Page 99 of When You Blush

“It doesn’t look like you’re changing. Looks like you’re staring.”

“I’m appreciating,” he counters and takes a step toward me.

“Blake, if you attack me right now, we’ll never go on a hike.” His eyes shoot up to mine, and then he cups my face.

“Okay. A hike it is. But I might fuck you in the woods.”

I scrunch up my nose. “Ew. No. I don’t want dirt and bugs in my lady bits, thank you very much. You’re a doctor, Blake. You know better than that.”

He brushes his nose over the shell of my ear. “I’ll bend you over and make you lean on a tree while I rail you from behind, baby. No dirt will touch your perfect pussy.”

I bite my lip when he drags his hands up my naked sides.

“Focus, Blake. We’re hiking.”

He backs away, and I immediately feel the loss of his touch. Maybe I was too hasty.

“Come on, sugar. The wilderness awaits.”

“How many grizzly bears do you think are on this mountain?” I ask Blake as we hike along a trail that circles around the entire ski village, and would eventually end up back in Bitterroot Valley, but we’re not hiking that far today.

“I have no idea.”

“But if you had to guess. Are we talking two? Or thirty? Or a thousand?”

“Probably somewhere between two and ten.”

“Oh, you think that’s all?” I tilt my head, thinking about it.

“Baby, it doesn’t matter how many there are. I can’t win againstone.”

“Sure you can.” I grip his biceps and squeeze. “Look at that muscle. The bear would run from you in terror.”

Blake laughs and scoops his arm around my waist, then lowers his lips to mine.

“Are you afraid of bears, Harper?”

“Every single day,” I confirm, nodding my head. “I have a phobia of being mauled and killed by a pissed-off mama bear.”

“I won’t let that happen. Besides, you hike all the time.”

“I know. But most of the places I hike don’t have grizzlies.”

“Black bears can be just as mean,” he says, and I scowl up at him.

“Well, thanks for that little nugget of wisdom. Now I’ll be on edge all the damn time.”

He’s so handsome when he smiles at me like this. Like he’s so taken with me, so smitten.

He loves me.

I about had an aneurysm when those words came out of that talented mouth last night. They were full of passion andtruth, and for a heartbeat, I was terrified. And then a warmth I’ve never felt before moved through me. My heart ached but in a delicious way. In a way that told me this was a life-altering moment, and I fucked it up.

I wish I’d said it back. I wish it was easy for me to say it back. Because Idolove him. I love everything about this man.

So why can’t I tell him?

“Blake?”