Page 63 of A Violet Obsession

“Thanks.” I take the mug she holds out.

She wraps both hands around her own and surveys the stack I’ve built, which has, I’ll admit, enough wood to heat the place for months.

“You know,” she says, “if this storm doesn’t show up, I’m going to make fun of you for this for the rest of my life.”

The corner of my mouth lifts before I can stop it. “Fair enough.”

“You’re wearing your glasses.” She beams at me, and my heart flips over.

“Yeah,” I say gruffly. “Figured a splinter in the eye wouldn’t be particularly convenient right now.”

Feeling a slow drip of sweat down my brow, I lift the hem of my shirt, but when I lower it, the look in Lily’s eyes as she stares at my stomach, has my cock hardening.

Cheeks pink, she blows across the top of her mug and watches me over the rim. I don’t know why, but her expression makes me nervous.

A long moment passes before she speaks. “I’ll make us some dinner.” She calls her cat, who races from the trees and leaps up the stairs ahead of Lily, looking too pleased with herself to be entirely innocent.

I’m not sure why her comment feels loaded, but I don’t take my eyes off her until the door closes. Then I reach for another piece of wood.

22

LILY

My body hasn’t caught up to the fact that I’m inside now and no longer watching Finn split firewood like some sort of sexy, computer nerd, lumberjack.

Is that even a thing?

I don’t know, but whatever Finn was out there, my hormones are in overdrive.

Get it together.

I push off the door.

Sugar. I need sugar.

I open each of the cabinets knowing I won’t find anything, since I’m the one who unpacked the provisions, and sadly no surprise package of cookies has suddenly spawned inside.

Hera lifts her head from the thick rug in front of the fireplace, one orange paw tucked under her chest, and gives me a look.

“Don’t judge me.” I point a finger at her as I open the zippered pocket inside my purse. “Score.” One cookie has survived, sitting in a bed of crumbs.

I zip the bag shut and take a huge bite of the cookie, hurriedly chewing when the door opens behind me. “Pasta okay?” I ask, not that there are a ton of options.

“Yeah, I’m going to get the fire started,” he says, laying his armload of wood on the hearth. “I stacked a bunch right outside the door and found a tarp in that lean-to, shed thing. So, we won’t have to go far if we need it,” he explains, bending to lay the fire, and causing his pants to pull tight across his ass.

Stop staring, Lily.

The paper and kindling catch, and little curls of flame are soon joined by others. Finn straightens, brushing down the front of his pants. “I’m going to grab a quick shower before we eat.”

I try not to think of Finn naked in the shower while I finish my cookie and wait for the water to boil.

When he lifted his shirt outside, exposing those abs…

Gah! I thought I was going to become a puddle.

Dumping the jar of sauce into a pot, I think about the best way to approach what I want to ask Finn. I know he’s physically attracted to me, but that’s just a biological response. I’ve already got my argument lined up if he tries to use Emma as a roadblock. It’s going to be getting past the awkwardness that will be the tough part.

What can I say so that he doesn’t say no right away?