Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

B arron

The late morning sun casts long shadows over the trees, stretching their limbs across the dirt like dark fingers. I grip the handle of my axe, feeling the rough wood bite into my palms, the weight of it steady and familiar. But no matter how much I swing, no matter how hard the axe bites into the tree trunks, I can't shake this feeling clawing at my insides. My thoughts keep circling back to her—Tamlyn.

I've been avoiding her. It's what I'm best at. Avoid, deflect, shut down before anyone can get too close. But with Tamlyn, it's different. She's under my skin, in a way that has me tied up in knots, and no matter how much distance I try to put between us, it's never enough.

I swing the axe again, the sharp crack of wood splitting echoing in the quiet. My muscles burn, sweat trickling down my back, but it's not enough to clear my head. I should've known from the moment she showed up here that this wouldn't end well. She's too smart, too ambitious, too different from the world I know. She'll leave—of course, she will. People like her don't stay in places like this, tied to land and timber. They have their sights set on bigger things, brighter futures. And where does that leave me? Standing here, swinging an axe into trees, just another man she'll leave behind. I shouldn't have let things go as far as they did in the woods yesterday, her naked form quivering beneath mine was intoxicating. Everything I cant' stand to lose in the body of the most luscious woman I've ever seen.

I wipe the sweat from my brow, my breathing heavy. This whole thing with Tamlyn… it's been a mistake. That kiss. Damn it, I still feel it. The heat of her lips, the way her body pressed against mine, the movement of her hips under my palms, the fire in her eyes when she challenged me. It's like she lit something inside me that I can't put out, no matter how hard I try.

I hear footsteps behind me, soft but deliberate. I don't need to turn around to know it's her. Tamlyn's got this way of moving—strong, purposeful, like she's always on a mission. My grip tightens on the axe as I stare at the tree in front of me, refusing to turn around. Maybe if I ignore her, she'll get the message. Maybe she'll leave.

"Barron."

Her voice cuts through the air, sharp but with an edge of something I can't quite place. Hurt, maybe. I keep my back to her, swinging the axe again, letting the crack of wood fill the silence between us.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" she asks, her voice harder now, more direct. She's not going to let this go, not without answers.

I grit my teeth, pulling the axe from the trunk and resting it on my shoulder. "I've been busy," I say, my voice rough. A lie. A pathetic one at that, but I'm not in the mood for a heart-to-heart.

"Busy doing what? Chopping wood? Because it seems to me like you've been avoiding me ."

I finally turn to face her, my chest tight as I take her in. She's standing there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed at me, her hair wild from the wind. There's something about her that's always so damn infuriating and intoxicating at the same time. I don't know if I want to kiss her or yell at her.

"Why are you here, Tamlyn?" I ask, my voice low, but I can't hide the frustration in it.

"I'm here because I'm not stupid, Barron. I know you're pulling away, and I want to know why."

I let out a breath, running a hand through my hair. Of course she wants to know why. Tamlyn always needs to know the reasons behind everything, like everything has to be part of some bigger plan. But life isn't like that—not for me, anyway.

"You don't get it," I mutter, turning back to the tree, lifting the axe again. "This isn't going to work."

"What isn't going to work?" she challenges, stepping closer. I feel her presence behind me like a heat I can't escape. "You and me? You've already decided that, have you?"

I swing the axe hard into the tree, the force of it vibrating up my arms. "Yeah," I growl, "I have."

"And why's that? Because you're too afraid to let someone in?"

I freeze, my hands gripping the axe tighter. She hit the nail on the head, and we both know it. My chest feels tight, like all the air's been sucked out of the world. I don't turn around. I can't.

"You're scared," she says, her voice softening. "Scared that I'll leave. Scared that you're not enough."

I pull the axe from the tree, my breath heavy as I stare at the deep cut I've made. She's not wrong. I am scared. I'm terrified. But admitting that to her? I don't know if I can.

"I've seen it before," she continues, stepping closer. "I've been around men like you. Tough on the outside, but you're all running scared underneath it all. And I get it, Barron. You think I'm going to leave, that this isn't going to last because I'll move on to something bigger and better. But I'm here now. Isn't that enough?"

I turn around slowly, finally meeting her gaze. Her eyes are filled with fire, but there's something vulnerable there too. Like she's waiting for me to give her a reason to stay, to fight for whatever this is between us.

"I'm not the kind of guy you want, Tamlyn," I say, my voice rough, but honest. "I'm tied to this land. I'm not going anywhere. You? You've got your whole life ahead of you. Your career, your causes. I'm just… a guy chopping wood in the mountains."

She steps closer, closing the distance between us, her gaze never leaving mine. "You think I care about any of that? That I'm looking for some perfect, ideal man? Barron, you're more than just a guy chopping wood. You're… you're you . That's why I'm here."

I shake my head, feeling the weight of everything I've been trying to hold back crashing down on me. "You don't get it, Tamlyn. I've been burned before. People leave. You'll leave."

"Maybe I will," she admits, and her honesty cuts through me like a blade. "But I'm here now. And that has to count for something."

I stare at her, my mind racing with a thousand reasons why I should keep pushing her away. But none of them seem to matter anymore. She's here, right in front of me, and all I want to do is pull her close and kiss her until everything else fades away.

Before I can think better of it, I drop the axe and step toward her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her against me. She lets out a soft gasp, but she doesn't pull away. My lips crash into hers, hard and desperate, like I'm trying to make up for all the time I've spent pushing her away. She responds just as fiercely, her hands tangling in my hair as she presses herself against me.

The kiss is raw, filled with everything we haven't said, all the frustration and desire that's been building between us. It's like a release, and for a moment, nothing else matters but the feel of her body against mine and the taste of her lips.

When we finally pull apart, we're both breathing hard, our foreheads pressed together. I close my eyes, trying to steady myself, but it's no use. She's under my skin, and there's no getting rid of her now.

"I've fallen for you, Tamlyn," I say, my voice rough and unsteady. "I didn't mean for it to happen, but it has. And I don't know what to do about it."

She's silent for a moment, and I can feel the weight of her breath against my skin. When she finally speaks, her voice is soft, but sure. "Then don't do anything. Just let it be."

I open my eyes, staring into hers, and for the first time, I feel like maybe… just maybe, we can make this work. I press my lips to hers again, slower this time, softer, but no less intense. It's a promise. One I hope I can keep.