A low growl emits from the doorway, and I let out a silent chuckle.

“Dinner will be ready in an hour,” Ruby calls just before she leaves the kitchen, leaving Murph and I alone with all of the heavy tension between us.

I stay silent as I busy myself with wiping down the counters. His presence behind me is still obvious.

“So what’s your story, huh?” He stalks in, grabbing an apple from the bowl on the counter. Leaning against the granite, his thick forearms folded in front of him, he takes a bite and glares at me with a harsh grin.

I don’t answer him, only glaring back.

“I’m being serious.”

“Oh really?” I ask, coyly. “I really had you pegged for Mr. Comedy.”

“I know nothing about your past, where you came from, what brought you to Wickett. You might as well be my foster sister.” He takes a bite of his apple, and something intense floods through my bloodstream at the way he bites and grins at me as if he were thinking of me between his fingers.

“Ugh, please don’t say that. We are not even close to being related.”

“You have a story, and I want to hear it.”

For a minute, I consider saying something. Bad breakup, maybe. New start. But then I remember his threat to me just an hour ago, and I want him to know nothing about me. Especially since our relationship sits in this gray area.

“I moved into town, started looking for a job, and found Hazel. What else is there to know?”

“What are you running from?”

My eyes shoot up to his face, fixing on those deep green irises that seem to be pulling me in. Is my story so written on my face that he can tell I’m running from something...or someone?

“I’m not running from anything,” I answer, tossing the kitchen towel against the counter.

“You show up at my shop, throw yourself at me like you haven’t been touched in ages. Clearly you have a secret, something you’re hiding. And I’ll figure it out.”

He stands from his position bent over the counter and tosses the half-eaten apple into the garbage. Then he marches toward me, keeping his gaze on my face, the intensity making me shudder. Without stopping, he presses his body against mine, pinning me to the counter.

Part of me wants to push him away, and another part wants to grab his face and wrap my legs around his waist, losing all abandon in this intensity.

He leans down, bringing his face closer to mine. I ready myself for a kiss, leaning my head back and giving it a slight tilt.

His lips whisper delicately close to mine. “All I can think about is look on your face when you came on my lap.”

My breath hitches in my throat. I can smell the sweetness of the apple on his breath, and I inhale it, desperate to consume him in any way that I can.