Page 110 of Wildest Dreams

I know it’s just a front that she’s putting on to keep us a secret from the guys, but my chest heaves anyway, not liking the fact that they don’t know that she’s taken.

I swipe my sweating palms down my quads and then shove my dripping hair back from my forehead, swallowing hard as she looks away from me. She laughs warmly as her brother crushes her into a hug and pulls her down next to him.

She’s so beautiful it hurts.

I watch her from the other side of the logs as she digs around for her favourite flavour of muffin, barely able to believe that not two hours ago I was kissing my way down her throat, murmuring how much she means to me.

“We think we might know which site we wanna set up camp on tomorrow night,” Connell announces, mostly to his sister who is back on her phone. He peeks over her shoulder as she taps at lightning speed, earning him a quick jab in the ribs with her elbow, making him grin.

“Can’t come,” Aisling mutters back, her voice so light and pretty that I genuinely have to readjust my shorts. “Got the lake house to finish off.”

“Awman,” Connell mock-groans, before peeking down at her to see if his plight has earned him any sympathy from her. It hasn’t, which makes me snicker. “Come on, Ash – you’ve been in there freakin’ day and night this entire week working on the interior. You need a day off in the mountains – stretchin’ those legs, getting some fresh air.”

Austin tries and fails to smother a smirk, flicking his gaze between Aisling’s legs and myI’m gonna murder you, assholefrown.

Aisling pockets her phone again, pursing her lips to the side in consideration as another strawberry muffin is magically outstretched to her.

“You can be the deciding factor about which site we choose,” Connell offers, all wide puppy-dog eyes as he tries to tempt her with more breakfast foods.

Aisling watches the muffin with a wanting little scowl, before her eyes flick across the fire-pit to meet mine. That wary look on her face instantly sets me into motion.

I grab my phone from the dirt and immediately shoot my thumbs across the keys, glancing up at her with a meaningful look to let her know that her phone is about to vibrate at any second.

Her eyes widen in understanding and she shoots to her feet, quickly clutching her cell against her chest before swiping the muffin and excusing herself. I watch her half-run down the shore on our side of the lake, past the area where I was tire flipping this morning, until she’s even past Connell’s cabin. Then she looks down at her phone, the sunlight shimmering around her silhouette in a warm golden halo.

TANNER:you’re almost finished up in the lake house – you deserve a break.

When my phone buzzes with her response my heart thumps into overdrive in my chest.

I’m never gonna get used to her actually replying to my texts.

AISLING:I was just on the phone with my mom and she’s stopping by, like, next week? I need to get everything finished before she actually arrives or I’m screwed.

I’ve been in the lake house every night this week and I know damn well that it’s almost finished. The entire downstairs is furnished, plus she told me that she’d done the bathroom. The only thing that she’s been putting off is building the master suite’s giant bed, and I know that it’s because she’s too obstinate to admit that she can’t lift the heavy wooden pieces.

I set my elbows on my bouncing knees, swallowing quickly when I see that she’s glancing back at me.

TANNER:you know that I’ll help you finish it up, Ash.

AISLING:I would never ask that of you.

I shove a hand through my hair.

Beautiful, stubborn woman.

TANNER:I know you wouldn’t, and you don’t need to. You’re ahead of schedule, and you’ve single-handedly almost finished this reno. You’re so driven it’s crazy – like, I am so fuckin’ hot for you right now.

Was that a risky text to send when her brother is sitting about three feet away from me? Maybe. But when I hit send and lift my head to glance up at her, she’s swishing her hair over her shoulders, preening like a kitten.

I inhale hard and start typing my next text.

TANNER:why don’t you help them pick the campsite for tomorrow, baby. You’ve got so much time to finish up, I swear.

I’m hoping that she can’t see through my rouse because I know she’d fight me to the death if she did.

I watch her tap her finger on her chin in the distance, and a smirk tugs at my mouth when she hits me with her next message.

AISLING:are you coming camping tomorrow too?

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