Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 150(@200wpm)___ 120(@250wpm)___ 100(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 150(@200wpm)___ 120(@250wpm)___ 100(@300wpm)
I swing the axe hard into the tree, the force of it vibrating up my arms. “Yeah,” I growl, “I have.”
“And why’s that? Because you’re too afraid to let someone in?”
I freeze, my hands gripping the axe tighter. She hit the nail on the head, and we both know it. My chest feels tight, like all the air’s been sucked out of the world. I don’t turn around. I can’t.
“You’re scared,” she says, her voice softening. “Scared that I’ll leave. Scared that you’re not enough.”
I pull the axe from the tree, my breath heavy as I stare at the deep cut I’ve made. She’s not wrong. I am scared. I’m terrified. But admitting that to her? I don’t know if I can.
“I’ve seen it before,” she continues, stepping closer. “I’ve been around men like you. Tough on the outside, but you’re all running scared underneath it all. And I get it, Barron. You think I’m going to leave, that this isn’t going to last because I’ll move on to something bigger and better. But I’m here now. Isn’t that enough?”
I turn around slowly, finally meeting her gaze. Her eyes are filled with fire, but there’s something vulnerable there too. Like she’s waiting for me to give her a reason to stay, to fight for whatever this is between us.
“I’m not the kind of guy you want, Tamlyn,” I say, my voice rough, but honest. “I’m tied to this land. I’m not going anywhere. You? You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Your career, your causes. I’m just… a guy chopping wood in the mountains.”
She steps closer, closing the distance between us, her gaze never leaving mine. “You think I care about any of that? That I’m looking for some perfect, ideal man? Barron, you’re more than just a guy chopping wood. You’re… you’re you. That’s why I’m here.”
I shake my head, feeling the weight of everything I’ve been trying to hold back crashing down on me. “You don’t get it, Tamlyn. I’ve been burned before. People leave. You’ll leave.”
“Maybe I will,” she admits, and her honesty cuts through me like a blade. “But I’m here now. And that has to count for something.”
I stare at her, my mind racing with a thousand reasons why I should keep pushing her away. But none of them seem to matter anymore. She’s here, right in front of me, and all I want to do is pull her close and kiss her until everything else fades away.
Before I can think better of it, I drop the axe and step toward her, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her against me. She lets out a soft gasp, but she doesn’t pull away. My lips crash into hers, hard and desperate, like I’m trying to make up for all the time I’ve spent pushing her away. She responds just as fiercely, her hands tangling in my hair as she presses herself against me.
The kiss is raw, filled with everything we haven’t said, all the frustration and desire that’s been building between us. It’s like a release, and for a moment, nothing else matters but the feel of her body against mine and the taste of her lips.
When we finally pull apart, we’re both breathing hard, our foreheads pressed together. I close my eyes, trying to steady myself, but it’s no use. She’s under my skin, and there’s no getting rid of her now.
“I’ve fallen for you, Tamlyn,” I say, my voice rough and unsteady. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, but it has. And I don’t know what to do about it.”
She’s silent for a moment, and I can feel the weight of her breath against my skin. When she finally speaks, her voice is soft, but sure. “Then don’t do anything. Just let it be.”
I open my eyes, staring into hers, and for the first time, I feel like maybe… just maybe, we can make this work. I press my lips to hers again, slower this time, softer, but no less intense. It’s a promise. One I hope I can keep.
Chapter Fourteen
Tamlyn
The scent of pine and earth fills the air around me, grounding me as I stand in the clearing. The late morning sun filters through the branches, casting a golden glow that makes everything feel softer, almost surreal. The breeze stirs the leaves, the trees whispering in the quiet, and yet all I can hear is the pounding of my heart in my ears.
I’ve been running for as long as I can remember. From people, from places, from feelings. Always moving, always chasing something just out of reach. But Copper Mountain—it was supposed to be another stop. Another place I’d pass through, do my research, and leave behind. But then Barron happened, and now, here I am, stuck between the urge to flee and the overwhelming pull to stay.