Chapter 13 Olena #2
“I figured we could handle it,” I say, shrugging defensively. “I mean, would you have done things any differently?”
He considers for a moment, his expression softening slightly as he looks at the ground, then back up at me. “Okay, probably not.”
“Well, then, we’ll have to figure it out.” I give him a slightly smug smile.
He tilts his chin at me. “Hey, weren’t you supposed to be the brains and I was supposed to be the muscle?” he teases.
My eyes can’t help but slide over his muscular chest and arms and I vividly remember the heat of his body close to me earlier. I force myself to shake off the memory and take a breath, meeting his eyes. “Yeah, well, I’m stronger than I look.”
The first wheelbarrow full of gravel doesn’t budge when I push it.
Jude watches me, clearly enjoying himself.
“What’s wrong with the wheel? Is it stuck on something?” I lower the handles and look at the side to see if there’s anything in the way.
He chuckles, his arms resting on the shovel. “Nope. It’s just that damned heavy.”
“Are you kidding me?” I heave the handles up again and throw my body into it with a grunt. It shifts the slightest bit forward, then back into place. I huff out a frustrated breath.
“Here, switch with me.” Jude moves to take the wheelbarrow and holds out the shovel.
Sighing, I give in. “Fine.” I take the shovel from his hands.
He gets the wheelbarrow going on the first try, and I squint at him resentfully.
He walks off with the load, smiling smugly, though my eyes can’t help but linger on his arms and back as he goes.
His muscles strain under the weight. Dumping the load between the pieces of wooden trim lining the pathway, he quickly returns for a refill.
I drive the shovel into the pile of gravel and my eyes widen as I try to lift the handle, realizing it, too, will take far more effort than the soil did yesterday.
Again, Jude watches me. “Yeah, you’re gonna want to lift with your legs.”
“You’re just loving this, aren’t you?” I grouse at him with a frown.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Jude paints on an innocent expression. “We’re in this together. We can handle it, right? At this rate, we’ll be done by the time it’s dark.” He looks at the sky, then lifts an eyebrow at me pointedly.
Raindrops start to hit our faces and we both look up at the clouds, frowning, then back at each other.
“Okay, look… I’m sorry,” I admit. “This is obviously not… ideal. But those guys had to leave, and we’re stuck here, so let’s just get on with it.
” I brace my hands in a better position on the shovel handle.
This time, I lift it with a little more grace and carefully pivot to the wheelbarrow, dumping the gravel inside. I blink as more raindrops hit my face.
We shovel and haul load after load until we’re both sweating despite the cool rain.
I take off my hoodie and throw it on the grass.
It’s already wet and dirty enough that I don’t care if it gets any worse; I’m too exhausted to put it anywhere else.
Standing in my t-shirt, the rain feels cool against my bare arms. I turn my face up to the sky with my eyes closed for a moment, appreciating the brief pause to breathe before getting back to work.
When the pathway is filled, we move on to the area around what will be the firepit in the middle of the sunken garden.
The work is hard; we have to bring the gravel down a small hill, and the wet grass is slippery.
By the time we’re done, we both collapse on the ground, exhausted and sodden from head to toe.
“Oh, my God,” I pant. “Are we done yet?”
“You wish.” Jude grins at me between breaths. “We have to level out the gravel before we go.”
I groan and fall backward, closing my eyes and feeling the rain beating against my skin. I hear Jude moving at my side but don’t open my eyes.
“Here. Drink.”
I crack an eye open to see him holding out my water bottle. I push myself up and he sits back down beside me, drinking from his own.
“Thanks,” I say gratefully. We sit in silence for a few minutes, looking out over the cliff at the river. The rain clouds drape the mountains across from us in mist.
“Okay, champ. Break’s over.” He slaps my knee and jumps up, holding out his hand. Looking up at him with a frown, I take it and he hauls me to my feet in one strong pull. “You gonna survive?” he asks, his voice rough. He’s standing close enough again that I can’t think.
I step back to clear my head, avoiding eye contact. “Yeah. Let’s get this over with. It’s getting dark.”
As we crouch down and get to work leveling the gravel path, rain collects in the trenches next to it, huge muddy drops splashing up beside us.
I notice Jude watching me, smiling. “What?” I ask, feeling self-conscious. I probably look like a drowned rat.
“Nothing.” He looks away.
“No, tell me,” I challenge him, stopping what I’m doing.
“Just remembering the first time I saw you soaked in the rain,” he answers quietly, smiling to himself.
The memory of that day crashes over me and I wrinkle my nose. “I acted like a jackass.”
“Yeah, you did,” he deadpans.
“Hey!” I laugh. Dipping my fingers in the mud beside me, I flick them at him, spattering his face.
He flinches, his eyes wide. “Oh, it’s like that?” Challenge gleams in his eyes. He flicks muddy fingers back at me, and a small splat hits my cheek.
I recoil, blinking. “Oh, yuck!” I exclaim, my mouth agape as I wipe my face with my wrist. “How dare you!” Narrowing my eyes, I pull off my gloves. Holding Jude’s stare, I reach back into the mud, covering one of my fingers in muck. I stand.
Eyeing me carefully, he gets to his feet, slowly removing his own gloves.
I walk over to him, a grin spreading across my lips, and reach up.
Without breaking eye contact, I bite my lip as I draw a line of mud slowly down the ridge of his nose.
He watches me, frozen in place under my touch, his breath mingling with my own as the rain pelts us.
Several breathless seconds hang heavy and an intense energy thrums in the air between us.
The energy of anticipation—of recklessness.
We break into a run at the same moment. I cackle and screech, giddy with exhaustion as he sprints after me.
I push my tired limbs to their limits with only adrenaline for fuel.
I run as fast as I can, leaping over equipment and piles of dirt, laughing wildly.
Our steps splash through the saturated grass, Jude’s close behind mine.
Suddenly, his hand grips my arm and I’m spun around to a stop as his chest slams into mine, almost knocking us both down. My breasts heave against his chest, both of us breathing hard and fast from the chase.
Jude watches my expression as he reaches his hand up to my face, brushing wet hair out of my eyes. Then he slowly wipes a muddy finger down the middle of my cheek and traces my jawline, a half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
My eyes close at the intimacy of his touch and at the heat radiating from his body pressed against mine. A warm, tingling sensation pulls low in my belly, my senses tuned to the places he’s touching me.
Opening my eyes, I search his expression.
His gaze is dark and flaring with intensity.
The pull between us feels electric. He runs his hand down my arm as his gaze drops to my lips.
I’m shivering from the rain and from sheer exhaustion.
A drop of water from his hair drips onto my cheek and I lift my face, giving in to this—giving in to him.
My eyes flutter shut when I feel his breath against my mouth.
Murphy’s sharp bark jars us and my eyes snap open. Jude’s wide eyes match my own, and for a moment, we’re frozen. More barking. His grip on my arm releases and he breaks eye contact, looking over at his truck, where Murphy has been sheltering from the rain on the passenger seat.
I follow his gaze. Headlights from another vehicle emerge from the trees at the end of the driveway, and he steps away from me, my body suddenly chilled by the cold air filling the space between us.
I slowly rub my arms, watching in stunned silence as Jude glances at me one last time before walking over to the driveway, rubbing his hands down his face.
Oh my God. What just happened? Or… almost happened? I put my hands to my chest, trying to steady myself.
“Teddy! I thought you went home!” Jude calls out, sounding surprisingly normal.
I turn and watch them.
Teddy turns off his truck and steps out to talk to him.
I can’t hear their conversation. I realize I’m still standing in a daze where Jude left me. I don’t know what to do with myself. Exhausted, I walk back to the gravel path where we’d been working. I pick up my sodden hoodie and look around in bewilderment.
I hear Teddy’s truck engine again, and Jude walks back over, rubbing his arms.
“Hey,” he says quietly. “Teddy just forgot his phone.” His eyes linger on mine.
I nod, unsure of what to say.
“We should probably pack up; it’s getting cold.” He looks at me cautiously and rubs the back of his neck.
I sense something like regret in his eyes and my heart sinks. He doesn’t want this. He doesn’t want me.
I push down the sting of rejection, my cheeks burning. “Yeah, I need…” I gather up my water bottle and gloves, trying not to look at him. “I need to go. Yeah. And this…” I force myself to meet his eyes, gesturing to the path.
“This can wait,” he says quickly.
“Good. Okay.” I turn and walk back to my car.
“Olena.”
My eyes close the moment he says my name and I stop, a tightness burning in the back of my throat. I inhale to fight off the tears and turn back to face him. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for your help.”
My brows pinch together and I turn away, not trusting myself to respond.