Irresistible Love at Silver Falls (Island County Series Book 7)

by Karice Bolton

  I nodded and felt the pit in my stomach grow. “Do they have any other children?”

  He shook his head. “She’s an only child. I’m not sure if they’ll be having any other children, but I’d certainly like more.”

  I warmed all over as he locked his gaze with mine.

  “Well, you’re still young.” I patted his shoulder and chuckled. “You’ve got plenty of time to find that special someone.”

  “What if I found her?” His voice lowered, and my breath caught in the back of my throat.

  Now that the pieces to the puzzle were starting to come together surrounding Kyle, it made it extremely difficult to dismiss the emotions swarming through me.

  I stood to get my bearings. I knew if I stayed put on that boulder for a second longer, I’d lean into him just to feel his lips against mine.

  I cleared my throat and looked down the trail as more pieces of our lives began to fit together.

  “You knew where I worked because of my cousins?” I asked.

  He nodded and stood.

  “So, you’ve known where I’ve been most of my adult life,” I said, more for my benefit than his. I was trying to put the pieces together.

  “Pretty much.” He nodded. “It nearly killed me not to reach out over the years, but it always sounded like you had such a good thing going. I didn’t want to burden you. You were young and having fun, and I was a young parent dealing with life being slammed at me from every direction.”

  He took a step forward, and it felt like my heart was going to hammer out of my chest as his eyes swept over me, casting a spell I’d been doing my hardest to resist.

  “I wanted you to feel what it was like to be carefree.” He brushed a piece of hair away from my cheek, and my body trembled from his touch.

  His eyes dropped to my lips, and every part of me wanted to feel his mouth pressed against mine, but I couldn’t risk my heart again.

  I couldn’t lead him down a path that would go absolutely nowhere.

  I took a step back and a thought hit me.

  “My cousins…”

  He sucked in a sharp breath as if the spell had been broken for us both.

  “Do they know about Abigail?” I asked. My voice went hoarse. “They wouldn’t keep that from me.”

  “They know.”

  “Is that the real reason they came after you that day?”

  He nodded and smoothed his thumb and index finger over his jaw. “They knew I’d gotten a girl pregnant. They didn’t know the rest. That’s all they needed to know from their point of view.” Kyle shrugged. “I totally get it.”

  “When did you tell them the whole story?”

  “A year or so after that run-in when we could all sit in the same place and not try to kill one another.”

  I shook my head slowly. “I can’t believe they never told me.”

  “I asked them not to because…” he stopped.

  “Because what?” I prompted.

  “Because I always believed that someday I’d get you back.” He slid his arms around my waist and drew me in. “And I didn’t care how long I had to wait to tell you my side of what happened.”

  I looked into his eyes, and the warmth from his body as he brought me closer stopped my body from trembling.

  “I missed our friendship more than anything,” I whispered. “That’s what stung so badly, and I often thought if we hadn’t have had sex, we still would have had the friendship.”

  Kyle nodded, running his hands along my back. “I missed everything about you, Brooke. It wasn’t the sex that made me stay away. I’d fallen for you way before that. I’d already felt closer to you than I thought possible.”

  I swallowed hard and looked away, but he ran his thumb along my chin, tilting my face back to him.

  “I just don’t think with everything it’s a good idea to go down that path,” I said softly.

  “Which path?” Kyle asked, his voice lowering. “Friendship? Romantic?”

  “Neither. Both.” I sucked in a sharp breath. The sexual awareness zipping between us made my knees weak, and I leaned against him despite what I’d just said.

  “What are you afraid of Brooke?” he asked softly.

  “It’s not fear.”

  “Then what is it?”

  Being around Kyle sent so many conflicting emotions running through me. His heated gaze made me want a repeat of everything I’d experienced so many years before—the feel of his fingers running along my naked body, his mouth tenderly kissing every inch of me, his gaze burning into mine as we connected as one.

  “I can see it in your eyes, Brooke. You’re scared. You don’t want to get hurt again, and I don’t want that either.”

  “It’s not just about me, Kyle. I don’t want to get into something because of old feelings rushing in and distorting the reality of our situation.”

  “What situation is that?”

  “When I’m around you, I lose all sense of the person I’ve become. It’s like I immediately transport to my teenage self. I’ve managed to get through life relatively unscathed, and I want to keep it that way. I refused to turn into a wounded animal from some teenage tryst, and I don’t intend to ever let myself be put in that situation again.”

  “Like you said, you missed our friendship more than anything. Why can’t we start there?” he asked softly, tracing his fingers along my arm and sending chills through me.

  Even his touch made me crave more.

  “I don’t know if I can go there without thinking of everything else you make me feel,” I confessed.

  “And what do I make you feel, Brooke?” His gaze stayed locked on mine, and I felt a rush of heat running along my skin.

  “You make me feel important,” I whispered, surprised at my admission.

  “You are important,” he nearly growled, which only made the pull to him even stronger.

  I rested my hands on his chest and watched a group of hikers walk up the trail behind us. I hid a smile, thinking how odd this must look in the middle of the woods.

  “What’s got you smiling?”

  “I’m not smiling.” My brow arched in surprise.

  “I can see the smile in your eyes.”

  His words rattled me to my core, and I began to push away, but he kept me close.

  “That right there is what I’m talking about. It’s not just that you make me feel important. You make me feel like a priority. You notice the small things. You always did. It’s been so many years, and you still pick up on these little things about me.” I shook my head. “I’ve never experienced that with anyone else.”

  “Then maybe it’s not something we should just throw away because the road to here held a few detours.”

  His words made so much sense, but they conflicted with everything I’d ever promised myself. Not only would I never let my heart open up to men in a way that made me vulnerable, I certainly wouldn’t do so to the one who broke it so many years ago.

  All the memories from years before came crashing to mind—the date of our first kiss, our first time to the movies without my cousins tagging along, all the times he’d sneak a kiss when my cousins were five steps ahead, the night we spent together in the tent when my cousins slept in the next one over—and I didn’t know if I was strong enough to only think of the good and forget the bad.

  I wanted to be.

  “Would this help change your mind?” He held my gaze, lowering his lips to mine and every cell in my body ignited with a longing I hadn’t experienced since the last time I was in his arms.

  I parted my lips, tasting his sweetness as he deepened his kiss, and a hum of desire ran between us. His tongue swept against mine—teasing and taunting me into submission—while every worry vanished.

  I felt his hardness against my belly, and a soft moan escaped my mouth. His fingers tangled in my hair as my fingers traced the ripples of his stomach. He let out a low growl as I got lower and his kisses became hungrier.

  Kyle’s hands ran down my spine
, looping back around my waist, as if our kisses could make up for the years we’d been apart.

  It wasn’t until we heard thunderous applause behind us that we stepped apart, completely dazed, and spotted a group of hikers, clapping for us.

  I took a quick bow, and the cheers went up a notch as Kyle laced his fingers through mine, and brought me back into him, and I knew giving him up was going to be much harder than I thought.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Did you enjoy the falls?” Maddie sat down across the table from me in the workroom at the farm.

  She had a twinkle in her eye that told me someone had already informed her of what went down. That someone had to have been Jake, who no doubt heard it straight from the source. No wonder small town gossip around all these parts was so accurate. No one could keep their mouth shut.

  Kyle included.

  “The falls were beautiful and the weather was gorgeous. I didn’t even need a jacket.” I opened a box of lavender citrus candles that needed labels. “Turns out that his grandmother knows how to make a delicious pecan pie… an old family recipe.”

  “Yeah.” She nodded and reached for a candle. “I wasn’t exactly wondering about the weather, food, or scenery.”

  I peeled a sticker off the sheet and placed it on a glass jar.

  “It was really nice of Jake to fly us to and from.” I cracked a smile and she groaned.

  “You’re awful. Worse than me.” She grabbed a sheet of stickers and began placing them on the candles too.

  “Shouldn’t you have your feet up, enjoying the last few moments of being with your own thoughts?” I eyed her belly and she chuckled.

  “Pulling out all the stops, huh?” Her brows knitted together. “Must be serious.”

  I let out a sigh and smiled. “Not serious, but I’d say very complicated.”

  I slapped another label on a jar and looked over at her.

  “Did you know he had a daughter?”

  Maddie’s cheeks turned bright red.

  “You don’t have to answer.” I grinned.

  “I think I just did.” She grabbed another candle. “So have you guys kept in touch since Saturday?”

  “I told him I needed some time to sort everything, out and he totally understood.”

  “So, you haven’t texted or anything?”

  “No. I don’t know what to say. I’m not wired for long-term relationships, and I don’t want to get his hopes up.”

  “Is it only his hopes you’re worried about?”

  I let out a groan.

  “It’s just an innocent question.”

  “With no innocent answer.” I flashed a grin. “The problem for me is that being around him makes my heart jump right over the friend stage. I thought he was cute when I was sixteen, and now, it’s no joke. The guy is beyond perfection.”

  “All the North brothers are.” She giggled.

  “True, but I can’t even sit next to him in the middle of the woods without flashing back to our time together and that was when we were…”

  “Inexperienced.” Her eyes widened. “Imagine now.”

  “That’s precisely the problem. I can’t stop imagining it.” I let out a sigh. “It’s been six days since I’ve seen him, talked to him, texted him, and I can’t stop imagining. He always had a good body, but come on. Now he’s like all man and the idea of his experienced hands working their magic is—”

  Maggie’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head, and I instantly panicked, shooting off the stool.

  “Did your water break? Are you in labor? Do I need to get Chance?” I didn’t wait for her answer and spun around, nearly knocking myself over when I ran into a very tall, dark and handsome man.

  I squealed in shock as Kyle steadied me and bent over, whispering in my ear, “Experienced hands?”

  Mortified, I spun back around and stared at Maggie, who was in a fit of giggles.

  “I was talking about Hound Island’s new masseuse. He’s just up the road, and I have an appointment later. I’ve heard good things, and for obvious reasons, I’ve been recently stressed, and I’m hoping he can get the knots out.”

  “Lucky man.” Kyle reached his hands to my shoulders and gripped them firmly.

  “I think that’s my cue to exit.” Maddie hopped off the stool as best as a very pregnant woman could and flashed a wicked grin in my direction. “You make sure and get to your massage appointment on time.”

  I flashed her an evil look and nodded, unable to speak as Kyle’s fingers dug deep into my muscles.

  “I know I said I’d give you space…” Kyle began, working his fingers deeper and deeper, sending me into a near trance. “But I missed hearing from you.”

  His fingers moved down my back, and my body swayed from his continued touch.

  “I thought maybe I should stop by and remind you how much fun we have together.” His voice sent an intense current of longing through me, but I stepped away and turned to face him.

  “Want to go outside with me? Walk the gardens?” I asked, trying to shake the feelings off.

  Maybe the open space would work in my favor since small spaces certainly didn’t.

  Come to think of it, being in the middle of nowhere failed me too.

  “I wouldn’t want to make you late for your appointment.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, looking extremely attractive and pleased with himself.

  I’d given him enough ammunition for a lifetime all because I let myself be a girl’s girl. I shouldn’t have let myself be coaxed into sharing about my old high school crush.

  I linked my fingers through his. “We have a few hours yet before I have to be there.”

  He shot a wry grin my way, and my stomach twisted with nervous energy.

  I didn’t want to push any of this in the wrong direction, and since I didn’t know what was the right direction, I felt at a standstill, which was partially why I hadn’t reached out yet.

  We stepped outside, and the spring weather was warm and inviting. The farm had been transformed over the last few weeks from dried brown sticks to colorful blooms and vivid greens. Small boxwood hedges led to the rose gardens, but we went the opposite direction.

  Hildie’s piece of property sat at the north edge of the island surrounded by cliffs and rugged terrain, but the acreage lent itself well to being a tourist destination. There were several trails that led down to the water.

  “It’s so beautiful here, isn’t it?” I asked, taking in a deep breath.

  Kyle kept my hand in his as I led us down a path toward the herb garden. It had expanded significantly since I arrived last year, and now we had to make sure we had a constant supply for the chef’s daily demands.

  “The islands are a special place.”

  “Seems like Silver Ridge is too.” I glanced at him and saw a smile line his lips.

  “Definitely.”

  I stopped, bent over, and snapped a seed head from a pink geranium.

  “I have something for you.”

  “What’s that?” I asked, turning to face him.

  He released my hand from his and reached into his pocket, pulling out a tiny, brown crocheted owl.

  “I thought this would go with the rest of your décor.”

  I took the tiny bird and chuckled. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it always.”

  “So are you going to fill me in on the secrets behind where you’re staying?”

  “It doesn’t fit your image of me?” I laughed.

  “Can’t say that it does.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what you see when you think of me.”

  “I definitely see something homey and lived in.” He nodded and scratched his chin. “Probably lots of woodsy décor, possibly from circa 2000 or newer.”

  I laughed. “It’s not that easy to find a place on Hound, and I didn’t feel like taking a ferry every day from Fireweed. When I found the fully furnished apartment, I jumped on it, and I like it. The place reminds
me of my grandparents. The only real downside is the collection of glass clowns Lila has, but I tend to ignore them.”

  “As long as they don’t come to life in the middle of the night, you should be fine.”

  “Thanks for that.” I made a face at him but had to agree. “That’s a legitimate worry.”

  We’d started toward a concrete bench overlooking the water.

  Kyle draped his arm over my shoulders, and I instantly felt like I could take on a horde of clowns and come out on the winning end.

  “How do you do it?” I asked, turning to look at Kyle.

  “Do what?”

  “Make me feel safe.”

  He slid his arm off me and turned toward me. “I didn’t know I did.”

  “I wish it wasn’t so. It would make things a lot easier if you were like every other guy I’d dated.” I sighed and kicked my foot out in front of me. “But you make things tough.”

  “What’s so difficult?” He studied me.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.” My gaze snapped to his.

  “Why do you think you’d hurt me?”

  I linked my fingers though his. “I’m not cut out for relationships, and every time I see you look at me, I can see that’s what you want.”

  “I’d settle for a friendship.” Kyle smiled, and my eyes fell to his mouth as I imagined another kiss.

  “Therein lies the problem. Like right now… all I can think about is kissing you. I don’t think I can just be friends with you.”

  “You can just be friends with Billy. Why not try it with me?”

  “Billy has never made me feel the way you do.”

  “How do I make you feel?” His eyes flicked to my lips, and I felt my entire body tremble at the thought of another kiss.

  “Alive,” I whispered.

  “Has any other man made you feel that way?”

  “No.”

  “Then maybe it’s time to tweak your theory on relationships.” He brushed a few strands away from my shoulder. “But I’d rather have you in my life than not at all. If it takes just seeing you now and then while I’m visiting Jake or Chance then I guess those are the breaks.” He leaned in, and I felt my pulse pounding wildly.