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He turned and shot his dog a look. “What are you looking at?”
Atlas gave a low woof.
Jaw tight, Boone headed for the front door. He flexed his fingers.
He really needed a distraction.
* * *
Stretching,Gemma opened her eyes and smiled.
She felt well rested and relaxed.
Warm, aged, golden wood came into view.Oh. Boone’s cabin. Everything rushed in on her.
The abduction. The men after her.
Ugh. Suddenly, she didn’t feel so great.
Although, the memories of being held tight in Boone’s arms as they’d slept on the couch were good.
She sat up. There was no sign of him, even though it was still early.
She rose and pushed her tangled hair back. She could hear a rhythmicthwack, thwack, thwackthat she now recognized.
Peering out of the window, she spotted Boone at the woodpile. She almost swallowed her tongue. He was shirtless, with just gray sweatpants riding low on his lean hips.
Holy moly. She felt like a sugar rush had just hit. He was ripped. He had hard muscles and delineated ridges at his abdomen. She’d seen plenty of in-shape guys in California, but she knew for Boone, these muscles were hard earned. They were ones he used in real life, not just in the gym.
He’d clearly been at it for a while. His skin was sheened with sweat.
He looked like he was working off his demons. She remembered a few of the things he’d shared the night before.
She knew that it must just be the tip of the iceberg. Whatever he’d seen and done and endured, even if it was for the greater good, had left scars.
She wanted to do something nice for him.
In the kitchen, she hummed to herself as she made some hot chocolate. She found two stainless-steel travel mugs and poured the drinks. It was her own special, ultra-chocolatey recipe.
She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and slipped her feet into a pair of Boone’s boots at the door. They were huge, and she knew she must look ridiculous.
But abducted women pulled from rivers couldn’t be choosy.
Holding the two mugs, she nudged the door open, then headed in Boone’s direction. The air was crisp and fresh. So different from California.
His back was to her, all those muscles flexing. The light flutters in her belly turned to liquid warmth.
She’d seen videos on social media like this—hot mountain men chopping wood. At the time, she hadn’t entirely understood the appeal.
She bit her lip. Now she did. She spotted Atlas in the distance, sniffing around some trees. Boone sensed her and slammed the axe into the wood. He turned his head in her direction.
Now the liquid heat inside her spread everywhere. His gaze drifted down her body, then jerked back to her face.
“Morning.” She held out one mug. “Hot chocolate. My own secret recipe.”
“Thanks.” He took it.
She tried not to notice when his fingers brushed hers. But the tingles were outrageous. She watched him take a sip of his drink.
