Her lips curved in a smile as she murmured, “Toe-pick.”
“Yep. We’re like those two.”
She rested her head on the pillow once more. “I don’t ice skate. Do you?”
He chuckled. “I mean with the foreplay. Seems our years of hating each other was nothing but a mask for this crazy chemistry between us.”
“Mmm.” Her voice was tired, sluggish. “Well, they do say it’s a thin line between love and hate.”
His breath seized in his lungs. He swallowed hard before asking, “What?”
“Lust and hate,” she mumbled. “It’s a very thin line.”
No, she’d said love. He’d bet his life on it.
He listened to her breathing even out, their bodies twined close atop their sleeping bags in the warm August night. Was it possible she had feelings for him as he did for her? Hope soared as he considered the woman he’d known for years along with the one he’d fallen for all over again the past couple of days. Could they have a future together beyond this week and work?
Kevin woke early and alone, but the heavenly smell of fresh coffee wafted in through the open tent flap. After a leisurely stretch, he dressed, scrubbed some toothpaste over his teeth, and spit his mouthful of rinse water off to the side while exiting the tent.
Shanna glanced over as she finished filling a tin mug with coffee. Her smile held a hint of shyness he hadn’t seen before. After having woken up alone, his stomach gave a little lurch of unease.
“Good morning,” she greeted.
“Morning.” He stopped next to the fire by her. “Everything okay?”
She averted her gaze while setting the tin pot back. “Yeah. I just woke up early and figured I’d get the coffee ready. Want some?”
“I can get it.” He bent to grab the other mug when what he really wanted to do was pull her into his arms for a kiss. But she had that full cup of coffee, and he was feeling super nervous all of a sudden. He tightened his fingers on his own mug to stop a slight tremble while pouring his coffee. “How’s the ankle?”
“A little stiff, but better, I think.” She rotated it slowly to demonstrate her increased mobility.
Setting the pot down, he asked, “Still want to stay?”
“Yes.”
His heart warmed at her lack of hesitation in answering. Good. Things were still okay. He could relax.
Her gaze met his over the rim of her cup, her brows dipping down. “I thought we settled this yesterday?”
“We did. I just thought I’d double check.”
“I’d tell you if I wanted to leave.”
A smile tugged at his mouth. “Yes, you would.”
“Do you want to leave?” she asked, a frown still marring her forehead.
“No.” In fact, he kinda wished the weekend would never come. Except he wouldn’t mind taking a hot shower. With Shanna would be even better.
And shaving would be nice. He was starting to feel scruffy, though she didn’t seem to mind.
She turned to glance behind her, then backed up to sit on one of the log seats. “I was thinking, since hiking is still out of the question, maybe we could go for a canoe ride.”
“Sure.”
They talked about exploring the lake and things to get done during the day, while sipping their coffee and making breakfast. He picked fresh blueberries from the nearby bushes to add to the bowls of instant oatmeal she made.
Once they were done eating, Shanna gathered the dishes to take them down to the shore for washing. “Time I start pulling my weight again,” she said before turning for the lake.
She’d never actually stopped, which only reinforced what a great partner she was. He wanted to do this with her every year for vacation, like she’d done with her grandparents. He wanted to do it with their kids, to give them good memories like she had. He wanted to do it with her when they were old and gray—maybe in a nice camper with a bed and shower.
The urge to tell her all of that had him calling out her name. “Shanna.”
She paused and glanced back. “Yeah?”
Nerves got the better of him, however, and his pulse pounded in his ears. What if she didn’t feel the same way? What if he’d read too much into a few words he wanted her to have said? She’d been half-asleep. She might not even have a clue what she’d said.
Didn’t matter, he had to do this. Right now. He wiped his hot palms on his shorts.
Worst case scenario, she’d laugh in his face, and they’d go back to hating each other. Nothing new there, right? Except, then he would quit NWR Investments and try to move on somewhere else. Seeing Shanna every day, loving her without being able to touch her after this time together, well, that would be a hell beyond endurance.
As for the best case scenario? He closed his eyes and imagined a life with her beside him for the rest of their days.
Damn…yeah. That was worth every risk in the world.
He opened his eyes and saw her watching him with curiosity, and maybe even a bit of concern. Resolve solidified in his mind and calm settled over his shoulders, seeping deep into his soul.
He strode over and took the dishes from her. The only place to set them was the ground, so he stooped down, then straightened and reached out to grasp her hands. She frowned at the dishes, then looked up at him, uncertainty filling her expression.
He squeezed her fingers. “Last night, you said there’s a thin line between love and hate.”
A flash of panic brightened her eyes.
Ah. So she did know what she’d said.
He wasn’t sure if her reaction was good or bad. She dipped her head, but, with a knuckle under her chin, he tilted her face back up to his before resting his hand on her shoulder.
“I know I said seven years of hating each other, but I’ve never once hated you, Shanna. I was intimidated by you, frustrated at times, but all along, I admired the hell out of you. Respected you, too. And then…about a month ago…”
He heard her breath hitch. Her gaze searched his as he breathed deep for courage.
“About a month ago, I fell for a woman who revealed all of herself in one unexpected, amazing night. Considering our past, it was the last thing I expected, and that’s why I wondered what the hell I was thinking that next morning. I had no clue how to handle what I was feeling, and then when I came back from the bathroom, you nearly bit my head off, so I got the hell out.”
“It sounded like you considered the whole night a mistake.” Husky emotion filled her voice. “Putting up my defenses was the only way I knew to protect myself.”
Knowing he’d caused that pain—however unwittingly—made his chest ache. “That night wasn’t a mistake. Not even close. I was just scared.” He lifted a hand to cup her cheek. “I’m sorry my words hurt you.”
“They hurt because I felt the same way,” she admitted softly, her gaze locked with his. “I’ve had feelings for you almost from the beginning.”
His pulse leapt with hope even as he said, “You called me a jackass almost every day.”
“Because you were a jackass almost every day,” she retorted.
He arched his eyebrows.
“Okay, fine,” she huffed. But a smile ruined the effect. “You weren’t always as horrible as I made out, but again, offense was my only defense. You want to talk about frustrating, I didn’t understand how you could drive me bat-shit crazy and I could still be attracted to you, much less develop feelings for you.”
“Love feelings,” he teased as his heart hammered in his chest.
“Yes. Love feelings.” The admission was still new enough to put a swath of color in her cheeks and brighten her eyes.
Happiness spread his smile wide. He slid his hand to the back of her neck, threading his fingers into her loose blond hair to urge her forward as he bent to capture her mouth with his. She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back. After a few heartbeats of sweet emotion, she opened her mouth beneath his and tenderness gave way for passion.
His blood surge
d hot and fast. After the past two days, he was pretty sure he’d never get enough of her. Knowing she felt the same as him only made him want her more. He pressed a hand to the small of her back, pulling her tight against the proof of his arousal.
“Mmm,” she moaned against his mouth.
The throaty sound triggered a heady throb of anticipation. He shifted his kisses to her neck, his breath ragged against her soft skin as he suggested, “How about we both do the dishes later?”
“Much later,” she agreed breathlessly.
And yet, in a moment of clarity, he lifted his head to lean his forehead against hers. “So…just to confirm we’re on the same page here…we’re going to finish out this week camping, then head back to Atlanta together, right? Work together, be together? Make a go of this?”
“Yes.” She pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “All of it together.”
He smiled with a contentment he never would’ve imagined possible. Then he sighed. “Nash is going to gloat his ass off. You know that, right?”
She grinned and shrugged. “I’m okay with that.”
He pretended to consider until she smacked his shoulder. “Yeah, okay, so am I,” he agreed with a laugh before sweeping her up into his arms to carry her back to the tent.
Numerous kisses—and more—sealed the deal.
Epilogue
On Saturday afternoon, after a long, hot shower at Pulaski’s only hotel, Shanna toweled off to get dressed for the mandatory meeting Nash had texted both her and Kevin to attend. Meeting was a bit of a misnomer, since they were actually going out to Whispering Pines Lodge for a Labor Day benefit concert put on by a military band, but she knew Nash was going to want a report of how things went out in the woods.
How things went in the woods.
Even now, she still had a hard time believing everything they’d done out there, though the happy grin on her face every time she caught her reflection confirmed she and Kevin were indeed together.
With their mutual feelings now out in the open, everything had changed between them during the past six days. She’d discovered she could lean on someone, depend on someone she loved, without it taking away from her own independence or giving up anything of who she was as an individual. Of course, she’d always been able to depend on her grandparents, and freely accepted their support over the years, but with Kevin, it was completely different.
The two of them had forged a team over the past week. Helping each other, offering mutual respect, becoming partners in every sense that boosted her confidence and erased her ingrained need to prove herself with everything she did. It was empowering in a way she could never have imagined.
This morning, she’d turned back to watch as they paddled away from shore and wished they could’ve stayed at the secluded campsite forever. Then she’d shifted her gaze to meet Kevin’s, and his knowing smile set her free to be excited about heading home to begin their life together.
Shanna shimmied her pastel yellow dress up over her hips, and then swept her hair to the side so she could tie the ends of the halter top behind her neck. The material was soft and floaty, and after a week of camping in shorts, tank tops, and hiking boots, she loved how deliciously feminine it made her feel with the hemline of the skirt swirling just past her knees.
She added a couple of silver bangle bracelets and hoop earings, but left her neckline bare. The electronic lock sounded just as she slipped her feet into a pair of white wedge sandals.
Kevin glanced her way as he shut the door, but then did a flattering, wide-eyed double-take. His hazel gaze lit with warm appreciation as it caressed her from head to toe. “Wow. That dress. You look…wow.”
“Thank you.” Grinning at his flattering reaction, she twirled to let him see the full expanse of her bare back, her hair swishing across her shoulder blades.
He was shaking his head by the time she turned back around. “Nope. Uh-uh. You are not wearing that out in public.”
She planted her hands on her hips and arched an eyebrow. “You don’t get to say.”
“I should get to,” he grumbled even as he moved close to grasp her hips and pull her close.
Shanna lifted her hands to skim her palms over his hard biceps. Loving the feel of his muscles, she gave a soft purr of contentment and tilted her face up for his kiss. The possessive exploration of his tongue and the warmth of his splayed palms on her exposed spine set her whole body fizzing with desire in no time.
“I don’t want to share you,” he murmured moments later.
Neither did she, but they had to get going or they’d be late. “I packed my bear spray to fight the women off you, so I don’t know what you’re complaining about, Princess.”
He wore charcoal cargo shorts and an untucked, white, button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His corded, tanned forearms and muscled legs never failed to stir her pulse. Add in artfully mussed hair, his beautiful eyes, and the faint stubble shadow lending a hint of danger, and yeah, the man was going to turn heads like crazy. Like he always did.
He gave a wry chuckle as he released her. “That nickname doesn’t really apply anymore.”
Never did, but that only makes it better.
She gathered her small purse and glanced at him as she reached for the door. “I still like it,” she chirped over her shoulder.
“Of course you do. Can we at least keep it private?”
She shrugged noncommittally, and her grin remained as they made their way out to her rental SUV. He had the keys from his earlier errand to replace his phone after its untimely death in the lake, and she hopped in the passenger side when he held the door open for her.
In the lot at Whispering Pines, Kevin came around to get her door again. She gave him a quick kiss as thanks. As they crossed the blacktop, his hand rested at the small of her back. The tips of his fingers edged under the material of her dress, sending little shivers of awareness throughout her body.
“Hold up a second.” He drew her to a stop between two trucks near the edge of the lot. “I’ve been thinking. Remember the other night when I told you I told Nash about our night together and he still forced us to go camping?”
“Yeah?” They’d had a good laugh about it while snuggled in front of the campfire.
“I’m thinking we should prank him.”
She gave him a questioning frown. “Are you saying thank or prank?”
“We’ll thank him when he’s best man at the wedding. Right now, I want to prank him.”
Her pulse stuttered at his casual quip. Okay, wow. They hadn’t even talked about marriage yet. Him tossing out the word wedding so easily turned her frown upside down. “You said you were fine with him gloating.”
“I am, but, you know, let’s make him work for it a little bit at least.”
She laughed. Knowing Nash, he probably would be unbearable when he found out his mandatory team building assignment had succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. “Okay, I’m in. What’s the plan?”
“I say we—” Kevin glanced past her shoulder and grimaced. “Shit. He and Josie are walking this way, and she already spotted us. You’re going to have to follow my lead.”
“Okay.”
Kevin backed away from her, toward the other couple. “Just promise nothing I say or do will be held against me in the court of our relationship.”
She frowned at the soft yet ominous request, but before she could reply, he threw up his hands as if he’d had it with her.
“I swear to God, I’m done with all this shit.”
Their boss stepped up to halt Kevin’s backward retreat. As he turned around, Shanna slowly walked over to join the two men, and Nash’s wife. Josie gave her a hug, then stepped back and swept her gaze over her airy, yellow sundress. “This is a new style for you, Shanna. It looks great.”
Her cheeks warmed as she remembered Kevin’s heated appreciation back at the hotel. It was hard not to glance at him as she murmured, “Thanks. Love your dress, too.”
The redhead g
ave her a grin of appreciation as Nash’s cautious gaze shifted from Kevin to Shanna, and back. “You both appear to be in one piece. I don’t see any battle scars. Is it safe to assume the trip was a success?” he asked hopefully.
He’d heard Kevin’s outburst a few moments earlier, so Shanna waited for her partner’s lead, and he jumped right in.
“Only if you wanted me to see just how truly impossible she really is,” Kevin groused. “Longest week of my damn life.”
Good thing she was in on this prank or she might take his words personally. Then again, sparring with him had always given her a little rush of adrenaline. Foreplay. Fighting back her grin, she set her jaw and crossed her arms over her chest as their friend’s dismayed gaze met hers.
“Was it really that bad?” he asked.
“A whole week with this insufferable jackass? Yeah. It was that bad.” So bad she’d never been happier. Feeling a little mean, she fought the urge to confess all at the sight of her friend’s troubled expression.
“Compared to you, I’m a picnic,” Kevin sneered.
“Dream on, Princess,” she shot back.
“Princess?” Nash choked as if he were trying to contain a laugh.
“Stop calling me that.” Hazel eyes pinned her with a very convincing glare. “It sounds ridiculous.”
“You sounded ridiculous when you bitched about a little itty bitty pebble under your sleeping bag.”
Josie snickered as her husband let his humor out in a loud guffaw.
Kevin turned his ire to their boss and his wife. “You know what? I don’t need this shit from her or you guys. I’ve put up with her crap”—he jabbed a finger toward Shanna—“for seven years, and I’m doing it anymore. I quit.”
Nash’s laugh faded to a disbelieving grin as an older couple walked up beside him and Josie. Shanna recognized Butch Walsh and his wife, Judy, but she was distracted by Kevin’s declaration. She knew he was playing a game, but what did he expect her to respond to that?
A week ago, she’d have rejoiced with a good riddance even as her heart broke. Now, she couldn’t wait for their little act to be over so he’d give her the seductive grin that always made her pulse flutter.
Summer Wager Page 7
