“Liora,” he murmured, voice rough, “you’re trouble.”
I swallowed hard. My heart thudded too fast, too loud. My whole body felt tuned to him, aware of every point of contact, every shared breath, every inch of him still caging me in that easy, devastating way.
He wasn’t just attractive. He wasn’t just charming. He wasn’t just a man temporarily without a filter. He was a danger to my attempt to get my life together, to finding out who I was and what I wanted.
I eased back so I could meet his gaze.
“I think,” I whispered, my words faltering, “I may be in over my head with you.”
Torin’s smile was wicked and yet, unbearably tender.
“Aye,” he murmured, thumb brushing my lower lip where his teeth had been seconds before. “That makes two of us.”
I took a deep breath to steady myself as he eased back and then stood, looking at me like I was dinner and he hadn’t eatenin days. He shook his head, clearly arguing with himself, and stepped farther back from the couch.
“Och, and Liora?”
“Aye?” My breath caught.
“The fake dating idea is dumb.”
“Then why did you kiss me?” I asked, indignant.
“Because I’ve been wanting to for years now.” Torin’s grin flashed wide in his handsome face.He had?Confused, but at the same time, interested, I watched as he whistled his way down the hallway toward his bedroom.
Bloody hell.What had I gotten myself into now?
CHAPTER SIX
Liora
Despite being certain that I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink the night before, I’d fallen into a deep sleep filled with aching dreams where Torin carried me away over his shoulder like a caveman and had his way with me against a tree deep in the shadowy privacy of a thick forest.
I’d woken, aroused and certain I could still feel the press of rough bark at my back as he’d taken me with abandon, his strong arms keeping my legs braced around him.
Seriously, just what had I gotten myself into?
When I’d peeked out into the kitchen this morning, nerves humming, I’d been happy to find a note from Torin with his phone number, telling me he had appointments most of the day and wouldn’t be home until late. It was sweet, and somewhat cozy, and so what if I’d folded the note and tucked it into my handbag to save for later?
I’d always been one to fall hard and fast for my boyfriends. It was another thing that Zara took issue with about my choices.I just didn’t know any other way. Maybe it was my impulsive nature, or maybe it was my natural optimism, but I typically blew past red flags like a race car at the starting line and didn’t look back until everything had imploded in my face.
So, maybe I really need to take stock of what had happened yesterday and figure out how to calmly maneuver this new wrinkle in my life with Torin.And work out how to tell Zara.There was no need to proceed too fast, since we technically weren’t really dating, even though he was telling himself we were. It just helped him with telling the truth, was all. This wasn’t real.
Even though the kiss had felt very, very real.Why had he kissed me like that?I hadn’t seen Torin for years and yet within moments of seeing him again, he kissed me. Kissed. Me. Even though he’d been so angry with me. This was strange, right?Because I’d wanted to for years.
I hoped he’d be okay today, out in the world with no filter. Luckily, he worked largely on his own, at least that I knew of, but I realized I needed to ask more about what he did for his job. If we were to be dating, publicly, then we needed to know what the other did for a living.
Which meant …it was also time for me to try and seek employment.
But first, coffee.
Torin had left the coffee pot on, a serviceable no frills style coffee maker, and I poured myself a cup and wandered to the back door to stare out into the forest. Was he working in the woods today? Or did appointments mean he met with clients? I remembered how in demand his services would be after an intense storm, so I was guessing that appointments meant private clients. Instead of commercial? I truly had no idea the scope of his job, which I would need to remedy soon enough. Maybe I needed to create a dating quiz of sorts for him, like fiftyfirst date questions, so we could answer any questions about the other if it came up in public.
A squirrel ran out into the yard and stopped, looking directly at me.
Was that Bracken? I unlocked and opened the back door, stepping quietly outside so as not to scare the squirrel away. The morning air was crisp, the promise of winter ever closer, and I shivered.
“Bracken?” I asked, cupping both my hands around my coffee mug for warmth.