How do I get out of this?
CHAPTER 2
ALEC
I hopenone of my friends saw me walking Hazel to her car.
It’s not that I’m embarrassed to be seen with her. Far from it.
But if my friends saw me with Hazel—the two of us alone, no less, walking off into the darkness together—some of them would get the wrong idea.
Not the guys. But their partners would. And the matchmaking they’ve been pushing in earnest would escalate to a fever pitch.
I get it. All my coupled-up friends are so blissfully happy—nice play on words there—that they’re convincedeveryoneshould be in a relationship. It’s something Ronan and I have talked about as the two remaining single guys on the GMG team.
“I’m happy for them,” Ronan told me a few weeks ago, after Gage’s fiancée, Rory, suggested setting him up with a volunteer at her dog rescue. “But I’m happy being single. It works for me.” He paused, his gaze darkening at a far off memory. “I tried the whole relationship thing,” he added. “I’d rather not do it again.”
Ronan doesn’t talk about it much, and he never goes into details, but I know he had a fiancée once who burned him badly. Ever since, he’s been determined to stay single. Like me, he’ll make the occasional trip into Burlington for a casual hookup—Bliss is too small of a town to risk that here—but that’s as far as it goes.
I wasn’t burned by a woman, but I’m happier staying single, too. Fewer complications that way. Fewer chances of discovering a person you trusted could betray you without any warning.
Plus, my life is busy enough as it is. Between running my company, fulfilling my duties at Green Mountain Guardians, taking care of my house, and spending time with my friends, I can’t see having time for anything else.
Almost in protest, Hazel’s blue eyes flash before me, a stormy Atlantic blue tipped with silver. Lighting up with pleasure, as they did when she talked about her game, chasing away the shadows I’ve seen within.
She tries to hide them, and I don’t think mostpeople would notice. But I do, because I feel that same darkness. The pain of old wounds that never completely healed.
Hazel intrigues me. Of all the women I’ve met in Bliss—all the women I’ve met, period—she’s the only one I could picture myself with, if things were different.
IfIwere different.
Although it might not matter, even then. In the three years Hazel’s lived in Bliss, she’s remained just as single as me. I’ve never even heard a whisper about her dating, and if she were, in a small town like this, I’m sure I would have.
If shewantedto date, I’m certain there would be a long line of volunteers. Because Hazel isn’t just nice and smart and quietly funny, but beautiful, too. With long, shiny brown hair that changes from chestnut to red depending on how the light hits it, those gorgeous blue eyes, and cheeks that pink up whenever she smiles, it’s impossible to ignore just how pretty she is.
And her body…
Hazel’s in shape—she’d have to be considering her job, and she mentioned once that she works out on her own at least four days a week—but there’s a lushness to her, too. A promise of curves hidden by loose T-shirts and worn jeans that makes me wonder what she’d look like without them.
With a quick shake of my head, I try to push asidethe images of Hazel naked, stretched out beneath me, her skin flushed with arousal and desire heating her gaze.
I’m not trying to date, I remind myself.I’ve got plenty to focus on without it. And Hazel’s not the one-night-hookup type.
Anyway, I probably just need to make another trip to Burlington soon. Hit the bars and hopefully find a woman who’s interested in a no-strings evening, just like I am. I could even make the trip this coming weekend, which would have the added bonus of pacifying my GMG teammates who’ve been nagging me to take some time off.
But with three of the five members of the team in relationships, it just makes sense for me to take on more jobs so they can spend time with their partners. I don’t mind doing it, especially if it helps out my friends.
Plus, I really enjoy my work with Green Mountain Guardians. It brings back a purpose I lost when I separated from the Army. Helping people. Protecting them. Making sure justice is served.
But we don’t have any jobs—paid or pro-bono—lined up for this weekend. So all I have to look forward to is a stretch of hours puttering around my empty house, searching for home improvement projects to do.
Maybe, after sating my needs in Burlington, I won’t think about Hazel as much.
Except.
Why does the idea of it make me feel guilty?
Is it because of the way Hazel looked when she first saw me in the park, like seeing me was the best part of her night? Or how she blushed so adorably when Frank volunteered me to walk her to her car? Is it because I enjoyed our conversation even more than I expected?
