Something was off with him. The shot, though? Awesome. Color and light blended together through the canopy. Summer days at their best.When she realized he hadn't responded, she rolled on her side to face him. Setting the camera down, she propped her head in her hand. Mere inches separated them as he looked down at her. After a moment, he sighed and glanced away, his expression revealing nothing."If you don't tell me what's on your mind, I'll start my own dialogue. I can choose some very interesting topics on your behalf." She brushed a wayward strand of hair from her cheek and lowered her tone to mimic his voice. "Amy, I'm thinking of dyeing my hair pink and getting a butterfly tattoo. What do you think?" She brought her voice higher. "Well, Nakos, where would you get this tattoo? Somewhere forbidden?"His gaze cut to hers, dark and irritated, even though there was the slightest quirk of his lips as if he were amused. "I'd shave my head before dyeing it pink.""Travesty," she gas
The second Nakos's lips met Amy's, he knew he was in trouble. The deep kind that drown a person where they stood and left no recourse for salvation. He'd cupped her face, dipped his head, and planted one right on her never-shut-up, poutier-than-hell mouth.And blew logic right out of the water.They barely touched, were suspended in a shocked-immobile pause in time, but moving wouldn't have mattered. He felt the feather-light press of her lips in every molecule of his body.Hihcebe, she drove him batshit mad. The constant arguing and assumptions and distractions. It was enough to make a man crazy. Proven by their current position.In all the years he was attracted to Olivia, not once had he lost it. He'd never had the urge to push boundaries, cross the line, or act on the hovering desire. Amy, though? She wound around his control so adamantly she'd snapped him off at the root. Rendered thought a cloud of dust in her wake. Burrowed under his skin until nothing made sense.The light
She gave him a baleful glance. "Yes, you don't need to ask."He swore, it was like someone showing her common courtesy was unheard of. "Dinner's done." At her look of confusion, he elaborated. "I grilled some chicken." She may have only bought his grocery items earlier, but he'd countered. This kitchen split she'd tried to instill was ending here.She didn't even deign to glance up from the screen. "I'm not very hungry, thanks."He bit back a weary sigh and tried to remember strangling her would solve squat. "I haven't seen you eat all day. I made enough for two. Please join me?"Lip chewing. Staring. Blinking. Finally, after the longest pause in the history of womankind, she climbed off the bed. "Sure. Lead on."Praise Hihcebe. Progress. He pointed to the photos. "Are those from today?" She nodded. "Can you bring them down so I can see?"And there she went with the stunned stupid expression again. "Okay." She gathered the pictures and preceded him out. In the kitchen, she eyed t
Amy leaned against the headboard in Olivia's bedroom at the main house and stretched her legs out in front of her. "So, how many hot men in kilts did you see? Be honest."Laughing, Olivia folded a shirt from the laundry basket. "A few guys, but none you'd want to test the theory of whether they go commando under the kilt, if you know what I mean." She put the shirt away in the dresser and grabbed another. "Scotland was amazing, though. Nate looked up a few of my ancestors and we found this old cemetery where some were buried. I've always wanted to go, but I'm glad I waited to see it first with him."Considering Amy had never been outside of Wyoming, she'd be happy going anywhere. "At least you did some tourist things. Being your honeymoon and all. What a wasted trip that would've been only seeing the inside of a hotel room.""Ha. We saw plenty of that, too." Olivia winked, a flush in her pale cheeks. She brushed a strand of auburn hair from her face and set the empty basket aside. "
"He never kissed me."Amy's gaze jerked to Olivia's."Never kissed me, but he did kiss you." Olivia's brows rose. "That says something."Yeah, it said the woman he wanted was permanently out of reach, so he went after the next best thing. Amy had no doubt Nakos was attracted to her. That much was evident. But, like she'd told him, it was a physical response. Lust faded, given time. Speaking of... "I find the timing awfully convenient." Heck, for all Amy knew, this was boredom or desperation on his part."Emotions don't flip that quick, Amy. He wouldn't have made a move on you twenty-four hours after I said 'I do' if it was me on his mind. And he doesn't play games." When Amy said nothing, Olivia plowed on. "What happened afterward? You mentioned some tension."Amy puffed a laugh. There was tension and then there was t-e-n-s-i-o-n. "He walked away after the longest oh crap, what have I done in the history of mankind. Later, he tried talking to me about it, but I shut it down. Tol
Nakos had under thirty minutes to shower before meeting everyone at the tavern. Why he'd agreed to go, he hadn't a clue. The very thought of sitting across a table from Amy with her silent treatment and wounded eyes on the menu was not his ideal Saturday evening. Then again, another night in his house, sleeping in the room right next to hers, wasn't his version of a great time, either. They couldn't go on like this. He was this close to imploding.At his wit's end, he planned on forcing her to talk to him when they were alone tomorrow and both off work. He rolled his head to stretch his neck as he climbed the stairs in his cabin. As if anyone could force Amy Woods to do anything. Especially him, considering she got him tongue-tied and made his head dizzier than a carousel on heroine just standing in front of him.At least there would be alcohol involved tonight.He turned the knob on his bathroom door and halted dead over the threshold. His lungs seized, despite the perfume-scente
"Whatever." She hopped off her chair and dug her vibrating cell from her back pocket. "I don't..." Eyes on the screen, her face paled several shades and she went rigid.Olivia frowned. "What's up?""My Uncle Clint is coming for a visit." Her hand trembled as her throat worked a swallow. "Blech. When?" Olivia peered at the phone."I don't know. Kyle just texted." Amy's thumbs went to work in reply. Nakos's gut bottomed out as her complexion slipped from an insipid shade of white to green. "I don't remember you mentioning him before." More over, why would the uncle elicit this kind of reaction from her?"My mother's brother. He lives in Texas." Her voice shook almost as badly as her hands. "He doesn't come up very often. A couple times when we were kids and once when Chris and I were married. That was the only time my ex proved useful. He told my parents we wouldn't be around, that we were camping. Since Chris hates familial things, it worked for him."Olivia shuddered. "Total c
Still rattled over learning her uncle was coming for a visit, Amy hopped out of Nakos's truck and waited for him to unlock the front door to his cabin. Ever since she'd gotten the text from her brother, her stomach had been a twisted, nauseous mess. Memories she'd worked hard to overcome kept shoving to the surface. The smell of cigar breath and Old Spice. Rough hands leaving punishing bruises. Her screams muted by a palm over her mouth. The pain. The tears. The shame.She had to get herself under control before Nakos figured out something was wrong. She strode ahead of him and into the house, making a beeline for the stairs. She got over it once, she'd do it again. If she had to remind herself a million times she wasn't a weak, scared little girl anymore, then that's what she'd do. She was stronger than anything life had to dish out, proven by the fact she was still standing.Dang, but she felt like crumbling."Ames." Nakos's feet shuffled behind her and she paused on the b