Page 2 of Lone Wolf in Lights
She looked his way, drawn to the pain in his voice. Charly had told her that Eli’s sister had been murdered by her ex-boyfriend. So that pain that Eli suffered, so visibly raw, was something they had in common.
“So, even if you don’t ride,” he countered, “come here and just be with them. This place saved me when I thought nothing would save me.”
Willow’s breath caught in her throat, her own scars suddenly throbbing with fresh memory. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Eli just seemed to see her wounds but didn’t pity them.
He glanced sideways, his intense gaze meeting hers. “Horses... I don’t know...they’ve just got this way of making everything in here—” he placed his hand on his chest “—better.”
The world seemed to vanish around her, and all the reasons she told herself that she did not want a relationship again went silent. All that remained was this sweet way Eli seemed to understand her. She only saw his heart too. “I’m sorry for what happened to your sister,” she whispered, “and that you needed a place that made everything better.”
Eli swallowed deeply. “I’m sorry for what happened to you too.”
Willow felt his words resonate within her own battered soul. Because he meant them. She saw it bleeding on his face.
Then she was moving without thought, drawn by something she could not control or stop.
One step. Then another. Until his strong body pressed tightly against hers. He lifted his hand slowly.
He gently caressed her cheek. “You’re looking at me like you want me to kiss you, Willow.” A pause. Then, “Is that what you want?”
“Yes,” she whispered, surrendering to the yearning that had been building since their eyes first met. It wasn’t just permission; it was a plea for a touch to feel...safe.It was a hope that his kiss would fix all the things another man broke in her heart.
His lips met hers tentatively at first, a gentle exploration that quickened her breath. Then, as if fueled by the sheer force of this magical thing between them, he deepened the kiss. Her hands found their way to his chest, feeling the solid beat of his heart against her palms. His arms wrapped around her, strong and sure, and she melted into him, falling into the warmth carrying through her.
When suddenly the sound of a loud cough broke through the silence. Her eyes flew open, the haze of desire lifting as reality slammed into her. She pulled back from Eli’s warmth, ignoring the cold void that filled the space between them.
“Sorry to intrude,” Jaxon said, emerging from around the barn, his hand loosely intertwined with Charly’s, “but this is the only route back to the fire.”
Willow gasped, mostly in shock that she’d allowed herself to momentarily lose her mind and let Eli kiss her, and suddenly shoved Eli—hard.
Caught off guard, he went soaring back, landing on his ass. “What the hell?” he groaned.
“Oh no.” Willow reached out to help him before stopping herself. She glanced at Charly then Jaxon, her face burning red-hot. “I’m so sorry,” she eventually muttered, as Jaxon laughed hysterically.
Charly’s mouth pressed tight like she was fighting her laughter. She tugged on Jaxon. “We’ll just...um...meet you back at the fire,” she said.
Eli finally pushed himself off the ground, right as Charly’s laughter filled the night air.
Willow couldn’t laugh. She could feel every muscle in her body tense. The kiss—intense and raw—had been an unexpected leap into vulnerability, a momentary lapse in her defenses.
“This... This was a mistake,” she gasped, as Eli took a step toward her. “That shouldn’t have happened.” She couldn’t trust her judgement about men. She wasn’t ready for this.
Eli’s expression shifted, confusion and hurt flickering across his features before he masked them with a practiced indifference. “My mistake,” he said, the gruffness in his voice belying the careful control he was trying to maintain. “That’s on me. I’m sorry, Willow.”
“It’s fine,” she insisted, forcing a smile. “That was...we’re drinking...”
With one last look at Eli, whose eyes held a storm of questions she wasn’t ready to answer, she turned on her heel and walked briskly back to the others, Gunner’s low, smooth voice drawing her forward.
She took a quick glance over her shoulder, her chest squeezing tight, as she saw Eli standing alone in the shadows, and her heart broke for another reason now.
One
Three months later...
Aisle by aisle, Willow led her best friends Charly and Aubrey through the maze of Christmas decorations that transformed the modest hardware store of downtown Timber Falls into a winter wonderland. She was totallynotthinking about that kiss with Eli all those months ago. The scent of fresh pine and cinnamon mingled in the air, wrapping around her like a cozy blanket as she perused shelves filled with glittering ornaments and garlands. Timber Falls might have been small, but the town didn’t skimp on holiday spirit. And with Christmas only a month away the holiday season was descending on the town.
“Check these out,” she said, gesturing toward a display nestled between snow globes and festive candle holders. Strands of twinkling lights blinked back at her. She reached out, fingers grazing the delicate bulbs. “Wouldn’t these look amazing strung up behind the bar?”
Charly’s warm brown eyes brightened. “Oh, definitely.”
