Page 24 of Fall or Nothing

I topped off the table by the door, stopped to talk with a woman about her daughter’s wedding, and slowly made my way toward the men at the window table in the professional manner of someone who hadn’t been thinking about this for the past five minutes.

“Hi guys. Coffees all around?” I asked nonchalantly, keeping my eyes on the tabletop.

“None for me.” Colt covered his mug.

Jake slid his forward, winking up at me.

Ash said, “Yes, please.”

I filled theirs and waited until finally I raised my eyes toCarter’s. He was already staring at me—and pushed his mug forward.

“I’ll take some. Thank you, Sage.”Oof,that damn, deep voice of his saying my name—driving a thrill through my body and landing at the apex of my thighs.

Ignoring my screaming loins, I filled the mug and asked Ash about their plans for the day. ”Heading somewhere?”

“Picking up a few horses, up past Timberline. Two mares and a gelding. The owner passed away last month, and the family can’t keep them,” he answered—when I heard a creak behind me.

More specifically, the sound of our new shelves leaning to the right several inches, and the products almost sliding off.

I left the pot on their table and ran to catch it. Somehow, Carter was faster, breezing past me. He braced both palms flat against the side panel before everything made it to the edge, stopping the lean and holding everything still.

Jake’s chair scraped back, and he was through the door in a flash yelling, “I got a drill in the truck. Be right back.”

“Do you have it under control over there?” Ash called.

“Yes, sir.” Carter held the unit still, not straining, while I quickly removed each of the items and set them on the nearest table.

He inspected how the shelves were barely holding up. “Cheap dollar-store shelves.”

Should I take offense at that?

“Budget hardware. There’s a difference,” I smirked.

“Not much of one when it all comes tumbling down,” hesnorted.

What a snob? “Not everyone has money to spend on nice things. Plus, this all came together so fast, Harper had to buy the only set of shelves she could find in town.”

Carter went still, and his gaze cut to me, quick and direct.

“Okay, but were these shelves anchored or just resting?” His expression was more amused than I was at the moment.

“I don’t know.”

“If you’re going to display products, they deserve something that doesn’t move.” His voice had shifted register, becoming more careful. “Properly fixed to the wall. Not just resting and hoping.”

“Somethingpermanentlyaffixed, you’re saying?” I cocked a brow.

“That’s what I mean.”

“Interesting, coming from a man whose current situation is temporary,” I sassed back.

He sputtered and almost lost his grip on the cheap piece of furniture. One of my bottles of oil had a mind of its own, migrating dangerously close to the edge.

We both reached for the bottle at the same time. My hand landed over his. The heat of his skin against mine sent a jolt straight through me. For a long second neither of us moved. His breath feathered across my forehead, and when our eyes met, I saw the same hunger I was trying—and failing—to hide.

The café kept humming around us, but in that moment it felt like only the two of us existed.

I wanted him so badly all at once, yet could do nothing about it—other than ignore the wetness pooling in my panties.