Page 28 of Tragic (Lark Cove 3)

“Did you ever see the inside of this house?” I pointed to my future home. “It was a shrine to the sixties. I’m having to remodel the entire thing because it looked like a psychedelic rainbow puked in there. I’ve never seen anything so hideous in my life.”

He blinked, his eyes refocusing, and glanced at the house. Then he turned to my garbage heap by the Dumpster. “If those yellow cabinets are any indication, I’m glad I was spared the experience.”

I giggled. “It’s forever burned into my brain. For your sake, I’m glad too.”

“How’s the remodel going?”

“Slower than I’d like.” I sighed. “But the crew has nearly all of the demolition done, so now they can start putting it all back together. Luckily for me, the house is structurally sound so they aren’t having to fix a ton of fundamental problems.”

Making it beautiful was tough enough. In addition to my floor-to-ceiling cosmetic updates, I was removing a few walls to open up the living room and kitchen area. And the master bathroom was going to be rearranged completely to give me more storage space.

It might be just me, but I liked to have an abundance of bath towels on hand. One day, I hoped to meet a guy who’d want to come over and occasionally spend the night. My future lover deserved plush towels after his morning shower too.

“Maybe after dinner you can give me a tour,” Kaine said.

“I’d like that. Come on in.” I led the way into the camper as Kaine followed close behind.

The moment the door shut behind him, the air turned heavy. My eyes landed on the couch and my cheeks flushed. Just yesterday he’d had me on that couch. Just yesterday he’d been inside me, making me lose all control.

When I looked over my shoulder, his eyes were locked on the couch. The colors burned bright and clear. They were electric. His chest heaved with short, shallow breaths. Yesterday’s escapades were fresh in his mind too.

Could Kaine be the guy who used my spare towels? My brain screamed Danger! Danger! and I shut out the image of him emerging from my future shower, naked and dripping wet.

I cleared my throat. “Make yourself at home.”

He blinked, then shied away from the couch to sit at the table instead while I went to the fridge and got out his beer.

With a quick flick of his hand, he unscrewed the top and tilted the dark glass to his lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he took one long pull.

I about combusted on the spot. Drinking beer was not supposed to be sexy. But the way he held that amber bottle in his large hand, the way his wet lips barely touched the rim, was scorch-the-earth hot.

> “Need any help?” Kaine set his beer down, causing me to flinch.

“No, I’m good.” I spun around for the fridge, busying myself by unloading the steaks.

Get a grip, Piper. If I kept staring at him, he was going to think I’d just invited him over for sex. Maybe subconsciously, that had been the real motivation for my dinner invite.

Kaine’s addicting scent filled the camper, and I frowned, knowing the food would soon drown it out. He smelled like wood and spice, something I rarely came across with city men.

I went back to the fridge, getting out my potato dish just so my hands were busy. His hair was a little too long and curled at the nape of his neck and around his ears. My fingers were aching to find out if the hairs were soft or coarse like his beard.

Yesterday’s couch time hadn’t been about learning or exploring. It had been all about relieving the tension and scratching the itch.

But the problem was, that itch was back, nagging me more than ever.

I turned on the oven and lit a burner on the stove, pushing away the urge to say screw the steaks, I’d rather screw Kaine. I got out a frying pan, ignoring the feel of Kaine’s eyes dragging up and down my backside.

I’d worn my favorite cuffed jeans tonight, the ones that did great things for my ass and highlighted my slim waist. I’d also worn a simple black tank top with thin straps. The tank dipped low in both the back and front, showing off some skin.

“How do you like your steak?” I asked over my shoulder.

He ducked his head to his beer. Busted. “Medium rare.”

I smiled and went about my cooking, occasionally glancing backward at Kaine. We’d make eye contact, instant heat sizzling between us, until one of us would find the courage to break away. When I went to set the table, I brushed his arm accidentally and he nearly came out of his seat.

The electricity between us was at ten thousand volts by the time I plated our meal and sat across from him. The room was so stifling with sexual tension, I was barely able to fill my lungs.

Every breath was a pant. Every heartbeat a boom. Every movement intensified the throbbing between my legs.