Page 41 of One Week Hating You
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IFREEZE AT THE RUSTLING sound coming from the forest behind us. My heart hammers and my mouth goes dry. It’s been a while since I’ve heard animals venturing through the woods at night, but I remember the distinct difference between the noises small critters like squirrels, racoons and skunks make, and those of the larger animals.
Blake is staring up at me with wide eyes. He motions me over to him. I was trying to get away from him just a second ago, but now it’s a whole different story – my life is at stake. I don’t hesitate for a second before lunging myself at him and into the safety of his arms. I’m not sure how efficiently he could protect me from a black bear, but he’s more experienced than I am when it comes to this stuff. I’m sure he knows what to do.
I’m sitting on his lap, which is the last place I thought I’d find myself. He smells like tree sap and Irish Spring. My heart is still hammering and I’m breathless. “You… you think… it might be a bear?” I whisper.
“I’m not sure…” He grabs the flashlight next to his feet, and lights up the bushes behind us.
Although it’s quite dark, I can see him. He’s beautiful – I’ve seen a few bucks in my day, but he seems more majestic than most. He’s just as spooked as we are and does a quick turnabout, back into the forest.
My pulse is still racing when I turn to Blake, whose face is mere inches from mine, so close, I can smell the beer on his breath. “Wow,” I say.
His gaze fixes mine. “Wow,” he echoes.
“Do you see them often?” I ask.
His voice is soft when he says, “It’s the start of mating season. He’s probably out looking for a mate.”
I’m drawn in closer to him, a force beyond my control. I study his face closely; his beautiful dark eyes, the curve of his full lips, slightly parted, and his Adam’s apple as he swallows. “Lucky lady,” I say.
He smiles. “Nice to see that some of us are getting some action.”
My knees feel loose and my whole body is hot, despite the cool October night air. “Is that what you’re looking for?” I ask quietly, staring at his mouth. “Action?”
“It wasn’t…” he says, and lets that thought hang into the charged air between us.
My heart won’t stop pounding and I feel a little light-headed. I can’t remember the last time I felt this…
Desire.
His gaze hasn’t left mine, and when he reaches a hand to my cheek, his eyes soften. “God, you’re still so beautiful.”
He’s going to kiss me. I want him to kiss me.
He reaches for the curl by my right cheek, the one I hate. No matter how much care and effort I put into straightening my hair, there’s this rogue strand which refuses to behave; a rebel curl. He slides the strand gently between his fingers. “You still have this. I love it.”
I erase the distance between us, and slowly press my mouth to his. I close my eyes as the soft touch of his lips fills me with want.
I reach for his face, but he grabs my hands and pushes me away abruptly.
I’m shocked. He clearly wanted to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss him. I don’t understand. It takes a few seconds for the sting to hit me, for my ego to be bruised. What the heck is his problem?
I’m still sitting on him, and I slowly stand, not quite able to look at him. “I’m sorry,” I say. “I thought…” I can’t quite finish my sentence. What did I think? That we would kiss, and the past and everything we’ve gone through would be erased, just like that.
It was nothing. Just an irrational moment of desire. It happens.
“I’m sorry, Maeve,” he says. “Yeah, I still think you’re hot as sin, but that doesn’t mean I want to get into the middle of this whole thing with you and Parker. And I don’t especially want to stroll down Nostalgia Lane either.”
“Me either,” I scoff.
“You and me… It would be amazing, I’m sure,” he goes on, “but it would be a disaster. You’d want too much, Maeve. You always do. You’re not the type of girl who does casual sex. You’re a good girl.”
Good girl.
There’s those two annoying words again. Ugh…
“I’m going to bed,” I scoff. “Good night.”
