Page 18 of The Love Fix (The Sunrise Cove #8)

Lying in that tent, Lexi should’ve been worried and anxious about whether spiders liked to camp or what would happen when

she had to walk all the way back to the house to pee. Would she risk being eaten by a coyote, or... take the bigger risk

and wake up Heath to walk with her?

Instead, all she could think about was how the night sounds—wind in the trees, the gentle hoot of an owl—somehow calmed her

brain so that her thoughts didn’t race fifty million miles an hour per usual. She could just... be.

All while being incredibly aware of the deliciously warm man lying next to her, not quite touching, but not out of range either.

Was sharing air, sharing space, startlingly intimate? Yes. But was she, in a rare change of pace, perfectly content? Also

yes.

She wished she knew what was going through Heath’s head. Was he wondering how the hell he’d managed to get stuck out here

with her? Was he counting sheep? Was he, like her, thinking about what would happen if they turned to each other and gave

in to this crazy addicting chemistry she couldn’t stop thinking about, even when she wanted to kick him?

She had no clue, because in perhaps one of the nicest things he’d done, he was letting the silence lie there between them, more comfortable than she could’ve imagined. Especially since she was also wondering if that natural, effortless sexiness he exuded extended to certain skills...

She’d never just slept with someone out of basic hunger for intimacy. Never. She needed to be comfortable with that person.

And while she was getting there—shockingly—with Heath, she wasn’t in a headspace to start something.

Not that this stopped the sensual desire for him from sweeping through her, firing all her nerve endings. “I don’t know very

much about you,” she said into the relaxed silence.

“You know more than most.”

“But not enough.”

He glanced over at her, his eyes asking, Enough for what?

She knew she’d broadcast at least some of her feelings when he paused, then said, “What you see is what you get.”

“I doubt that.”

He smiled. “Do you?”

“Come on, tell me something. Something real.”

“Such as?”

“Such as...” Where to start? “Why are you single?”

A half smile quirked at his lips. “You looking to apply?”

“Deflection.” She jabbed a finger into his chest. “Which I know because I’m the queen of deflection.” She jabbed him again.

“An open book, remember?”

He exhaled a long breath. “I’m single by choice.

I thought I’d found the One once, back when I was a trial attorney working eighty hours a week.

When I left that job, I learned she was more interested in the lifestyle I was able to provide her while she lived on the other side of the globe from me.

Let’s just say, I’m not cut out to live my life any differently than how I do right now, nor does a long-distance relationship work for me. ”

She stared at him, knowing they were both very aware that if they started something up, it’d be a long-distance relationship.

He hesitated. “And in the name of transparency, I haven’t been in any kind of a relationship, long distance or otherwise,

in a while. By choice.”

Unease filled her, which was ridiculous. She didn’t want a relationship right now. And maybe, after her last one, not ever

again. “Good thing we don’t like each other very much.”

“Good thing.” But there was no tease or taunt behind the words.

In fact, she couldn’t read him at all in the moment. “I’m... sorry you got hurt.”

He shrugged again. “Happens, right?”

She could have ignored that, or even changed the subject, but he’d opened up to her. And she got the sense he didn’t do that

easily, no matter how laid-back he was. And she was starting to think maybe that was just a front to keep people at arm’s

length.

Something she knew a little bit about.

Either way, he’d managed to hide in plain sight. Most everything she knew about him was something she could see. He was strong,

inside and out. Smart as hell. Brave. Wildly sexy. Fun. Physically and emotionally agile. As for anything deeper, like his

hopes and dreams... she had no idea. But she knew it was her turn, so...

“I got played,” she said quietly. “In my last relationship. We worked together, and I really thought it was real.” She shook her head.

“Turns out it wasn’t. And to be honest, I let it.

.. destroy me, and my life. I’m on a break from the job.

” Okay, so that part was a bit of a fib, but there was being honest and then there was baring her soul.

“I’m on a break from everything, mostly because I don’t know how to come back from it, how to trust or believe again.

” She shrugged. “So until then, I’m on a moratorium from connections. ”

His eyes softened. “Explains the claws.”

She gave a mirthless laugh. “Yeah.”

“I thought you were working remotely while you were here.”

Shit. Caught in a web of her own deceit. “It’s... not working out. The job requires me to determine the monetary value

of a client’s personal property. In person. Hard to do from nearly three thousand miles away. But I’ve put out feelers. I

hope to be able to pick up some independent work while I’m here.” She faked a smile. “Gotta pay the bills.”

His eyes warmed. “You’ll be great.”

And that was that, just quiet, unwavering, easy support.

“Do you miss your life back east?” he asked.

“I miss the job itself.” Not a fib. “I realize that the work I do might seem cold and calculating, but honestly, that’s why

I’m good at it.”

“You’d be good at anything you put your mind to.” He gave a slow shake of his head. “But the cold and calculating part? I

think that’s just a mask.”

Not much surprised her, and she’d long ago lowered her expectations when it came to being understood. But Heath Bowman...

he did surprise her.

“I’m sorry you got hurt,” he said. “If you ever want to talk about it...”

And reveal just how stupid and gullible she’d been? How she’d lost not just her belief in herself, but her job as well? No

thank you. She could barely face the humiliation of just her own knowledge of what had happened. So she just nodded noncommittally.

He ran a finger along her temple, nudging a stray strand from her face. “You okay?”

“I’m always okay.”

That got her another little smile. “So... we both know what we don’t want.”

She snorted. “I guess the question is, do we know what we do want?”

Heath nodded. Then shook his head, and they both laughed a little.

“How about a truth for a truth?” he asked.

Her stomach jangled. “A dare seems like a better idea.”

“All right.” He smiled. “I dare you to tell me a truth.”

She grimaced. “This is a terrible idea.”

“Even if what happens in this tent stays in this tent?”

She gnawed on her lower lip for a beat, unable to deny she wanted to do this, if only to hear a truth from him. “A truth...”

She paused. “I have no idea what I’m doing with my life.”

No pity on his face, no judgment, just an easy understanding that didn’t make her want to curl up and die. “Is that why you

agreed to come out here?” he asked.

“That’s what I told myself,” she admitted. “I thought maybe all I needed was a break. A week-long break. And then I got here,

and...”

Heath was watching her think too hard. “And...?”

“And... I think I agreed to stay for a few reasons.”

“Ashley.”

“She’s one of them, yes.” Her gaze dropped to his mouth. She hadn’t felt much of anything for a long, long time now, but suddenly

she was feeling plenty, not the least of which was a warmth heating her from the inside out.

“What else?”

She bit her lower lip. “I’m not entirely sure.”

His head propped up by his hand, he gave a small smile. “Thought we agreed to a truth.”

And maybe it was that his gaze had landed on her mouth as well. Or maybe she felt tired of not living her life. Either way,

she shifted closer without making any conscious decision about it. “I didn’t expect you.” There. That was as close to a real

truth as she could get.

Heath nodded, holding her gaze. “My truth. I didn’t expect you either.” He ran his fingers up her arm, then around the back

of her neck, sliding them into her hair, the slow, purposeful touch waking up her entire body.

“Truth,” she whispered. “I lied about you being a bad kisser.”

He smiled. “Truth. I already knew that.”

She swallowed hard and looked at the sky, at the dark tent around them, at everything and anything other than those mesmerizing

eyes that made her ache to do something stupid here tonight. “What do we do now?”

He leaned in to press a kiss to her temple before brushing his mouth along her jaw, stopping at the sensitive spot just beneath

her ear.

Her eyes drifted shut in pleasure. So much for not doing something stupid. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you a good night kiss.”

“You missed my lips.”

“I was waiting for permission.”

Her eyes fluttered open. It was definitely very dark now, but the stars provided a silvery glow. Heath’s five-o’clock shadow

had a five-o’clock shadow, and it seemed dangerously alluring on him. “Do you want it in writing?”

He smiled. “ There’s the smart-ass.”

Tilting her head slightly, she lined up their mouths a fraction of an inch from each other. “Yes, I want you to kiss me good night,” she whispered. “And you?”

“One hundred percent, yes—”

He hadn’t finished his sentence before she closed the gap and kissed him. Immediately, a very low, very male sound of pleasure

rumbled from his chest, igniting her own pleasure. As did the way he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her in tight. With

a teasing nip of his teeth, he coaxed her lips apart so they could taste each other, an exploration of mutual fascination

that just might’ve made her rethink her stance on men—if she could have thought.

She couldn’t. Not with his mouth on hers, sweet, sexy, and entirely unexpected.

When they finally broke apart, her heart thundered in her ears and at each pulse point. She blinked a few times, and his lips

tilted into a satisfied smile. “I’ve spent the better part of the past week and a half thinking about what that might be like,”

he said, voice low and husky.

Pulse still racing, she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from begging for more, but when she realized his heart was drumming

as fast as hers, she nearly started purring. “That was very... nice.”

He choked. “Nice?”

“I said very. Very nice.”

His eyes narrowed. “We really going to do this again?”

“Do what?” she asked innocently.

“I can do better,” he said.

“Really?” Because any better, and her clothes would melt off.

At the slight tone of doubt she’d put in her voice, he gave a rough laugh and hauled her into him again. “Just so we’re clear,” he murmured. “I know you’re baiting me. Just as you know I’m using it as an excuse to kiss you again.”

“Well, as long as we both know—”

His mouth came down on hers, and she might’ve moaned a little. At the sound, his careful control seemed to shatter like glass.

His hands tunneled in her hair, holding her to him, kissing her like he wanted the very air she breathed. Arching her back,

she struggled to get even closer, needing to eliminate every inch of space between them. And when she was as close as she

could get, she touched everything she could reach, quite happy to hear the hitch in his breathing, the low groan that rumbled

from deep in his throat.

The sound gave her a delicious full-body shiver. He had one hand fisted in her hair, the other beneath her shirt, driving

her crazy. The highly skilled groping had her panting as he toyed with the clasp of her bra, but didn’t unhook it. She opened

her mouth to encourage him, but before she could, he ended the kiss, his hands slow to fall away from her body, as if he didn’t

want to let go at all.

The whole encounter had only been a minute, tops, but it’d been so sensual that she quivered as she drew in a deep breath.

“What... why?”

He kissed her again, quick this time, but no less devastating for it, before flopping to his back. “Because if we’re going

to be stupid enough to do this, it’s not going to be in someone else’s tent, in someone else’s field, with a rock digging

into my ass.”

“Stupid enough?” she repeated, brows up.

He grinned, then he pulled her over the top of him and kissed her again.

“I thought you had a rock digging into your ass,” she managed breathlessly. “I thought we were stopping.”

“We are.” With a groan of frustration, he shifted them to their sides, her back pressed to his front. Drawing one of the sleeping bags over the top of them, he whispered, “Sleep.”

And shockingly, or maybe not so shockingly given that he was still stroking her body, not to arouse now, but to quiet and

soothe, for the first time in her life, she followed a command and went to sleep.