“Fair enough.” He pushed out his chair and stood. Then, he took their plates and dumped them all into the sink. Washing them could come later. At the moment, he was fixated on the idea of Willow stripping off those dirty clothes.
“Want to wear something else?” he asked.
Her eyes traveled up and down his body. “Do you have something that would fit?”
Oh yes, baby girl.
Ezra shook off the intrusive thought, trying to maintain control. He retrieved a pair of shorts and one of his sweaters from his dresser in the bedroom. They smelled like the wooden drawers from sitting in there for so long, but it was better than making her stay in that.
She took them, unsure. “Uh… thanks.” Her eyes darted between the bathroom and him, maybe expecting this was some kind of trick.
“Take your shower. Toss whatever in the washer, and I’ll get it going later.”
Willow hurried off, and he was left there, thinking about her lathering up with his soap. His smell would be all over her then. He liked that thought.
While she was occupied, he settled on the couch and peeled off the mask before checking his phone. He knew there would be nothing. He hadn’t paid to keep up the Wi-Fi, so there was no service of any kind. He flipped through old photos of himself with his uncle. Back when things were simple.
A tightness formed in his chest as he came to the one that still haunted him. Rick, with his salt-and-pepper beard and a broad smile held out a tiny trout. It was ridiculously small—maybe five inches, but he insisted on getting the picture. It was the last one Ezra had taken before the cancer diagnosis. By the time it was found, it was too late. The cancer was everywhere. His aunt Patty wanted nothing to do with the cabin so she’d agreed to give it to Ezra.
“He needs something stable. A place he can always go.”
Too soon, or too late, the water shut off and he listened as Willow went through whatever routine she decided on with limited options. He would need a shower next. Sweat was making the mask uncomfortable, and he could rub one out. This girl was making his head spin.
The latch of the door sounded, giving him the cue to hidehis face.
“So,” she said, “is this a family place?”
His spine stiffened. “What?”
She padded across the room, her feet bare against the hardwood. His clothes were way too big for her, but the sight only amplified that possessive edge that had been threatening to take hold of him. She had pushed the sleeves of the sweater up since they were too long, and the hem rested well below her hips. Willow had tied the drawstring of the shorts as tight as possible to keep them in place, and the bottoms dipped below her knees. Intricate abstract tattoos circled her legs, starting at her ankles and disappearing beneath the shorts. He wanted to see how far up they went.
“I’m not an idiot,” she continued. “You know this cabin inside and out. Plus, I doubt you picked all this…” she pointed at an old lamp, “decor.”
“Maybe it’s none of your business,” he answered, keeping his focus elsewhere.
“Point taken.”
He wanted to get far away from the topic of the cabin. Looking at those pictures had been a mistake. Maybe it was time to ask her about Ryker.
Chapter 14
Willow
“What’s going on with you two?” Mean One asked.
“Nothing.” She crossed her arms. “Maybe if you keep being nice, then I’ll be nice back.”
He stood up from the couch and approached her slowly. “Yeah? How ‘nice’ are you being to him?” He cocked his head to the side.
Willow backed away. Oh, shit. Maybe he did know what she’d done. She tried her hardest to keep her best poker face on. “What are you accusing me of?”
He kept advancing forward until she was stopped by the wall behind her. Her heart raced as he placed a hand above her head and leaned down. It was like when he’d pinned her before, only this time she didn’t have Ry to keep him in line.
“I’m not stupid, Willow.” He traced the line of her jaw with his thumb and gently brushed against the scar. The tattoo on his hand was visible now that he wasn’t wearing the gloves. A skull with a snake going through the eye socket. How edgy.
She needed to play this right. His nearness was threatening as well as arousing. Why would she like guys like this? It made no sense.
“I told you, nothing is happening.” His scent was everywhere around her, from the soap she’d used to the clothes she was wearing. She was completely possessed by this man looming over her, and it was impossible to hide the effect he was having on her.
