compact dining area that adjoined the kitchen.
With her arms loaded with groceries, she headed toward the kitchen while Joel dropped their duffel bags off in separate bedrooms, making it very clear that this was a
She sighed as she shelved the canned goods they'd bought, then put away the items that needed to remain cold in the small refrigerator, which had been left on. There were already frozen meals in the freezer for them to use, and plenty of other dry foods stored in tightly covered containers.
Hearing Joel's footsteps behind her, she turned around and found him standing in the doorway, looking as gorgeous as ever dressed in all black. She tried not to think about that amazing body of his beneath those tight, dark clothes, and instead focused on what they could have for their next meal.
She grabbed a canned item, glanced at the label, and decided to keep things simple and easy. 'How does navy bean soup and grilled cheese sandwiches sound for dinner?'
'Great.' He absently pushed his fingers through his too-long hair and rubbed at the back of his neck with his hand, looking much too tense and on edge. 'If you wouldn't mind putting away the rest of the groceries, then opening up the place to let it air out, I'm going outside to get some things done. I also need to chop some fresh wood for the fireplace. A storm is supposed to be moving in by this evening, so I want to be prepared.'
Considering the nice weather she'd just encountered, she had to wonder if he was using an approaching storm as an excuse to keep his distance from her. 'Sure. No problem.'
Once he was gone and she heard the screen door shut behind him, Lora finished putting the rest of the groceries away, then opened the windows in the cabin to let fresh air in, as he'd requested. Before long, she heard the steady
He was wearing a T-shirt, but she could still see the play of corded muscles in his shoulders, back, and arms as he swung the axe downward, then lifted it once again to repeat the motion. Too easily, she recalled how all that firm skin felt beneath her hands, along with the heat and strength inherent in every inch of his body as he moved over her, inside her.
She felt the familiar stir of longing when it came to this man, the tug and pull of desire deep inside of her. A cool breeze blew outside, ruffling his long, inky hair around his head and at the back of his neck. Those thick strands, she knew, were silky soft as they sifted through her fingers, and it had been much too long since she'd enjoyed that luxury. Much too long since Joel had allowed her to get close enough to touch him in any way that might be construed as too intimate.
Sighing, she leaned against the window frame and continued watching Joel as he worked. Since the night of the first attack and his claim that their attraction was too much of a distraction when it came to keeping her safe, she'd been waiting patiently for him to come around, to realize that what they shared was more than a one-night stand. To admit that he was far more distracted, not to mention grumpy, denying what was so obviously between them.
But it was more than just sex that she wanted from Joel, and that was a huge revelation for her. When she'd first met him, she'd been so adamant about not allowing herself to get involved with any man-especially after enduring such a tumultuous and emotionally devastating relationship with Brent. Work and making a life for herself had been her main focus, along with her future goal of opening her own spa one day soon.
But she'd never expected to meet a man like Joel. He was everything that Brent hadn't been. Joel Wilde was the real deal, a man with honor and integrity. And unlike her own father, then Brent, and even her brother, Zach, Joel was a man she could depend on, trust, and give her whole heart to, if he'd let her. And despite his own warning that he didn't have any room in his life for commitments and promises, and that he didn't do love, she believed differently.
Maybe it was time to make him realize that for himself.
She watched him turn and toss a split log onto a growing pile. Just when he would have picked up another slab of wood and continued chopping, he caught sight of her standing at the window, staring at him. Their gazes met, and even with the distance separating them she could see the wanting and carnal hunger in his expression.
Her heart raced with that same blatant need. She didn't move or look away, refusing to be the one to put an end to that intimate moment between them. Not surprisingly, he was the first to break the visual contact.
She decided that she was done waiting for Joel to come around. She'd agreed to let him do his job without distractions while they were in the city, but they were a world away from Chicago and the threat lingering there like a black cloud. Out here, with just the two of them at a secluded, isolated cabin, there was no need for Joel's protection. No need to look over her shoulder for danger, or rely on him to keep her safe.
Now, they were just two people who were very attracted to one another, and as far as she was concerned, all bets were off.
Chapter Fourteen
IT didn't take Joel long to realize his monumental mistake in bringing Lora to the remote, secluded cabin. When he'd originally come up with the idea of setting up a meeting between Lora and Zach, his only thought was to make sure it happened somewhere far outside the city limits, at a place that was difficult to find or trace without specific directions, and his aunt and uncle's cabin provided the kind of isolation he'd been looking for.
He'd deliberately withheld the real reason why he'd brought Lora there. She believed it was for the sole purpose of taking a mini-vacation and being able to rest and relax without worrying about being attacked again. But the truth was, he didn't want Lora to be disappointed if her brother didn't show up, and considering Zach's track record thus far, Joel knew that was a huge possibility.
Tomorrow would tell.
In the meantime, Joel hadn't accounted for the fact that he'd be spending a whole lot of time alone with Lora.
Or that she'd view this time away together as an opportunity to rekindle their affair and put the
Shit.
Annoyed at himself, and the entire situation, he slammed the axe down hard, splintering the last log into two clean pieces. He wished he had a truckload of wood left to chop to keep him busy well into the night, but no such luck. This was it. His current diversion was done, and sooner or later he was going to have to face Lora again.
After carrying a night's worth of wood into the cabin and stacking the rest in the corner of the porch to keep it dry, he came up with an idea to stave off the inevitable. Since they still had a few good hours of daylight left, he figured they might as well take advantage of the outdoors, and the decent weather while it lasted.
He found Lora inside, reclining comfortably on the sofa and reading a book that someone had left behind at the cabin. When she heard him walk into the living room, she glanced up from the novel and gave him a too-knowing smile.
'Are you all done outside?' she asked, much too innocently.
'Yeah.' She was so on to him, and he felt the beginnings of an answering grin tug at the corners of his mouth. 'I was thinking of going for a walk along one of those trails before it gets too dark. Care to join me?'
She snapped the book shut, sat up, and started putting her sneakers back on. 'I would love to go on a walk with you, as long as you're willing to protect me from any snakes or wild creatures we might happen to run into. I so am
He nodded. 'I think I can manage that.'
'Oh, and it would be really nice if you'd just relax around me, instead of being so serious and formal all the time. Especially out here.' Standing, she approached him, her gaze turning a soft shade of green as she searched his expression. 'And just so you know, I
