Page 32 of Found in Wild Sage

“It’s only fair for me to do the same.”

He dips his chin, then guides my hand until it’s pressing through his shirt right over his heart.

My entire brain lights on fire from the gesture, the touch, the contact, the feeling of his very firm pectoral, but I don’t look away from those eyes.

“I promise you, I’m on your side. I’m yours for as long as this lasts, and you’ll have my honesty, my friendship, and… whatever else you need.”

And I?

Am a goner.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Declan

Can she tell my heart is thundering under her touch?

Could she tell I was about to say my body in the line of things that are hers?

Does she have any idea how much I like her hand on me—what I’d give to have them both pressed against me, taking as they please?

Or even, to know they might want that?

“Me, too. I want you to feel good about all of this. I want to…” She shakes her head. “I won’t say pay you back since apparently that’s forbidden. But I want to do right by you, whatever that looks like.”

I almost wince there, but at least it’s a start.

I press her hand to my heart one more time before stepping back. She curls her arm in and almost cradles the hand that was touching me.

Tenderness pinches between my ribs for reasons I don’t understand.

“How about for tonight, we start by lightening the mood and getting to know one another?” I’m not sure I’ll survive if we keep making these declarations and heavy eye contact and standing close.

I’m normally tightly controlled. I’m an organized tray of sterile instruments, all neatly laid out. I’m organized, focused, dedicated. I don’t allow strong feelings to guide me. It’s logic, a clear decision-making process. Until Evie.

Until she walked by and flipped the tray. Now I’m scattered, messy, out of control.

Even my metaphor’s a wreck.

She exhales softly and gives me a relieved smile. “Sounds perfect.”

We take seats across from one another. I’ve never considered how far apart the table places two people until now. Why is this table so troublesomely wide?

We dish up our food—pork tenderloin, grilled peaches, wild rice, and salad. It’s all tried and true. I’m hoping she’ll enjoy it, but there’s a litany of concerns running through my mind. Does she eat pork? Does she like rice? Is she allergic to peaches?

No, she said no allergies. Good.

Wait, is she vegetarian? Vegan?

No, of course not. I remember seeing her devour a cheeseburger one day at the diner and enjoying it quite a bit.

Not in a creepy way. Just in a good for you kind of way.

In the way that watching someone eat something that is clearly satisfying can be satisfying to someone else.

In the way that she should have what she wants all the time and I suspect she rarely does, so I was glad to see she got something that gave her some pleasure.

I swear it wasn’t weird.