Page 68 of Axe-ing for Trouble
He looked at me, all sweaty and manly, and grinned. “Chopping wood.”
“Why?”
“Because winter is coming. We’ll need it to heat the house.”
“Really?” I scoffed, propping my good hand on my hip. “You need it today?”
He nodded, blue eyes twinkling.
“What about that giant woodshed right there?” I pointed to the small structure next to the garage. “It’s filled all the way to the door. You think we’re gonna burn all that tonight and freeze to death?”
His cocky smirk faltered.
“It’s bad enough you walk around looking so sexy and being so kind all the time.” A low growl escaped me. “But now, when my defenses are down, you wander out here, wearingfucking suspenders, and start destroying trees?”
Silence.
I pinched my nose. “It’s truly unfair.”
Behind his glasses, his eyes were wide with bewilderment.
“You know, I expected better of you.” I shook my head.
“I’m not sure I follow.”
“You know I’m lusting after you, Jude.” I dropped my arm to my side and huffed. “Could you let me live in peace for a little longer? I get it, you’re not into me anymore. But come on. Cover up, for fuck’s sake. You need to hide all this”—I waved a hand up and down, gesturing to his body—“manly goodness.”
He crossed his arms, which only made his sweaty biceps strain more, and quirked a brow. “Manly goodness?”
“Yes,” I whined. “A girl only has so much self-control.”
With that, I spun, set on storming back into the house dramatically.
But his chuckle stopped me in my tracks.
“You’re really something, Trouble.”
With a roll of my eyes, I whipped around again.
“And if we’re fighting right now, then I have a complaint to air as well. You’re not making it easy on me either.”
“Me?” I slapped a hand to my chest.
“I walked into the house, finding you jumping around in a bra in my living room. A bra that’s too small, mind you.”
Annoyance flared in my veins. “You bought it for me.”
“Oh I know,” he scoffed. “And the sight of your tits spilling out will haunt my dreams forever.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but when the words registered, I snapped it closed again. His comment was… moderately satisfying.
He dropped his axe to the ground and stomped over. “You have been driving me insane since the minute you walked through that door. But I’m a good guy.” He hitched a thumb and pressed it to his chest. “I can control myself.”
I bit my lip hard, quelling the wave of need threatening to engulf me. Fuck, he was mad, and it was hot. “What if I don’t want you to control yourself?”
With a growl, he took a step toward me. “See? This is what you do. You use your feminine wiles.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “And every day, it’s harder to fight.”
My pulse skyrocketed. This conversation was going in a very different direction from what I had anticipated. It was satisfying, really, to know that he was suffering as badly as I was.
