“Then why don’t you?”
“Because my dad refuses to give it up.”
I took a moment to understand what he was saying while also contemplating possible solutions—I thoroughly enjoyed a good puzzle to solve. And even though we’d just met, I couldn’t stop myself from making suggestions. “Okay, so why not keep it but make changes? If old Chogan residents aren’t visiting, why keep it as a place for them? I think if you switched up your marketing, made it more of a destination resort, you’d get plenty of people booking with you. Look at this place.” I extended my arm to show off the interior of the cabin, as if he didn’t know exactly what it looked like. “It’s gorgeous. Not just the villas but the grounds too. The land itself is breathtaking.”
“I really appreciate it, Kenny.” His smile showed gratitude, even though his tone rang with dejection. “It’s all been tried before. One of these days, this place won’t survive, and I’m okay with that. My dad, on the other hand, isn’t. This place—this lake—means something to him. It meant something to my grandmother, too. But over time, it’s lost its appeal to the locals, to the residents…to me. And as long as my dad isn’t around to see its doors close, I’m fine with that.”
“So you’re working your butt off to help your dad keep this place running, but once he’s gone, then you’re done with it?” My passion rose to the surface before I could keep it at bay. I didn’t know why I felt so strongly about him or this place. I’d gotten sucked in.
“Who knows…maybe by then, it will be run into the ground.” With a teasing wink, he leaned forward and teetered on the edge of the couch while saying, “I should probably get going before I fall asleep on your sofa. Not sure the old man would appreciate that.”
As much as I didn’t want him to leave, it was getting late. Not to mention, I had a feeling that we’d broached a conversation he didn’t care to have. Even though I wasn’t left with much choice other than to say goodnight, part of me wanted to continue talking so he wouldn’t leave. “Let me walk you out.”
Without a word, he followed me to the front porch. I closed the door and stood with my back against it, unsure of what to do or say next. He tilted his head, and the light on the wall next to me caught his eyes. For the first time, I was able to see them as more than endless depths. They practically glowed, lit up like black diamonds. Looking into them, I felt lost…yet found. It was a contradiction I couldn’t explain, as if I’d been wandering aimlessly my entire life and just never realized it until this very moment.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Drew asked with a smile stretched across his very kissable lips.
“I…don’t know. I don’t really have any plans this week.”
He nodded and held his breath for a second. “Good. Be ready by noon.”
“Why?”
“I want to take you out on the lake.”
“Aren’t you busy tomorrow?” I wasn’t sure if I was trying to get out of it or trying to make him change his mind. But whatever it was, I needed to cut it out before losing my only opportunity to see this place from the water. It’d been one of the prime reasons to take this trip in the first place. Plus, the thought of spending more time with him left me energized.
“Let me worry about that.”
Not wanting to look too eager, I simply nodded and said, “Okay.”
Well, I’d meant to say it. Instead, it came out pathetic and breathy—a whispered word wrapped in lust and carnal need. Had the bulb on the wall next to us been brighter, or more natural, I bet he would’ve seen me blush. He would’ve seen the familiar burn take over my neck and face.
“Thank you for the evening, Kenny.” He took my hand and waited until I met his stare.
I wanted to correct him again, force him to call me McKenna, but the second my eyes met his, energy ran through me like sizzling electricity. It caught me off guard and stilled my every thought, every move. My skin tingled and heart rate increased. And out of nowhere, the air became warmer, more stifling than a small, windowless room in the middle of summer.
“What’s wrong?” Drew, who had to be nearly a foot taller than me, stooped down enough to come as close to eye level as he could. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” I tried to answer, shaking my head. “I can’t explain it.”
His onyx eyes flashed with something—recognition maybe. I couldn’t tell, but it warmed and calmed me all at once. “Try.”
The atmosphere around us changed. Suddenly, a layer of intensity settled over us. The light next to the door didn’t change, though it seemed to grow dimmer. A wave of heat wrapped around me like a blanket, but at the same time, a chill ran between us—nowhere else, just between the front of my body and his. Scorching energy passed through the front porch that nearly left my hair standing on end. It pulled us closer without either of us moving and created a buzz within the heightening silence.
It was unexplainable.
Yet, at the same time, I felt in my soul that I understood it.
I shook my head, breaking the spell that had drawn us both in. Our lips mere inches apart, dangerously close to kissing. “I’m just tired, that’s all. My body is humming with the kind of exhaustion that makes you feel punch drunk. And I’m sure the drinks haven’t done anything to help with that,” I added with a mocking eye roll and smirk.
“It’s okay…I know what you mean. I felt it too.”
I froze, unsure if he meant he was tired as well, or if he was saying that he’d felt the same electricity that I had. If so, that would mean it hadn’t been all in my head. However, the more I ran through his words, the more lost in his rumbly voice I became.
It was like hearing thunder dance with lightning.
Like in the types of storms that practically sit right on top of you. The lightning becomes a silent tempo in the sky, the thunder creating the cadence, and together, they dance to the song of the storm. There’s no separation of the two. It rumbles around you like the earth is splitting at your feet. And you fall to the bottom, wrapped in the echo.
That’s what Drew’s voice sounded like.
And that’s what it did to me.
Catching me off guard, he leaned down just enough to bring his lips closer to my ear and whispered, “Goodnight,” before gliding across the dirt to his golf cart, taking the air in my lungs with him.
Chapter Three
Drew
The heat of the sun drenched the material of my shirt and soaked into my back. I knew it would only get worse once we got out on the water, but I couldn’t dwell on that. I couldn’t think about anything other than getting to Kenny’s cabin. I only had a small window of time to work with, and if I missed it, I knew I wouldn’t get another opportunity to do this again.
Luckily, I didn’t have to waste time knocking. As soon as I pulled up front, she came out and locked the door behind her. I should’ve gotten up to at least greet her, but the sight of her immobilized my limbs. My heart raced as she came closer, and the world came to a standstill as I studied everything about her. Large sunglasses covered her eyes, but they didn’t do anything to hide her beauty. She was gorgeous—beyond beautiful, surpassed sexy. Timeless. Perfect.