“You certainly don’t seem to lack for arm candy.”
He stiffened, digging the toe of his bare foot into the lush grass. It was beyond needing to be cut, even though they paid a guy who lived twenty minutes away to come and do regular yard maintenance.
“You know that those women pictured are just platonic? They’re friends. Work acquaintances. They agree to go to functions because they enjoy networking. They wouldn’t go by themselves, but it’s a good way to advance their business. At least, for the past year, that’s what it’s been.”
“A year? What about before that?”
“Before that was some trial and error, mostly error, that didn’t work out.”
“Because they were gold diggers?”
“Because they weren’t you.” There was a collective gasp, a rush of air between them, like even mother nature just inhaled sharply at that little declaration. Lexi sounded like she’d just swallowed her own tongue. She made a choking noise that made him crank his head around to see if she needed mouth to mouth. Real mouth to mouth, not just bullshit mouth to mouth.
“Come on,” Lexi said as she dropped her eyes back down to the grass. She set her still full beer aside and plucked up some of the green blades between her fingers. “You’re just pulling my leg. Asshole.”
I’d like to do far more than pull your leg. “I’m serious. I’ve been watching you for three years.”
She shuddered visibly. “That’s seriously creepy.”
“It isn’t. Or maybe it is. I wouldn’t change it. The only thing I’d change is that you don’t hate me. If you actually got to know me, I think that you might change your mind.” He thought about that for a second while Lexi furiously pulled out the grass like she was on a mission to mow the entire lawn with just her bare hands. “Or maybe you wouldn’t.”
“Yeah, I probably wouldn’t.”
He’d intended to finally make a move, do something about the blue balls that were likely the size of grapefruits, but it wasn’t right. Lexi wasn’t facing him. She wasn’t looking at him. She looked like she was actually trying to dig a hole to disappear in. He decided to change tactics. Spend a day actually trying to show her that he wasn’t such a bad guy, instead of trying to tell her. Spend a day with her on the lake, make her a home-cooked meal, watch the sunset and build a fire. Do something to actually earn her trust before he tried to get in her pants. He wanted her to see him. To see him like he’d waited years for a woman to see him. Waited an entire lifetime. If it was even possible, it was going to be possible with her, but he couldn’t just barge ahead and wreck everything.
“Great.” He jumped up, brushing discarded blades of grass from his jeans. Lexi stared up at him, blinking rapidly like he was the sun, too bright for her to look up at. “Let’s go fishing.”
‘I- I don’t have a license!”
He shot her his signature James smirk, the one he knew women loved, and Lexi, though she tried to pretend otherwise, was no exception. “Fortunately for our future starving stomachs, I do. The gear is in the cabin and the boat is ready to go. Let’s do this.”
“I’ve never fished before.” Lexi bit down hard on her lower lip and his cock hardened unmercifully. He let out a breath. It was going to be a long fucking day. A long fucking weekend if she kept like that. Looking so sinfully innocent and effortlessly tempting.
“Also fortunate for you, I happen to be a pro.”
Lexi stood slowly. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” She was back to being her normal spitfire self since she just shook her head and started off down the gently sloped hill, in the direction of the small sandy strip that served as a beach, towards the dock where the red metal fishing boat was tethered.
He grinned at her back for just a second, like a fool, before he set his half full beer on the grass and stalked after her. He’d catch their dinner if they had to stay out on the lake all day. There were definitely worse ways to pass a day than under the warm summer sun, on a beautiful lake, in the serenity of nature and the shadow of the distant mountains. With. Lexi. She wasn’t the icing on the cake. She was the cake.
He was a lucky man.
CHAPTER 16
Lexi
Something was happening to her. Something she wanted to fight but was defenseless against. Maybe it was the peaceful setting of the lake. The tranquil escape. She’d never been anywhere so remote. The log cabin was beautiful and quaint. The lake was absolutely gorgeous. The day was warm and magnificent.
Curtis wasn’t actually bragging when he said he knew how to fish. He’d caught dinner in the matter of an hour and then they’d just stayed out, drifting aimlessly in the boat. He didn’t make her watch him clean the fish, which was a small mercy. He’d cooked it along with fried potatoes and made lemon pepper carrots. Before they’d come out to the cabin, he’d run into a grocery store while she waited in the car. He’d also grabbed a few cases of beer, which she rolled her eyes at, but she hadn’t said anything.