Apparently what Micah had meant that night at the Haven Saloon was that he would watch Holly like a hawk regardless of whether she called him.

I still didn’t know what hidden dangers lurked inside his head, and trust me, it irked me to no end that I couldn’t seem to penetrate the wall he had around his mind, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see why he suddenly became a fixture at Shelf Indulgence.

Just one word: Austin.

Holly had spent just one afternoon with my employee, and it was plain to see that she was well on her way to a full-blown case of teenage angst and puppy love. Whether Austin realized it or not, I noticed the longing stares she cast his way and how she twisted a strand of her hair between her fingers. But those signs paled in comparison to the rather large flashing neon sign that seemed to hang above her that screamed CRUSH.

I took care not to invade her emotions, knowing just how hard it was at that age, when you first discovered boys and that they were more than just cootie carriers. It had been tempting to pry a little and see if I could uncover Micah’s secrets through her. I hated the sleazy feeling that skated over my senses as part of me warred with the other. No one would know if I did decide to push just a little bit against Holly’s defenses. Well, someone would know—me.

Besides, the more time I spent with the kid, the more I grew to like her. Her thirst for knowledge was refreshing, and it was satisfying watching her voraciously devouring each book she pulled from the shelf.

Then Austin sauntered through the door in all his shiny senior glory, and Holly found a new subject to enjoy. I had a quick word with Austin to remind him that she was off limits and that if I caught him leading her on, I would put him on toilet duty for a year. He scoffed at my attempt at a threat, replying that one toilet wasn’t that big of a deal, considering he already took care of it. His face blanched a sickly shade of white, however, when I told him I hadn’t quite finished. I would see that he cleaned every toilet on town square and the surrounding businesses, and that if he didn’t believe me, I’d throw in the ski resort for good measure.

I didn’t really have that kind of pull, but it was funny to watch the belief in his eyes. Austin was then on his best behavior and volunteered to tutor Holly with her schoolwork. She impressed him immediately with her knowledge, and they spent most afternoons with their heads down as they read from some textbook or another.

Harmless enough to me.

Worrisome to Micah.

“I don’t like him,” he murmured, not once taking his eyes off the pair. “Are you sure you threatened him enough? Perhaps I should have a talk with him.”

I studied Micah as he stood leaning against the wall that led to the back storeroom. I was once again perched on my stool behind the counter, scrolling through a list of books I was hoping to order from. I clicked out of that window and opened another, this one the site where I often purchased the decorations for my window display. I’d finally narrowed the list down to a spring theme, considering the spring equinox was fast approaching.

Who was I kidding? I’d spent more time memorizing the leanness of his body and how his jaw tightened each time Austin moved closer to Holly. He was watching them, and I was watching him. My heart raced faster whenever he looked my way, and it became increasingly harder to focus. Suddenly I understood Holly a little better—we both had crushes on guys way out of our league.

“Are you seriously going to stand there ready to pounce on that poor boy?” I asked, laughing. “What do you think he’s going to do? Whisk her away to Mexico and get married? Get her drunk at some frat party?”

I was only teasing, but for a second there, I worried the muscle in Micah’s tight jaw might snap from pressure. His glare was positively lethal.

“He’ll be dead before he takes his next breath,” he muttered softly below his breath, poised to take a step toward the two unaware teens.

“Micah!” I exclaimed, my eyes widening. A sick sensation settled in the pit of my stomach, and a menacing, oppressive wave flowed over me. He wasn’t joking around. Deep in my gut I knew that what he had spoken out loud was truth.

Moving away from where I was sitting, I cautiously approached him, trying to figure out what had flipped the anger switch inside him. Yes, most males got overly protective when members of the opposite sex so much as breathed too close to their female family members, but this was excessive.

I had to think quickly and defuse the situation. Catching him off guard, I shoved hard at him, pushing him back into the storage room, and slammed the door closed with my foot. I was getting ready to lay the law down with him.

“I may look small, Micah Westbrook, but believe me when I tell you that I won’t hesitate to knock you on your ass if you don’t start acting with better manners. I’ve known that kid out there for a year, so you can trust me when I say he’s a good kid.”

Micah began to speak, but I cut him off.

“I’m not finished.” I jabbed at his chest with my finger, which earned me a soft grunt. The corners of his mouth trembled as he tried not to smile.

Great. He thought I was being cute.

“You’ve got two choices, mister. You can either leave, and I’ll call you when their tutoring session is over, or you can quit acting like a caveman and be useful.”

He cocked his eyebrow, intrigued. “Useful how?”

“Well, for starters you can stop acting like a helicopter parent, hovering in anticipation, and help me organize in here.” I gestured to my neatly arranged shelves of inventory. “And before you make some sarcastic remark, this system no longer works for me.” My hands rested on my hips as I stared him down.

“Are those the only two options I have?” For some reason, his gaze dropped to my mouth before rising again to meet my stare.

“Well,” I began, wearing a smirk of my own. “You can always choose door number three and explain to me why you want to kill anyone who gets close to Holly. You know that’s not normal, right? Keep acting this way, and I’m going to start thinking your secret is you’re a serial killer on the run.”

He had the audacity to bark out a loud laugh, tears forming at the corner of his eyes. “Is that what you think, Sedona?”

He took a step toward me, blocking the way out with his body.

I stood my ground, not intimidated in the least. “I don’t know what to think, Micah. You refuse to answer any of my questions, remember?”

I tilted my head back slightly so I could still hold eye contact. Good lord, he was tall. I briefly closed my eyes. I could still feel him. Damn it.

“What if I told you I’m feeling generous today?” He stepped even closer, and the room suddenly felt too small, my own emotions bouncing off the walls. Instinctively, I searched for his, and once again felt the tall, hard wall he’d erected as a defense.

No, wait.

Somewhere in the few moments that had passed, my traitorous hand had reached out and now rested over his heart. The hardness that I felt was in fact . . . him.

“Sedona,” he murmured, his tone now soft and gentle. I wanted to lean into him. “Tell me what you want.”

A thousand responses raced through my mind—from all the questions I had to the private fantasies I entertained late at night while I was safe at home.

He tilted my chin up with his finger. The look on his face melted me because it brought a different emotion for him into the forefront, one I hadn’t expected.

Desire.

“Micah,” I breathed, licking my lips. “Just let me in. Trust me.” I was about to add and don’t kill my employee, when he surprised me again.

“Okay.” It was just one word, but I knew how much it meant for him to grant it. “Feel this.”

I gasped out loud as I felt his walls come down, and the sweetest, most intense sensation spilled out from behind it.

Attraction.

Desire.

Interest.

A wild desperation at having to deny the one thing he wanted—me.

One word filled my mind that confused me.

Forbidden.

I parted my lips to ask him why he saw me that way, but he didn’t give me a chance, because he crushed his mouth over mine, his tongue tracing the seam of my lips. My arms wrapped around his neck, and his hands spanned my waist, bringing my body up against his. I didn’t know whether it was because I was up on my tiptoes or because he’d lifted me up off the ground, but we fit perfectly. His kiss was beyond perfect. In fact, it far exceeded anything I could’ve hoped for.

In that one kiss I knew he had ruined me for any that may follow. He savored each taste, each dip of his tongue as it met with mine, causing both of us to moan softly. It was both beautiful and savage—beautiful because he held me like I was precious and savage because there was a barely restrained hunger that lurked beneath the kiss.

I wanted to encourage him to let go of whatever kept him always on guard.

I wanted to tell him—scream—that it was okay and that nothing catastrophic would happen—that we were both consenting adults who wanted this. I felt myself melt in his arms and his embrace tighten, holding me closer. It was everything and more, and I begged that time could stand still so I could memorize every blissful second.

His hand skated up over my back and into my hair, his fingers curling in the strands. A thought flashed through my mind to never wear it down again because electricity sizzled through my nerves, setting them on fire.

I felt alive—painfully, blissfully aware of everything around me.

And then the moment was over, and I could feel him pull back. I kept my eyes closed as if to prolong the numbness of my lips, the touch of his hands on my body.

“Sedona,” he whispered, his voice low and husky.

“Mmmm,” I replied, and I slowly opened my eyes.

“Did you know King Henry the Sixth banned kissing in England as a way to prevent the spread of disease? Or that the average person spends two weeks of their life kissing?”

My eyes flew open as I burst out laughing. “Oh, really?”

His grin showed me more than tapping into his emotions would. He was very proud of himself. “I also read that scientists at the University in Tokyo believe our love of kissing comes from an ancient rat.”

My brow furrowed, and I scrunched my nose. “Ewwww, I’m almost too scared to ask about that last one, but I have to know!”

I locked eyes with him again, enjoying his impromptu fact sharing.

“Yeah, I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to share that with you, but I also knew your thirst for knowledge—the weirder the better.” He brushed the hair away from the side of my face, his fingers slowly trailing down before cupping my cheek. “I’m hoping it will earn me brownie points in case that kiss was an epic fail.”

My mouth watered, and I wanted to grab his face to kiss him back. Hard. “I never pegged you for someone who lacked confidence in that area, Micah,” I teased. “But yes, you earned big points for those pieces of trivia. In fact, I have it on good authority that if you tell me more about that ancient rat, there will be another kiss.” I sounded cheesy as hell, but I didn’t care.

“Something about the rat rubbing noses with its mate to signal desire.” Micah leaned in, placing his forehead against mine, our noses barely touching. “I didn’t expect to find you, Sedona.” His warm breath fanned across my lips.

“Yet here we are.”

He leaned in again, whispering against my mouth, “I guess this changes everything.”

And with that declaration, my heart soared.