Chapter 5

Iwake up slowly, and it takes me a moment to realize I"m not curled up uncomfortably and a little chilly in a sleeping bag in the back seat of my car.

Instead, I"m sprawled across a massive bed. As I try to roll over, my foot feels heavy. Oh, right…it all comes back now… Barrett insisted on slipping my foot into a spare pillowcase and pinning it to the sheets so I wouldn"t thrash it around in my sleep.

He also insisted that I take the bed while he made do with the couch. I felt terrible about that, and honestly, I bet I would"ve slept even better with his huge warm bulk snuggled up right beside me, but it"s beyond sweet that he wanted to be a gentleman.

Barrett genuinely seems to care for me. I don"t think he"d act like this with just any hiker he found injured in the forest, would he? The idea gives me a strange special glow that makes me feel as alive and grounded as when I"m surrounded by pine trees.

When he was tucking me in, he managed to find every excuse to touch me, without ever once crossing a line. My heart flutters at the thought of how badly I want him to ignore those lines, stop being a gentleman, and do whatever he wants with me already.

I"m not sure why he"s holding back, unless it"s because I haven"t been super clear that I want him. But I don"t know how to do that. How do you flirt with a guy as solid as a mountain? I don"t want him to think I"m a silly girl. He"s already waiting on me hand and foot as if I"m some kind of helpless child. Not super alluring.

Carefully sitting up, I swing my feet over the side of the bed. My right foot immediately begins to throb. It"s probably just from more blood rushing to it, but it"s seriously sore.

Barrett thoughtfully left me an old canoe paddle to use as a crutch, so I hobble to the bathroom without putting any more than a shred of weight on the injury.

I wash up as quickly and quietly as possible, then change into a green sundress covered in a cute leaf pattern. Since I won"t be hiking today, I might as well wear something comfortable. Plus, it"s definitely more feminine.

After I brush my hair and swipe on a bit of tinted lip balm, I hop my way out to the kitchen as quietly as possible. Great, now my nickname is Hoppy.

Then I gasp, almost dropping the canoe paddle to the ground with a clatter.

Barrett is facing the huge dining room window, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs. It"s the most unbelievably majestic and sensual vision I"ve ever taken in.

His back is… Well, he would be right at home in a bodybuilder competition. In fact, he"d probably win. His legs are like sculpted tree trunks. And that ass… I can"t tear my eyes away completely, but instead of his butt I look back up at his shoulders and the rippled lines of his arms.

Barrett is freaking hot.

I must have made a noise, because he turns to see me standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

Then he turns a bit more, and I see he"s holding a coffee mug. He takes in my dress, then smiles with such sweetness that I"m taken aback. Wow. So gorgeous, with his eyes sparkling in the morning light.

But in a blink his expression switches to a frown. Yep, frowny and grumbly is definitely his default setting.

He sets down his coffee mug, rushing over to carry me to the dining room table. "Shoulda hollered for me to come get you." His voice is extra gruff first thing in the morning. It"s maybe a little naughty, but I can"t help but rub my cheek against his shoulder as he sets me down.

"I figured you needed your sleep."

"What I need is for you to heal." His eyes twinkle. "Voice sounds better, though. How"s the foot?" He"s already propping it up on a chair and examining the bandage.

"I think it"s fine. It throbbed a bit when I first stood up, but that"s just because the blood flow changed, right?"

"Probably."

He takes off the elasticized bandage and examines the dressing. "No bleeding. The slight swelling is going down. I"ll take another look this afternoon." He wraps the bandage a bit looser this time, which definitely feels better.

My hand reaches out, and I can"t stop my fingertips from trailing lightly over the huge swirls of ink around his left bicep.

"Damn," he mutters. "Sorry, I"m not dressed."

He walks casually to the bedroom, returning in a moment wearing a pair of dark but worn jeans and a fitted black t-shirt. I don"t think he was even embarrassed, just concerned about being proper.

"But now I can"t see the entire piece," I pout, staring at the partly covered ink on his arm.

Barrett actually grins, pushing up his sleeve on that side. "Better?"

"Yes. Thank you."

As he walks by me, his hand trails casually across the back of my shoulders. "Now, how do you take your coffee, and do you like scrambled eggs with rosemary and spinach?"

"Just a splash of milk, and that sounds amazing, thank you."

While Barrett prepares breakfast, I get him telling me about his herb garden, and the salad garden he has out back. For a few minutes he gets downright chatty, explaining about the importance of fresh greens, and how one should minimize the time between food being picked and being eaten to maximize their micronutrients.

"Plus," I say, waving my hand toward the tidy row of terracotta pots, "they are amazing decorations."

Barrett sets a plate of eggs down beside my steaming coffee. "Decoration? Look in the mirror." His eyebrow quirks up. "But of course a girl named Sage would look incredible in green."

My heart sings as I watch him plate his own breakfast. I notice he sits a bit closer beside me this morning. That"s got to be a good sign.

"You call your brother to let him know you"re okay?" he asks.

"Um…" I"m not quite sure how to say it. "No. He doesn"t check in with me like that. He"ll send me a text in a few days when we"re supposed to meet to get the car back to him."

A strange sound that"s a cross between a grunt and a growl emanates from Barrett"s huge chest.

"I"m sorry," I say automatically. "I don"t have to stay here until then. If you could maybe just drive me back to my car, I could?—"

"No." He sighs heavily, then grows silent for a moment. "I don"t want you to leave. I also don"t want you to have a brother who doesn"t sound like he gives a shit."

What do you say to that? "Oh."

His hand covers mine tentatively, as if he half expects me to pull away. "I don"t like the idea of you not having…" He hesitates. "Backup. Someone you can rely on. I"m not saying that you"re not a strong, independent young lady. But everyone needs help sometimes."

"You clearly don"t," I say with a smile, which makes him lighten up a bit.

"Not true. When I was building this house, I called in a bunch of friends. There were plenty of times when I wasn"t sure if one pair of hands would"ve been enough."

"I"m glad to hear that you have friends, but your stoic loner mountain man vibe is totally destroyed. Now I"m picturing you throwing fancy cocktail parties here every summer."

He harrumphs, but his eyes are smiling. "Cocktail parties? Not likely. My limit is having a handful of guys over to watch the playoffs and have a few beers."

"Did you serve fancypants hors d"oeuvres?"

"Just bowls of chips. Wait… I added fresh chives and oregano to some store-bought dip. Fancypants enough?"

"Plenty."

When our plates are clean, I automatically start to stand up, but a heavy hand lands on my shoulder. "Where do you think you"re going?"

I stick out my bottom lip and try to imitate his grumbling demeanor. "I wanted to help with the dishes."

"No."

I attempt a growl, which only makes Barrett chuckle. "Look, I appreciate you taking care of me, but I"m really not used to being waited on like some kind of?—"

"Princess?" His hand reaches out slowly, again as if expecting me to flinch. He cups my cheek, his thumb running along my cheekbone. "You are kind of like a princess. But also a little forest sprite from the woodland stories."

That"s the sweetest thing anyone"s ever said to me, and again I don"t know how to respond.

"Dishes can wait. Health and healing first."

I make a chirp of surprise as Barrett picks me up, carrying me to the door and kicking it open gently. He sits on the porch bench with me in his lap, both of us facing the sun. "This all right?" he asks gruffly. "You need vitamin D and fresh air…as long as you"re warm enough?"

My left arm is around the back of his shoulders, and my hand instinctively starts playing with the back of his hair. "This is great, thank you. And thanks for breakfast – everything was delicious."

It"s not just that our bodies are pressed together. More importantly, I feel very close to Barrett emotionally. I feel like he"s letting his guard down and wants to allow himself to be closer to me.

"I"m still pissed about your brother." His low voice sends rumbling twitches through my stomach. "You should be cared for. You"re so sweet, Sage. Like those cute little birds you like to photograph."

I snicker. "You think I"m a bird?"

"No. Well, at first glance, yes, kind of cute like a bird. But then…" His right hand runs gently up and down the length of my back as the left reaches out and begins to stroke my cheek. His hands say more than his words. He likes me. He thinks I"m sexy. So why the hesitation?

Then it hits me. He"s trying to be proper again.

"Hey," I whisper. "If you"re trying to do the right thing and make sure that the injured, stranded girl doesn"t feel trapped with you, I appreciate it. But…" I can feel myself blushing furiously, but force myself to spit it out. "I am completely open to you kissing me right now, if that"s what you"re thinking about. Just sayin"."

His beautiful hazel eyes hold mine, as if in a trance.

Then he moves slowly, leaning in gradually, giving me every opportunity to change my mind. I tip my head up and our lips meet in a feather-soft kiss that takes my breath away.

It only takes about twenty seconds for the gentle, delicate kiss to become much deeper. Hotter.

Then I hear a soft growl in his throat. Is it a warning that things are about to get even more interesting? Or a promise?