Maybe it was time to make him realize that for himself.
She watched him turn and toss a split log onto a growing pile. Just when he would have picked up another slab of wood and continued chopping, he caught sight of her standing at the window, staring at him. Their gazes met, and even with the distance separating them she could see the wanting and carnal hunger in his expression.
Her heart raced with that same blatant need. She didn't move or look away, refusing to be the one to put an end to that intimate moment between them. Not surprisingly, he was the first to break the visual contact.
She decided that she was done waiting for Joel to come around. She'd agreed to let him do his job without distractions while they were in the city, but they were a world away from Chicago and the threat lingering there like a black cloud. Out here, with just the two of them at a secluded, isolated cabin, there was no need for Joel's protection. No need to look over her shoulder for danger, or rely on him to keep her safe.
Now, they were just two people who were very attracted to one another, and as far as she was concerned, all bets were off.
Chapter Fourteen
IT didn't take Joel long to realize his monumental mistake in bringing Lora to the remote, secluded cabin. When he'd originally come up with the idea of setting up a meeting between Lora and Zach, his only thought was to make sure it happened somewhere far outside the city limits, at a place that was difficult to find or trace without specific directions, and his aunt and uncle's cabin provided the kind of isolation he'd been looking for.
He'd deliberately withheld the real reason why he'd brought Lora there. She believed it was for the sole purpose of taking a mini-vacation and being able to rest and relax without worrying about being attacked again. But the truth was, he didn't want Lora to be disappointed if her brother didn't show up, and considering Zach's track record thus far, Joel knew that was a huge possibility.
Tomorrow would tell.
In the meantime, Joel hadn't accounted for the fact that he'd be spending a whole lot of time alone with Lora.
Or that she'd view this time away together as an opportunity to rekindle their affair and put the heat back into their relationship. He should have known better, though. Despite the fact that he'd kept his hands, and other body parts, to himself since the night of her attack, the sexual tension between them had only increased to the point that one simple touch from her had the ability to short-circuit his brain and make him forget everything except the aching need to be deep inside her again.
Shit.
Annoyed at himself, and the entire situation, he slammed the axe down hard, splintering the last log into two clean pieces. He wished he had a truckload of wood left to chop to keep him busy well into the night, but no such luck. This was it. His current diversion was done, and sooner or later he was going to have to face Lora again.
After carrying a night's worth of wood into the cabin and stacking the rest in the corner of the porch to keep it dry, he came up with an idea to stave off the inevitable. Since they still had a few good hours of daylight left, he figured they might as well take advantage of the outdoors, and the decent weather while it lasted.
He found Lora inside, reclining comfortably on the sofa and reading a book that someone had left behind at the cabin. When she heard him walk into the living room, she glanced up from the novel and gave him a too-knowing smile.
"Are you all done outside?" she asked, much too innocently.
"Yeah." She was so on to him, and he felt the beginnings of an answering grin tug at the corners of his mouth. "I was thinking of going for a walk along one of those trails before it gets too dark. Care to join me?"
She snapped the book shut, sat up, and started putting her sneakers back on. "I would love to go on a walk with you, as long as you're willing to protect me from any snakes or wild creatures we might happen to run into. I so am not a Girl Scout."
He nodded. "I think I can manage that."
"Oh, and it would be really nice if you'd just relax around me, instead of being so serious and formal all the time. Especially out here." Standing, she approached him, her gaze turning a soft shade of green as she searched his expression. "And just so you know, I really miss the old Joel. You know, that fun, irresistible guy who took me to a coffee shop for our first date and used to flirt and tease. I know he's in there somewhere, and it would be nice if you could try and coax him back out, maybe just a little bit?"
He exhaled a deep breath and scrubbed a hand along the slight stubble on his jaw, forcing himself to relax and just enjoy being with her. He could at least manage that. "Okay. I'll do my best."
"Great." A sweet, enthusiastic grin lit up her entire face. "Can we take one of the trails along the creek?"
"Sure."
They left the cabin and headed toward a dirt path located near the flowing stream. All around them were a profusion of wildflowers, large trees, and foliage giving way to beautiful autumn colors. A cool, light breeze blew, and in the distance Joel could see clouds moving in, but there was still enough daylight left for them to kill a good hour or two outdoors.
As they strolled along the winding trail, he pointed out the poison oak fringing the edge of the trail so she didn't come into contact with the toxic plant. And luckily for Lora, the only wildlife they happened upon were a few twittering birds nestled in the tree branches overhead, and a raccoon ambling his way across their path. The furry animal stopped to look at them with beady eyes as they approached, then hustled off into the brush, which made Lora laugh.
A good half an hour passed, filled with easy, companionable conversation before they reached an open clearing with ragged rock formations and a clear view of the creek. They headed in that direction, and came to a stop at the edge of the stream, where the water was shallow and slow moving.
Ever since Joel had spoken with Mia on the phone, he'd been meaning to bring up the gallery opening event with Lora and figured this was as good a time as any. "I've been wanting to ask you something," he said casually.
She glanced at him and tipped her head curiously. "Sure. What's up?"
He couldn't help but notice that her skin was flushed as a result of their hike, and her hair was tousled around her face from the breeze-reminding him too much of the sensual, disheveled way she looked after sex. He swallowed hard, looked away, and rerouted his thoughts back to the more mundane.
"My sister, Mia, is having a gallery opening this coming weekend and I'd like to know if you'd come with me." He squatted down, picked up a small, smooth rock, and ran his thumb over the flat surface. "I don't know if this situation with Zach will be over by then, so I wanted to be sure you wouldn't mind going."
"I'd love to go with you." She lowered herself down to his level and dipped the tips of her fingers into the clear, cold water. "She does the stained glass designs, right?"
"Yep. Except her designs have a bit of a twist to them." He wanted to make sure Lora knew that right up front, so she wouldn't be shocked when she realized how risqué some of Mia's designs actually were. "She creates these beautiful designs that seem ordinary at first glance, but when you look a little deeper, the design actually transforms into something else entirely."
"Such as?"
He pitched the small rock in his hand out into the creek and watched as it skipped three times along the surface before sinking. "Well, she made this gorgeous stained glass pattern of a peacock, and the colors were absolutely striking. But the longer you look at the original design, the more your eyes start focusing in on another image within the picture, usually of a couple in an intimate or erotic embrace."