Page 22 of No Place Like Home (Orlinda Valley #3)

Summer

T onya was at the Keurig when I finally composed myself to enter the kitchen. Facing her was a challenge on a good day, but this morning . . . I took a deep breath and brushed my hands through my hair. “Hey, Tonya, what the hell are you doing here so early?”

“Girl, it's not early. It's almost eleven. Here.” She handed me a cup of coffee. “Drink it and relax. I made it how you like it.”

“Thank you,” I said as I sat on a stool at the counter. I sipped the coffee. It was velvety smooth and rich. I could feel the caffeine work its magic immediately—and with how this morning started, I needed a good, caffeinated kick in the ass.

Rowan and I hadn’t slept much last night—not that I was complaining at all.

His expression of anger mixed with shock as I forced him out the window filled my mind.

Okay, maybe I overreacted a bit. We could have played off the shared bedroom thing a little better.

Well, I could have, anyway. I took another sip of coffee.

Luckily, Rowan was a good sport and never held a grudge .

“You need to drink that and wake up so we can leave in a bit. By the way, you never answered me. Where’s Rowan? His car’s here, but he’s not.”

“I’m not sure,” I said. “He said he was going out for a run this morning, so I guess that’s what he did.”

“Hmmm.” Tonya eyed the room. “He must have folded up his bed clothes, because I don't see that he slept here on the couch. There’s no pillow or blanket.”

Shit. Could she not stop being such a nosy busybody?

“Yeah, well, you know he still has that military in him. He always puts everything away as soon as he’s up.

” I laid my face in my hand. I was going to have to act like she was invisible and ignore her.

Maybe if I kept my mouth shut and drank my coffee, she would disappear.

Just then, the back door opened. “Good morning, everyone,” Jamison said as he and Lilly walked in.

I felt my body deflate. Fuck. Maybe I could fold up into myself and hide away until Christmas. We might be able to get one past Tonya, but Jamison and Lilly would be a bit harder.

“Look who I found outside hanging with a rooster,” Jamison said with laughter in his voice.

I sat up straight when I saw Rowan behind Jamison, looking like he’d seen better days.

His hair had that sexy, just-out-of-bed look, but his shirtless torso had some patches of dirt, like he’d rolled around on the ground.

And were those scratches on his chest? Did I do that to him last night? I checked my nails. I didn’t think so.

My eyes traveled down to his sweatpants.

They had what looked to be grass stains here and there, but how they hung low on his hips.

Damn. I did a once over up and down his body again, and yeah, I wanted to be back in that bed with him.

Why didn’t I think of throwing a T-shirt out the window?

I didn’t need his mother and brother around to see me gawk at him.

Our eyes met, I had to hide my face in my mug of coffee, because the look he gave me could have boiled water it was so steaming hot—with rage. Sure as hell, not desire.

“Good morning, Rowan.” Tonya said in a sappy sweet voice that made me want to vomit. She went over to him and wrapped him in a hug. “Umm,” she said, holding him at arm’s length and glancing down. “How did you go running? You don't have any shoes on.”

He looked at her quizzically.

I interrupted. “Yeah, running, Rowan. You told me you were going running this morning, but that's not what you usually wear.”

His eyes held mine. He was pissed, all right.

“Yeah, well, I decided running wasn’t what I wanted to do.

I thought I would just go outside, enjoy the fresh morning air, and bond with that fucking rooster.

I didn’t figure I’d be outside for long, so I didn’t take my shoes.

I enjoyed the morning dew and soft grass in between my toes as I got chased by a rabid devil-chicken. ”

Oh shit . I’d wondered what the commotion was outside the window after I’d shut it, but I’d been too consumed with trying to find my underwear.

It was clear I hadn’t put him in the best mood by forcing him naked out of a window first thing in the morning.

Being forced naked out of a window and landing face-to-face with the devil-rooster would have pissed me off too. Damn. I fucked up.

“Yeah,” he continued, with biting sarcasm oozing off his words, “as I was enjoying a stroll, thinking I’d make a friend, I got attacked by that damn rooster and stuck with one of those spears he wears on the back of his feet. ”

“Oh, my God.” Tonya said as she held him at arm’s length. “That looks bad.” She rushed to the sink and wet a paper towel, then took it back to Rowan and started to wipe the blood off.

He grabbed the towel from her grasp. “Thanks for your help, Mom, but trust me, I don’t need it.” He wiped away the blood and chucked the paper towel into the garbage can with a swish.

I stood from the stool with trepidation as guilt tore through me. He was injured because I forced him out a window. I needed to do something.

I retrieved the first aid kit from the cabinet under the sink and took out a bandage and antiseptic spray.

“Here. You should probably put this on. Roosters aren’t the cleanest animals.

” I held the spray bottle out. “Can I?” I asked.

His gaze hadn’t cooled down from the rage I saw in them earlier. I raised my brow in question.

“Go for it,” he said, his voice flat.

I sprayed the antiseptic, and he hissed in response as his abs contracted at the cold. “Sorry.” I whispered. “It doesn’t look too bad,” I said as I covered it with a bandage. “There. I think you’ll be fine.”

His gaze caught mine. “Thanks.” He picked my hand off his abdomen, which I hadn’t realized I was still touching.

“Next time, though, I’ll be more careful when I.

Go outside. To Enjoy. The Morning.” He enunciated his words in clipped phrases, his gaze burned so hot I backed away from him and stood against the counter.

He needed some time to cool off, and I couldn’t blame him.

Tonya glanced between us with her lips pursed in thought. “I guess I have no choice but to believe you, Rowan, honey. But you being outside with only sweatpants on makes no sense. You don’t even have a cup of coffee. ”

Jamison grabbed a cup from the cabinet. “Yeah, it doesn’t make any sense Mom,” he said. “I found him running from a rooster, pulling up his—”

Rowan interrupted him. “It doesn't matter how you found me, asshole. I'm here and I had a run-in with the rooster, that's all. I tripped as I was running and fell to the ground. The insane rooster jumped on top of me, and I had to fight him off.”

“Rowan,” Tonya said in a motherly voice, “Jamison did nothing to warrant using that language.”

“Exactly,” Jamison agreed as he handed Rowan a fresh cup of coffee, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

Rowan drank deeply as a giggle escaped from Lilly.

“Aren’t you being a little overdramatic, Rowan?” I said trying to lighten the mood and tension that had filled the small kitchen.

His eyes blazed.

I backed away slowly. My attempt didn’t work.

“Okay, well,” Lilly spoke up. “Tonya, Jamison, why don’t we deal with whatever it is we came over to do and leave these two to . . . well . . . yeah. Come on.”

Tonya’s gaze lingered for a split second between Rowan and me, but Rowan’s gaze stayed locked on mine. The intensity reminded me of a storm cloud rolling in—Dark. Wild. Impossible to outrun.

I turned from him and forced a smile at Tonya. “Once we’re ready to go, we’ll come get you,” I said, my voice probably a little too chipper.

Lilly, smirked like she knew exactly what was going on, led Tonya toward the door and yanked on Jamison’s arm as she passed him. He finally pushed himself off the sink and gave me a thumbs up sign, then followed .

Once the door closed, I turned back to Rowan. He was seething . His breaths came quick and sharp. His chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, abs tightening with every breath.

Damn. Pissed-off Rowan was fucking hot.

He took a slow, measured step toward me, his eyes dark and narrowed. “You think I’m being a little overdramatic, Summer? Seriously?”

Heat radiated off him, sank through my tank top, and sent a delicious shiver down my spine. My spine was far too interested in this version of him. And as much as I loved to poke at him, even I had to admit that maybe—just maybe—I’d taken things a little too far.

But, damn, he was sexy when he looked like he wanted to impale me. And there was one thing I wouldn’t mind being impaled with—though now was not the time for that thought. Get your mind focused, Summer! I exhaled sharply and brushed past him. I needed space before I did something reckless.

He wasn’t finished. “If I’m being a little overdramatic, sweetheart, I must have learned it from you.” His voice dripped with heat and irritation. “You seem to hold the real estate in that department.”

I spun back to face him, my pulse skittering.

I needed to put even more space between us before I actually did become overdramatic—like let my hands roam all over that frustratingly perfect chest. “You know what? I’m going to go clean up in the bathroom and leave you to enjoy your coffee.

” I nodded awkwardly, turned quickly, and almost fled to the bathroom.

As soon as I shut the door, I sagged against it, dragging in a shaky breath. I could have handled this entire morning completely different. Shoving him out the window—naked? What were you thinking, Summer?

Suddenly there was a banging on the door. “Summer, it’s me,” Rowan demanded. “Open the damn door.”

I opened the door a crack and Rowan pushed his way in.

“Never again, Summer,” he said as he approached me, venom in his gaze.

Every step he took forward, forced me back until I was up against the wall.

He planted his hands on either side of me, caging me in. I could feel his hot breath on my face.

“Don’t you ever push me out a fucking window again,” he said, his face inches from mine. I couldn’t tear my eyes from him.

“Do you understand me, Summer?” He lowered his voice until it was quiet and controlled. “Last night was amazing and I don’t care if any of them know that we spent the night in the same bed. Hell, I don’t care if they know the things we did to each other.”

I was breathing hard. Not out of fear—I was turned on. Rowan, this pissed off, was as hot as molten lava.

Suddenly his thumb caressed my cheek, and my pulse picked up its pace. I closed my eyes, and my mouth went dry.

“Are you turned on by this, Summer?” he said, voice now seductive and sexy.

I opened my eyes. “Yes, Rowan.” I said, my voice a strained whisper. I licked my lips and brushed my hands up his hard abs. “Very much.”

He leaned closer and our lips almost touched. God, I wanted to taste him so badly. I don't know what it was, but something about him in this state—this agitated, this ready . . . God, I just wanted him right here, right now. My hands reached his neck and brushed against the stubble on his face.

“You want this don’t you?” he said. “You want me.”

I swallowed hard as my body reacted to him. I nodded and met his gaze. I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t find my voice.

He pushed away from the wall and stood tall. “Sorry, sweetheart, this ain’t happening right now. I gotta get dressed. We have stuff to do.” He turned away and left me alone in the bathroom.

I melted against the wall and took in several deep breaths. That didn’t go well at all.