ahead.” She crossed over to the fireplace and sat on the edge of the couch closest to its heat. She reached down and pulled off the cold, wet socks. Using every acting skill she possessed, she did her best to appear unbothered by his appearance. “So, what’s up? Why the impromptu visit?” She laid the wet socks on the edge of the hearth to dry and turned to watch Rhys casually amble to the other end of the couch and sprawl out to soak in the heat of the fire.
“Just what I said. I hadn’t seen you in a few days. I was just wondering how you were doing. I’ve been, um… thinking about you.”
Her eyes flew up to meet his, caught in the blue depths. He was making it somewhat difficult, with his ever-so-soft-looking thermal shirt, ruffled and messy hair, shadowy unshaved jaw. And there was an intensity in his eyes as he looked over at her that instantly made her drop her gaze to where her hands sat in her lap. She instantly noticed that the v-neck to her sweater had dipped low, showing off a bit more of the curves of her breasts than she had realized.
Her eyes darted back to his and saw the heat reflecting from the fire dancing off them, giving him a devilish appearance. Yes, she most definitely should have told him she was busy… she should have made him leave. Without a doubt.
Taking a deep breath, a breath that caused her chest to rise and drew his eyes once again to the skin she had unwittingly exposed, Shea tugged her sweater back and tried to steer the conversation onto something else. Anything else.
“How’s your report going?” All the resolve in the world couldn’t erase the breathy softness to her voice. It was as though she was channeling her inner Marilyn Monroe without even trying.
Shit .
The words seemed to jolt Rhys from his focused attention on her breasts. Thank God. She needed to keep this… platonic.
“Slow. The discussion with the locals varies some, so it is kind of hard to summarize everyone’s opinion into a report.”
Shea knitted her brow and looked at the fire. “It baffles me that everyone here isn’t vitriolic with their opposition,” she grumbled. “It’s going to ruin this town, you know.”
“So you’ve said… a few times, I believe.”
“And yet, you’re still here. You’re still looking into it,” she turned an irritated expression back to him. “You know this is going to fuck things up for all the residents of this place. You know that.”
“Shea, we don’t know that for sure… there are a lot of things that can affect this.”
“That’s bullshit, Rhys.” She stood and hastily crossed to the kitchen. His presence unsettled her. His calm argument frustrated her. She had to do something with the frustration, so she began piling her few dishes in the sink and filling it with warm, sudsy water. “You don’t understand. This part of the area is special. It hasn’t gotten weird like Bigfork or Polson. It’s still the small Montana town I grew up in. And this resort will fuck that all up.”
Rhys followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the island, just off to the side of her. He crossed one leg over the other and folded his arms across her chest, watching her intently. She flushed slightly, both with anger and his close inspection, and she focused her aggravation on the dishes as she began to hastily scrub them and place them in the other sink to rinse.
“Why are you always so angry with me?” Rhys asked, sounding slightly amused.
“I’m not angry with you. I’m angry at the situation.”
“Sweetheart, you sure seem to focus that anger on me a lot.”
Shea whirled around to face him, grabbing a dishtowel to dry her hands. “Okay, maybe I am a little angry with you. You have the power to stop this.”
“Well, then shouldn’t you be a little nicer to me?” he smiled.
“What, I should be all sugary sweet to make you want to do the right thing? You should just DO the right thing, Rhys. I shouldn’t have to go all wonky like
“Just what I said. I hadn’t seen you in a few days. I was just wondering how you were doing. I’ve been, um… thinking about you.”
Her eyes flew up to meet his, caught in the blue depths. He was making it somewhat difficult, with his ever-so-soft-looking thermal shirt, ruffled and messy hair, shadowy unshaved jaw. And there was an intensity in his eyes as he looked over at her that instantly made her drop her gaze to where her hands sat in her lap. She instantly noticed that the v-neck to her sweater had dipped low, showing off a bit more of the curves of her breasts than she had realized.
Her eyes darted back to his and saw the heat reflecting from the fire dancing off them, giving him a devilish appearance. Yes, she most definitely should have told him she was busy… she should have made him leave. Without a doubt.
Taking a deep breath, a breath that caused her chest to rise and drew his eyes once again to the skin she had unwittingly exposed, Shea tugged her sweater back and tried to steer the conversation onto something else. Anything else.
“How’s your report going?” All the resolve in the world couldn’t erase the breathy softness to her voice. It was as though she was channeling her inner Marilyn Monroe without even trying.
Shit .
The words seemed to jolt Rhys from his focused attention on her breasts. Thank God. She needed to keep this… platonic.
“Slow. The discussion with the locals varies some, so it is kind of hard to summarize everyone’s opinion into a report.”
Shea knitted her brow and looked at the fire. “It baffles me that everyone here isn’t vitriolic with their opposition,” she grumbled. “It’s going to ruin this town, you know.”
“So you’ve said… a few times, I believe.”
“And yet, you’re still here. You’re still looking into it,” she turned an irritated expression back to him. “You know this is going to fuck things up for all the residents of this place. You know that.”
“Shea, we don’t know that for sure… there are a lot of things that can affect this.”
“That’s bullshit, Rhys.” She stood and hastily crossed to the kitchen. His presence unsettled her. His calm argument frustrated her. She had to do something with the frustration, so she began piling her few dishes in the sink and filling it with warm, sudsy water. “You don’t understand. This part of the area is special. It hasn’t gotten weird like Bigfork or Polson. It’s still the small Montana town I grew up in. And this resort will fuck that all up.”
Rhys followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the island, just off to the side of her. He crossed one leg over the other and folded his arms across her chest, watching her intently. She flushed slightly, both with anger and his close inspection, and she focused her aggravation on the dishes as she began to hastily scrub them and place them in the other sink to rinse.
“Why are you always so angry with me?” Rhys asked, sounding slightly amused.
“I’m not angry with you. I’m angry at the situation.”
“Sweetheart, you sure seem to focus that anger on me a lot.”
Shea whirled around to face him, grabbing a dishtowel to dry her hands. “Okay, maybe I am a little angry with you. You have the power to stop this.”
“Well, then shouldn’t you be a little nicer to me?” he smiled.
“What, I should be all sugary sweet to make you want to do the right thing? You should just DO the right thing, Rhys. I shouldn’t have to go all wonky like
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