Page 42 of Love in the Storm

“Please,” she said as she held the s’more out to him.

“Okay, but I’m making you as many as you want.” He took it and bit off half the remaining s’more.

Lyric wiped her mouth. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

Her gaze fell to his lips, and he had to focus on swallowing the bite he’d been chewing. Lyric had quickly taken over his thoughts and was testing every ounce of his willpower. Now that he knew what it was like to kiss those lips, he wanted more.

She looked up at the bandage on his head. “I should change that. Let me get the first-aid kit.”

Within seconds, she was on her feet and jogging out of the room. Asa rested his head in his hand. What was he doing? So, they were stranded together. Alone. Were any of the feelings he was having real?

They sure felt real. Every time he looked at Lyric or she made a point to take care of him or joke around, he felt it all the way down to his bones.

Was it the same for Lyric? Would their lives be so different when they left the cabin? Could a relationship work? Did Lyric even want one?

Asa stood and paced on the area rug. Did she even want it to work? She could be a serial dater. She could be in it for just a fling.

But Asa wasn’t a fling kinda guy, and he wouldn’t ever be. When he made up his mind about Danielle, he was all in. It didn’t take him long to realize she was the one for him either. They’d been high schoolsweethearts, and there hadn’t been any of the typical on-again, off-again stuff. He’d known they were meant for each other from the beginning.

It might help him know what to expect if he had any other dating experience. Still, the pull he felt toward Lyric was familiar. It was the same way things had started with Danielle.

Jogging back into the room, Lyric settled down on the couch with the kit. “I think this might be the last time it needs changing.”

Asa swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump in his throat. He sat facing her on the couch. “Yeah. I don’t think it’ll bleed anymore.”

Her delicate fingers gently pulled back the tape and gauze from his head. He couldn’t tear his attention away from her face. Her dark eyes focused on his injury, and she bit the side of her bottom lip. He had plenty of time to memorize the lines of her jaw, the angle of her nose, and the shallow dimple in her cheek.

With the bandage off, she put it to the side and started measuring out gauze and tape. “Pretty sure this one is gonna leave a scar.”

Asa didn’t need a reminder. Every moment from the time he hit that tree was seared into his memory. Lyric Woods made sure of that.

She taped the new bandage on his forehead, but her fingers lingered on his skin, brushing down his beard and over his jaw.

Her gaze met his, and he couldn’t hold back anymore. Leaning in, he captured her mouth with his. His hand slid up her neck and into her hair as she latched her arms around his shoulders.

Everything about Lyric was wild and unchecked. She pulled him in and wrapped him around her finger without a single word. She looked at him with kindness, and every defense he had melted in her wake.

Being alone with her without any distractions was dangerous. It didn’t help that he was shirtless and every brush of her hands over his shoulders left a fire in its wake.

Lyric jerked back, pressing her hand to her mouth.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Your phone,” she whispered.

As if on cue, the phone in his pocket buzzed. Had it been ringing?

He pulled it out and checked the screen before showing it to Lyric. “It’s my mom.”

She nodded and stood. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

He hadn’t meant to imply he wanted her to leave, but she probably needed a breather as much as he did.

Asa answered the call but kept watching Lyric as she walked away. “Hello.”

“Hey. Just checking in. I think Jacob is officiallyexhausted, and I thought you might want to say good night.”

“It’s barely eight.” Jacob didn’t usually stay up late, but eight was a little on the early side.

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