God, Chloe. It was all getting to me. The sex, the winks, the morning lattes. I had to stay strong. He was the villain here. And sure, he was charitable, but why shouldn’t he be? It was the least he could do. I had a mission, and my poor heart could not afford to veer off course.
I pushed closer to the stage, cheering and whistling, desperate to show my support for the Heberts, despite my determination to keep my distance from Gus. It was unfair how much the crowd loved the Gagnons.
The competitors, all carefully spaced apart, were given axes.
Once they were lined up and equipped, a loud air horn blasted, and then they were swinging.
I had not anticipated the sheer heat that would overtake me as I watched Gus swing an axe. He was not as quick as some of the others, but he was powerful and precise. Every movement was graceful and strong. Time ceased to exist as the muscles in his forearms rippled and his powerful legs flexed, anchoring him to the floor.
The stage was lined with a certified lumberjack buffet, all ages, sizes, and types. But I only had eyes for one.
His expression was one of pure focus, and his body was performing a delicate dance of strength and grace. Down here on the grass, I was a puddle of pure hormones, yelling and screaming and cheering his name. I didn’t care who heard. All I wanted at that moment was for him to feel like someone was on his team.
Every swing and crack ripped through me, every move he made pulled me toward the stage. Around me, people were cheering. One of the men had already finished his log, but I didn’t care. I was too busy watching Gus.
When he finished, he dropped his axe and mopped his brow with the hem of his T-shirt, exposing a few inches of tanned skin and dark hair.
And when he looked out at the crowd, his eyes immediately met mine, as if he were as drawn to me as I was to him.
I bit my lip so hard I thought I might draw blood as the intensity in his gaze hit me.
His chest heaved from exertion beneath his T-shirt, and the muscles in his forearms flexed.
Shit. I clenched my fists, willing my body to stay put. My legs wanted to carry me up there and send me jumping into his arms. But that was insane. Maybe the heat was getting to me. Had I had enough water today?
“That was so much fun,” Karl said, pulling me out of the staring contest I’d inadvertently entered.
I turned, blinking, and focused on him. “Yeah.”
“That Remy guy was so fast,” JJ said as the Gagnons were crowned the winning team.
I floated in a daze as people around us chatted and music played. That had been… something. I was wandering toward a row of tents, in search of bottled water, when a strong hand landed on my shoulder.
I turned and found myself face to face with Gus.
He was sweaty and still a bit out of breath. Up close, it was hard to miss how hard his T-shirt was working to contain his heaving chest.
He led me around the back of the tents toward a small copse of trees.
“I saw you, Dragonfly,” he said when we stepped into the forest. He tipped my chin up and forced me to look at him.
“It was a fun event,” I said, willing my racing heart to slow. “You did a good job.”
He chuckled softly. “I had no chance of winning. And that was before I got distracted by how beautiful you look in that dress.”
My breath hitched, and butterflies took flight in my belly.
“I saw you cheering for me. Don’t deny it.” He smirked. “You liked my moves.”
I huffed. It was the best I could do. When he was this close, it was impossible to formulate a pithy response. My body arched toward him involuntarily, and my brain fought to gain control of my raging hormones.
He slid a hand down my arm and settled it on my hip. Energy pulsated between us, and the noise and the crowd disappeared. It was just the two of us beneath these trees.
It was thrilling and familiar all at once.
He tilted my chin up, his touch gentle.
I exhaled. He was going to kiss me. And for some insane reason, I was going to let him. Despite every rational part of me shouting that it was a terrible idea.
He moved in closer. So close I could feel his breath on my skin.
I closed my eyes.
His lips ghosted over my earlobe, startling me.
“Next time,” he whispered, making my knees buckle. “I’ll give you a private show.”
Chapter 16Gus
As I drove slowly down the mile-long driveway toward the main house, I took in the surrounding forest and the buildings and cottages dotting the property, willing my heart rate to remain steady.
My whole life, I had avoided parties as best as I could, and today, I had fought with myself for hours before finally getting in my truck.
She wouldn’t want me here. She had lots of people to celebrate with.
But I couldn’t stay away. The thought of not seeing her on this big birthday made my chest ache.
