He surprised me when he rumbled out, in a voice raspier than usual, “They’re the reason I don’t believe in love. Seems like a lot of pain for not much payoff. My little sis is the same way. Cindy says she’ll be single for life, too.”
After taking another sip of my soup, I confessed, “I’m not sure I believe in it either. I kept waiting for it to happen with Colin. We dated for two years and I never felt… anything, really.”
He grunted.
“We broke up a few months ago. I finally told him I wanted to see us move our relationship forward a little. That’s when he told me that he was happy with us as we were. He said seeing meonce a week was easier than hunting down a new woman for sex every Friday night.”
“That guy was an asshole,” Jameson announced with conviction.
“Yeah. You know the only reason I stuck around was because he got me a ring on our first Christmas together. It was fourteen-karat gold with a ruby in the center, and even though it wasn’t an engagement ring, I felt like it symbolized a commitment to a future together. Turned out it was just a pretty bauble to him. I don’t evenlikerubies.”
Jameson growled, “He sounds like a fucking idiot.”
“Maybe,” I laughed. “Or maybeI’mthe idiot for thinking love is something that can grow if you just give it enough time.”
“Yeah,” he nodded, “If it exists, I think it probably hits like a lightning strike.”
The sky took that moment to flash, the whole interior of the cabin lighting up before a rolling boom filled the air.
I jumped again, and his lips quirked up.
Jameson rubbed my knee, “Funny timing. It’s just a little rainstorm, Leah. You’ll be all right.”
It felt important for him to know, so I told him, “I’m not afraid of the storm. The thunder just seems louder up here on top of the mountain.”
“Yeah. We getallthe good storms around here. We’re pretty fucking lucky.”
And that’s when I realized he meant it. Helikedthis weather, mother nature getting rowdy all around us, like it was quickening the blood in his veins.
What kind of man was he? Jameson was a mystery to me. And somehow it felt completely natural sitting here with this shirtless beast, talking about our deepest feelings.
My heart stuttered in place, and I wondered ifthiswas what love felt like. A yearning to dig deep and uncover his secrets.
Tonight felt like magic.
And I realized Nicole from the travel forum might have been right. Red Oak Mountain wasn’t likeanywhereelse on earth. It was the only place wild enough to contain a man like Jameson. You wouldn’t ever see someone like him walking down the streets in Boston. He needed to be here where the wild things were.
We sat in silence for a moment, the fire crackling between us as the storm raged outside. I reached for the water canteen at the same moment he did, and our hands collided over the tin rim.
Neither of us pulled away.
His fingers were warm against mine, rough and solid, and when I looked up, his eyes were already on me. The firelight caught the gold flecks in his blue irises, and I forgot how to breathe.
Chapter 6
Jameson
Leah’s fingers were soft against mine. Her eyes were wide and searching in the firelight, and something in my chest was doing things it had no business doing.
I cleared my throat and reached past her for the canteen, breaking the contact before I did something stupid, like kiss this woman.
“Storm’s getting worse. We should probably turn in, try to get some sleep.” I took a sip and then handed it to her.
She nodded, and I caught the slight flush on her cheeks as she looked away. The wind howled outside. The temperature had dropped enough that I could see my breath when I moved away from the fire.
I grabbed the second bear pelt off the wall and spread it across the straw-stuffed mattress. The bed was barely big enough for one person, let alone two, but it would have to do.
“Tonight you’re going to learn how the old-timers used to live,” I said, trying to keep my voice light. “Romantic, right?”
