Page 17 of All My Heart

She was a brief distraction from my pitiful existence of running, eating, and trying to sleep. I wanted to keep busy to avoid ruminating about my past and my future. Renovating the cabin would be a perfect way to stay busy.

“You want me to write up a list of what needs to be done? Then we can prioritize it.”

“You do this kind of thing a lot?”

“I create the estimates after the boys meet with the customer. Then I handle all the back-and-forth questions, invoices, ordering, and scheduling.”

I had someone who was more than capable of assisting me. She was sitting right in front of me, and it meant I wouldn't be wallowing in loneliness for a few weeks. “Okay.”

She lifted her head to look at me as if she was surprised by my acquiescence. “Yeah?”

I shrugged. “Why not?”

She practically bounced in her chair. “It'll be fun. I don't usually get to be on location like this.”

“We'll need supplies.”

“I can help you with that. I don't have any contacts here for them. But it's just one house. We won't need large quantities of anything. A local home improvement store would be fine.”

For the first time, nerves pricked the back of my neck. What was I doing getting more involved with the temporary neighbor?

When I thought she was gone for good, I felt bereft, and now that I'd successfully pulled her into my life for a few weeks, I was excited. There was something to look forward to, and I could continue avoiding my family. It was a win-win.

CHAPTER 5

LUNA

After our initial meeting last night, I didn't think I'd be eating breakfast in Axel's kitchen this morning. He seemed to feel badly about running into me this morning.

He'd cradled my body to him when we were rolling down the hill, bearing the brunt of any rocks and tree roots. I'd barely processed the feel of his hard body pressed against mine before we came to a stop, and he rolled to hover over me.

It had been difficult to draw in a deep breath because his face was etched with concern. He'd morphed into rescue mode, whereas I was wrapped up in his scent and body heat.

I was hyperaware of him when he'd probed for injuries, his large hands covering every inch of my body. When he'd cupped my ass and squeezed, he'd stolen my breath, but he'd seemed unaware of the affect he was having on me.

By the time he pulled away, I was trembling with desire, and he was worried about how I was going to walk home.

He'd lifted me in his arms so easily, belying what Rex had said about my weight because it was nothing to Axel. He was a much bigger man than Rex, stronger and bulkier. He'd had no issues lifting me, and it was a huge turn-on.

My head was all mixed up as we walked home. Axel sent me careening down a ravine, but he'd also taken care of me.

I was still in shock over the way my morning turned out. After last night, I wasn't sure I should stay at the cabin.

I'd come here to forget about guys, to figure out the next step in my life, but Axel was here, and I couldn't ignore him.

Axel ate standing up at the counter, almost as if he couldn't get close to me. Either because he didn't want to, or he'd been away from people for so long he wasn't sure how to interact with them.

The cabin was rustic but worn. The thing that struck me was that it was neat and clean. Every item meticulously put away. If I opened the pantry, I suspected the cans were lined up in a row, the labels pointing out.

I'd expect that level of organization from a guy in the military. But I wanted to shake him up a bit. Take him out of his comfort zone.

I wondered what he'd do if I went into the hot tub every night naked. At one point, would his careful control slip?

Did I want it to? Did I want this man to show me how he could take care of me in other ways?

I had a feeling he'd be different than any other guy I'd ever been with. That he'd make me feel alive again. Those thoughts had my blood pumping and my skin humming with desire, despite my aching knee.

When we finished eating, Axel cleaned the dishes by hand, then set them in a rack to dry.

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