Page 44 of Reclaimed Roots

NATALIE

I was so engrossedin the numbers on my screen that I didn't hear him approach until his deep voice sounded from the doorway.

"Where's your boyfriend?"

I startled and looked up. Jasper was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest and an inscrutable expression on his face. He was wearing faded jeans and a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his tanned, muscular forearms.

"I don't have a boyfriend."

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "Pretty sure I saw his car in your mom's driveway when I pulled into the orchard this morning."

"Yeah, well... we broke up."

"Hmm. So now you're here, working on a Saturday?"

I must have looked a mess, makeup smudged and hair disheveled from running my fingers through it. Recoveringquickly, I leaned back in my chair and raised an eyebrow. "What can I say? The glamorous life of an accountant never stops."

Jasper's lips quirked, but his amber eyes were intense as they swept over me, taking in the dark circles and pallor that even my industrial-strength concealer couldn't hide. "Looks more like you're still recovering from a rough night of whiskey. Those numbers making you cross-eyed yet?"

My snort of laughter made my head throb, a vicious reminder of last night's overindulgence. "Something like that. What brought you by the office at this hour? Shouldn't you be out tipping cows or whatever it is you country boys do for fun?"

"Tipping cows? Really?" He shook his head, a full-blown smile spreading across his handsome face. "Damn, city girl. You've got some funny ideas about us country folk."

"Well, maybe you should enlighten me then." The words came out more flirtatious than I intended.

Something flashed in Jasper's eyes, there and gone too quickly to decipher. He pushed off the doorframe and sauntered into the office. I could smell the crisp scent of his skin, the earthiness of soil and sweat beneath. It was intoxicating, dredging up a thousand sense memories of fevered kisses in the orchard and tangled limbs in the bed of his truck.

I licked my dry lips, trying to corral my wayward thoughts. But Jasper's proximity made it impossible to think straight.

"Actually, I came by to see how you were doing." His voice was low, almost hesitant. "I know last night was... a lot."

Hot, itchy shame prickled under my skin. God, could I have made a bigger fool of myself? Throwing myself at him like some drunken sorority girl, blubbering all over his shirt, then falling asleep in his bed.

"Jasper, I'm sorry." The words fell out in a garbled rush. "I was completely out of line. I never should have put you in that position."

"Hey." His fingers brushed my forearm. The contact sent a pleasant shiver rippling over my skin. "You're allowed to have fun. It was Chase who crossed a line he shouldn't have."

The warm understanding look in his eyes settled something inside me and eased the knot of tension between my shoulder blades. "Thank you," I murmured, my voice suddenly thick. "For taking care of me. For being there when I needed you."

His hand tightened on my arm. Through the fabric of my cardigan, I felt his thumb rubbing in soothing circles. "Anytime, Nat. You know that."

The air between us felt thick and charged. All the longing that had been building between us since the moment I came home felt ready to erupt.

I was seized by the reckless urge to close the distance between us. To wind my fingers through his dark hair and crush my lips to his. To lose myself in the intoxicating heat of his body, the drugging slide of his tongue against mine.

Jasper seemed to sense the shift in my mood, the slighttensing of my muscles under his palm. He cleared his throat and dropped his hand, putting a bit of distance between us.

"Listen, I was thinking." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I still owe you a proper apology for being such an ass at the funeral. And for running out on you last week after burgers. And for Sammy." He paused and frowned. "I've got a lot to apologize for."

I attempted to protest, but he held up a hand to stop me.

"Let me finish, okay? I know I've been hot and cold with you since you've been back. Sending mixed signals, acting like a jealous prick one minute and pushing you away the next. The truth is, I don't know how to do this." He gestured between us. "Having you here, being around you again, it's stirring up a lot of old feelings. Feelings I thought I'd dealt with."

A wild hope fluttered behind my breastbone.Is he saying what I think he's saying?

"I get it," I said softly, holding his gaze. "Believe me, I do. Being back here, seeing you, it's brought up a lot for me too."

He made a convulsive movement with his arm, like he was about to reach out but changed his mind. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry. For not handling this better. For not being the friend you need right now."

---