A smile twitched at his lips and even those crystalline eyes thawed a little, melting around the edges. “Cute,” he remarked.
Cute? My back straightened, indignation singing my cheeks with a furious blush. That was the most condescending word in the English language and he thought I was cute? How very rude of him. I was sexy as sin, thank you very much. Again, no ego check required.
Of course, I really didn’t give a shit what he thought of me. Really, I didn’t. I didn’t.
Okay, you beat it out of me, I did.
That smile that had only been hinted at curved the corners of his sumptuous, sensual mouth. “Learn to take a compliment, Ethan,” he advised quietly.
I blinked. “You remember my name?” I asked incredulously.
There was no further reaction on his face, his words very matter-of-fact. “Of course I do.” Before I could bask in a ridiculous glow at that, he continued, “You dated my favorite cousin for almost a year. So of course I remember.”
Well, what an impression I must’ve made on him. I’d never even entered his radar, hadn’t imprinted myself in his mind as he had done me. Really, that should’ve been a relief.
So why did I feel so empty and hollow inside? Why did my stupid heart ache?
Damn it, I’d turned pussy in about a heartbeat. Where was my fucking pride at? On second thought, where the hell was my damn masculinity?
Molly accidentally-on-purpose stumbled into me, knocking me into the startled, muscular arms of Kieran. I blushed, my hands clutching at those hard forearms, feeling the impact clear down to the marrow of my bones. My cock gave an excited twitch at the close proximity.
Biting my lip, I peeked up at Kieran through the fringe of my lashes, disconcerted to meet his gaze instantly. He was already staring down at me. His face betrayed nothing but there was something in his eyes… something that intensified as his hand rose, fingers brushing a brief but electric caress across my cheek. I closed my eyes, breath catching, my fingers clutching his wrist, and turned my face into that warm caress against my will.
But in the next instant, I was clutching only air, stumbling forward yet again. My eyes snapped open, seeing Kieran’s averted gaze, the muscles of his throat convulsing as he swallowed. He steadied me, putting several paces between us, and I was loath to admit that I felt bereft at that distance. And horrified with myself at my reaction. But I was even more horrified that the moment was now ruined.
“You can stow your bags inside,” Kieran mumbled, and I was slightly heartened to hear the sudden huskiness of his voice. He cleared his throat but the words that emerged were still tinged with a rawness that struck a delicious chord inside me, thrumming with vibrations that had all my nerve endings tingling. “We can get started after you’re settled.”
Why wouldn’t he look at me?
Why did I want him to look at me?
I followed behind a giddy Molly and a still confused Rick across the drawbridge, swallowing past the constriction of my throat. With every step away from him that I took I expected to feel that inexplicable connection I’d experienced with him for a too brief moment lessen but if anything it just stretched… stretched… a tether that was stretching to capacity and threatening to snap me back to his side.
Cursing myself for my weakness, I glanced back at him, startled to find that he was already staring back. He was staring back. I caught a flash of… longing?… before his calm neutrality reasserted itself and he whipped his head around, glaring down at that sparkling water, his hands clenching the rope once again. Tantalizing veins stood up in his forearms.
Maybe, just maybe, he didn’t see me as just his cousin’s ex. Maybe, just maybe, he remembered me for a different reason. I squelched the idiotic hope that sprung eternally, forcing myself to turn around and follow Molly and Rick into the cabin.
Man up, Sharp, I chastised myself.
“I see Kieran’s made a few modifications since I was last here,” Molly said, stopping and gazing around.
I did some gazing of my own, gaping yet again. This place was humongous. A big, open space, the living room boasting a cathedral ceiling, with this brown suede sectional sofa that could double as a very comfy bed. There was a large loft up above, with two bedrooms and a bathroom, and I leaned to the side to peek into the kitchen and connecting dining room. I saw the glint of chrome appliances and it somehow worked with the earthy feel of the place, with the exposed beams and logs.
And so many windows. No matter which way I looked, I got a view into the outdoors, seeing all those giant sequoias and pines, the sun dappling the ground and little critters scurrying about. I thought maybe I saw the plumed, black-tipped tail of a gray fox but it disappeared into the trees before I could get a closer look. There must’ve been a door or some windows opened because I heard the gentle soughing of the breeze outside, the rustle of leaves and the soft cadence of birds out there. And was that the calm susurration of water? An actual babbling brook?
Now this was luxury camping. Seeing, smelling and hearing, without touching or tasting. That’s what I called the ideal nature expedition.
Stowing our bags in one of the upstairs bedrooms, we took our scraggly baby trees and trooped back outside, finding Kieran had already begun digging a hole on the fringes of the property. I averted my gaze from the shirtless man, from the sun-glazed muscles rippling, drool building and building until I was sure there was a steady stream dribbling from my bottom lip.
You are straight, Sharp, I snapped at myself. Start acting like it. Belch, scratch your balls, beat your chest, do something!
That would’ve been much easier to do had the man not been so… hawt.
“Rick, why don’t you and I plant our tree over there?” Molly suggested, indicating a spot far away from where Kieran was digging. “I notice a serious excess of elbowroom among the troops there. Kieran, why don’t you help Ethan?”
Subtlety was not Molly’s strong suit. I glared after her but I didn’t find myself objecting. I was simply taking the path of least resistance. That was it. It had nothing to do with being alone with Kieran O’Brien. No, siree.
“Oh, and Ethan?” she called over her shoulder. “You might wanna help Kieran spread some sunscreen on his back. We Irish have sensitive skin, you know.”
I noticed Kieran glance at Molly with the slightest furrow to his brow but he bent back to his task, silently scooping out dirt, the sun caressing that sinfully muscular body and glinting off his shiny black hair. I took a deep, shuddering breath, strengthening my resolve to resist him, before tripping over my own feet to his side. I plopped the tree down beside the fresh mound of excavated dirt and waited for instruction. He was the expert here; I was just a neophyte.
His eyes flicked up at me briefly before returning to the ground. He cleared his throat. “You can place the tree in now,” he said. I started to and that smile twitched at his lips again. “You need to take the burlap off first.”