.”

“We’re still standing up.” He looked down at her. “That counts for something.”

She laughed, and he felt it move through him.

He stepped back, pulled the cabin door shut, and they stood in the cool morning air for a moment, the horses watching them from the rail with complete indifference.

“We should finish the ride,” he said.