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She followed him home, rain soaking her hair, her lips bruised, everything inside her alive for the first time in years.
19
Caleb climbed down from the tree, the bark rough and real under his palms as he landed on faded pine needles. He’d hoped contact with the earth would dispel the lingering tendrils of desire coiling in his gut, but they held fast, refusing to loosen their grip as he helped Grace down, his hands gripping her hips, before sliding to the sweet dip of her waist.
In the tree, elevated from the turmoil of the world below, he’d allowed himself to relinquish his fears and be. Hidden within the tree, there had been no need for him to be her guardian. The tree had been their shelter against the world and in doing so, he had allowed himself a glimpse of what could be. Of a fragile new connection with this woman.
He exhaled, reluctantly releasing her. Could such moments ever be more than a fleeting illusion? Especially after everything she had shared so far. Surely, there could be no future between the two of them, even though the possibility increasingly dominated his thoughts?
She turned to face him, her cheeks flushed with the aftermath of their shared kiss. That kiss.
Doubt worried at his resolution. His desire to protect her was both a strength and a vulnerability. No matter how desperately he wished to shield her from harm, he couldn’t control every outcome, and that knowledge, heavy with the burden of experience, preyed on his conscience.
She took his hand, her fingers curling into his in a way that made his heart race and the skin on the underside of his fingers tingle as she led him out from under the tree into the cold sluice of rain.
Caleb squinted into the darkening sky, the horizon painted with ominous hues of deep purple, mirroring the turmoil churning within him. A subtle hum seemed to permeate the air, as if charged with raw power waiting to be unleashed. The sensation pricked his skin, urging him to take her home. “We should hurry. It’ll be dark soon.”
The information she had shared about Hudson buzzed in his brain. He was still at a disadvantage. He needed to know more.
When they arrived back at his cabin, he sent Grace to go warm up in a bath while he secured the perimeter alarms. The tension across his shoulders only eased once he knew the alarms were reset. No one would get within one hundred yards of his property without it being announced.
It was almost an hour later when Grace came downstairs to join him. He’d lit the fire to take the chill off the room, and the lick of flames cast a golden glow across her skin. Her hair was damp, lying in wavy tendrils across her shoulders scented with his shampoo. An image of her rinsing suds from her hair in his tub, bubbles sliding between her breasts, sprang unbidden into his mind.
He looked away for a second, gathering himself. Sex couldn’t be on the menu, even if it was the only item he wanted to be on the menu.
She padded into the kitchen with socked feet, wearing one of his long-sleeved t-shirts that came down to mid thigh. Her legs were lean and toned.
“Can I help? Smells delicious.” She sniffed the air and smiled.
Fuck, she was wearing his clothes, and the fabric told him she wasn’t wearing a bra under that t-shirt.
Get it together, Caleb.
She came up to the counter where he was prepping salad to go with the chicken roasting in the oven.
“Sure. Can you chop?”
She shot him a shy smile. “I can chop.”
He gave her the knife and pushed a bowl of peppers toward her.
“Can I get you a drink?” He opened his fridge.
“Um…A beer would be lovely.”
He twisted off the caps of two ice-cold beers with a satisfying pop. Condensation glistened on the sides of the bottles, tracing delicate paths down the cool glass.
He handed one to Grace and their fingers brushed, sending a jolt of electricity coursing through him.
Shit. He took a hefty swig, forcing himself to focus on the sweetness of the hops instead of Grace.
She closed her eyes and brought the bottle to her lips and drank.
Fuck. The way her lips curved around the bottle, the way her throat moved as she swallowed. It stirred primal need in him, awakening desires he had long buried.
“Enjoying it?” He cleared his throat, his voice rough with suppressed desire.
She blinked as if suddenly aware he was still in the room with her. A smile played at the corners of her lush mouth. “Very much. It’s been a while since I was allowed...since I’ve had a beer.”
