Page 74 of Where Broken Wings Fly

“I’m okay, really.”

“Use the fire to warm up before you catch hypothermia too. I promise, I won’t look.”

His gaze trails over me, intrigued. “Maybe I don’t mind if you do look.”

With an eye roll, I turn my back on him. “Just strip.”

“You don’t have to ask me twice.”

Grabbing another log of wood from the basket, I add it to the flames and give it a poke, getting the fire roaring again. The sound of a zipper and wet denim being shimmied off sets my heart racing.

“If you wanted me to take my clothes off sooner, you only had to ask,” Zach says huskily. “I’ve got nothing to hide from you.”

The pad of his bare feet joins me in front of the fire. Zach sits down in front of the fireplace, stretching his bare legs and hands outwards to capture the heat. I can’t stop myself from taking a peak out of the corner of my eye.

My mouth goes dry.

Holy fuck.

I knew that Zach was muscular, like his cousin and brother. Life up here doesn’t allow for laziness. But the hard lines that carve his defined abdominals stacked in neat rows across his torso are something else. He’s literally ripped.

Zach’s strong legs have been honed by hours of work outside, and his skin-tight boxers leave nothing to the imagination. His package is huge. Intimidatingly so. I don’t have a whole lot of experience, but even I can see he’s well-endowed.

I clear my throat. “Well then.”

“Fuck, I’m freezing.”

“Want me to make you some tea?”

A wicked smile stretches his lips. “Why don’t you come sit here with me while I warm up? Promise I’ll keep my hands to myself. Scout’s honour.”

“You were in the Scouts?”

“Well, Pops’ version anyway. It mostly entailed me and Killian sneaking into this cabin to steal his beer. We also practised shooting the empty bottles until we got caught.”

With a deep breath, I sit down in front of the fire, tucking my legs up to my chest. Zach’s broad shoulder brushes mine for a brief, heart-stopping second. He’s staring at me, the smile wiped from his face. It’s weird to see him looking serious.

“What did you and Micah argue about?”

I feel my cheeks flush. “Nothing.”

“Then why are you turning into an admittedly adorable tomato right now?” He barks a laugh. “Come on, you can tell me. I’m great at keeping secrets.”

“Not happening.”

“Here’s one for you then. Did you know that Killian shaved all his hair off once when he was drunk? Ryder dared him to do it.”

“You’re joking?” I splutter.

“Nope. His mum nearly killed him for doing it. He looked like a fucking convict and took months to grow back as well. So, come on. Tell me what happened.”

“You’ve just proven that you can’t keep a secret.”

Zach draws a cross over his heart. “My lips are sealed, I swear.”

I look back into the depths of the fire. “It was stupid. I’ve never felt comfortable or at ease around people, especially men. But Micah’s easy to talk to and he gets me.”

Zach’s eyebrows shoot up. “He kissed you, didn’t he?”

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