Page 6 of The Miner's Miracle
Her fingers mash every button in rapid succession, but the thing refuses to quit. I lean against the porch railing, crossing my arms as I watch her squirm.
“This thing’s got stamina,” I say, grinning when she groans in frustration.
“Oh my god, can you just—ugh!” She lets out a strangled sound, her face practically glowing with humiliation.
“Relax, Sunshine,” I tease. “Shep and I are just enjoying the show.”
“Enjoy this,” she snaps, throwing me a glare that should’ve made me wither. Instead, it just makes me want to rile her up more.
“You know,” I say, my voice low and deliberately casual, “if you’re relying on that thing, you’re clearly not doing it right.”
Her head jerks up, her wide eyes meeting mine. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” I reply, my smirk deepening. “Sounds like you need a real man to show you a thing or two instead of relying on... batteries.”
Her jaw drops, and for a second, I think she’s going to swing the vibrator at my head. “Who? You?” she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
I shrug. “Wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world, would it?”
“Oh, give me a break,” she scoffs, crossing her arms and glaring at me. “An avalanche could threaten to take us out, and I still wouldn’t let you near me.”
The words are sharp, but there’s a flicker of something in her eyes—a spark, a challenge. And damn it if I’m not tempted to take her up on it.
I take a step closer, the smirk fading as I let my gaze linger on her flushed cheeks, her parted lips, the way her chest rises and falls as she struggles to catch her breath. I can see the outline of her nipples through her thin dress and it takes everything in menot to drop my head and suck one into my mouth right now. The air between us thickens, charged with something I can’t quite name.
“Tessa,” I murmur, my voice quieter now.
She swallows hard, her eyes darting to my lips before she quickly looks away. “Don’t,” she says, her voice barely audible.
“Don’t what?” I ask, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face.
Her breath hitches, and for a moment, we’re frozen—her, clutching the still-buzzing vibrator like it’s a lifeline, and me, staring at her like she’s the only thing keeping me tethered to the ground.
Then, just as I think she might lean in, she pulls away, tucking the toy under her arm and spinning on her heel.
“I—I’ve got to go,” she says, her voice unsteady.
I watch her retreat, my hands curling into fists as I resist the urge to follow her. Shep whines beside me, his ears drooping as if he feels the tension radiating off me.
“Yeah, I know, buddy,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair.
I watch her walk back to her garden, the sunlight catching in her hair, the sway of her hips making it impossible to look away. She’s a storm I can’t quite weather, a fire I shouldn’t touch—but damn if I don’t want to get burned.
And as she disappears into her cabin, slamming the door behind her, I realize something I’ve been trying to deny for weeks.
I don’t just want her.
I need her.
Chapter Five
Tessa
The evening sun is low in the sky, relentless, and still blazing. My garden hose has been sputtering for the past twenty minutes, and if I don’t get this water flowing smoothly, my flowerbeds are going to stage a mutiny. Kneeling in the soft dirt, I tug at the spigot handle and curse under my breath. It’s only then I hear the low rumble of his voice.
“What the hell is going on over there?”
I whip my head around, and there he is—the grumpiest man alive, standing on the edge of his yard with his arms crossed and a scowl set deep into his stupidly handsome face. His broad shoulders are tense, his dark hair glinting in the sunlight, and Shep is happily wagging his tail beside him, entirely unbothered by his owner’s perpetual grouchiness.
