Page 23 of The Mechanics of Lust

My mouth dried to dust, and it was almost painful to swallow, my heart taking up all the room in my throat, thundering loud enough that I thought for sure Luke couldn’t miss it.

He was close. So close. Close enough to—

He leaned toward me, and for a hot terrifying second, I thought he might kiss me. Worse, I had to stop myself from rushing to meet him halfway. To feel the pressure of those soft lips. To get that first unique taste. My eyelids fluttered closed of their own volition and I braced for that first touch, my mind in freefall, my body frozen in place, ignoring every order from my brain to simply step aside since nothing was stopping me.

But I didn’t, and instead of the kiss I was aching for, he bypassed my mouth to land only a soft puff of breath on my cheek as he whispered close to my ear, “I like you, Zach. I like you a lot.” He pulled away just enough to look at me, his hot breath caressing my face, the spicy scent of his cologne mixed with a little sweat and a background hit of aviation fuel rising from all that bare skin to send my pulse soaring, along with another part of my traitorous anatomy. “It’s a shame the feeling isn’t mutual.”

His gaze dipped to my mouth, his pupils flaring, and again I thought he might kiss me. Then his eyes crinkled at the corners, wistful and maybe even sad. He drew a ragged breath, and then another, and I heard my own reflected back at him.

“If that ever changes—” He ran a thumb over my cheek and I shivered to my toes. “You be sure to let me know, yeah?”

I didn’t answer, hell I wasn’t even sure I could speak. Luke had rattled my brain like it was a snow globe and the cells were still tumbling. Jesus fucking Christ, the man was potent.

And then without another word he was gone, leaving nothing but a draught of cool air and the sound of his footsteps on the polished wooden floor heading for the east wing.

My eyes shot open and I slumped against the wall, the residual warmth from Luke’s body lingering on my skin as I waited for the oxygen to locate my lungs once again. I fingered dry untouched lips, and regret flooded my chest. Every part of my body had wanted that kiss and a whole fucking lot more.

I sucked in a breath and peered around the doorjamb. Voices floated in the distance, but the hallway was empty. Thank God. I fell back against the wall and replayed the scene in my head.I like you, Zach.Luke’s words ran circles in my brain.It’s a shame it’s not mutual.

I huffed out an almost laugh. If only Luke knew exactly how much I liked him. How much he wasn’timagininganything. That I felt that zing between us too. How I lusted after him as well. Anything that got the two of us naked and sweaty. I ran my hand down my chest and over my belly to palm my semi-rigid cock, giving it a light squeeze before remembering where I was and dropping it like a hotcake.

What the hell’s wrong with me?

I started at the sound of footsteps in the hall and lunged for the mudroom door. Call me a coward, but there was no way in hell I was locking eyes with Luke Nichols while sporting a semi and most likely the wordsfuck me right the hell nowtattooed on my forehead.

I made it all the way around the house through the steadily increasing rain before my heart calmed and I got a grip on my head. The glacial blue lake had turned a dirty grey, its surface rippled, the ground beneath my feet growing slick and treacherous as the baked soil refused to soak up the water. Too bad I’d left my boots and coat at the front door. My socks were soaked, much like the rest of me.

Congrats on a solid job looking like a complete idiot.

When I finally reached the veranda of Tussock Cottage and shook myself off, I risked a glance toward the kitchen to find Luke watching me through the window, because of course he bloody was. I couldn’t make out his face through the rain, but his hand lifted in some kind of acknowledgement.

I stood there for a few seconds, not believing the gall of the man to... to...what?I wasn’t sure what he’d even done really, but whatever it was, it pissed me off. I set my lips in a thin line and flipped him off. Then I squelched up the stairs, peeled my muddy socks from my feet, and headed for the coldest shower known to humanity.

CHAPTERSEVEN

Zach

“Who’sfree to help with the River Hut re-roof?” Holden scoured the blank expressions of everyone seated at the kitchen table. Gil had outdone himself with lunch, serving up smoked chicken on buttered noodles with Irish soda bread and home-churned butter on the side. The carb coma was real. “Tom and I are gonna need another pair of hands this afternoon.”

There was a prolonged and deafening silence in stark contrast to the rowdy banter that always accompanied a team lunch, which had helped distract me from my close encounter with Luke the afternoon before. Against that very wall to my right. That hard, familiar wall that I absolutely was not going to look at. Just like I wasn’t going to think of the way he’d smelled, or the sense of his body so close to mine, or the way his nose had almost brushed my cheek, or—

Eventually, Sam huffed out a put-upon sigh and grumbled, “Yeah okay. I’ve finished the stock take, so I guess I can help. But I want to know when I get to lose the new-grad, everyone’s-bitch status?” At twenty-two but looking like sixteen, Sam was the team’s youngest shepherd and almost always landed the worst or extra jobs. It sucked, but it came with the territory.

“When another new grad comes along,” Tom replied smoothly, and we all tried to keep a straight face.

Sam narrowed his gaze and shook his shaggy blond waves. “Oh, hell no! I amnotdoingallthe four a.m. sweeps during muster this year.” Then, as if hearing what he’d said, he swallowed hard and shot an uncertain look to Holden. “I mean... of course... I will if I have to, Boss, but—” He slumped in his chair. “Fuck it. I guess I’ll be doing them.”

Alek patted Sam’s shoulder. “I’ll help.”

Charlie folded her arms and tried to look severe. “Hey, I did four years of that shit before Alek arrived. Newbies do the hard yards. Those are the rules.”

“Four years!” Sam gaped. “But—” His gaze swept the group. “Really?”

“It was three years for me,” I said sombrely, trying not to smile.

“Four for me,” Tom piped up.

“Five here.” Holden smiled. “It’s like a badge of honour—boy-to-manhood kind of stuff. But if you want Alek to help you out, I won’t stop him.”

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