Page 31 of Finding His Fox

He quickly walked past me and got into his car.

After Rory left, I turned to Cal and looked him squarely in the eye. As usual, I couldn’t get a read on him.

Cal merely pulled the sleeves of his windbreaker up to his elbows and crossed his arms over his chest.

The movement was subtle, but it further accentuated the veins and muscles of his toned forearms.

I couldn’t help but imagine how it would feel to run my hands along those sculpted arms.

Tracing the contours with my fingertips, slowly making my way up to his broad shoulders.

My eyes trailed from his large hands up to his well-defined biceps, because for now, that was all I could do.

Also, the stupid sleeve of his jacket stopped just above his elbow, teasingly hiding more of his muscled arms.

Cal tilted his head to the side and gave a cocky little grin. Two could play at this game.

I placed the pet carrier on the ground and swung my backpack to the front. I unzipped my bag and took out the gift bag I made for Cal.

“Tell me what you and Rory were talking about and I’ll give this to you,” I said, swinging the gift bag in front of me.

A flash of panic showed on Cal’s face, but quickly disappeared. He unfolded his arms and walked toward me until we were toe to toe.

Leaning in, he closed the remaining space between us, our bodies almost touching.

Our faces were mere inches apart, his warm breath brushing against my lips, a delightful contrast to the cold wind coming in from the lake.

Cal smelled of musk, pine, and coffee. It was pure intoxication. My heart raced in my chest, my breath quickening.

“Nate,” Cal said, on a shuddery exhale.

Cal now had a hungry look in his deep blue eyes. I wanted to close the distance between us, to feel his lips on mine, but I didn’t.

Instead, I gave him a teasing smile. I placed a hand over his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath my palm.

I gave him a playful push, putting a little distance between us.

“What were you two talking about?” I pressed him.

Cal hung his head and gave a heavy sigh. Inside, a part of me was doing cartwheels.

Another part wanted to slap myself silly. I was tempted to find out how far this would go, to see who would cave and make the first move.

“He just told me to look out for you. That’s all,” Cal admitted.

I looked into Cal’s eyes and could tell he was telling the truth. I handed him the bag.

Inside were some allergy medications since he was helping me out with Max.

“Thanks,” Cal said, accepting the bag and taking a peek inside.

“So, where do I bring my stuff?” I asked, eager to see where Cal lived.

“C’mon, I’ll show you,” Cal said, grabbing the two largest bags from the ground.

I picked up Max’s pet carrier and followed Cal along the shoreline. We reached a beautiful cabin near the other end of the lake.

It was definitely old, probably a family home, but very well-maintained.