Page 21 of Silent Heart

Kole paused, bottled water suspended over the blender’s yawning mouth. His mask of stone still wasn’t back in place. The lunacy of my desperate attempt to bridge the gap was inconsequential compared to the fiery touch of Kole’s unguarded stare.

Lust flared through me.

I could do this. I could ask the man out.

Besides, too many lines were crossed, and I was too far gone to stop now. “Since you’re new in town, let me take you out for breakfast. I know a great little spot on County Road 9. They have coffee for me, and you’ll love a slice of home cooking.”

It was impossible to know what he was thinking. Emotions, strong and wild, spun and danced in those stormy depths. In the soft morning light, the irises were more grey than blue.

“We would cancel our swimming lessons?” The question was laced with a soft purr.

“Let your body rest. Even the Rock has cheat days,” I added with a grin.

“Which rock?”

Oh, my lanta.Did he grow upundera rock?

“Never mind.” I held out my hands. “I’m a shit instructor without my caffeine. You can make that healthy shake and we can try the lesson, but I won’t guarantee the results.”

“Are you wearing that?” His undisguised look raked down my body.

I felt his focus, a sizzle of heat scoring down my front and settling between my legs. It took everything I had not to shift them together.

“I’ll drive my boat home, change, and meet you there. The place is called Betty’s. You can’t miss it.”

Kole continued to study me. It was like watching a monstrous beast from a book of legends and myth decide if he was going to devour me or let me fly away. I fisted my hands and locked my leg muscles so I didn’t do anything stupid like close the distance and wrap them around him.

“I’ll see you in a bit then,” he agreed.

I all but bolted from the kitchen. Only once I was on the water, with the bright sun beating down on me, did I begin to think clearly again.

Chapter 10 – Harley

To avoid my grandmother, who likely wasn’t on the phone—my luck was not that good—I climbed up the back of the garage, scuttled across the roof, and slid into my bedroom via the window I never locked.

I’m too old for this!

Glancing at my reflection, I had to begrudgingly admit that this was the most excitement I’d had in ages. While it might be ridiculous to hide from my grandparents and sneak around like a teen, I couldn’t deal with their negativity right now.

Not that they’d ever caught me in the walk of shame.

The grandsons? The inheritors of the farm and the hope for the future? Yeah, they could come home still drunk from the bar and so long as they hadn’t driven home, they received a hug or slap on the back with their morning cup of coffee.

The granddaughter coming from the boat in her satin PJs? That might earn me a trip to the nunnery. Not that my devout Protestant grandparents normally threatened Papist punishments, but this might just be the exception.

Muttering about the unfairness of it all, I bounced into a pair of scrub pants, tugged a bra over the ladies, and pulled a tee over my torso before the scrub top came down. The second day wash on my hair was acceptable, but as I flicked the shoulder length strands into a high pony, I paused.

“Is this a date?” I pointedly asked the reflection.

No…the voice of reason began as my inner goddess raised her voice in protest.

It’s just me being neighborly,reason insisted.

“So why do I have the urge to tug on a cute sundress, brush on some makeup, and try to do something I don’t have time for to my hair?” I arched a brow.

The seconds ticked by—one, two, three.

Because Kole is hot.

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