Page 71 of Billionaire Lumberjack's Bride

From the very first time Ronald mentioned it, I knew it was a horrible idea to bring someone up here, doing this mail-order bride thing as a desperate attempt to get ahead of Uncle Marty, but Ialwaysthought I was in control.

I thought I could handle it, handleanyonewho showed up here after all the things I’ve suffered.

But I was in no way prepared for Lyla.

I’m not sure anyone ever could be.

I pull away from her reluctantly, and she follows me, keeping her lips linked with mine before I finally capture her face between my palms and hold her away. “What the hell are you doing, Lyla?”

Shehasto know what this will lead to, the dangerous path neither of us will be able to get off once we take this step. Shemustunderstand what she’s doing and what she’s asking for.

Her green gaze locks with mine, searching for the truth that I’m not even sure I grasp at this point. “I’m showing you I’m not the enemy.”

Sweet mother of God.

This woman has already completely shattered everything I thought I knew about this world and what I wanted out of it in only a handful of days.

Her sweetness.

Her drive.

Her almost naïve innocence.

I don’t know what the hell she did to need $50,000 so fast, what she could possibly have gotten herself into that would’ve cost her that much and forced her into this life.

But this isn’t her, living up here like this, being with a guy like me.

Brushing my thumb across her cheek, I shake my head. “I know you’re not the enemy, but this can’t happen.”

If I let it, it will only hurt her even more.

Lyla lifts her right leg and slides across my lap, settling her thighs on either side of my hips, her ass pinned against the steering wheel.

Fuck.

She feathers her lips over mine again, adjusting her position until I can feel the heat radiating from her core pressed against my hard cock, through my pants and the thin leggings she wears.

“Bloody hell, Lyla.”

Her name comes out strangled—half plea and half curse.

She drags her head back, locking eyes with me again, feathering her fingers through my hair. “Tell me again you don’t want this, you don’t want me, that we’re justroommates,and I’ll leave it at that, never bring up the subject again…”

Devilish woman.

I’ve given myself away with my words on the road back here.

She knows I can’t look her in the eye and say that because it would be a lie, one of the great many I’ve told in my life, and also the one that could have the biggest consequences.

* * *

LYLA

It’s there, swimming in the icy-blue waters of his eyes, the fear of letting himself give in, of letting himself care, of letting himself be anything other than the reclusive, self-sufficient man he’s made himself into. Allowing this to happen, admitting what he has today, ripped him open wide to me and showed me everything I suspected about him that he tried so hard to hide.

Hedoescare.

Silas may have set out to live up here alone, away from any human interaction, to allow whatever demons chase him to do so endlessly on the mountain.

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