Page 59 of Wild Love

The words tickled my collarbone, sending a tingle down my spine. I had a feeling he was talking about my brother and my off-limits status. But here those concerns didn't exist. There was just us and the never-ending sky of stars.

I didn't care what anyone thought as I held him to me. No one could take this away from me. He finally shifted so that he could take care of the condom. Then he cradled me to him. He lowered the canopy so we could watch the stars, then pulled up a thick blanket to cover us. It was perfect. I was naked and warm in a man's arms, admiring the stars on a roof.

It was magical, an experience I wouldn't soon forget. I had no regrets. No one could make this feel bad or wrong. I'd felt cherished when he was holding me and whispering sweet words against my skin.

He held me until we both drifted off. When I woke the next morning, the canopy covered us, and he was getting dressed. His expression was apologetic. "I have an early morning call."

The sun was just coming up. I pulled on my cover-up, not bothering with my bikini, ran my fingers through my hair, then drifted over to the wall that surrounded the deck. He rested a hand on my hip, standing close.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" I said.

"Not more beautiful than you," he responded.

"You do and say all the right things."

"And that's bad?"

"You're too good to be true, and you know what they say about that." I nudged him out of the way, hunting for my flip-flops.

He frowned. "What do they say?"

"If something is too good to be true, then it probably is." I slipped on my shoes, catching the golden glow of the sun rising.

"That's not reality. Not what's happening between us." He hooked a hand over my hip and pulled me against him. "A cliché doesn't cover what this is."

His lips lowered. Then he kissed me, morning breath and all. It was a beautiful morning and a gorgeous moment. I didn't want to leave and break our bubble. But we didn't have a choice. He had work, and I had a play to plan.

"I'll see you tonight?" I asked.

"Mmm. I hope so."

We stayed a few minutes longer to watch the sunrise and then headed back to our rooms. By the time I arrived in mine, breakfast had been delivered. I sent Eli a picture of my spread and thanked him. He was the sweetest guy, and if he wasn't careful, he was going to spoil me for life. Because this wasn't real. It was a fantasy that wasn't mine. I didn't get things like this.

It was meant for other people who wanted the white picket fence, the kids, and the dog. I just wanted to feel like I belonged.

My heart skipped a beat. In my theater groups, I didn't have to think about fitting in. I just did by virtue of being a cast member. But when Steve pursued me, I'd panicked. The crew and cast had viewed it as special attention and resented me. In the end, they weren't good friends.

And now, I was drifting; I didn't belong to anyone or anything. I didn't even have a home. My heart ached because it took Eli for me to see it.

If we got in any deeper, what else would he show me? What else was I missing? Did I want to find out?

14

ELI

Ihad an early morning meeting with Mac to talk about the progress on the cabins. They were going up quickly, but I wanted to take my time with the interior. I wanted these cabins to be luxurious, a vacation away from home whether it was for a local or someone who'd traveled from far away.

At the same time, I wanted to give the feel of a rustic home with a lot of wood and stone elements. I'd chosen Colorado scenery and wildlife paintings for the walls.

I showered, hating that I had to leave Scarlett on the roof after our night together. She looked adorably rumpled after sleeping in the cabana, and it was nice to wake up to the sunrise together. I wished I had more time with her.

I didn't want to leave her to her thoughts where she could talk herself out of the idea of us.

I put on jeans, a long sleeve T, and boots to walk to the site. When I approached, Mac handed me a hard hat. "How was your morning?"

I ran a hand through my hair before placing the hat on myhead. "I didn't work out this morning." I couldn't remember the last time I neglected my morning routine.

Mac smirked. "Got something to share with the class?"

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