Page 13 of Sweet Southern Heat

I cleared my throat and pushed those thoughts away before continuing. “I called Dean, and he sent Landon,” I claimed with a shrug, my voice low so he wouldn’t hear me talking about him. “End of story.” She chuckled, a gleam of mischief in her eyes.

“Oh, that is not the end of the story at all. There’s a lot more to it, but I won’t push. You’ll break eventually.” A wicked grin curved her lips. She was right. Back in the day, I’d always spilled my secrets to Honey. But this time there wasn’t anything to tell. There was nothing between me and Landon, and there never would be.

“He keeps looking over here at you,” Honey whispered as I sipped lemonade from my glass. I nearly choked, and she giggled.

“No, he’s not,” I asserted. “He’s probably looking at you in that bikini. It is absolute fire,” I said, fanning myself dramatically. It was true; Honey lived up to her name. She wassweet and had a banging body, not to mention she was gorgeous with her natural red hair and soft brown eyes.

When I turned to look at the subject in question, a small gasp fell from my lips. Landon’s searing blue gaze speared into me as though he could see straight to my soul. But that wasn’t what took my breath away. It was the sight of his bare abs glistening beneath the blinding rays of the late morning sun as he lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. I was momentarily paralyzed by the shock of seeing his toned torso, each muscle well defined with deep ridges cutting through his six—noeight—pack. My mouth watered at the prospect of licking my way down that deep cut “V” disappearing beneath the waistband of his low-slung jeans.

Against my will, I ripped my gaze away from him and settled wide eyes on Honey. Her smirk said it all.

“You’re in so much trouble,” she proclaimed, and for once, I couldn’t deny it.

Chapter 14

Landon

I couldn’t keepmy eyes off Olivia. And I hated myself for it. Even with Honey Beaumont—who was arguably one of the most beautiful women in Magnolia Grove—sitting next to her, I couldn’t make myself look away from the woman I swore to loathe until I took my last breath. She was the flame, and I was the moth, destined to be burned by her if I couldn’t resist the pull.

Even worse, I’d been caught. Stopping just long enough to wipe the perspiration from my face from working in the unforgiving sun, I snuck another peek at her in that scrap of temptation she called a bathing suit. It was too much, too hard to resist. Her long legs were on full display, and her tits were barely covered by two triangles that did little to hide her body’s reaction to catching me watching her. Her chest heaved with each breath she took, and her mouth parted in a little “O” of surprise. And all I could think about was filling that circle with my cock.

I gritted my teeth and looked away. It didn’t matter how badly my body wanted hers or how satisfying it would be to fuck that pretty little lying mouth. Olivia Duprey would always be off limits. She was my brother’s ex and the woman who hadshattered all his hopes and dreams the night she stole the bright future that was just within reach.

Shaking away those thoughts, I continued with my work, losing myself in the sound of my drill and scent of fresh lumber. When the sound of the back patio door sliding open registered in my ears, I stood and turned to find Olivia coming through it. Strange, I hadn't heard her go inside nor had I noticed her absence. She must not have been gone long considering how often my eyes drifted to her as she lounged poolside with her friend.

She gently closed the door behind her and turned to find me watching her every move. A shy smile curved her lips, and she held out her hand. In it was a tall glass filled to the brim with fat ice cubes and yellow liquid that could only be lemonade. Condensation beaded on the outside of the glass, and my mouth watered. I was parched from working in the sun and had long since drained the bottle of water I'd brought with me.

“I thought you might need a drink,” Olivia said hesitantly.

I closed the distance between us in two long strides and reached for the glass. My fingers curled around the cool glass, brushing against her skin ever so slightly. The brief contact shot an electric pulse up my arm. She must’ve felt it too because she quickly jerked away and clasped her hands together.

“Thank you,” I said with an appreciative nod.

“You’re welcome,” she muttered quickly and tried to back away, but her foot caught on a small pile of wood I'd stacked next to the rail. I thought it was far enough out of the way, but in her attempt to give me a wide berth, she tripped over it. Her body pitched backward, and she let out a yelp as she careened toward the deck. Instinctively, I shot out my free hand and caught her around the waist, my arm wrapping around her middle. I tugged her toward me, holding her tightly so she wouldn’t fall and crack her head open. Her body pressed against mine, her back archedas her arms flailed, searching for purchase. Wide, frightened eyes peered into mine as she finally realized she was no longer falling. Her palms flattened against my chest as she regained her balance.

Her touch sent a shockwave of awareness through my entire body, and I nearly released her. The sensation was jarring, though not unpleasant. I wanted more of it. My cock stirred to life behind my zipper as my gaze dropped to her full parted lips, then lower to where her breasts were pressed against my chest. Could she feel the pulse thundering against my ribs as I held her, her entire body plastered to mine?

It must’ve been the adrenaline rush from having to save her from certain demise. She could’ve been seriously injured had she fallen, especially with the steps so close behind her. And it would’ve been my fault.

I swallowed hard, hating the idea of her getting hurt because of my negligence. Dean would certainly get sued and then fire me. My stomach knotted at the prospect. I told myself it was only because I couldn’t afford to lose my side gig and not because I cared what happened to Olivia.

Clearing my throat, I loosened my hold on her.

“Are you okay? Can you stand?” I asked, more than ready to be rid of her. But if I released her too soon, before she regained her balance, she could still fall.

“I-I think so,” she replied shakily. I slowly uncurled the arm wrapped around her middle, my fingers grazing the silken skin of her back as I attempted to steady her while she found her footing again. Every inch of my skin that connected with hers sparked with something I refused to acknowledge.

“Thank you for catching me. That could’ve been bad.”

I nodded my reply, afraid if I opened my mouth, I’d say something stupid like, “I’m glad you’re okay,” or “my boss wouldfire my ass if you got hurt because of me.” Both were true but were better left unsaid.

“I guess I should stay out of your way until you’re done,” she offered with an embarrassed chuckle.

“That’s probably for the best,” I replied, my tone even and unaffected although I was anything but. Having her body pressed against mine, my hands on her skin, felt better than it had any right to. I flexed my fingers before curling them into fists as I fought the urge to touch her again. My stomach knotted with guilt as need coursed through my veins. This was not a woman whose body I could get lost in. She'd cost my brother everything.

That thought was like a bucket of ice water to the growing flames of my lust. I could never forgive her for what she'd put my family through, and I needed to keep my distance, so my body didn’t forget how much I despised her.

“I’m going to try to finish up,” I said, the dismissal in my tone clear.

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