Page 12 of Owen (Blue Team #1)

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “This time by yourself.”

I let go of the ax handle and stepped aside.

“It’s heavier than I thought.”

That’s what she said .

Jesus fuck. What was I, thirteen?

“Let the blade do the work,” I told her.

She gave a solemn nod, lifted the ax the same way we’d done, and grunted when she brought it down, missing the log altogether.

“Oops.”

Shit. She could be cute. Something I absolutely didn’t need to know.

I set the piece of wood back up on the chopping block and said, “This time keep your eyes open and focus on where you want the blade to hit.”

“Okay.”

It took two more tries before she made contact, and when she did I wished she hadn’t.

“Did you see that?” Nat beamed. “I did it.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“One more?”

Hell no.

No more.

I could take no fucking more of her wide smile and shining eyes.

“Sure.”

I set up another log and waited. This time she didn’t miss.

“Damn, I’m good,” she chirped.

Christ. Sweet Jesus. Why was I being punished? What could I have done that was so terrible to earn a bouncing, happy, smiling Natasha?

“You are,” I agreed and watched as Nat tipped her head back.

“It’s snowing again,” she noted.

Thank fuck .

“Come on, Paul Bunyan, let's get you into the house before you start chopping down trees.”

Natasha’s smile widened and I wanted to punch myself in the face for being a wiseass. One more big, open, easy smile like that and I’d toss her ass in the snow and I wouldn’t be responsible for my actions.

“I’m taking these.”

Nat bent and picked up the wood she’d split. All six pieces, including the two we’d done together, and started marching toward the cabin.

Thankfully, she was too far away to hear my groan when I caught sight of her ass in those damn Carhartts. What the hell was wrong with me?

She was still stomping the snow off her boots when I made it to the back porch. And I closed my eyes like a child blocking out her ass as it jiggled.

Straight. To. Hell.

That was where I was going. Not the slow ride. I was on the fast train.

“Can you get the door?”

As carefully as I could since she was standing right in front of the damn thing I reached around her and turned the handle and gave it a push.

“Look what I did,” Nat announced as we entered the house.

Gabe, Kevin, and Myles all turned in unison.

Gabe smiled, Kevin’s brows snapped together, and Myles frowned.

Apparently, Nat didn’t notice or was too happy to care about the men’s reactions because she continued.

“Owen taught me how to split wood.” She gave the pile in her arms a shake. “Tonight we're gonna burn this.”

No one spoke and to my shock, Natasha walked to the fireplace, set the wood on top of the small stack that was already there, and continued to ramble .

“Now I can take a turn. Though don’t expect much. I miss more than I hit but I can totally bring in at least a few hours’ worth of wood. Right, Owen?”

Her question jolted me from my stupor.

“At least,” I agreed.

“I’m gonna go warm up, then I’ll start dinner.”

Jesus Christ, who was this woman?

Nat’s smiling face turned my way and I felt that smile stab through me.

“Thanks again for teaching me.”

“Anytime.”

And with one last beautiful smile, she pranced out of the room and up the stairs.

“Did that just happen?” Kevin broke the silence.

“Yep.”

“Jesus. I’ve never seen her smile,” Myles added.

“Nope.”

Gabe didn’t say a damn thing. He let his smirk do the talking.

Asshole.

“So… you’re giving lessons now, lumberjack?” Kevin joked.

“Don’t.”

“Lighten up, brother. It’s nice to see the woman happy. Now if someone could pull the two-by-four out of your anus perhaps we could have an enjoyable stay.”

“That sounds like a plan. Then I can shove it up your ass for being annoying,” I returned.

“Don’t take sloppy seconds, bro, and you should know that. Like my toys firsthand and out of the package.”

I wasn’t going there and Kevin knew he had me when he busted out laughing.

“No one wants to hear about your ass fetish,” Gabe joined. “Not the giving or receiving.”

“Not my fault the rest of you don’t appreciate— ”

“Maybe the rest of us simply like to keep our kinks private,” Myles cut Kevin off.

I tuned out the guys’ banter. I heard it a million times before. Kevin would call Myles out on his lie because Myles was a gossip and had zero trouble talking about his kinks. Gabe however would be tight-lipped and just laugh while Kev and Myles argued and reminisced.

Wherever Natasha was I hoped she couldn’t hear the rude comments. I’d successfully pushed her earlier speech out of my head. But now, I was having trouble stopping her words from invading my mind.

Lewd comments. Appreciation. Quick fuck. Gratuity.

Everything slammed into me at once.

“Quiet,” I demanded. “Nat’s upstairs and she does not need to hear this shit.”

Gabe smiled. Kevin snickered. Myles looked thoughtful.

Whatever.

“Owen—”

“It’s under control,” I told Myles.

“Brother, I saw,” he pushed.

“Saw what?” I asked, hoping he didn’t see Nat pressed against me.

“The smile.”

Damn. Shit . Fuck.

“Not many men could resist a smile like that. Knowing it’s rare, knowing he had to earn it, and once he did, fight to keep it. Just saying—”

“It doesn’t belong to me and it never will.”

It being her smile. And it hurt like a motherfucker to admit that because Myles was absolutely right.