Page 147 of The Lineman

A fish flipped in the water below us, sending ripples in every direction, disturbing the mirrorlike surface.

“I’m even worse when it comes to feelings and shit.”

I bit back a chuckle. He really wasn’t good with words if he ended his sentences with, “And shit.”

But it was fucking cute.

Then he turned to face me, stepping toward me and closing the gap. With one hand, he reached up and ran his fingers through my hair. His other hand gripped the railing like the whole place might fall into the lake.

I held my breath.

“Mike, I’m fucking falling for you, and it scares me more than anything, even more than falling out of the bucket.”

“You what?” I gaped. “You fell out of the bucket? Elliot, you didn’t tell me that!”

His head lowered, but his hand remained on my cheek.

“Yeah. Sorry. I’m still working through all that.”

I reached up and gripped his hand.

“We need to talk about that, but can we go back to the first part?”

His smile was tight, but it reached his eyes. They twinkled in the moon’s dim light. His thumb brushed against my skin, sending a shiver from my neck to my toes.

“I think . . .” He looked down, then out at the lake, then back into my eyes. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Mike.”

My heart burst out of the paddock and tore down the track. The crowd roared. Hooves kicked up dirt. The sky was suddenly filled with stars—and the moon—and the sun—and every other thing that ever filled the sky. And they were all spinning.

“El—” was all I got out before the spinning made me dizzy, which made the moon dim and the stars vanish and—

“Shh, easy.” Elliot’s voice was soft and low. His hand brushed back my hair and tickled the skin of my face. God, I loved how he touched me.

I blinked a few times, then glanced around. I was in the bed—well, on the bed—lying on my back with Elliot facing me from his side. There was practically no space between us. His face hovered above mine, concern lining his eyes.

“What happened?” I asked.

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “You passed out.”

I rolled my eyes. “I got that. I meant, why did I . . . oh!”

It all flooded back. The truck ride. The patio. Elliot saying . . .

“I’m falling for you, too, El. I love the time we’re together, love doing things together, love being in your house and taking care of you. I love waking up next to you, being the first thing you see when your eyes open, and the first thing you see when you come home from work. I know it’s only been . . . whatever . . . I don’t care. I’ve never felt . . . this . . . so fast or hard or . . . gah! Stop me, please.”

The smile that bloomed on his face stole my heart more than any words he could ever speak.

“You’re my boyfriend, Mike. You know that, right?”

I blinked a few times, refusing to cry. Damn it. I would not cry. No way. I refused.

A tear trickled down my cheek.

Fucking shit on a stick.

“Yeah, and you’re mine, too.”

His chuckle was a growl mixed with a moan topped with a grunt.

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