Page 23 of Beauty and the Beard

He sucks his bottom lip in before turning his gaze back to me.

“That’s too young. Life isn’t fair, right? We can go through the rest of our lives stewing in the melancholy of what we lost, always wondering why me, or we can move forward. We’re still alive, Leaf. It might seem cruel to put it that way, but we’re still here. Why should we punish ourselves for that?”

Sasha’s warm gaze is like a soothing hand to a sore muscle. He may not want to share what happened to him, but there’s no doubt he understands where I’m coming from.

“Human nature, I suppose. Guilt to still be here.”

We both sip from our mugs, and Sasha shifts closer to me on the couch.

“Have you ever ridden a horse?”

His question throws me and I feel an unwilling smile on my lips.

“When I was just a kid. Some pony at the fair, I think.”

“You should try it. Last summer I made a visit to the country and had a cowboy—a real one!—teach me to ride a horse. I’m an apartment-dweller, city kid, hate the dirt and outside. But I did it.” He rests his arm across the back of the sofa. “It was the most freeing and exciting thing I’d ever done. Next to riding the mechanical bull.”

Unbidden, I snort a laugh, picturing Sasha on a bull and I just can’t. But when he smiles back over the top of his mug, his features are softer. Young and wise. A combination I wasn’t expecting.

“The most freeing thing I’ve done was buy the 100 acres of maple trees up the road and start a maple syrup company.” With a small laugh, I shake my head. “I didn’t have a clue what to do. I just wanted to do it, you know?”

“I know.” He murmurs, and in my heart, I know he means it. He does know.

“So what brought you to my lodge?”

The smile in my voice is genuine and I’m elated I came here tonight. Grateful that I took the step to get to know this charming man.

Sasha grins back, a flirty smile in place.

“To meet a lumberjack, of course.” He sips from his mug with a wink, and I dip my head. A long-buried feeling courses throughme. Excitement for this young, beautiful man. And lust. Bone deep lust for the warmth and coupling another body brings.

“Does it still count if I’m not a real one and only look like one?”

Sasha surprises me with a loud laugh. His eyes shine with amusement and I think… a soft affection.

“To be honest, I don’t know what makes a real lumberjack. But you wear the plaid well. You probably use an axe well too, judging by your muscles.” His eyes widen and he looks away.

I’ve not had this much fun with someone since, well, since I first met Connor. And damn, I’ve missed this.

“I thought it might be about the beard.” I quip and a small laugh squeaks from Sasha.

“Yep. That too. Mhmm.” He clears his throat. “But to answer your question, I came here to get away. To think about my future. A bit of soul searching, I guess.” He sips his wine with a sigh. “I don’t have many good memories of my mother, but the ones I do have involved us off-grid, camping or exploring where people couldn’t find us. Watching the stars and sitting around campfires. Just simple shit.”

There’s a longing in his voice I recognize. A want for things to be like they were before. An easier time. A love that’s missed, but not forgotten.

“You’ve come to the right place. It’s pretty simple out here. I don’t even have Wi-Fi.”

“Which I should be more angry about because how can you run a business without it?”

“I don’t know. I just do.”

Sasha taps his mug with a finger. “Would you like a refill?”

Huh. I drain the last of the mug and pass it to him. “Sure. It’s been a while since I’ve sat with a glass of wine and just talked to someone. If you don’t mind me staying longer…”

Sasha holds my gaze. “Stay as long as you want.”

He refills our cups, and while he’s in the kitchen, I watch him move. He’s more comfortable in the space than he was when he first arrived the other day. While his expensive silk pants seem out of place against the rough pine siding of the room, the man himself is not.

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