Page 84 of Falling Overboard

I saw the lines in his neck, the tension in his jawline, the heat in his eyes.

“Lucky . . .” He breathed my name out. “I want . . .”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hunter

This was getting out of control. One second we were laughing and flinging ingredients at each other and the next Lucky was in my arms, looking up at me with those beautiful eyes of hers, her chest heaving against mine, and I was overwhelmed.

I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I had wanted someone this much. And it wasn’t just because she was unbelievably sexy, which she was, but because of how intensely I liked her as a person. Spending time with her was the best part of my day.

Scratch that. Sleeping next to her was the best part.

When she’d woken up, the bed had felt too empty without her. I needed her next to me.

I didn’t know what that meant.

What I did know was that if I didn’t kiss her soon, I might spontaneously combust from all this thwarted lust. Sugar sparkled on her neck and the desire to lick it and taste how sweet she was solidified the air in my lungs.

Blood rushed away from my head, pooling in my gut, and I was breathless and desperate and bent my face down toward hers.

I needed to tell her what I wanted. I had actually started to but couldn’t finish.

This wasn’t okay. I couldn’t do this. Especially not with Rodney on board. He was making me self-conscious. I wasn’t ready for her to find out. Not yet.

The oven timer beeped, and the sound broke through the haze. “You should get that. We don’t want them to burn.”

She only stared up at me, apparently as unable to move as I was to let her go. My throat felt too tight, my pulse throbbed. Everything said to hold on.

I had to let go, though. I made myself release her and took several steps back. There was a major internal battle happening inside me right now, and I was afraid that I might lose. I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. My frustrated libido was not happy with me and I physically felt the pain of stepping away.

The only thing left to do was joke. “If there’s one thing I remember from training, it’s that fires on boats are very bad.”

She had a deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face. If I’d been more insecure, I would have worried that she didn’t feel the same. But I knew that she did. I had proof of it now.

My guess was that she had decided not to act on it. It was the smarter decision.

The one I should have been making.

But when it came to her ... all she had to do was ask. I would have burned down this boat for her if that was what she wanted.

It took her a few moments to spring into action. I tried to make my breathing go back to normal while she took the cookies out of the oven and turned off the timer.

I had never been in a situation like this before, and so I had no idea how to navigate it. I wanted to sweep her up into my arms and go back to our cabin and show her how much I liked her.

“I’ll clean this up,” I said, looking everywhere but at her.

“Right,” she said, folding her arms over her chest. “I’ll help.”

That was the last thing I needed. She had to go away or else I was going to start kissing her and never stop.

Lucky was special and it was killing me to stay away from her.

“No, take Rodney his cookies. I’ll get this cleaned up and then I’ll go relieve Pieter.” I couldn’t have her climbing into bed with me at four in the morning and pretend like things were the way they had been before. I got a broom and dustpan and started sweeping.

“I can clean, too,” she said. “Let me just—”

“Lucky.” I ground her name out in warning, my entire body tensing.

---