After a second of humiliating silence, Roane’s hands suddenly tightened on my waist and he rolled, pushing me to the ground. The water from the pump seeped into my tank top, but I couldn’t care less. Roane Robson was braced over me, half-naked, his gaze hot and searching. “Are we about to have sex?” he asked bluntly.

The question set my heart to racing.

“Yes,” I whispered.

His grin was immediate and oh so wicked. “Then, aye, angel. I’m fan-fucking-tastic.”

Seventeen

Roane jumped to his feet with more grace than a big guy like him should have been capable of and then bent down to haul me to my feet. Without a word, he grabbed me by the wrist and began marching us into the house. Shadow barked and followed us inside, and Roane paused momentarily to push the kitchen door open. “In, boy,” he directed, closing the door on Shadow, who gave another bark of disgruntlement.

Roane glanced at me. “It’s cool in there for him.”

I could only nod.

My heart was thundering in my chest, and my already sweat-slicked body was burning now from the inside.

Something voracious and sexual flashed in Roane’s eyes, and suddenly he was running up the stairs and I was hurrying to catch up with him. It was only then I realized we were both still wearing our dirty Wellington boots.

Not that we cared. It was the last thing on our minds.

He led me down a dark, narrow corridor and into what I surmised was the master bedroom at the front of the house. It was surprisingly light compared to the rest of the house. There was no heavy floral wallpaper in here. It was all pale gray walls, his large bed covered with dark gray linen.

The two small windows let light pour into the room.

It was stuffy and hot, and made me want to rip my clothes off even more than I already did.

Roane stopped by the side of the bed, turning to me, pulling me close until the length of our bodies pressed together. His hands coasted leisurely up and down my back, while his beautiful eyes searched my face.

“You sure this is what you want?” he asked, but before I could answer, his caresses stopped and his voice became gruff when he confessed, “Because this isn’t just sex for me, Evie. I want us to take a chance on each other, for real. And if you can’t do that, you need to walk away now.” His hands suddenly pushed deeper into my back, holding me tighter, closer, the gesture at odds with his words.

I trembled in his arms, despite the heat, a shiver tickling down my spine. I knew Roane. I knew that it would never just be sex for him. He wasn’t that guy. And he didn’t look at me like a guy who just wanted one thing.