“Well, Lia,” I say as I lift my head out of my hands and gaze into her stunning eyes. “I’m Nate, Avery’s brother. Do you always go around trying to knock off the heads of guys who stop by for a cup of coffee?”
“No…no. Of course not. You just startled me. I wasn’t expecting anyone. I was getting ready to go unlock the front door when I heard you come in the back,” she says.
“You could have asked, ‘Who is it?’ or ‘Can I help you?’ Either of those would have been better than striking me with a pan,” I reply deadpanned.
Lia looks down at her hands that are moving restlessly on the tabletop. It’s the first time I get a decent look at her without the slight concussion affecting my vision. She has her long brown hair pulled up in some sort of bun thingy and sweeping bangs that hang just above her eyes. And her eyes…they are this intoxicating shade of gray with bright blue flakes bursting through. She also has the cutest button nose that makes me want to tweak it with my thumb and finger like I do to my niece, Bean. But by far, her best feature is her neck. Seriously. It’s long and lean and curves seductively from her collarbone to her earlobes. I can see her pulse point beating wildly as she swallows hard.
“I’m so sorry,” she says again, finally meeting my gaze head-on. “I shouldn’t have attacked you like that. I’m just a little jumpy, I guess,” she adds with a casual shrug of her shoulders.
“I’d say,” I mumble and reach up, gingerly touching the back of my head. Oh, yeah. Definitely going to have a mark from that one.
“Here, let me get you some ice,” she says as she stands and hurries back to the kitchen.
I hear her rummaging around as she tries to locate whatever it is she’s looking for. I decide to head back into the kitchen and help her out. Hell, I’m definitely ready for that cup of coffee now. Preferably with a little Jack Daniels.
When I step into the kitchen, she is extended into the big freezer and is dropping ice into the baggie in her hand. She startles again when I come up behind her, causing her to wobble on her long, jean-clad legs. I reach forward and catch a hold of her before she can go down. Lightning strikes a second time as my much larger hand wraps firmly around her upper arm. Her wide eyes look at me with…shock? Fear? Heat? Hell, I can’t tell anymore. Maybe that pan caused some sort of temporary damage.
She walks with me over to the large stainless steel island in the middle of the kitchen. Lia grabs me by the shoulder and turns me so that she’s standing behind me. She ever so gently places the bag of ice against my swollen melon.
The cold instantly soothes the dull ache in my head, but it’s the heat that concerns me now. Lia stands mere inches from me, her front to my back. One hand holds on to the bag of ice while the other holds firmly against my head to keep it from moving. Her quickening breath peppers the back of my neck causing my pants to tighten instantly. Being this close to her threatens to unravel all of the self-control I’ve mustered up in the last minute.
“So, why are you so jumpy?” I ask as she continues to hold the ice on the back of my head. Honestly, it doesn’t hurt much anymore, but for some foreign reason, I want her body close to mine and her hands pressed against my scalp, so I keep my damn mouth shut.
“Oh, you know,” she says with an uncomfortable chuckle. “A girl can never be too careful these days,” she adds.
Something underlying that she doesn’t say, has me turning around. I heard the words she said, but I sense that there is something deeper into her reaction.
Lia drops her hands from my head, one still cradling the bag of melting ice. We are close enough to touch. To kiss. I honestly consider it. I want to lean forward and kiss the hell out of this woman. We both stare at each other, both lost in each other’s eyes. Her eyes hold so much sadness and pain. It’s like they haven’t truly shined like the jewels they are in forever. Something deep inside me yearns to make them shine again. To bring out the vibrant colors in her eyes and make them light the world. I want to give her this.
I lean forward ever so slightly and continue to look in her eyes. I see the questions, the challenge, the fear, and the heat - all there within those magnificent eyes. Lia licks her lips subconsciously and lifts her chin. We are mere inches apart yet it feels like canyons between us. She’s hiding something, I can tell.
Just when I decide to go for broke and kiss the hell out of this enigma of a woman, the back door springs open. Lia and I jump apart like two teenagers and Lia drops the baggie of ice on the floor.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Lia, I just -” Avery says. “Oh, Nate. What are you doing here?” she asks with a look of pure surprise etched all over her face.