Page 38 of Eyes Like a Hurricane

“Okay,” I start reading. “Here is an email address to report discovered mines. It says don’t enter a newly found mine.” I nudge Aislinn's shoulder gently. She pretends to glare at me, then looks back at the screen with a huff that sounds like a masked laugh.

“Look here,” she points. “It says we need to record a mining claim on the site within ninety days of discovery with the County. There is a reference to the Bureau of Land Management with the US Department of the Interior. I would keep that in mind. Even though this is your land, I would hate to see someone else try to stake a legal claim to it.”

I nod, “That makes sense. Look it says to email [email protected]. They want us to include the location, the name of the nearest road, and our Assessor's Parcel Number. Okay, Noah collected the GPS coordinates. We have our tax parcel number on our real property tax statement, which is in this file cabinet.”

Aislinn flexes her fingers. “Let’s get this email typed out.”

Dear DEQ Representative,

Yesterday, we discovered an abandoned mine on our property.We believe it may be a topaz mine from about 1900, constructed by my great-grandfather, Hamish McLeod. The property is under Lachlan and Ingrid Ambarsan. We are located in Topaz Falls, MT, with real property tax account number: 90025-7693-09.

Please let us know when you can send a representative to our ranch. We would like to look at the safety and exact mineral in the mine, then go through the appropriate channels to legally claim and record the location as ours.

Thank you,

Lachlan Ambarsan

Chapter 34

Aislinn

After finishing up in the office, we slowly walk back to his house. “I can’t believe it’s only Tuesday afternoon. Sunday, we were dancing. Yesterday, I was stuck on a ledge. Today, we investigated an abandoned mine. My life has changed so much in the last few days,” I say, shaking my head in disbelief.

“I hope for the better.” Lachlan grins and pulls me to his side, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. I instinctively lean into him as he kisses my hair. “Don’t go yet, stay for dinner?” he asks softly against my hair.

I nod into his chest and smile. “What did you have in mind?”

“How about some homemade pizza? That stone fixture in my backyard is a pizza oven. We installed it a couple of years ago. If we aren’t grilling at Ingrid’s house, we are often making pizza here,” he says.

His free arm gestures toward the large stone pizza oven, which I vaguely remember noticing earlier. The dogs follow us through the gate, and we make our way to the back door. Heading inside, they both go straight to the water dish. After lapping up their water, they cross the hardwood floor. The clickof their nails against the flooring tells us they are heading into the living room at the front of the house.

I smile and nod in the direction of Finn and Chloe. “I’m relieved they get along so well.”

Smirking, he says, “Me too. I know if they hadn’t, Ingrid would have had no problem taking care of Finn when you brought Chloe over. She has wanted a dog for a long time. I’m glad to see they've bonded in such a short time.”

Nodding, I walk over to the kitchen island. “Want me to make the dough, or do you have your own special recipe?”

“You like to make pizza from scratch, too?” he asks.

“Kieran is a chef, and my mom and grandmother instilled baking and cooking in us both from a young age. He just turned it into a thriving career and made a name for himself. I, on the other hand, prefer to bake treats for coworkers. I hope you like cookies and cupcakes because I’m sure I will bring them frequently to the ranch,” I say presumptuously, hoping to get regular invites.

Based on the grin Lachlan is sporting, I think my chances are pretty good. “How about I treat you to my pizza tonight, and on our next pizza night, we can try your dough?”

“Sounds great,” I say enthusiastically, heading to the fridge to pull out a bottle of water.

I stand and gulp down half the bottle before pulling it back and sighing. I didn’t realize just how thirsty I was until the cool liquid touched my lips. Realizing Lachlan is no longer talking, I pivot toward him and see him watching me with glazed eyes. I swallow as he stalks toward me, his eyes traveling the length of my neck before returning to my lips.

In a gravelly voice, he whispers, “Can we seal that deal with a kiss? I suddenly feel quite thirsty.”

Without responding, my fingers slide to his belt loops, and I gently tug him closer. I tilt my head up, and I don't know who moves first. Our lips collide in a slow, languid kiss. The minutes fade and time slows as his hands come up to grip the sides of my jaw. I feel his thumb stroke my cheek, and his tongue moves across the seam of my lips. I open my mouth, inviting him in, and a small moan escapes my throat.

His warm lips and tongue mix with the coolness from the cold water I just drank. It’s a heady feeling as I press my hips flush against him and feel his desire pressing against his jeans. My hands slide around his waistband until I’m holding his back belt loops. I tug him closer, and he groans into my mouth.

Suddenly, my stomach makes an embarrassing growl. Breaking the kiss, he presses his forehead against mine. I look into his peridot eyes to see tortured amusement.

“You need fuel, and I have this innate need to take care of you,” he whispers. “To be continued?”

Closing my eyes, I let out a long, slow sigh and nod. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I hug him for a few more seconds, not ready for our bodies to separate. My stomach growls again, and he takes a small step back. I glance over and see the yeast has risen a nice half inch in the bowl.

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