Page 91 of See You There
He looked over his shoulder to watch Dahlia open a cabinet, her shoulders hunching around her ears when unused hinges let out a loud squeak.
“I’m up,” Luke said, wiping a hand over his face.
When his hands dropped, he turned his head. Dahlia stood frozen, a glass clutched in her hand, her eyes fixed on his barechest. She flushed, clearly embarrassed at being caught checking him out. A burst of pure male ego flared in him. He punched the pillow beside him.
“Wanna cuddle?” Luke hadn’t imagined it possible for her to turn redder. “It’s only you were staring.” He grinned a wicked invitation.
Dahlia pointedly turned her back and stuck the glass under the faucet. “I wasn’t staring.”
“If you say so. Fair warning, I’m about to get up and I wouldn’t want you to benotstaring at me.”
The back of her neck turned red, and Luke chuckled. Teasing Dahlia was swiftly becoming the highlight of his life. Luke stood, tossing the sheet back on the sofa. To his surprise, Dahlia slowly pivoted to meet his eyes.
Her cheeks still bloomed, but her expression was bored. She deliberately trailed her eyes down his bare chest, past the thin, gray sleep pants to his bare feet before slowly repeating the path back up. His dick twitched in response.
“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” Dahlia smirked. Luke’s body hardened with her implication. Maybe he deserved it for taunting her, but he’d felt her gaze like it had been her fingers exploring his body. Fuck!What he wouldn’t give to have her fingers…
“I bet there might be a few surprises,” he rasped, his hand brushing against the outline of his cock.
Dahlia’s expression slipped, her eyes dipping again to where the sleep pants did nothing to hide his painful erection. If she wanted to play this game, then Luke was happy to play.
“I’ll be in the shower if you get bored.”
Her eyes widened. Luke was confident she wouldn’t actually take him up on the invitation, no matter how much his aching body wished she would. Turning the faucet to cold, Luke grimaced when the spray hit him.
Much as he’d like to take care of himself, it felt a little gross with her only a few feet away. Well, until she was ready to join him, anyway. Instantly, an image of Dahlia, touching herself in the shower while he watched, rose in front of him.
Luke banged his head against the shower wall twice and forced himself to recite evidence law. It was the longest, coldest shower he’d ever taken.
Dressed in an athletic shirt and shorts, Luke opened the bathroom door and was greeted by the rich smell of brewing coffee. One glance at the closed bedroom door told him Dahlia had retreated again.
Luke poured himself a cup of coffee and took it to the deck, intending to enjoy the still cool morning air in the rocking chair. The sound of skittering gravel below brought him out of his seat. Luke leaned over the railing, anticipating an animal sighting, maybe some deer, but the sight that greeted him made his mouth go dry.
Facing the mountains, dressed in form-fitting leggings and a tight yoga top, Dahlia was bent double, her hands on the ground, with her luscious ass in the air. Blood rushed to his groin, and Luke almost groaned aloud. Was it possible to actually die of blue balls?
Coffee cup forgotten, Luke watched as Dahlia moved through several yoga poses, her body lengthening into graceful lines. She had tied her thick auburn hair into a knot on top of her head, so nothing obstructed his view.
Just when Luke thought his control would break and he would storm down and throw her over his shoulder like a caveman, he saw movement in the trees just beyond her. Before he could call a warning, the small, speckled head of a doe peeked from behind a branch. The young deer froze when it realized a human was nearby.
Dahlia must have seen it, too, because she slowly straightened. Luke watched bemused as she slowly lifted and extended her palm toward the animal—her body as still as the wild animal’s. For a second, Luke thought the doe might come forward, but it suddenly whirled, and by the crashing noises in the trees, Luke suspected it hadn’t been alone. Dahlia’s arm fell, and she turned, her entire face lit up with happiness.
Luke should feel guilty about watching her, but this was the first truly unguarded moment he’d caught her in. Her face beaming, she looked lighter… younger. Then, much like the young deer scenting danger, her eyes suddenly flew to where he stood on the deck above her.
“Spying?”
“Not intentionally.” Luke lifted the coffee mug at the mountains. “I came out to enjoy the view. Technically, I’m supposed to be on vacation this week. I’m trying to take advantage of the time off.”
Dahlia was too far away for him to read any expression in her eyes, but her shoulders relaxed. “It’s the first time I haven’t been working in a long time, too.”
Luke nodded. “Not a Caribbean beach but…”
“Any coffee left?” A few minutes later, she joined him on the deck, a mug in her hand.
She rested her forearms against the railing next to him and slid him a sideways look. “I looked up this area on my phone last night,” she said. “There’s a trailhead just a short distance from this driveway.” Dahlia brought her mug to her lips but didn’t take a sip. “I might go for a hike. You could come if you like.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? It’s not like I’m going to take off on the Appalachian Trail. Nobody knows where we are. We can’t stay in this cabin the whole time. We’ll go crazy!”
