Page 30 of Seeking Happily Ever After

“You have a little…” He reached out and used his thumb to wipe something from her cheek.

She couldn’t control her reaction, but she closed her eyes and sucked in a breath at his touch. It was as if he’d left a trail of fire on her skin.

“It’s just mud,” he said and she snapped her eyes open.

He was even closer now. Only inches away. Close enough that she could smell the woodsiness of him mixed with the sharp tang of his physical exertion. It was the sexiest scent she’d ever experienced. His eyes darkened and he didn’t move away to give either of them space. Unlike every other time, he wasn’t pushing her away. Trying to control her breathing was a losing battle. When he finally cupped her cheek with the same hand he’d just wiped the mud away with, Steph was pretty sure she’d stopped breathing altogether.

She was sure he was going to kiss her. But she’d been sure before, and…by the time she was able to process what had actually happened, Travis released her and took a step back.

She expected to see the usual cockiness reflected in his eyes, but there was no trace of it. Instead, he looked…confused.

But only for a moment before he recovered from whatever it was that had just happened between them. “I should finish up my run.”

She nodded dumbly.

“And just so you know, not that it matters, but I own the property on the other side of the river. We’re neighbors. That’s where I’m living.”

Neighbors?

He turned and disappeared down the trail. At her feet, Tinker Bell let out a sharp bark and took off after him, leaving Stephanie to try to process what just happened.

It wasn’t until after they were both long gone and she could once again hear the birds in the trees overhead that she realized she hadn’t even asked about his work on her cabins.

ChapterNine

It was complicated.

No. Nick mentally corrected himself.

It was way more than complicated.

Especially considering Char didn’t even know the truth that he wasn’t Amelia’s father. Now that the dust had settled with everything that happened the day before, with her just jumping in to help him, no questions asked, that seemed like areallyimportant detail that she deserved to know.

And then there was the kiss.

Somehow, he’d managed to get some sleep the night before after they’d kissed.

That’s all they’d done. But it had been enough.

Enough to turn an already twisted situation into a complete cluster of complication.

Which he shouldn’t have done.

He needed to keep his focus on Amelia and making sure they didn’t screw that up with this fake relationship that had some very real feelings. And real feelings were exactly where the problems started.

A relationship of any kind could only make things worse.What if things didn’t work out or they had an argument or…what if it screwed things up with his adoption?He couldn’t risk it. Amelia was the most important consideration. No matter how he was feeling about Charlotte.

And hewasfeeling something for her. Oh, was he ever.

Nick knew he was playing with fire when he’d gotten into the bed the night before, far closer than he should have. Maybe they had to sleep in the same bed, but he could have been a gentleman and scooted to the far edge. But he hadn’t. Like a magnet, he’d been drawn close to her.Reallyclose.

He should have turned away. He shouldn’t have told her he was attracted to her. He…it didn’t matter. It had happened. Anddamn—that kiss and the one after that had been fire. He’d thought the tiny, chaste kiss in the coffee shop had been amazing. But their kisses the night before had been absolutely life changing.

And now, in the light of the new morning, with Charlotte still fast asleep only inches from him, Nick was going to have to…what?

He laid back on his pillow and stared straight up at the ceiling.

What? What was he going to do?

---