problem lay with the fact that she genuinely liked him, dangit. He was funny and smart and seemed to stare straight into her heart and not find her wanting. Or maybe that was her foolish hope.
Her hand fell to her left hip in an old, protective gesture. She hadn’t resorted to cutting herself in years. Therapy had helped her find other ways to cope, but the need lurked dormant and she was always afraid she would lose her iron grip over the urges. If she gave in to this wild attraction and he noticed the scars, would he understand or turn away?
After two short days in his company, she’d revealed more of herself than she had with any man. Yet, the Montgomery Industries offer sat like an ugly poisoned toad between them. The enclosed deer stand felt at once too small, yet the distance between them great and unnavigable.
A blink from the corner of her eye had her scrambling up and scanning the field and woods. She curled her hands over the edge, splinters biting into her palm. More blinks followed, floating like fairy lanterns a few inches above the ground.
Close to her ear, he whispered, “Darcy and I used to spend hours catching lightning bugs.”
“Me too. I could count on Ma-maw to have a Mason jar, holes in the lid, at the ready.” Her breathing hitched, memories rubbing her insides raw, her vulnerabilities welling too close to the surface. Time passed without either of them moving or speaking. Eventually, the lightning bugs drifted higher into the trees until the leaves blotted out their lights.
“What could Montgomery Industries possibly offer that could tempt you to leave this behind?” She’d posed the question almost rhetorically, but when he jerked back and shifted away, she realized she’d opened a door she wasn’t ready to pass through.
He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, I’m not sure what sort of negotiation games you’ve been playing at out here, but I’m a straight talker. Are you ready to discuss the offer?”
She stepped as far away from him as possible, rough-cut wood digging into her shoulder blades. “You think I’ve been playing games today?”
“Why else would you spend the day out here with me?” The darkness hid his expression, but she felt like he was testing her in some way.
She was a Montgomery Industries executive tasked with a job. Family loyalty and her own ambition dictated that she should press him, but the magic of the day still buzzed through her. Discussing the offer would be a desecration to memories she would always hold close. Surely the harsh light of day would be soon enough. “Can we discuss the offer tomorrow?”
He was silent for a long while. “Fair enough. Are you ready to head out?”
“As I’ll ever be. Are we sleeping in the meadow?” She descended the ladder first, scraping the pointy toes of her shoes against the bark. They would never be the same after this adventure.
He hopped straight down, landing with soft knees like a prowling cat, and headed toward the ATV. “You’ll be sleeping in a bug-free bed at Lilliana’s.”
She grabbed his arm, and he swung to face her. “But … I thought…”
“I never planned on making you spend the night out here. Believe or not, I try not to be an asshole.” He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear as a slow smile softened his eyes. “Anyway, you don’t need to prove anything to anybody. Especially me.”
His words shot to her heart, crippling a response. She dropped her hand from his arm, and he moved away to mount the ATV. Its growly engine cut through the night sounds. She blinked away sudden tears, the depthless woods blurring into black.
“Jessie?” He waited with his hands fisted on his thighs.
She was reading too much into the platitude. Her legs unlocked and she scooted behind him, pressing her cheek against his shoulder blade, rubbing at her traitorous eyes. He shifted, but she kept her face averted.
“Hey, are you all right?” he asked softly.
“Got a
Her hand fell to her left hip in an old, protective gesture. She hadn’t resorted to cutting herself in years. Therapy had helped her find other ways to cope, but the need lurked dormant and she was always afraid she would lose her iron grip over the urges. If she gave in to this wild attraction and he noticed the scars, would he understand or turn away?
After two short days in his company, she’d revealed more of herself than she had with any man. Yet, the Montgomery Industries offer sat like an ugly poisoned toad between them. The enclosed deer stand felt at once too small, yet the distance between them great and unnavigable.
A blink from the corner of her eye had her scrambling up and scanning the field and woods. She curled her hands over the edge, splinters biting into her palm. More blinks followed, floating like fairy lanterns a few inches above the ground.
Close to her ear, he whispered, “Darcy and I used to spend hours catching lightning bugs.”
“Me too. I could count on Ma-maw to have a Mason jar, holes in the lid, at the ready.” Her breathing hitched, memories rubbing her insides raw, her vulnerabilities welling too close to the surface. Time passed without either of them moving or speaking. Eventually, the lightning bugs drifted higher into the trees until the leaves blotted out their lights.
“What could Montgomery Industries possibly offer that could tempt you to leave this behind?” She’d posed the question almost rhetorically, but when he jerked back and shifted away, she realized she’d opened a door she wasn’t ready to pass through.
He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, I’m not sure what sort of negotiation games you’ve been playing at out here, but I’m a straight talker. Are you ready to discuss the offer?”
She stepped as far away from him as possible, rough-cut wood digging into her shoulder blades. “You think I’ve been playing games today?”
“Why else would you spend the day out here with me?” The darkness hid his expression, but she felt like he was testing her in some way.
She was a Montgomery Industries executive tasked with a job. Family loyalty and her own ambition dictated that she should press him, but the magic of the day still buzzed through her. Discussing the offer would be a desecration to memories she would always hold close. Surely the harsh light of day would be soon enough. “Can we discuss the offer tomorrow?”
He was silent for a long while. “Fair enough. Are you ready to head out?”
“As I’ll ever be. Are we sleeping in the meadow?” She descended the ladder first, scraping the pointy toes of her shoes against the bark. They would never be the same after this adventure.
He hopped straight down, landing with soft knees like a prowling cat, and headed toward the ATV. “You’ll be sleeping in a bug-free bed at Lilliana’s.”
She grabbed his arm, and he swung to face her. “But … I thought…”
“I never planned on making you spend the night out here. Believe or not, I try not to be an asshole.” He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear as a slow smile softened his eyes. “Anyway, you don’t need to prove anything to anybody. Especially me.”
His words shot to her heart, crippling a response. She dropped her hand from his arm, and he moved away to mount the ATV. Its growly engine cut through the night sounds. She blinked away sudden tears, the depthless woods blurring into black.
“Jessie?” He waited with his hands fisted on his thighs.
She was reading too much into the platitude. Her legs unlocked and she scooted behind him, pressing her cheek against his shoulder blade, rubbing at her traitorous eyes. He shifted, but she kept her face averted.
“Hey, are you all right?” he asked softly.
“Got a
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