Page 35 of Unearthed Dreams
I peeked through my fingers, nodding miserably.
“Holy shit,” she breathed. “That’s... that’s actually really hot. Like, romance novel hot. What exactly did he say?”
“Shelby!” I hissed, mortified but also desperately wanting to share every detail with someone. Anyone.
“No, seriously Charlie,” Shelby insisted, pulling me further from the crowd. “You can’t just drop that bomb and not give me details. How did this even happen? Does your family know?”
“God, no!” I glanced anxiously toward the EdenTree tent where Tessa was demonstrating their signature cider. “My brothers would lose their minds. Chase already suspects something—he’s been weird about it lately.”
“But how did you meet him?”
“I saw him at a wedding a few months ago, and again at the cidery opening. Then I literally crashed into him on Main Street.” I smiled at the memory. “I was trying to avoid walkingpast his bar because—I don’t know, he makes me feel things—I wasn’t watching where I was going, and just... bam. Right into his chest.”
“That’s, like, straight out of one of your romance novels!”
“I know! And then he offered to let me work in his bar during closed hours because I was looking for a quiet place to write, and?—”
“Hold up.” Shelby’s eyes went wide. “You showed him your book?”
I nodded. “He read the whole thing in a day.”
“Charlie!” Shelby grabbed my arm. “That’s huge! You’ve never let anyone read it!”
“I know, I just...” I risked another glance at the beer tent. Kai was still glowering as Trevor and Simon chatted, clearly in no hurry to return. “There’s something about him. He makes me feel...”
“Brave?” Shelby supplied with a knowing smile.
“Yeah,” I breathed. “Brave.”
“I love this for you.”
The sincerity in Shelby’s voice made my throat tight. After years of being the awkward roommate, here I was—finally talking about my love life, and she was genuinely excited for me.
“No one ever believed me when I said heat levels in romance novels were realistic,” I muttered. “But the way he looks at me sometimes... it’s exactly like that. Like he could devour me with just his eyes.”
“Oh my god, he’s doing it right now,” Shelby whispered, her gaze fixed over my shoulder.
I didn’t have to turn around to know she was right. I could feelthe weight of his stare, hot and heavy against my skin. The same way it had felt all day while I’d pretended to read, hyperaware of his every movement.
“So what are you going to do about it?” Shelby asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Charlie.” She fixed me with a look. “You can’t just let this sexual tension simmer forever. Someone’s going to spontaneously combust.”
“He keeps pulling away,” I admitted. “Says he’s not a good man. That he’s too old for me, and I deserve someone better.”
“And what do you want?”
Trevor and Simon finally made their way back to us with beers in hand. But my gaze drifted to where Kai stood, his knuckles white against the tap handle.
“Him,” I said simply. “I want him.”
The sun hadlong since set, and my head buzzed pleasantly despite the fact that I’d barely managed to choke down two beers. How did people drink this stuff for fun?
“You sure you won’t come back to the resort?” Trevor asked, leaning in close enough that I could smell the hops on his breath. “We could grab a late dinner, maybe hit the hot tub?”
Two months ago, this invitation would have sent my heart racing. Now I just felt... nothing.
