Chapter 6
Get the ball rolling – to begin an endeavor whether or not the players know the endeavor is beginning
Rowan
Idrive slowly back to my house. I’ve got precious cargo on the back of my golf cart. I’m not going to cause her any more pain than I already have.
“Geez. At this rate, I could have crutched here faster,” Ashlyn complains.
I grunt because all I seem to be able to do when Ashlyn’s around is become a grump or grunt at her. Every time I try to engage her in conversation, I end up telling her what to do. To the point, she thinks I fancy myself her big brother.
My feelings for Ashlyn are not what a big brother should feel for his sister. Not even close. Whenever I see the blonde beauty with her big smile on her face, I want to pull her near and kiss the smile clean off her face until she’s moaning and begging me to touch every single inch of her body.
And now I’m aroused while the woman of my fantasies sits less than a foot away from me completely oblivious as to how I feel. Unfortunately, she needs to remain oblivious, because I am never acting on those fantasies. Not when I can’t make a woman happy. And Ashlyn deserves all the happiness in the world.
“Stop complaining, brat.”
“I’m not a brat,” she grumbles.
Crap. There I go again making her feel like shit. More proof of why I can’t have a woman.
“Here we are,” I say when I pull to a stop in front of my house.
I stare up at my home and wonder what Ash thinks of it. Does she love ranch houses, or does she prefer big colonial houses similar to the one she grew up in?
While I’m contemplating houses, Ash wobbles past me.
“What the hell?” I bark and jump out of the golf cart. “What are you doing?”
She rolls her eyes. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
Her words are indignant but she’s struggling for breath. I step toward her to pick her up and carry her inside, but she leans away from me.
“Stop! I won’t have you carrying me around.”
I fist my hands to stop myself from reaching for her. When I carried her before, it felt right having her in my arms as if she was always meant to be there. But she’s correct. I shouldn’t be hauling her around. I can’t get used to holding her when I know I can’t keep her.
“Let me get the door for you.”
I hurry past her to open the door. It’s not locked. No one locks their door in Winter Falls except for during tourist season. Since October has arrived and tourist season is over, the door’s unlocked.
I crush the door handle in my hand as I watch Ash navigate the two steps to my porch. I forgot about those damn steps. I should have carried her. It’s as if she can read my mind.
“Shut it,” she growls. “I can handle two freaking steps.”
I know she can. This woman can handle whatever life throws at her. Bullies, a goat determined to hump her leg, my grumpy ass. She can handle all of it with a smile on her face. But I don’t want her to have to. I want to carry all her burdens for her. I do some deep breathing exercises in an effort to force those thoughts out of my mind. I can’t have her, no matter how much I might want to.
I motion inside my house. “Get your ass moving.”
Her shoulder brushes against my chest as she passes me, and my body tightens and heats from the minuscule contact. I can’t wait to experience how my body will respond to more contact. No. I clear my throat. I can’t. Because Ash and I together is never happening. No matter how much my body yearns to throw her down on the floor and have my way with her.
“Which way is my room?” she asks, and the spell her body has woven over me is broken.
“Food first.”
“What are you? A caveman? Food first. Grunt. Me big man. Grunt. Me make all the rules. Grunt.” She giggles at her own joke and light and goodness pours out of her. I want to bathe in her light, but I know I’d extinguish her light if I got too close.
“You need to eat. Pain meds without food is a surefire way to upset your stomach.”