Page 9 of Burly and Rugged

I cough, attempting to clear my thoughts and prevent this from becoming so awkward a wall forms between us. “Right. I’ll get a fire and breakfast going.”

“Ow—damn it.”

Lindy rolls her shoulder, wincing slightly as she stretches her arm. She tries to play it off, but her grimace makes it obvious she’s hurting.

I watch Lindy as she rubs the same spot over and over. “Something wrong?” I ask. Last thing we need is for Lindy to injure herself.

She shakes her head quickly and forces a smile. “Nope. Just a little sore from sleeping on the ground.”

I step closer. “Turn around.”

She hesitates, shooting me an uncertain look. “Why?”

“Because you’re moving like your shoulder hurts. It won’t magically get better by carrying a pack. There’s a difference between being a little sore and being injured—and you don’t want to be injured.” I tilt my head, crossing my arms. “Let me see.”

She exhales but mutters, “Fine,” and turns her back to me.

I keep my touch light, trying to ignore the way heat seeps through her shirt straight into my palms. Her breath hitches, and I fight to focus on her muscles, not her warm, inviting body.

“You’re stiff as hell,” I murmur, pressing my thumbs into the tight muscles near her shoulder blades.

She lets out a slow exhale, but it’s shaky. When I press deeper, she makes a barely-there noise from the back of her throat.

I focus on the knot below her shoulder, working it out slowly. Lindy shudders beneath my hands, her breath uneven.

And now all I can think about is what else I could do to make her melt like that. What would she do if I slipped my hands beneathher shirt, skimmed my fingers down the dip of her spine, and touched the softness of her bare skin? Tweaked her nipples and cradled her heavy breasts in my hands?

What would she sound like if I pressed my body against hers and whispered in her ear exactly how badly I wanted her? Pressed my cock against her, so she can feel just how hard she makes me?

What would she feel like under me—gasping my name as I slid inside her and made her mine?

I force myself to drop my hands and step away.

What the hell am I doing? I shouldn’t even be thinking any of these thoughts about her.

Lindy turns slowly and looks at me. Her lips are parted, her breathing coming in shallow bursts. Her blue eyes are wide as she looks at me.

Fuck.

“Better?” I ask, my voice rough.

She blinks rapidly and rolls her shoulders, then smiles. “Yeah. Much better. Thanks.”

Something dangerous flickers in her eyes. I know I shouldn’t touch her like I want to, but the way she’s looking at me tells me she feels the electricity between us, too.

I shouldn’t want her. But I do. I want Lindy. More than any-fucking-thing else in the world.

CHAPTER 5

LINDY

Cody skids on the trail, his body tilting forward like he’s about to fall.

“Cody!” My yell sends a bunch of birds squawking and escaping into the sky.

His right leg buckles. His hand slams against a nearby tree, gripping the rough bark so hard his knuckles go white.

He doesn’t go down. But only barely.

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