I finished off my bottle of water and tossed the empty container into my lunch box. I wiped the sweat from my face with the back of my arm and glanced over to the other guys, who were also taking their lunch break.

All I could think about was Poppy and how I wanted to tell her how I felt, how I wanted her in all ways. Thinking of her had me turning and looking at her brother and wondering how he’d feel if I just told him that she would be mine.

He sat a few feet away, but his focus was trained right on me. I felt my entire body tense, the way he watched me telling me clearly he knew what I was thinking, or that I watched his sister every single day when she came to pick him up.

Or maybe it was my guilty fucking conscious for wanting Poppy when I shouldn’t.

And then he got up and came over to me. Every muscle in my body was strung tight, the thought of an altercation with Kevin rising up. I didn't want to get into this shit right now, but it was clear by the stern expression on his face that he wasn't about to let this go…whatever this was.

He sat down beside me, and for long seconds we didn't speak. Finally he shifted to face me, and I looked at him, not backing down. I wouldn't lie if he confronted me about wanting Poppy.

“What's on your mind?” My voice was gruff, kind of harsh even to my own ears. But I was braced for whatever verbal attack Kevin might throw my way. I envisioned him saying I was too old for her, too rough around the edges. I could see him saying a whole bunch of shit—all of which would be true, but that wouldn't stop me from going after her.

“I'm not a fucking idiot. I know you want my sister, and I have a few things to say about it.”

I bet he did have more than a few things to say, but I'd listen to him out of respect. It wouldn't sway me one way or another, though, because I'd still make Poppy mine.

“My sister has feelings for you, and I see the way you look at her every day. You want her, but I want to know on what level that is.” Kevin was staring me right in the eyes now, all but demanding the answer.

At the very mention that Poppy wanted me, I sat up straighter. “Your sister said she has feelings for me?”

Kevin grunted and looked away for a second before turning his attention back to me. “Yeah, pretty much. I honestly wouldn't even be talking to you about this if she hadn't. Because if it were just a one-sided attraction coming from you, I would've let things be. I take you for a smart man, Jakob, figured you would back the hell off if she didn't show any interest.”

I didn't bother telling Kevin that I had been going to go after Poppy before he came up and talked to me. Because even if she hadn’t shown any interest, I still would've tried, still would've attempted to make her see that we were perfect for each other.

“So basically what I'm saying is, don't fuck this up. Don't break her heart or there'll be issues between you and me.”

I could respect his take on that. I nodded, and we sat in silence for the remainder of lunch. It was the kind of silence that was comfortable, in agreement. I knew one thing for sure: when she picked her brother up today, I was going to tell her exactly what I wanted from her…and with her.

* * *

I pulled into the gravel driveway to pick up my brother. My heart was racing because I knew I'd see Jakob. The fact that I'd already spoken with Kevin about this, or said as much as I would on the subject, made me feel nervous.

Kevin hadn't told me not to see Jakob, and even though I would've seen him if I wanted to, because I was a grown-ass woman, knowing my brother wouldn't cause trouble did make me feel a little more at ease.

I pulled up beside another vehicle and cut the engine. I had about a five-minute wait before the guys came out. I leaned back in the seat and closed my eyes, thinking about how I was actually going to confront Jakob. Doing it here when he was probably tired, dirty from working the mines all day, and not really ready to be ambushed, made me feel slightly weird. But there would be no other time I could see him.

I knew occasionally the guys all went out for beers afterward, but I never went. If I didn't say anything to him now, I really wouldn't have a chance to. And I also knew if I kept prolonging it, my nerves would take over and I'd never do it.

There was a knock on the driver's side door, and I snapped my eyes open. I looked over and there stood Jakob. He had black soot smeared across his cheeks, arms, and hands. His dark hair was disheveled, and his eyes looked bluer than normal. Or maybe it was just all the dirt that covered him that made them stand out.

To be honest, he looked really damn good this way. His big form took up the entire window, blocking out everything behind him. His muscles bunched as he shifted slightly, and I felt every part of my body come alive.

I probably looked like an idiot just sitting there, my window still rolled up and gawking at him like he was a piece of meat. I glanced out the front windshield and saw Kevin standing off in the distance. He was looking away, but it was obvious that he was giving me some privacy for whatever Jakob had to say.

I finally snapped out of my haze and rolled down the window, my throat so dry I didn't even bother trying to say anything.

Jacob gave me this half smile, and I felt every erogenous zone in my body come alive. My nipples tightened under the thin material of my T-shirt, and I clenched my legs together, hoping to stem off the arousal that was slowly starting to build between my thighs.

“Hey,” he said and braced a forearm on the hood of my car.

I was transfixed at the sight of his bicep bulging, his skin slightly damp from the sweat of working underground. I felt my face heat, felt this entire flush steal over my body. Hell, he said one word to me in his deep, gruff voice and I was already liquid for him.

“Hi,” I said, my voice weak, slightly shaky. I had my hands wrapped around the steering wheel, and curled them tightly around the leather.

He glanced over at where Kevin stood, but his focus was on me only a second later. He leaned in an inch closer, and I held my breath. Even though he'd been working all day, he smelled so good.

He smelled like a man, masculine and intense, woodsy and free. God, I felt like some hormonal teenager who couldn't even control herself.

“Listen,” he said and looked away for a second. He used his other hand to run through the dark locks on top of his head, messing up the strands even more. When he turned his blue focus on me again, my heart stalled in my chest. “I want to take you out, Poppy.”

I couldn't speak for long seconds, couldn't even form a coherent word.

“So what do you say? Let me take you out, show you how special you are?”

Oh. God. He thought I was special.

I opened my mouth but then closed it again, not sure what to say. Of course I wanted to go out with him, had even been contemplating how to bring up this exact subject today. But he’d beat me to it, and now I felt like I was on a tightrope, about to fall off.

He continued to stare at me, a slight smile on his face. He wasn't pushing me, and although I felt like I was put on the spot, my nerves overtaking everything else, this thrill moved through me. I'd never felt anything like it before.

“Yeah.” My voice was so soft I was embarrassed by it. “I'd actually love to go out with you, Jakob.”

A smile spread across his face, straight white teeth flashing, blinding. “That's good. That's really good, Poppy.” I heard his hand smack a couple times on the hood of my car before he took a few steps back.

I forced myself not to look at his body, to not appreciate the masculinity that poured from him. He gave me one more blinding smile before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a cell phone. I was glad I was with it enough to grab my phone out of my purse, assuming he wanted to exchange numbers.

Afterward we stared at each other for a few seconds. I wondered if he felt as nervous as I did. Although he seemed calm and collected, for me, on the inside, it felt like chaos.

“How about I call you later, and plan on picking you up tonight to grab something to eat?”

I swallowed roughly and nodded.

“See you tonight, Poppy.”

I watched him walk away and get into his truck. It was only a moment later that Kevin climbed into the passenger’s side seat. He exhaled roughly, and I turned and looked at him.

“What?”

Kevin just shook his head, but I saw a small smirk on his face. It was clear he could see how flustered I was. And if he noticed, there was no way Jakob hadn't. I didn't bother to say anything else, just cranked the engine and pulled away from the jobsite.

I had other things to worry about, like how in the hell I was going to get through tonight.