don't need help walking through a damn cobweb." I took his hand anyway. A wash of tingles traveled from our joined fingers up my arm. Our gazes locked, and I could have sworn time slowed. My awareness of him heightened, blocking out everything else. I could hear only our breaths, loud in my ears, see only his eyes and that intense blue gaze that was all for me.
"Come with me, Kate." His voice thrummed in my veins.
"Yes," I whispered.
His free hand lifted the curtain of webs, and I stepped underneath it without a moment's hesitation. He lowered it again and his fingers brushed my shoulder, down my bare arm to my hand. He held both my hands in his. They were warm and big and closed around mine easily.
I wanted to be closer to him, to feel more of that heat. I took a step forward. Lifted my face. He lowered his, and I knew with every piece of me that he was going to kiss me. I wanted it. It was crazy and way too fast, but I shoved that little voice away and listened to my heart.
Besides, it was pounding much too hard to be ignored.
I breathed in the scent of him. He smelled like sunshine and fresh grass, like he'd been lying in a park somewhere, taking in the scenery. I liked that idea. Liked it very much.
Then he let go of me. I must have been leaning forward because I stumbled a little. He wasn't there to catch me. He stood with his back to me, dragging his hand through his hair.
"Sorry," he muttered. "That was...wrong."
It hadn't felt wrong.
But I couldn't tell him that. For one thing, I didn't think my voice would work, and for another, it was bad enough being rejected once, I didn't need to relive it.
He stalked off to the back of the stables. I felt sick to my stomach, and my heart hurt. I wanted to run out, but I forced myself to stay. I could pretend that it was no big deal, if I put everything I had into the lie.
Fuck, fuck and damn.
What the hell had just happened? I'd never felt anything so powerful. When he let me go, I felt...hollow. Like something had been taken out of me. Something that was raw and vital.
Something I needed.
Chapter 3
Ben made a lot of noise down the back of the stable block until he finally emerged carrying an old wooden box filled with tools. He gave me an uncertain smile that made my knees weak.
Whatever mortification I'd felt at him pulling away vanished.
"Want to show me the water heater?" he asked.
We left the stables and made our way round the back of the house. I could feel his hot gaze on me, but I didn't feel self-conscious. I felt beautiful, which blew my mind, in a good way. How could such a hot guy desire me ? I thought I was pretty, but definitely not beautiful.
"Wow, look at that," he said on a breath.
I stopped dead, paranoid that I'd suddenly developed a hole in my shorts or something equally humiliating. But he was staring beyond me to the river. I turned to follow his gaze, and for the first time, I took in the view the way a stranger would. I saw the elegant weeping willows bowing down to meet their reflections and the ducks paddling lazily in the shallows. The colors seemed unnaturally bright. The green of the trees, the blue of the sky and water, the yellow ball of the sun hanging over everything. It was breathtaking.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"For what?" He stood very close. Too close, if I wanted to keep my brain functioning. But it wasn't me who took a step away. Ben did, as if he'd also suddenly realized he was standing too near.
"For showing me how pretty this place is. I've been coming here for years, looking at that river from this very spot, but I've never really seen it." I shook my head. "It sounds weird."
"No," he said. "Sometimes we don't know what we have until others point it out to us."
"Yeah."
We stood there in the breathless hush. A sense of deep satisfaction settled over me, and I could have stayed there all afternoon. Ben broke the silence, however, with a long, slow breath.
"As much as I want to stare at that scenery all day,
"Come with me, Kate." His voice thrummed in my veins.
"Yes," I whispered.
His free hand lifted the curtain of webs, and I stepped underneath it without a moment's hesitation. He lowered it again and his fingers brushed my shoulder, down my bare arm to my hand. He held both my hands in his. They were warm and big and closed around mine easily.
I wanted to be closer to him, to feel more of that heat. I took a step forward. Lifted my face. He lowered his, and I knew with every piece of me that he was going to kiss me. I wanted it. It was crazy and way too fast, but I shoved that little voice away and listened to my heart.
Besides, it was pounding much too hard to be ignored.
I breathed in the scent of him. He smelled like sunshine and fresh grass, like he'd been lying in a park somewhere, taking in the scenery. I liked that idea. Liked it very much.
Then he let go of me. I must have been leaning forward because I stumbled a little. He wasn't there to catch me. He stood with his back to me, dragging his hand through his hair.
"Sorry," he muttered. "That was...wrong."
It hadn't felt wrong.
But I couldn't tell him that. For one thing, I didn't think my voice would work, and for another, it was bad enough being rejected once, I didn't need to relive it.
He stalked off to the back of the stables. I felt sick to my stomach, and my heart hurt. I wanted to run out, but I forced myself to stay. I could pretend that it was no big deal, if I put everything I had into the lie.
Fuck, fuck and damn.
What the hell had just happened? I'd never felt anything so powerful. When he let me go, I felt...hollow. Like something had been taken out of me. Something that was raw and vital.
Something I needed.
Chapter 3
Ben made a lot of noise down the back of the stable block until he finally emerged carrying an old wooden box filled with tools. He gave me an uncertain smile that made my knees weak.
Whatever mortification I'd felt at him pulling away vanished.
"Want to show me the water heater?" he asked.
We left the stables and made our way round the back of the house. I could feel his hot gaze on me, but I didn't feel self-conscious. I felt beautiful, which blew my mind, in a good way. How could such a hot guy desire me ? I thought I was pretty, but definitely not beautiful.
"Wow, look at that," he said on a breath.
I stopped dead, paranoid that I'd suddenly developed a hole in my shorts or something equally humiliating. But he was staring beyond me to the river. I turned to follow his gaze, and for the first time, I took in the view the way a stranger would. I saw the elegant weeping willows bowing down to meet their reflections and the ducks paddling lazily in the shallows. The colors seemed unnaturally bright. The green of the trees, the blue of the sky and water, the yellow ball of the sun hanging over everything. It was breathtaking.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"For what?" He stood very close. Too close, if I wanted to keep my brain functioning. But it wasn't me who took a step away. Ben did, as if he'd also suddenly realized he was standing too near.
"For showing me how pretty this place is. I've been coming here for years, looking at that river from this very spot, but I've never really seen it." I shook my head. "It sounds weird."
"No," he said. "Sometimes we don't know what we have until others point it out to us."
"Yeah."
We stood there in the breathless hush. A sense of deep satisfaction settled over me, and I could have stayed there all afternoon. Ben broke the silence, however, with a long, slow breath.
"As much as I want to stare at that scenery all day,
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