Page 30 of Feverburn

If he wanted to, he would.

The second we passed the swinging doors into the vestibule, the energy crackled around us. He let me walk ahead, leading the way. His deep voice murmured.“You lookextragorgeoustoday, sweetheart.”

“Thank you. I like that color green on you.”My gaze flitted to his broad chest covered in flannel as I unlocked the door.“I saw you earlier. It was nice of you to support Kaylee.”

“Of course. We all support you.”He sniffed and looked around at my loft.“Your place smellsamazing. I like what you’ve done with it. It’s homey.”

He rested the ladder against the brick wall, and we freed our hands by putting things down on my pub table. I fell into his magnetictrapthe second his eyes locked with mine, both of us crashing into one another. His large hands pawed my lower back, dragging me to him. It was like our kisses in the forest— consuming, addictive, andeffortless.

His soft lips slid against mine, and his beard scratched my skin, making me even more aware of his virility. He was a fuckingman.His sheer size, enveloping me, made me feel so deliciously consumed. I kissed his neck, then teased his ear with my tongue and breath, liking how he groaned and walked us to my bed, falling together until he covered me with his brawny body.

His teeth grazed my neck while he kissed it, sending a throbbing ache between my legs. I pulled his face to mine for a hungrykisswhile my legs spread, beckoning him to settle his hips between my thighs. Who knows how long we lay there kissing, a slow grind starting.

Like in the forest, my hands had a mind of their own and trailed under his flannel, needing to feel his warm skin. His hands started doing the same, squeezing my hips, then tracing up thebareskin on my sides. Warmth pooled at my center. I couldn’t hold back much more. My hands drifted,temptingme to unzip his pants and go for it.

Instead, I tapped into my restraint and shoved at his chest.“Wait! Wait, I can’t!”

He pulled up immediately, getting off the bed while wiping his mouth.“I’m so sorry. I didn’t plan on that.”

“No, you’re okay. It’s okay.”

“I can’t seem to be alone with you without…”He gestured vaguely between us, catching his breath.

“I know. It’s…I know.”I’m glad I wasn’t the only one feeling the chemistry. My nipples poked painfully in my bra, and a dull ache filled my core.

He stepped backward, sucking in a deep breath. He picked up the frame with a slow blink,“Let me guess, Viv gave you this?”

“Yeah, you know her?”I asked, getting off the bed and smoothing my hair.

“It’s Pine Bluff. I know everyone. But Viv is one of my favorites.”

“I already like her. She flashed me her tits.”

“That’s Viv for ya. I grew up looking at this.”He held it to the last shreds of sunlight and looked back at me.“I always liked it, thought it was pretty.”

“Listen, I don’t want to put it in the window ifit looks cluttered or distracts from your storefront. I would understand if you—”

“It won’t, I promise. What window?”

I pointed to the far right, the one closest to the muraled wall that had his last name on it.

He attached black chains and hardware to match the black edge of the old window. The man had an eye for small details. I’ll give him that. I had to fight watching him drill it in. His flannel and undershirt lifted when he raised his arms, showing a tanned V-shape torso and the sexiesthappytrail. I wanted to see where it led. As he stepped down from the ladder, we relished the final product.

I wrung my hands together. “Thank you for helping me.”

He looked down, stepping to stand directly in front of me.“Happyto. It’s like it was always meant to be there.”

Once again, his words felt like they had adoublemeaning. I couldn’t look away from his mouth, how his lips were darker than mine, the way his beard grew slightly off his chin. I wanted to tug it to me to kiss him. Before I could, he pulled me to his chest and gave me the most comforting hug of my life. Feeling him surround me, I let out a little sigh.

“I know you’re exhausted, but let me take you out tonight. I’m so worried about you,”he murmured into my hair.

I pulled away but kept my hands on his chest.“But I—”

“You’ve barely had fun since moving here. I can tell you need something to distract you from work.”His thumb gently brushed between where my eyebrows now pinched together.“You look too stressed, woman. And like you could use a good meal.”

His second open invitation made things too real. Apanicfilled my body as flashbacks slapped my mind.

The strobing of police lights against a brick wall.

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