Chapter Seven Cassidy
The second we get back to the cabin, I can feel the change in him.
I hadn't planned on flirting back with that guy at the store. Hell, I barely even noticed him at first. He was harmless. Too many teeth and not enough brains, the kind of man who thinks a charming smile and obvious muscles are enough to get whatever he wants.
But the second I saw Evan's reaction, the way his entire body went rigid. I couldn't resist playing it up just a little. Testing the boundaries of whatever this thing between us has become.
When Evan wrapped his arm around me, heat pulsing from his skin, voice low and territorial like he was marking his claim for everyone to see?
I nearly came on the spot.
I can practically feel the restraint radiating off him in waves. The good man who respects boundaries battling with the animal who wants to claim what's his.
I plan to make him snap.
He heads into the kitchen with the groceries. He sets the bag on the counter and starts unloading them, not looking at me. Coffee, bread, the fancy cheese I insisted we needed. His shoulders are rigid under his flannel shirt, and I can see the muscle jumping in his jaw.
I grab the box of coffee filters and deliberately brush against him as I pass, letting my hip graze his arm, my breast press against his shoulder for just a moment.
His jaw flexes.
I grin.
The power I have over this strong, controlled man is intoxicating. The way I can make him react with the slightest touch or the smallest suggestion. It's heady and dangerous and completely addictive.
"Want me to put this away?" I ask sweetly, holding up the filters.
"Sure."
So I stand up, stretch slow and cat-like, letting my spine arch and my arms reach toward the ceiling. I knew the movement bared more skin to his hungry gaze. I can practically hear his breathing change, and can sense the way his hands probably clench into fists at his sides.
But he says nothing. He doesn't move and he doesn't give in to what we both want
I turn to face him, all innocence and batting eyelashes. "Everything okay?"
Evan's hands are braced on the counter now, his head bowed slightly like he's praying for strength. Or maybe counting to ten. Maybe a hundred.
His dark eyes are molten, pupils blown wide with desire. There's something wild there, something barely leashed that makes my pulse skip and my thighs clench together.
I walk toward him slowly, and I step between him and the counter, sliding up onto the granite until I'm sitting in front of him, legs open, arms loose at my sides.
His eyes drop instantly to the spot between my thighs, and I watch his throat work as he swallows hard.
He steps closer, hands gripping my knees, thumbs brushing slow circles on my skin. The touch is gentle, but I can feel the restraint in it. The way he's holding himself back.
"This isn't smart."
"Nope." I let my legs fall open a little wider, and his eyes darken further.
"You leave soon."
"Three days, actually." The reminder should sting, but right now all I can think about is the heat of his hands on my skin, the way he's looking at me like he wants to devour me whole.
"Your brother's coming tomorrow."
"Plenty of time between now and then."
He huffs a quiet curse and starts to pull back, but I hook a finger in the waistband of his jeans, stopping him cold.
"Evan," I whisper, my voice loaded with everything I'm feeling, everything I want, "are you really going to walk away? From me? From what is happening here?"
His hands fist at his sides, and I can see the exact moment his control starts to crumble.
I drop my voice another octave, lean forward just enough that my breath ghosts across his skin. "Because I want you. Again. Now. Against this counter. No teasing. No games."
I reach down, brushing my fingers along his zipper, feeling the hard length of him straining against the denim, and he jerks in response.
I lean in, brushing my lips against his jaw, “please?”
His mouth crashes into mine, and his hands are everywhere at once. It was fast and furious and exactly what we both needed. He took what he wanted and what I freely gave.
I lean into his chest after, still catching my breath. “If that was jealous sex, I fully support more of it.”
He chuckles softly, pressing a kiss to my temple. “No more games, Cass. I’m too old for that rubbish.”
I smile against his skin. “It was worth it.”