Chapter 7

Thwack!

The sound cut through the still, balmy air that surrounded me. But despite the noise, the ax only made a small dent in the stump behind my cabin.

It had been a long time since I'd worked out my aggression this way. I got my fill of chopping lumber at work every day, especially since log-splitting contests were my coworkers' favorite way to kill time.

But right now, I needed to work out some aggression, and this was how I was doing it. It took a little extra effort, but I dislodged the blade from the wood and held it back over my head. The whir of the blade slicing through the air was surprisingly satisfying. I hurled it downward with teeth clenched and my body fully braced for impact.

Thwack!

This time, I let go of the handle and wiped my brow. It was a little too hot to be out here doing this, especially since I still wore my work clothes. With a grunt, I removed the T-shirt and tossed it off to the side. Then I reached for the ax again.

"Need some water?"

The voice behind me had me nearly jumping out of my skin. The most beautiful sight imaginable was behind me. I wanted to go straight to her and pull her into my arms, but I had no idea what her being here meant.

"You don't have water," I pointed out.

Layna was standing there wearing a pair of jeans and a short-sleeve sweater. Her purse dangled from her right shoulder and her arms were crossed over her chest in what seemed like a protective move.

"I just got home from dinner," she said. "I heard a noise back here, and I thought it might be you."

"It had better be," I said. "I don't want to be chasing some ax-wielding maniac off my property."

Maybe it was too soon to joke about something like that, especially if she thought of me as a criminal—someone who'd violated her privacy.

Suddenly, she dropped her arms to her sides and started walking toward me. "I just had dinner with Tinley, and she brought up some good points."

Had Tinley spoken on my behalf? If so, I owed her a huge thanks. She might even be my new favorite bakery employee. I swooped down and grabbed my T-shirt, figuring this was a conversation I needed to have while clothed.

"What did she have to say?" I asked.

"Once these mountain men get in your system, there's no turning back."

Layna slowed to a stop halfway between where she'd started and where I stood. I felt more than a little disappointed. But her words held promise.

"You're in my system," she said. "In fact, you somehow managed to sneak your way into my heart. You were right. This thing between us is rare. Plus, I'm a total hypocrite."

I tilted my head slightly, trying to hold back the smile that threatened to take over my face. "How so?"

"Watching you with that ax reminded me that I spent a good part of the day yesterday sneaking peeks at you through the windows in Grayson's cabin," I said. "You weren't wearing a shirt while you worked in the yard. Your muscles…" She fanned herself with her hand. "Well, let's just say I had a hard time looking away."

"You were spying on me?" I asked.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Pretty much the same thing you admitted to doing."

"It's not the same. You're a woman. There's a whole power thing."

She took a deep breath. "I know. I have an HR degree, remember?"

I remembered that, but I hadn't put things together until now. I was peeping on someone who would be coaching employees on this type of thing.

"It can be tricky in HR," she said, taking another couple of steps toward me. With every step, my heart lifted a little more. "But unwanted sexual advances are definitely crossing the line. If the attention is wanted, though…"

"Can it be wanted when you didn't even know it was happening?" I asked.

"Does it bother you at all that I was watching you when you didn't know it?" she shot back.

"Best news I've heard all day."

She was watching me from the window. I took that to mean she found me attractive. She'd slept with me that very night, so I would have assumed as much. Still, there was something thrilling about knowing she'd treated me like eye candy.

"That's how I felt deep down when you told me you were watching me," she said. "It was great news. You found me hot. And then I was ashamed that I had that reaction. I should have been appalled that someone was watching me in the dark. It's kind of hot, but only if it's you."

"I totally get it. Not that I mind women watching me with my shirt off. It happens. But it's not the same as being completely naked."

She closed her eyes and nodded, then opened them again. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"I'm sorry." I blurted those words, but I meant them with every fiber of my being. They were the words I'd wanted to say to her all day. "It was wrong of me. I knew it was wrong when I did it. And not being able to look away is a bad excuse. I should have had the self-control to turn and walk out of that bathroom."

"But you didn't." She took a couple of steps closer to me. "And now I want you to watch me undress."

"Here?" I joked.

She looked around. "Maybe not here. You have neighbors all around."

"My coworkers, at that," he said. "I can imagine the crap they'd give me at work."

"We'll have to save that for a different location," she said. "For now, why don't we head inside?"

"My place or yours?" I joked. Then I paused and said, "Let's go to mine."

"Sounds like a plan."

Together, we walked to my cabin. A cabin I knew I'd share with her someday soon.