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“He doesn’t think of you like this,” I chide as I finally slip into a pair of plaid shorts. I reach for a sleep tank with modest coverage then realize my port scar is visible. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t care. My scar is proof that I survived. But it’s not a conversation I’m ready to have with Hale yet, so I opt for a black T-shirt instead.
I leave my blonde hair down and refuse to style it other than adding my favorite coconut hair product. I check my reflection in the mirror and consider makeup. “Stop obsessing.”
When I hear the doorbell chime, I take a deep breath and leave the room.
Hale has already paid for the food and settled on the couch. He pats the spot next to his without looking up.
I gulp.Relax, he’s just your insanely hot boss that you have a crush on.
For the life of me, I can’t remember why I thought this would be a good idea. I think my heart was running the show when I agreed to be his nanny.Think of Ollie.
Hale finally glances at me and looks away, the tips of his ears turning red. Is he embarrassed by me? Is what I’m wearing wrong? I look down again at my clothes, but they’re not inappropriate.
I take my seat and Hale gestures to the bag of food on the coffee table. “I didn’t know what kind of fries you liked.”
I open the bag and have to choke back a laugh. I’m pretty sure that Hale ordered every type of fry Ernie makes. But he didn’t stop at fries. Hale also ordered onion rings, mac and cheese, fried okra, and potato cakes. “You didn’t have data on this?” I tease.
Hale scowls. “Ernie doesn’t keep digital records.”
I pause, a fry halfway to my mouth. “You’re serious.”
His ears go red again. The guilt that flickers across his face reminds me of a schoolboy in trouble.
I narrow my eyes at him. The house is decorated to my liking, but I assumed that was a coincidence. My favorite foods are in the kitchen, including readymade chocolate chip muffins. Hale hates muffins. It’s one of the things I learned about him while I was working at the dessert shop. He calls them sad cupcakes. “Just how much do you know about me?”
He hesitates before admitting, “I may have curated some information regarding your habits and preferences based on your online patterns.”
I gasp and feign outrage even though I’m secretly delighted. “You mean digital stalking.”
“Stalking is an ugly word. It was more fact-finding.” He sets down his burger and looks ready to start his opening argument.
I think he expects me to be mad or blow this into something huge. But I don’t feel even a little bit upset. If anything, hope is blooming in my chest. Maybe I’m not the only one with a crush here. “For how long?”
“Since April eleventh,” he rattles the date off as quickly as he would his birthday.
“That was the day we met.” He likes me. Hale likes me. I’m ninety-nine percent sure of it now.
A delighted smile crosses his face. “Then I wasn’t the only one smitten.”
I can’t resist teasing him, relief making me feel giddy. “Who says I was smitten?”
He reaches for my side, tickling me lightly. I didn’t expect this playful side of Hale. I reach for a pillow and smack him with it gently, giggling the entire time. After the day of sexual tension and the exhaustion of the furniture assembly, it feels good to laugh with him.
He growls and pins me down, wedging his body over mine.
My breath catches in my throat as the air around us crackles. Suddenly, we’re two people caught in a lightning storm of our own making.
My breasts feel heavy, and my nipples are hard points beneath my T-shirt. I lick my bottom lip, wondering what it would feel like to be kissed by this mountain man. Would he be gentle, coaxing me to open for him? Or rough, demanding what he wants and plundering my mouth with his?
Hale watches me lick my lips and his eyes darken. I feel the bulge in his pants against my stomach.
“You could push me away,” he says. This right here is part of the reason that I like this man. He’s pinning me with his strength. He could easily hold me down, but he’s giving me a choice and letting me know he respects my desires.
I make a noise of frustration in the back of my throat. “You’d better kiss me, Hale Evans. I’ve been waiting five long months and—”
I can’t get the rest of my words out because Hale growls and drops his head, seaming our lips together. It’s everything I thought a kiss from Hale would be. It’s soft and exploratory at first before quickly turning rough and demanding.
I arch my body against him, trying desperately to get the friction in all the places I need.
