Without giving herself permission, Ashley swayed toward Linc until she could feel heat emanating from his body. It was as intoxicating as his welcoming gaze, and when his hands slowly slid up her arms, her knees began to wobble.

She felt like that teenager all over again.

But she was no longer that innocent, hopeful girl. So much had happened since then. Life happened.

Stepping back, she pulled out of his grasp and sucked in a breath.

Although the urge to kiss him was strong, Ashley needed to be a realist. Starting something with Lincoln McCall was foolish, especially since she was heading back to California in a few weeks.

Back to her life.

It wasn’t here. She didn’t belong here. She belonged behind the desk in her west coast law firm, not remodeling old houses. It was just a vacation. An escape from the world. A place to recharge.

That’s all it ever was…a break. As always, she didn’t belong in Amity.

She was just visiting.

“Why don’t you show me what needs to be done?”

***

Two days later, Ashley admitted she was in a pickle. The chemistry between her and Linc had ratcheted up to unimaginable. Working side by side with the guy had obliterated every single excuse her mind could conjure to keep their relationship platonic.

Not that he made any moves on her. No, he’d been nothing but a gentleman, and a good friend. He made her laugh every day, and she found herself opening up as they caught up on each other’s lives. She’d always known he was smart and capable and sweet, but his killer sense of humor was a surprise…and a big turn on. Bigger than his sexy body. And he had one heck of a sexy body.

Then there was the fact he seemed to know what tool or material she needed before she even asked. Heck, before she even knew she needed it—even if he wasn’t in the same room with her.

They were that tuned into each other.

“…or without?” Stefanie’s voice drifted into Ashley’s muddled brain.

She blinked and refocused on her friend as they sat in Chloe and Logan’s living room, ready to watch a superhero movie and devour much-needed pizza and wine coolers. “Sorry. What did you ask?”

Her friend grinned. “I asked if you wanted with onion or without.”

“Oh. With, please.” She held out her plate for a slice of cheese covered heaven. “Thanks.”

“No problem. I should probably leave at least one piece with onion for Linc. Especially considering he let us move our movie night here…while he eradicates that unwanted guest from my cabin.”

She nodded. “That was nice of him…and brave.”

Neither of them had been willing to deal with the bat that was flying around the beamed ceiling when they arrived with their supper. And pretending it wasn’t there while they tried to eat and watch a flick wasn’t an option, neither was stopping at her cabin because she didn’t have a television. So they ended up here, and Linc immediately headed to Mac’s cabin.

“What if he needs help?”

“You want to go deal with that bat?”

Her flesh started to crawl. “No.” She shivered. “But I still don’t like leaving him on his own.”

“Nah, he’ll be okay. In case you didn’t notice, he’s a big boy. He can handle it.”

Oh, she noticed all right. Every day. During her secret drool-fest when he removed his sweatshirt or coat and got to work. Today, muscles rippled up his back and in his solid arms as he rolled paint on one of the bedroom walls.

“So…have you kissed yet?”

Choking on the pizza in her mouth, she grabbed the wine cooler Stef handed her.

“Not sure if that qualifies as a yes or a no, so I guess I’ll have to wait for you to tell me.”

She swiped a napkin off the coffee table and wiped her mouth before answering. “No. Of course not.”

“Well, why not?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you two are a ticking time bomb. The attraction between you is off the charts. It’s only a matter of time before you share your first kiss.”

“Already did over a decade ago,” Ashley said without thinking, then stilled at the incredulous look Stef sent her.

“You two have a history? But I thought you never met before.”

Stupid, stupid brain. Even just talking about the guy sucked the brain cells from her head.

She sighed. “Yes, but don’t say anything. We weren’t supposed to hang out back then, but we stumbled upon each other when I was sixteen and we used to rendezvous at…one of the abandoned structures.”

“That is so cool. And romantic.”

“I guess.” She shrugged. “But then summer ended and I went back to Phoenix and he went back to Austin.”

“Ah, I get it. That was before texting, so it was harder to stay in touch.”

“Yeah.”

“That explains the crazy chemistry, but it doesn’t explain why you haven’t kissed yet. As adults.”

Kind of her fault. They’d had several opportunities, but she always chickened out. The pull was stronger and stronger. “My fault,” she admitted between bites. “Not that he’s tried anything. But I’m not sure I’m ready to take on that chemistry you mentioned.”

Understanding flickered through her friend’s pretty aqua-colored eyes. “He’d be the first one since your husband.”

“Actually, no.” She fidgeted with her napkin. “I went on a few dates last year before I came here. Kind of to appease my mom and my business partner.”

“I gather it didn’t go so well.”

“Not really. It wasn’t either of the guys’ faults. I just wasn’t ready.” She shuddered, remembering how horrid she’d felt after letting them kiss her goodnight. “It was just too soon. Barely a month after the anniversary of Neil’s death. The first one wasn’t great, but I foolishly thought since a few weeks went by that it would go better the second time, but I was wrong.”

Stef covered her hand. “It wasn’t your fault, either. Like you said, it was just too soon.”

She nodded. “I know. It’s the reason I took a leave of absence and came here.”

More like fled. Yeah, Ashley fled to the only place she’d ever found peace. Amity. And she did find it again.

“Well, I’d say this ranch agrees with you.” Stef released her hand, grabbed her bottle and lifted it in the air. “To Amity.”

“To Amity,” she echoed, raising her cooler before taking a sip.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, each lost in her own thoughts. Ashley’s were stuck somewhere between the past and the present, but she had no idea what caused the haunted look that flittered through her friend’s eyes. She didn’t recall Stef ever really talking about her past. The clever graphic artist tended to live in the now, but Ashley knew from Chloe that the two had had a rough childhood when their dad had died, and their stepmother wasn’t much of a mother.

Ashley could relate to the not having a father, but at least she had a wonderful mother, even if her mom loved her too much at times.

Stef reached for another piece of pizza and cocked her head. “So, where does that leave Linc?”

The woman was nothing, if not resilient. She turned to her and shrugged. “At your cabin trying to corral a bat.”

“I didn’t mean that and you know it.” Stef snorted. “I’m talking about you two.”

Oh…that.

“There is no ‘you two’.”

“Do you want there to be?”

She opened her mouth intending to shoot that idea down cold, but the thing was, Ashley did want there to be. “I…I’m not sure. It’s a bit confusing.”

“Let’s see if I can help you unconfuse it.” Stefanie sat back against the couch and stretched out her legs. “Do you like him?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a good start. Do you want to kiss him?”

The smart answer would be, hell no. The cowboy was much too potent and dangerous to her peace of mind. But that would only be a half truth. “Yeah…too much, I fear.”

“Too much can be a great thing,” Linc stated, walking further in to the room.

Ashley’s heart literally rocked in her chest.

How much of the conversation had he heard?

She searched his face for signs that he was fishing about her kissing him, but only saw a general inquiry in his expression. Breathing a sigh of relief, she pointed to the box of pizza on the coffee table in front of her and Stef. “Not if it’s onions.”

“I like it either way,” he stated.

“Good, bat-man, because we kind of ate most of the onion ones.” Stef wrinkled her nose. “I take it I can return to the cabin without worrying I’ll go batshit crazy?”

He settled on the couch next to her and reached for a slice of pizza, his nearness immediately inducing a warm, fuzzy wave over her. “Yeah. You’re bat free. I found a crack near the roof where he came in, so I fixed that, too. No more visits from Vlad.”

“Sweet. You’re da best.” Her friend grinned as she rose to her feet. “I’m going to scoot. You two enjoy what’s left of supper and the movie.”

By the time Ashley’s brain got with the program, the conniving woman was gone. She blinked at the now-vacant spot on her right. The bugger just up and left her alone with Linc. No…stranded her with Linc, since Stef was the one who drove.

Traitor.

She chanced a glance at Linc.

He chuckled. “She’s about as subtle as a firecracker.”

“I was thinking more like an air horn, but firecracker works, too.” Ashley shook her head and smiled. “At least she left the pizza.”

“Amen,” he muttered, already reaching for his second slice. “You got a lot done in the main bathroom today. It looks great.”

Warmed by his compliment, she couldn’t stop the blush from heating her face. “Thanks,” she replied, with her gaze glued to the movie she’d barely watched all evening.

It was safer to pretend an interest in the TV, and he seemed content to eat and watch the movie, too. By the time it ended, she was in trouble. If she didn’t leave soon, she was going to do something stupid like press Linc back onto the cushions and kiss him until she couldn’t see straight.

“Did you want another cooler?” he asked, gathering the empty pizza box and plates before he rose.

“No. I’m good.” She’d nursed hers, too afraid to have more for fear she’d do something foolish—like press Linc back into the cushions and kiss him until she couldn’t see straight.

She grabbed Stef’s bottle, and carried it, along with hers, into the kitchen and set them on the counter. Moving the curtain aside, she glance out the window above the sink.

“What’s wrong?” He frowned, moving close to peer out too.

Forcing her body to ignore the brush of his broad chest against her arm, Ashley concentrated on his question. “Nothing’s wrong. I was just looking to see if Stef sent out a bat signal for you.”

Laughing, he released the curtain and turned to face her. “I’m pretty certain there was only one bat.”

“Oh, trust me, if there were more, you would’ve known by now, and not with a light in the sky. Her scream would’ve reached all the way here.” That woman had a set of lungs. Ashley had temporarily gone deaf from her friend’s startled cry earlier.

“The bat was probably more afraid of her, flying round and round, trying to get the hell out. Bet he warned all his bat buddies to steer clear of the banshee in the cabin, too.”

She laughed, not just because it was funny, but because it was probably true.

He leaned his hip against the counter and folded his arms across his chest. “I’ve had the integrity of my eardrums tested several times. You don’t want to be in the truck with her on the highway when a bug hits the windshield if the windows are up. My ears were ringing for hours.”

The teasing gleam in his eyes told her he was exaggerating, but she chuckled anyway.

“Well, I guess I should get going. Stef was my ride home. But, it’s a mild night, so I won’t mind walking.”

He straightened. “Like hell you will.” All traces of amusement were gone from his gaze, leaving his face tight with serious concern. “It’s too late at night. I’ll take you home.”

“No. I don’t want to impose. I’ll be fine.”

“Ash.” He set a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “You don’t seriously think I’d mind, do you?”

It was suddenly hard to draw air into her lungs, or form a thought, or word. She had enough sense to shake her head, but not enough to move.

Or stop her gaze from dropping to his mouth.

He had a great mouth, not too full or thin, sort of chiseled just right. It matched his strong jaw, and the dusting of five o’clock shadow upped his sexiness to irresistible status.

Did he taste as good as he looked?

He sucked in a breath. “You need to stop looking at me like that. You’re killing me.”

But she didn’t want to stop. Her body was filled with too much excitement. Too much anticipation. Too much need, to stop.

“I don’t want to do either,” she whispered, turning to fully face him and set a hand on his chest. It was warm and solid, and his heartbeat strong and sure under her palm. All the reassurance she needed to step into him and cup his face with her other hand. “I’m tired of fighting this.”

He cupped her face with both hands and stared deeply into her eyes. Apparently he was satisfied with what he saw because he slowly lowered his mouth.