His eyes followed her hand, and his breath caught. His hand whipped out, wrapping around her wrist, as her fingers brushed the head of his glans.
“Oh, shit. Skye…” He stumbled backward, yanking the waistband over his exposed cock. His eyes grew wide and cut to the door.
“It’s okay. I want this,” Skye said, reaching for him.
He moved away, his face darkening. “I can’t be in here.” His jaw clenched, and he tore himself away.
As he opened the door, a puff of cold air blew into the cabin, and then he stormed outside, slamming the door shut behind him.
She sat on the bed, her heart hammering, her hand still outstretched. Palpitations filled her chest as the smell of burned bacon filled the air.
“Ah, crap.” She leaped off the bed and ran to the stove where she managed to salvage the eggs and sausage. The bacon was ruined.
She peered out the small window.
Ash stomped around his Jeep, kicking the tires and pounding on the hood. Every few minutes, he would start to come back inside, andthen he would turn away and stalk off. His breath misted in the freezing morning air.
How long was he going to stay outside in nothing more than a T-shirt and thin pajama pants?
She placed the rescued breakfast on two plates and set them on the table. Then, she headed outside with a blanket clutched in her arms. The cold air snapped against her skin, bringing a shiver to her spine, and goose bumps lifted on her arms.
Fists clenched, he turned his back to her.
She held out the blanket. “Come inside.”
He ran his fingers through the dark strands of his hair. “I didn’t mean for that to get out of hand.” He gestured to the cabin. “I gave my word and broke it the first chance I got.”
His arm dropped, and his palm slapped against his thigh. “I want you to feel safe and trust me to keep my word.” He tilted his face to the morning sun. “I don’t want to ruin this.” He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, his breath puffing into the air. “Sorry I left, but I had to get out of there before I broke all the rules.”
Cautiously, she took a step. “It’s freezing. Come back inside, and eat breakfast before it gets cold.”
He turned haunted eyes on her. “That won’t happen again.”
She wrapped the blanket around him. “We got carried away, and it wasn’t your fault.” Hell, she’d been the one reaching for his cock. With a shove, she propelled him toward the door. “We’ll be more careful.” Although how that was to happen, she didn’t have a clue.
They managed to make it back inside, and she got him to settle at the table.
He dropped the blanket on the floor and reached across to touch her hand. “Are we okay?”
“We’re okay.” She pointed to his food. “Now, eat before it gets too cold.”
He scraped a forkful of eggs and took a tentative bite. His eyes shut. “Fuck, this is amazing.” He shoveled more into his mouth and then looked to the stove. “Is there more?”
His exuberance for her cooking eased the tension swirling between them.
Ash emptied his plate in five bites and then filled his plate with what was left in the skillet. He polished off the remaining eggs and even stole her sausage.
Although nearly ruined, breakfast was perfect, and they were laughing again by the end of the meal.
“Since you cooked, I’ll clean,” he offered, standing to collect their dishes.
The clatter of dishes filled the small cabin while he set to cleaning up breakfast. When he finished, he sat across from her, gathering her hands in his. His brows bunched together. “You have no idea what it’s like to be around you. To be with someone who sees the real me and not Bla—well, I’m just trying to say, I’m not willing to screw this up.”
His words made more sense than he knew. They were relative strangers, and in not knowing all the details of each other’s lives, they had an unusual freedom to relax and let down their walls. She didn’t know what the real her was like, but she found Ash entrancing.
He huffed a laugh. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been around someone who’s not judging me all the time or wanting me to give them something.”
Judge?Maybe, as a struggling artist, things were difficult for him, and except for his company, she didn’t need anything he might have to give.
