His answering grin reveals a dimple. “Right.”
“Do you work at the plant, too?”
“Nope, I work at a garage for now, just got back from Greensboro, had a job out there the last four years of my reserves.”
“Really?”
He runs his hands through his half-inch hair. “Really.”
“What branch?”
“Marines.”
“Did you like it?”
He smirks. “Not enough to make a career of it. Four years in, another four years on standby, but I guess I consider it time well spent.”
“Welcome back, Marine. Thank you for your service.”
“Most welcome.”
We clink bottles.
“Do you own one of those cars outside?”
“Yeah, the ’66 C20 is mine.”
I draw my brows, and he grins.
“The neon green pickup with the black top.” Pride oozes from his lips as I take him in. He’s a bit smaller in stature than Sean, but just as shredded physically. He’s got the sweetheart eyes, a rich brown surrounded by black, naturally curled lashes. Clearly, there’s no shortage of hot men in the mountains. Christy will be thrilled. Though entertaining, and highly appealing, I’m just not sure any of them are my type. But with each sip of cider, I feel like I’m forming an opinion. And so far, I haven’t met a bicep I haven’t liked. That thought—combined with the cider—makes me giggle.
“What were you thinking, just then?” Tyler’s lips tug up at the corners, amping his smile to the next level.
“Just… Yesterday I lived somewhere else, and now I’m in a stranger’s yard.”
“Crazy where a day can take you, huh?”
“Exactly.”
“That’s nothing unusual around here, trust me,” he says, inching closer. His predacious gaze sends a shiver along my neck.
“What do you mean?”
“Stick around long enough, you’ll see for yourself.”
“Well, I don’t hate it so far,” I drawl, knowing the cider is starting to speak on my behalf.
“Good to know,” he crowds me a little against the fence. It’s not threatening, but enough to feel some of the summer sun radiating off his skin.
“Back off, jar-dick, she just got here,” Sean says, nudging his way between us and looking at me with a lifted brow. “Where’s that mean mug?”
I lift my cider to indicate where it all went wrong, feeling warm all over as he takes it from me. “Let’s get you fed.”
Tyler grins at me over Sean’s obstructive shoulder. “See you around, Cecelia.”
“Hope so,” I tilt my head past Sean, so he can see my answering smile.
“Knew you were trouble,” Sean drawls out, shaking his head before leading me by the hand over to a fully stocked picnic bench table full of mixed barbecue and endless sides. Sean and I eat together and it’s hard not to avoid the looks we get huddled in our little bubble, isolated from the rest of the party.
“Ignore them,” he says through a mouthful. “And,” he points to me, playfully ordering, “mean mug.”
“Is there a reason we aren’t eating with everyone else?”
Lazy hazel sweeps me. “How about I want to keep you to myself for now?”
“That so?” I take a bite to hide my smile, unsure of the signals I want to send. Only inches apart when we started eating, our knees touch now as we lean toward each other. As we feast, we slide into easy conversation and he reveals he moved to Triple Falls when he was five, and met the friends he’s since taken up residence with. Sean, Tyler, and their other roommate moved into the house a week ago, which I assume is some of the reason for this gathering, along with Tyler’s homecoming. Sean’s worked between the plant and a garage since he graduated high school. And his family owns a restaurant on Main Street, which is a Triple Falls community staple. Though Sean speaks like he’s an open book, his eyes hold so much mystery as if his words oppose his thoughts.
A full plate of barbecue later, my limbs grow heavy from every look we exchange. Unable to fully play immune, I steal glances at him when he becomes distracted by the late arrivals pouring into the back yard. The party is getting more aggressive as the sun threatens to set, and conversations grow louder. Another half-drained cider in hand, I stand in the middle of the yard by his side, the backs of our hands brushing as Sean chats with Tyler and Jeremy.
Rattling with anticipation, I’m only half-listening to their conversation, too swept up in the ‘what if’ these stolen touches could lead to, and the circulating warmth from the booze. It’s when Sean purposely slides a finger along the side of my hand that I feel that prickle again. It’s a distinct and unshakable feeling that I’m being watched.
Newly paranoid, where I was just at ease, I look in every direction for the source, searching through the crowds until my blue eyes collide with slicing silver-grey…but it’s not just the eyes that bind me where I stand—it’s the predatory look inside them.
Sean’s words drift through my cloudy head. “We don’t want to let the wolf get a whiff.”
I have a feeling it’s said wolf who’s caught my scent and is eyeing me from feet away.
The party bustles around him as we stare off and he comes into full view. It’s the third time I’ve been hit today with attraction, and I stand awestruck by just how much I’m feeling it.
I still can’t make it past his intense stare as he considers me like he’s contemplating his next move.
And in the next second, he’s coming right for me.
Holy Shit.
I lift my chin, as he treads through the yard, a dark haze shrouded in masculine beauty. Just past a prominent widow’s peak, lays long waves of rich-looking, thick onyx hair, equally dark brows above silver eyes filled with auspicious intent. Between high-cut cheekbones is a sleek nose and…his mouth.
Looking fresh off the runway, he’s dressed in black from his T-shirt to his lace-free army boots, the tongue in them falling limp, much like mine, the closer he gets.
My body spikes with adrenaline, and I fight myself not to look away but lift my chin higher to spite the unspoken threat dancing in his eyes. But no mean mug I could ever muster could save me from the dominance in this man’s swagger and the chill that emanates from his stare.
“Shit,” I hear Sean mutter when he finally reaches us. “I told you I have her, bro.”
Soul stealing eyes break from mine, freeing me from their hold before he speaks, his voice deep and full of authority. “She’s a fucking baby, your boss’s daughter, and she’s done drinking. Here anyway.” He turns to me. “Time to go.”
I frown. “Don’t be a pooper.”
I go over the words in my head. Yep. That’s what I said.
I swear I see his lips twitch before he barks at Sean. “She’s leaving.”
“Chill, man. Cecelia, this is Dominic.”
“Dominic,” I say, utterly mystified.
Jesus, Cecelia, tweens have more game.
“My brother made an error in judgment bringing you here. You need to leave.”
“You’re brothers?” They couldn’t be more different in appearance.