Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
OLLIE
SEXY LUMBERJACK DREAMS
He’s late. I shouldn’t be surprised, but he is.
If there’s one thing I know about Hunter, it’s that he’s not the most punctual of people. Sure, dinner with his mom was one thing. He wouldn’t hear the end of it if he were late.
Drinks with our friends? If he’s late, none of us care. Especially me. I know he’s spent a lot of time away from the Naughty Pine this season, and it’s hard for him to be gone during the holidays.
The farm is on the way home from my office, so I offered to pick him up on the way to the bar.
It’s what any good boyfriend would do, right?
Giving up on waiting outside in the cold, I walk down the sawdust path to the building that houses the offices.
“Ollie, what are you doing here?” Brooks asks, startled when I come in.
“Hey, Brooks. I told Hunter I’d pick him up for drinks.”
“Oh, right.” He glances down at his watch. “I lost track of time.”
“So did Hunter, apparently.”
Brooks shuts his laptop and grabs his coat. “I’ll meet you guys over there. I want to see Charlie before the chaos begins.”
“Why do you assume it will be chaos?” I ask, stuffing my hands in my pockets.
“Bingo night at the Tinsel Tavern to win free drinks for the night?” A smile stretches across his face. “It’s going to be chaos. At least for Griffin and Theo.”
“You’re probably right. I’ll see you over there.”
I wave him off, the warm office now quiet. Papers are scattered all over Hunter’s desk. It shouldn’t surprise me. He’s never the most organized of people.
Me? It would drive me crazy to have my desk in a state like this.
Hunter? Never.
Checking my watch again, we’re going to be late for the start of the night. I guess it couldn’t hurt to go in search of Hunter.
Stepping outside, I see that dusk has fallen. Purples give way to dark blues as the cold settles over Moose Falls.
String lights hang over the sea of trees as far as the eye can see. Happy chatter is heard everywhere.
Turning the corner to start my search, I stop dead in my tracks.
Search over.
Hunter is walking toward me wearing a red plaid shirt stretched tight across his chest with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, ax in hand. His jeans cling to defined thighs. His light brown hair is perfectly styled, even this late in the day.
Am I drooling at the sight of my best friend?
It feels like I’m drooling. I’ve seen Hunter like this countless times since we met. It’s what he always wears to work.
“Sorry I’m late, Ol,” Hunter greets me.
“Late?”
“For Bingo night.”
“Oh, r-r-right,” I stutter.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to form a coherent sentence again. I’ve never had sexy lumberjack dreams, but I can see the appeal now. Because I want to climb Hunter like a tree.
Up close, I can see the sweat that sticks to his arms. The small peek of chest hair from the undone buttons on his shirt.
How have I never noticed how sexy Hunter is?
“Ollie?” Hunter asks. “Are you okay?”
A smirk plays on his lips when my gaze snaps up to meet his.
“Umm, yeah.”
“You sure? You look flustered.”
“Just waiting on you for Bingo.” I clear my throat, my voice sounding different than normal in my own head.
Hunter rests a hand on the building behind me. His height overwhelms me. The scent of pine clings to him like a second skin.
I can’t help it. I reach up and fist my hands in the soft material of his shirt.
“Now what are you doing?” he asks.
His brown eyes are warm and soft as they gaze down at me.
“I don’t know,” I confess.
Hunter really should not be walking around like this. It’s doing funny things to me. Things like thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. What it would be like to feel his beard scratch against my jaw.
Against other places.
He could have his own sexy lumberjack calendar and I would buy every single copy.
“Do you need help figuring it out?”
Hunter leans closer. His tongue darts out, wetting his lips.
Oh God. Does he want this too? Am I not the only one feeling things here?
Hunter takes another step forward, ax still in one hand.
“I…”
Can I make the first move? Do I have it in me?
Before I can do anything, a crash sounds from behind us, causing Hunter to move away from me.
A tray of hot chocolates has dropped and Hunter rushes over to help, taking all of his heat and pine-scented muscles with him.
Damn it.
Sucking down the cold air, I try to steady my thoughts.
Hunter needs to be in the best friend box. Sex and friendship never works out. Well, I’m assuming it wouldn’t work out. I’d have to have it to really know.
And I don’t want to lose him. He’s too important.
I guess it was a good thing that tray of drinks crashed.
No move needs to be made.
Good.
Smoothing my hands down my coat, I walk over to where Hunter is helping clean up.
“Need help?”
He shakes his head. “Almost done. Why don’t you wait in the car and I’ll be out in a minute?”
“Sounds good.”
Because even being that close to Hunter is going to start causing my thoughts to go wild again.
Now I need to figure out how to make it through the rest of the night with him.