Page 12 of The Love Fix (The Sunrise Cove #8)

the waistband of his jeans. Just an inch of taut, tanned abs, and her mouth watered like she was starving. She told herself

that was because she was starving. For food.

But she was a liar.

Heath’s gaze unerringly found hers. A beat went by where the air between them seemed electrified, and then he was prowling

straight toward her. The closer he got, the more butterflies took flight in her belly. She tried to steady herself for the

impact of his sexy energy, and how it made her feel ridiculously... female.

“No,” she said. “No looking.”

He smiled. “Oh, I’m going to look.”

She blocked his view. She’d just spent the last half hour memorizing his face in every detail, his long dark lashes, how his

eyes revealed more than she’d realized, and that his broad shoulders seemed capable of holding great weight. “I’ve never seen

this side of you,” she admitted. “You were good with the ladies, even when they objectified you. You knew them by name. You

talked to each and every one of them.”

“I like them,” he said simply. “And you do too.”

“What?”

“You charmed every single person in this room.” He shifted closer, and her pulse kicked.

Um... “Wh-what are you doing?”

He leaned in, and she panicked. Was he about to kiss her, right here in the middle of this room where anyone could see? And

why did he always smell so good? That wasn’t fair at all. But then he shifted that last inch between them, and her eyes closed

of their own will, and then...

Nothing.

She opened her eyes to find him peering over her shoulder to her drawing of him, biting his lower lip, clearly trying to hold

in a laugh. “You’re an ass.”

“No doubt.” He cocked his head and studied the sketch. “Interesting,” he finally said.

She’d drawn that punk ten-year-old she’d known him as, and rudimentarily at best. “Are you making fun of my skills?”

He didn’t shift away, just turned his head so his lips ghosted her earlobe when he spoke, giving her a full-body shiver, unfortunately

in the best way possible, the jerk. “You wanted me to kiss you. Again.”

“Did not!”

Ashley glanced over at them with a worried expression, and Lexi lowered her voice and spoke through her teeth. “I did not want you to kiss me again. I didn’t like it the first time. Not even a little tiny bit.” Okay, so she was a liar, liar, pants

on fire, but no way was she going to admit it. “Things to do, see ya.”

He caught her hand and put his mouth back to her ear. “By the way, when I do kiss you again, we won’t have an audience, and

I’ll ask for permission first, which means you’ll have to tell me it’s what you want. With words, Lex.”

“You—”

“And then you’re going to tell me how much you liked it.”

“Someone’s quite full of himself—”

“Ash is waving at us to hurry.”

And with that, he walked off.

One of these days, she was going to walk off first! “And I’m not going to tell you how much I liked it,” she muttered to herself.

“What was that?” one of the ladies asked.

“Nothing. Sorry. Talking to myself about annoying men.”

“Oh, honey, don’t get me started.”

A few minutes later, the three of them walked out of the building, Ashley beaming. “You guys! That was so much fun! Thank

you so much for coming, Lexi.”

“Of course. How long have you been doing this?”

“I took over when Mom died.”

So a year. And Lexi hadn’t any idea. Her fault, of course. Ashley worked hard to keep them connected, and Lexi was grateful

for that, but she hadn’t made it easy. What she didn’t know was why. Why hadn’t she tried harder?

Because she was jealous of the time Ashley had with Daisy, time Lexi hadn’t had. The shame of that hit her like a one-two

punch. She’d taken her frustrations about her mom out on Ashley, who hadn’t deserved any of it. “It was a lot of fun,” she

said, and meant it.

“Why do you look so surprised?”

“I’m sorry,” Lexi said. “I didn’t mean to give you that impression.”

“But it’s still true. You’re surprised you’re having a good time while you’re here.”

“I’m sorry.” Lexi shook her head. “I guess it’s time that I make peace with my past.”

Ashley nodded, then shook her head. “Why now?”

The question was valid. More than. And Ashley most definitely deserved the truth. But could she give it? “I guess I’m realizing

I don’t have a lot of family left. You’re it.”

Ashley took a step back like she’d just taken a hit. “So I’m what, the consolation prize? The poor little stepsister you’re

stuck with by default because there’s no one else?”

“I didn’t mean it like that. And you don’t have anyone left either. I thought maybe we could have no one left... together.”

She was bungling this, of course. So much so that even Heath grimaced and took a few steps away, presumably to give them some

semblance of privacy.

“Look, I don’t know how to do this,” Lexi admitted softly. “I don’t know how to open up to people. I’m horrible at it.”

“You really are.”

Lexi let out a sound of frustration. “I’m trying. But there are things you don’t know, things no one knows.” Painfully aware

of Heath far too close by, it felt hard to say what she wanted to, but she knew she had to try. “When my dad divorced Daisy,

he moved on pretty quickly. His second wife was...” She swallowed hard, having never discussed this before, ever. “She

started out nice, but it turned out to be fake nice. Her daughters, my other stepsisters, were worse. There was no faking with them, and it got...” She swallowed hard. “Ugly. But whenever I tried

to tell my stepmom that they’d hurt me, she played it off as me looking for attention. I felt... very alone. I was very alone. And I got good at it.”

Ashley let out a low sound of anguish. “Lexi... I’m so sorry.”

Lexi shook her head. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. Those years are long gone, but I still suck at connecting with people, even when I want to.” Her voice had to scrape past her raw throat, so it sounded a little thick. “I’m doing the best I can, Ash, I promise.”

Her sister’s eyes shimmered with emotion, so much that it was hard to maintain eye contact, but Lexi forced herself to, trying

to forget she felt so exposed she might as well have been standing there naked.

Ashley took her hand. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters. And as for connecting, you might not be great at it, but

I am.” She squeezed her hand. “We’ve got this.”

Lexi let out a rough laugh. “If you say so.”

“I do.” She paused, waiting until Lexi met her gaze. “And for what it’s worth, I hate what happened to you. Mom should’ve

put you first. I’m sorry she didn’t. She wasn’t perfect.”

“Neither was I.” Lexi’s smile was grim. “I refused to look at her through anything but my ten-year-old’s lens, and because

of it, I never relented. Never stopped pushing her away. I push everyone away, including you.”

Ashley gave her a very real smile. “I think you’re better at opening up and connecting than you even knew.” With that, she

opened the passenger door of Heath’s truck and got in. “See you at home.”

Lexi walked to Daisy’s truck and drove to the house on exhausted autopilot. She slid out from behind the wheel and nearly

walked right into Heath.

That was when she registered that Ashley had clearly already gone inside and that Heath was clearly waiting for her. Too emotionally

raw to talk, she just gave a dip of her chin and started to walk past.

Very gently, he took her hand.

“What?” she asked.

“Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m great.”

His mouth quirked, but his eyes were solemn. “I didn’t know any of that, about what you went through after your parents.”

She tried to shrug it off. “Well, now you do.”

“Yeah,” he said quietly, holding her gaze. “Now I do.”

“I know what you’re thinking, and I’m not interested in your pity.”

“You have no idea what I’m thinking. And I’m not looking at you with pity. I’m looking at you with awe at all you’ve been

through and how strong you are.” His voice was husky, low, and sincere, and nearly broke her. “If you ever want to talk about

any of it—”

“I don’t.” Unable to handle the warmth and concern in his gaze, much preferring the sardonic tone he usually used with her,

she took a step back. Then turned, heading to the house.

“I’ve been there.”

That stopped her. She slowly pivoted back.

He didn’t make a move to come any closer, just gave a very small smile and stuck his hands in his pockets. “My dad. He...”

He shook his head.

And she knew. She knew without him saying another word. Just like she knew the sky was blue. Or that she hated bananas. She

knew he’d been physically abused by his father, the way she had been by her stepsisters. Probably far worse, given the way

he held her gaze, his own troubled, dark with painful memories.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He gave a single nod. “Right back at you.”

She let her shoulders rise and fall in a casual, it’s-all-good-now gesture, but she knew that he knew it wasn’t all good,

not in the least. She also knew that Heath, the one person she’d have bet her last dollar that she’d never relate to, understood

her like no one else ever had.