That thought made me sad.
“Nothing. Your fiancée is insane.”
Nash smiled and wrapped his arms around Kaelynn, resting his hand over her stomach.
“Hey, you about ready to head on out?”
“This early?” Kaelynn asked.
“I don’t want you getting too tired.”
My heart swelled in my chest as I watched the two of them.
Someday, Morgan. Someday you’ll find a man who looks at you like that. A man who adores you and only wants to make you happy.
Kaelynn turned in his arms and reached up to kiss him. “Nash, I’m not tired, and I promise if I get tired, I’ll let you know when I want to leave.”
He kissed her nose. “I love you.”
I looked away to give them a private moment. A light outside caught my eye. When I turned back to ask what it was, Nash and Kaelynn were lost in a kiss. With a roll of my eyes, I headed out the back door and toward the light.
As I drew closer, I saw what it was. A gazebo. Tucker had mentioned they were building one, but I hadn’t seen it yet.
Picking up my pace, I walked up the three steps and spun around, looking up at the beautiful architecture and the white lights that were strung along the top.
“How romantic,” I whispered.
“It’s meant to be.”
Letting out a scream, I jumped back and covered my mouth and my pounding heart with my hands. Blake stepped up into the gazebo, a wide smile on his handsome face.
“What are you doing out here?”
He shrugged. “I saw you walking out here, so I followed you.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Are you okay?”
My pulse quickened. Was he worried about me? And why was he worried?
“Yes, why?”
“I don’t know. I wanted to make sure you were still good with our no-strings agreement and all. I didn’t reach out to you at all after that one text, and I feel guilty.”
I lifted a brow. “You feel guilty?”
He nodded.
“Not guilty enough not to flaunt your date in front of me. Please tell me you were not with her when we . . .”
“Had sex?”
I turned and looked out over the night sky. The moon was climbing in the sky, and it gave off a slight glow, making the closest trees visible.
“I wasn’t flaunting her, and no, we are not—nor have we ever been—a couple.”
Spinning around, I laughed. “You might want to tell her that, Blake. She sure has a lot of stories about the two of you.”
“She’s my go-to girl, and I’m her go-to guy.”
“Go-to girl?” I asked, trying to damper down the sickness that rolled through my stomach.
“Yeah, when we need dates to functions, we call each other. A friends-with-benefits kind of thing. I honestly wasn’t even thinking you’d be here, Morgan.”
My body jerked. “Gosh, thanks for that, Blake.”
He sighed and pushed his fingers though his hair. I ignored the fact that I thought that was sexy as hell and that I loved this habit of his.
“Hell, you know what I mean, Morgan.”
“No, I really don’t, but it doesn’t matter. You don’t owe me any explanations about why you brought a date.” My voice was cold, and I hated that I sounded like a bitch.
He stared at me. “No, I guess I don’t.”
Those five words hurt more than I wanted to admit.
My breathing increased as he stared into my eyes. I couldn’t help let my memory wander back to the other night, to the way his lips felt on my body while he moved slowly in and out of me. It had been more than sex. We had made love.
Fighting the tears building in my eyes, I slowly pulled in a breath.
“Morgan,” Blake whispered, taking a step closer.
I took a step back, hitting the railing of the gazebo.
He lifted his hand and brushed a piece of my hair behind my ear. I jumped at the feel of his touch, then trembled.
“God, you’re so beautiful.”
With a trembling voice, I replied, “Blake, go back inside.”
His eyes moved slowly over my face. When they landed on my mouth, I licked my lips before pressing them shut tight.
“I should, but I don’t want to.”
“What do you want to do?” I asked with a breathless voice.
Blake smiled at me, and my legs felt weak. I reached out and grabbed the railing to hold myself up.
“I want to kiss you.”
Before I could voice my disapproval, his lips were pressed to mine. His tongue swept across my lower lip, urging me to let him in. I tried to fight it but quickly gave up the battle when he growled.
Our tongues moved in slow rhythms. The taste of whiskey and red wine mixed in a heady concoction. We both moaned, and I went to reach for him, but stopped myself, forcing my hands back to the rail. If I touched his body, I knew I would give him more.
When Blake withdrew his mouth from mine, he cursed softly and took a step away. The urge to reach out for him was so powerful I had to grip the rail with all my might.
“Blake? Morgan? What are you two doing down there?” Nash called out.
Not taking his eyes off me, Blake casually stepped a few feet away and called out, “Showing your sister the gazebo I designed and you built.”
I sucked in a breath of air, taking in the gazebo once again, this time giving it a better look. His words from earlier rushed back. The gazebo was designed for romance. Blake had designed it. Since when did this man standing in front of me believe in romance?
“Rose is looking for you. Said something about needing to leave,” my brother called out.
“I’ll be right there,” Blake said, still keeping his gaze locked on me. “See you later, princess.”
Nothing would come out. No words, no breath. Nothing. Something froze me in place. My head spun with so many emotions, and none of them made any sense.
Blake turned and walked down the steps of the gazebo, picking his pace up to a jog.
My fingers went to my tingling lips. I closed my eyes and whispered his name, “Blake.”
I stared at the bare canvas in front of me. The image was there, begging me to paint it. My mind told me to bury it deep inside and to forget all about it. If only I could.
Picking up the brush, I made the first stroke. Calmness spread through my body as I let my brush flow freely. Painting made me happy. It eased the guilt, pain, and anger that had seemed to take up residence in my heart and soul since Mike died. Maybe it had been there even before Mike. I never could explain the emptiness I had felt, even when I thought I was the happiest I had ever been in my life. I sometimes wondered if I knew deep down that my happiness wasn’t meant to be with Mike. Maybe it was being saved for someone else.
Blake.
I thought back to that first time I had met him—at a party Nash had brought me to. The way Blake had looked at me that night made me feel on fire. I didn’t really think he noticed me. I figured he was simply being polite because I was his best friend’s little sister, even though I was attending the same school. A part of me wanted to get to know Blake more that night, but I pushed it aside and let guilt replace it. Guilt that I had thought of another man like that when Mike was in the army.
A strange thought hit me.
Maybe Mike felt my emptiness as well.
My hand froze, and I felt a tear slip free and make a slow path down my face.
“How did I not see how unhappy we were? Why didn’t you talk to me?” I whispered.
Wiping the tear, I pushed away the guilt and buried it deep down inside. It did me no good to sit here and question it now. I could only move on and pray that I could help someone like Mike. Give them the chance to see the light and not be caught in the darkness.
An hour later, I stood and stretched. I stared at the painting, knocked breathless by what I saw. I had gotten so lost that I hadn’t even realized what I was painting. A blue sky w
ith a sinking orange sun. Trees, rolling hills, and a path that led to a gazebo. A man stood with his hands resting on the rail, his back toward me as he watched the sinking fireball in the sky.
“Blake.” My fingers slowly came up and pressed against my lips. The memory of him kissing me the other night made my heart race.
“Oh Morgan, what have you done?”
I had promised myself I could handle one night of passion with a man I trusted. That was all it was supposed to be. No feelings attached to the sex, no expectations from either of us. But what happened that night wasn’t what either of us had expected. I knew it the moment he looked into my eyes when he first pushed inside me, bare, and every emotion so raw. Both of us tried to ignore the rush of emotions we had locked deep inside us. He'd felt it too. I knew he had, and he’d proved it by kissing me the other night in the gazebo.
I stumbled back some, hitting the door to the studio I had set up in the spare room of my bungalow. Sinking to the floor, I pulled my knees up and hugged them close to my body.
I stared at the painting as I let the realization of that night sink in. I had let myself fall for Blake. I had let him in, and now I had no idea what to do.
“WHAT IN THE hell is wrong with you?”
Facing Nash, I shrugged. “What do you mean what’s wrong with me?”
Nash stared at me with a blank expression. “In all the years I have known you, Blake, we have never gone out for a run and you not hit on at least one woman. But lately, you haven’t so much as glanced toward one. What’s going on with you?”
Turning away, I focused on the path in front of me. We had stopped to fill up water bottles, and Nash was staring at me like he knew my dirty little secret. I had fallen for his sister. One night of pure heaven in the same bed with her, and she was all I could think about. Dream about. Lie awake fantasizing about. Hell, I couldn’t even remember the last time I slept a full night’s sleep in the last month.
“Nothing is going on with me. I’ve been busy with work.”
“Work? So let me get this straight. You’re putting work before your sex life?” He smiled wide. “Holy shit. You met someone, didn’t you?”
I groaned and rolled my eyes. “I’ve always put work first, Nash. You know that. Plus, I’m up for that promotion, which will only bring more work. Just because you’re happy with your blissful love life doesn’t mean all of us have fallen into that sinkhole.”
He laughed and clapped me on the back. “Dude, it’s okay if someone has caught your eye. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be with one person. You’re a great guy, Blake. Any woman would be lucky to be with you.”
Would he be saying that if he knew it was his sister who had caught my eye? But he was right. My heart only wanted one woman. Morgan.
“It’s not what you think, Nash.”
“No? Then tell me what it is.”
“It’s nothing. It was a onetime thing with an amazing woman, but she wants nothing more out of it.”
He frowned. “She wanted nothing else, or you didn’t?”
I shrugged. “Both of us, I guess. It was an incredible night, and maybe that is all it was meant to be.”
Filling up my water bottle, I felt his gaze on me.
“Do I know her?”
My entire body froze.
I can’t do this. I cannot lie to my best friend.
Turning to face him, I nodded. “Yeah. You know her. Listen, Nash, I didn’t mean for . . .”
His cell phone rang, and he pulled it off the holder he had wrapped around his arm. When he smiled, I knew it was Kaelynn.
“Hey, baby. What’s going on?”
I watched as he walked over to a bench and took a seat. Looked like our run was over.
“Blake?”
Her voice made my body come to life. Memories of her whispering my name into my ear while she wrapped her legs around me, pulling me deeper inside her, hit me like a fucking Mac truck.
“Morgan?”
She ran in place, a soft smile spread over that beautiful face of hers. Her blond hair was pulled up into two pigtails.
Holy shit. God, give me the strength to not reach out and pull her in for a kiss. Please.
“Hey, fancy meeting you here,” I said.
“Yeah. Are you finishing up with your run?”
I pointed to Nash. “Yeah, your brother and I hit the trails earlier. He’s talking to Kaelynn now.”
She smiled, seemingly unaffected by the fact that her brother was with me, or by the fact that she was in my presence. How in the hell did she not feel anything that night?
“Hey, Morgan.” Nash approached his sister and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You here alone?”
“Yes, I am,” she frowned, preempting the lecture I was sure Nash was about to give her for running alone. “And before you start, I stay on this stretch of the path, so no worries.”
When Morgan glanced my way, her eyes seemed to light up. “What are y’all up to?”
Nash answered. “Nothing. Getting in a run and then heading over to a site for Blake to look at the building. I’m not so sure about the design the homeowners had their architect draw up. I need another set of eyes on it.”
Morgan looked at me. “Well, you’ve got the best standing next to you. I mean, you’re good too, Nash.”
I laughed. Nash had gone to school for a business degree, but he went behind his folks’ backs and also gotten a degree in architecture. It had been a secret desire of his, but his father owned a construction company and only wanted his son to focus on taking that over, regardless of his own dreams. Nash had drawn up a few projects, all houses, and I had to admit, he was talented. He had even designed and built Tucker and Charlie’s house.
“Well, thanks for that, Morgan. Do you want to join us for lunch? We shouldn’t be long over at the Miller project. Maybe grab some Home Slice?”
My stomach growled at the mention of my favorite pizza place.
Morgan’s eyes bounced from me to Nash, then back again. “Um, I’d love to join y’all, if it’s okay with Blake.”
Before I said anything, Nash hit me on the back. “Of course it’s okay with him. Maybe you can figure out what in the hell is wrong with him lately.”
Lifting her brow, Morgan tilted her head slightly as she regarded me. Then she gave me a sexy smirk. “What’s wrong, Blake?”
I returned the smirk with my own sexy spin on it. “A woman.”
“A woman?” Morgan asked in a drawn-out voice.
“Yes. I spent one incredible night with a woman who wanted no-strings sex. Problem is, I can’t stop thinking about her.”
Nash let out a roar of laughter as Morgan stared at me, shocked.
“Dude, I knew it. I haven’t ever seen you this twisted up before.”
I smiled at Nash’s teasing. Morgan opened her mouth to say something, then quickly shut it.
“I say go for it. You need to make the next move. Doesn’t he, Morgan? I mean, she probably thinks that was all you wanted. Maybe she was into you.”
The corner of my mouth slowly lifted as I stared at Morgan. “What do you think, Morgan? Should I make the next move?”
Her lips pressed together, and I could feel the heat between the two of us. It was beyond me how in the hell Nash hadn’t noticed what was going on.
“Yes,” she finally said as she gave me a brilliant smile. “I think you should make the next move—and quickly. She might have given up hope that you were interested and moved on.”
“Moved on? That would suck.”
She nodded and walked backward. “Yes, it would. I’ll see y’all in what, an hour?”
“Sounds good!” Nash called out as I followed him down the path. One quick look behind me showed Morgan giving one more glance my way. My heart pounded fiercely in my chest, and for the first time in a few weeks, I felt myself looking forward to something.
Nash talked nearly the entire lunch. He talked about the Miller project, about Kaelynn, the wedding, the ba
by, all the plans they had for building their house. He asked my thoughts on a few projects before turning his attention on his sister.
“Have you, Charlie, and Terri decided on showers for Kaelynn?”
Morgan smiled, and my breath caught in my throat.
“Yes! I think we’ll combine the bridal shower and the baby shower. That way Kaelynn’s family only has to fly down once, and it’ll be easier and less stressful for Kaelynn. Her mom mentioned wanting to do a dinner up in Utah for their family and friends. I wasn’t sure what you and Kaelynn would think about that.”
Nash nodded and smiled. “I’m down for that; I know it would mean a lot to Kaelynn.”
“Okay, I’ll get with Kaelynn on that too. We were thinking late August or earlier September for the combined shower?”
Nash reached across the table and squeezed Morgan’s hand. I tried not to feel jealous that he got to touch her and I couldn’t.
“That’s perfect.” Nash’s phone went off, and he glanced down at it, leaving a moment for me and Morgan to exchange looks.
“Y’all okay together if I jet out?”
“Sure, we’ll be fine,” Morgan said with a sweet smile. Nash stood, clapped me on the back, then leaned down and kissed his sister.
“I’ll talk to you later, Morgan. Blake, can we meet for drinks soon? I’ve got a business proposition for you.”
That piqued my interest. “Sure, just let me know when.”
We said our goodbyes, and I watched as he walked out of Home Slice and past the front window. Then I focused in on Morgan.
Her eyes met mine, and we stared at each other for what seemed like the longest time.
Finally, she was the first to speak. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Doing what? Having lunch together?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “Tell me what it is you want from me, Blake.”
“Right this moment?”
She nodded.
“I want to kiss you. Pull your body close to mine and bury my face in your neck while my hands explore every inch. I want to strip you naked and make love to you.”
Her mouth parted open and her tongue darted out to wet her dry lips.
“What do you want from me, Morgan? Because I can’t tell if you want me or not. Every time I see you, you act like nothing happened between us. Like you didn’t feel the connection we made that night.”
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