Page 74 of Chasing the Sun

I grunted. “Unless you want to wake up tomorrow with road rash, just hold on to me.”

She curled against me with zero argument, andfuck, I felt that everywhere.

When I reached the property line, I muttered a curse under my breath as I stared at the fence. “I’m the idiot who fixed this damn thing, and now I’ve got to haul you over it?”

She nuzzled her face against my shoulder, completely unbothered.

I sighed. “Of course you don’t have any complaints now.”

It took some maneuvering, but I managed to get us over without dropping her, which was a damn miracle.

I carried her up the porch steps, nudging the door handle with my elbow. It swung open without resistance—unlocked, just like I figured—before I kicked it shut behind me.

Wes had completed the interior renovation—keeping it simple and functional. The kind of renovation that made it livable, but nothing more.

It was Elodie that had made it beautiful. When I had been inside before, I was more concerned with getting her naked than really taking it in.

Soft, golden light spilled from mismatched lamps, casting shadows that made the place feel warm and worn in. The furniture was secondhand, but she’d thrown knit blankets over the backs of chairs, covered the scuffed coffee table with books. There were fresh flowers on the kitchen counter, some kind of lavender scent lingering in the air.

Elodie made things better.

I shouldn’t be here.

Ignoring the thought, I carefully carried her to the back bedroom and sat her down on the bed. When I went to move away, she fisted my shirt and whispered, “Why are you doing this?”

I swallowed hard, brushing a loose curl from her face. “I want to apologize in the only way I know how.”

Her lashes fluttered as she battled sleep. “Apologize for what?”

For being an asshole. For not resisting the pull between us. For my kid burning down your barn.

I wasn’t even sure why I felt the need to apologize andmake things right with her. All I knew was that she deserved it.

I stayed quiet, pulling back the comforter and sheets. Carefully, I guided her legs into the bed.

Ellie snuggled into her pillow without resisting. “You’re apologizing by tucking me in?”

I smoothed my thumb across her cheekbone, my throat tightening. “Yeah, something like that.”

Her smile was slow and sultry as her tequila-soaked gaze wobbled on mine. “You could stay.”

I froze. Her eyes were half lidded, her fingers curled loosely against my chest. I knew I should go.

I knew.

Instead, I left her in the bedroom and stalked toward the kitchen. I filled a glass of water and rifled through a few drawers before finding some Tylenol. I placed the glass and tablets on her nightstand, setting them within reach. Elodie’s breaths were heavy, and her eyes were closed.

Then, before I could change my mind, I toed off my shoes and slid onto the bed next to her. The second I lay down, she burrowed into me, her warm breath hitting the side of my throat as she pressed her face against my shoulder.

My pulse thundered.This is a very bad idea—I should definitely go.

But then she sighed against my skin, fingers curling into my shirt like she didn’t want me to leave, and suddenly I didn’t want to either.

I exhaled, my fingers slipping through the tangle of her hair, grounding myself in the feel of her. I shouldn’t have let it happen—I knew better. I’d told myself a hundred times this meant nothing, but my heart called me a liar every time she was close enough to touch.

Elodie shifted, her lips brushing the edge of my jaw, her voice a sleepy murmur. “You’re thinking too much.”

I huffed out something between a laugh and a sigh. “Is it that obvious?”