Page 74 of The Science of Attraction

I arched a brow and he looked suddenly uncertain.

“I don’t fall in love easily. In fact, other than a couple of teenage crushes, I don’t think I’veeverbeen in love—no, IknowI haven’t. But what I feel for you is unlike anything I’ve felt before, and I’m... well, I’m not about to walk away without at least exploring it because I’m very definitely falling for you, Liam.”

Falling for me?My mouth dried to dust, my heart thundering up into my throat.

He smiled softly and smoothed my brow. “You look kind of terrified.”

“No. No.” I hastily shook my head. “Not terrified, just shocked, I suppose.”

He winced. “I’m sorry to just kind of blurt it out, but I keep thinking we only have a couple of weeks left and... and...” He sighed and looked miserable. “Are my feelings a deal breaker for you?”

Are they?I thought about that. Thought about all those feelings churning in my gut that I didn’t want to admit to. Thought about the risks we’d both be taking. Thought about my safe, successful, lonely little world that I’d spent a lifetime building. Thought about the impossibility of walking away from Jules now that I knew what he felt about me. Thought about the impossibility ofnotwalking away and having to cope with the fallout of his coming out to his father, and whether our fledgling relationship could even survive that. And I thought about the fact there were no answers to any of it.

I looked up to find him watching me with soft eyes and all those same questions stared back at me. He’d thought about all of it. I wasn’t the only one who’d built a safe, lonely life. And I realised this was never about all the what-ifs that might trip us up along the way.

The only question that really mattered was whether we had enough courage to try.

That decided, I did what so many had done before me in this land; I threw my doubts up to the southern stars. Let the heart of the Mackenzie do what it would with them. It had born witness to thousands of stories spun in these valleys through the millennia. It had seen love, struggle, pain, loss, and hope, all playing out in the shadows of these towering mountains.

Jules’ and my story would simply be another.

And we had about as much control over it as we did the storms and droughts that fed these rich hills.

I leaned in and whispered against his lips, “How can you falling for me ever be a deal breaker when I feel exactly the same way?” I pulled back and watched his eyes widen and a huge smile break over his face.

“Really?” He beamed.

I didn’t get to answer before his mouth crushed against mine and he kissed me until my toes curled and I had to push him away, gasping for breath.

“Nope.” I evaded another bearlike advance and drew the blanket over both our shoulders. “First, I want to hear this plan you’ve been thinking about all week.”

“Oh.” He fell back onto the blanket. “Yeah... right. Well, um—” He flustered. “So, I didn’t really get much past the coming out bit.”

I snorted. “I see. Just as well your boyfriend eats spreadsheets for breakfast then, isn’t it?”

“Boyfriend.” He rolled the word over in his mouth and a sly smile lit up his face. “So, it’s official? At least between us?”

I kissed him right on that smile. “Yes, it’s official. Now back to this plan. What happens if your father does to you what he did to Zach? What if he gives you an ultimatum?”

Jules blew out a sigh. “Then I find myself a manager’s job or as a shepherd on another station.”

I stared at him. “You’d walk away just like that? And you’d be okay with it?”

“Fuck no,” he answered, horrified. “I’d be furious, and I’d hate it. But it’s not like I’d have a choice. I’m not going to pretend I’m something I’m not, not even to keep the station. If I give in to my father on that, my life is fucking over.” He leaned in and pressed the tenderest of kisses to my lips. “Ten thinks it won’t come to that, and I’m hoping he’s right. Dad has boxed himself in a corner, and I’m not the only one with a choice to make about the future of the station.”

I gaped. “You talked with Ten about this?”

“To be fair, he raised it,” Jules quickly explained. “It’s a long story.”

“So you have thought about it.” I studied him for a moment. “All right, tell me how you see this playing out, you and me. Long distance? Cos I have to tell you, between your job and mine, I don’t see us getting a whole heap of time together.” It was the truth, and simply wishing it wasn’t would be setting ourselves up for disaster.

Jules sighed and rolled onto his back, his socked feet poking out from the bottom of the blanket. “I know. And to be honest although I could do that to start with, I hate the idea of only being able to snatch the odd night or weekend together. I’m not sure we can build something on that.” He turned his head to face me. “I love sleeping with you. I love waking up with you. I love sharing breakfast, and seeing you out running in the morning, and doing yoga on the veranda, all of it.” He hesitated and nervously licked his lips.

I waited, my heart beating loudly in my ears.

“Soooo—” He took a deep breath like he was steeling himself. “I guess I’m hoping that after a couple of months of back and forth, that maybe, if we both still feel the same, you might consider coming back to stay for a while. To really test things. That we could maybe...” He trailed off, his face glowing deep red in the firelight.

Could what?I frowned as the hopeful uncertainty in his expression deepened, and then I finally got it. My mouth dropped open. “Oh. My. God.” I scrambled to a sit and stared down at him. “You want me to come back and move in with you?” My heart lurched wildly.

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