Page 105 of Love Me Reckless

“How’s that inner compass?” he asks.

I smile into his chest. “Still on course… though I can’t see where I’m going.”

He kisses the top of my head. “Keep following your heart, and you’ll get there.”

My tummy flutters. The heat of our bodies touching and the rise and fall of our breaths turns supercharged, like the air particles around us are humming, crackling.

I close my eyes as he leans in to kiss me. His lips are plush and firm, sensual. He holds the embrace a moment longer, sending a bright, hot wave of desire to my core. It’s as if he’s litup every single one of my nerve endings and asked them to dance.

Footsteps crunch on the stoop outside, and the doorbell chimes.

Slowly, Sawyer pulls back. His eyes open to reveal a look of pure hunger. Then he reaches for my hand and leads me to the door.

My friends crowd the stoop, looking like misplaced Christmas carolers in their elegant clothes and long wool coats. The pizza guy hovers beyond, a confused expression on his young face.

Sawyer ushers everyone inside, bringing in a gust of cold air and so much noise my ears buzz. Zach and Hutch carry the pizzas and the rest of my order into the kitchen.

“We stopped at the store,” Ava says over her shoulder while unpacking grocery bags containing snacks, a twelve-pack of beer, bottles of iced tea, eggs, milk, cheese, and a package of frosted cinnamon rolls. “Everyone was hungry.”

“I should have ordered more pizzas,” I say with a laugh.

Sofie wraps her arms around me in a soft hug. “You holding up okay?”

I soak up the kindness in her embrace, and sigh. “Yeah.”

“I brought your things from the lodge, but don’t worry, I turned off your phone.”

I lean back to give her a look.

She smiles, then glances at Zach. “It was Zach’s idea.”

Zach shoots me a mischievous grin. “You deserve some privacy.”

Ava swoops in, and I hold her tight. “You guys are the best.”

Hutch opens the box of beers and hands them out while Zach hunts for a wine opener in the drawers and Sawyer grabs a stack of plates from the cupboard. It’s a little surreal to feel like celebrating in the midst of the turmoil that I’ve stirred to life outside these walls.

Sawyer catches my eye, and to my delight, he winks.

You have everything you need to change that, princessrattles through my mind. I smile back, then slip between Hutch and Ava, who are fighting over the ranch dip, and reach for a plate.

Once we’re sitting at the big table together, the conversationflows easily, though it’s as if my wedding debacle is an immoveable rock in the center of the current because nobody brings it up.

The wine is hitting me hard thanks to my empty stomach, but the buzz is softening the harsh voices running through the back of my mind. They sound a lot like my father, or maybe they’re my own—my worries and doubts trying to creep in.

Across the table, Sawyer seems to be watching me carefully while he talks with the others. I think about that kiss we shared, and his pledge to stay as long as I need him.

What if I never stop needing him?

A knock on the door makes my skin jump. Sawyer sends me a look of alarm before jumping up and heading for the door, flanked by Zach and Hutch.

From my position, I can’t see the entryway, but the voice that fills the house sends a chill over my bare shoulders.

Sawyer returns, his jaw set in a serious expression. “Sheriff Olson’s here. I think he just wants to make sure you’re okay.”

I push back from the table and gather the heavy fabric of my dress so I can get to my feet. My friends scramble to join me, and together, we walk into the entryway.

Sheriff Olson stands in his thick uniform coat, his weathered cowboy hat in his hands. “Evening, Ms. St. Claire,” he says with a nod. “I’m not here to poke my nose in your business. Just need to make sure you are here of your own free will.”

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