Page 12 of Burly and Obsessed

“I can see that.” His eyes don’t leave my face. “It suits you.”

“My mom used to garden,” I admit, moving toward a cluster of pink roses. “I’d help her every weekend. Even after I became a teenager and it wasn’t cool anymore.”

“I didn’t know that.”

We move deeper into the greenhouse, between tables laden with arranged centerpieces for the wedding. White and lavender blooms nestled in silver containers, exactly as Leesa had described. The florist has done beautiful work.

Ace trails behind me, close enough that I can feel his presence even when I don’t see him.

“These are gorgeous,” I say, stopping at a particularly lush arrangement.

When I turn, Ace is standing closer than I expected, his eyes darker than usual.

“What?” I ask, suddenly breathless.

“Those flowers have nothing on you. You’re more gorgeous than anything here.”

My heart skips a beat as I process what Ace said, and then he’s closing the distance between us. He reaches up, cradles my face, and lowers his mouth to mine. Our kiss moves from soft to intense so fast that I moan as I wrap my arms around him.

My body melts against his, years of restraint dissolving into hot, pure need. His arms encircle me, pulling me tighter as he deepens our kiss. My body lights up with desire, and suddenly, everything feels possible.

When we finally break apart, I’m trembling. Ace presses his forehead to mine, his breath coming fast.

“I’ve wanted to do that since the first day I saw you,” he confesses.

I smile, about to respond, when his phone buzzes insistently in his pocket. The intrusion of reality into our perfect moment.

Ace pulls back reluctantly, glancing at the screen. “It’s Jax.”

A small frown creases his brow as he silences the call. Then, he grins. “We’ll have to hide this from your brother.”

The words hit me like a sledgehammer and I go completely still. “What?” I step back, crossing my arms over my chest. But he just looks at me like nothing is wrong, like he didn’t just insult me.

Three years of waiting for him to stand up to Jax, and he says we have to hide. He’s still unable to stand up to my brother.

“Andrea?” Confusion clouds his expression.

“Let’s just get the flowers and get back on the road.” My voice comes out flat. All the promise and joy of our kiss is gone.

“What happened?” Ace steps toward me, but I sidestep him, moving toward the back room where our order waits.

“Nothing.” Everything. “We need to load these. We need to be back soon.”

The florist emerges with paperwork, and I sign without seeing the page. My body goes through the motions while my heart sinks.

For all his talk about risk and wanting more, when the moment came, he defaulted to the same pattern that’s kept us in limbo for three years.

When the last arrangement is carefully placed in the truck bed, I climb into the passenger seat without a word. It’s going to be a long ride home.

I’m done waiting for a man who won’t stand up to my brother.

CHAPTER 6

ACE

My truck roars up the mountain road, engine straining against the incline. Fury and confusion duel, blinding me to the common sense I know I’m ignoring. I need to lose myself in something physical that doesn’t involve thinking about Andrea’s cold eyes or the finality in her voice after we got back to the VA Center.

“You can go. I’m sure you’re needed at the cabin site.”

---