Love and Other Things (Crystal Lake 4)

“Physical is good.”

“And then there’s the other part.”

“What’s that, exactly?”

His smiled, that devastating wicked grin that made her heart melt. “That’s the part we’re figuring out. We’ve got the physical thing down pat.”

“And then some,” she murmured.

His grin widened. “We should maybe practice some of the other stuff.”

“Like what?” God, she loved talking to this man.

“How about dinner?” He grimaced and looked behind her. “I’m low on supplies right now, but I can grab something when I’m in town before I head back here.”

“Why don’t you come to the cottage?”

“I don’t like to leave Jingle alone.”

“That’s fine, just bring her.”

He watched her for a few moments. “Yeah?”

Sidney nodded and slipped from her stool. “Yes. She’ll be good company for me.”

“Okay.” Beck leaned closer and dropped a devastating kiss on her mouth. “Let me grab my coat and some tools I need for the day, and I’ll take you home.”

Sid stretched and smiled at the aches and pains she felt. They were the good kind. The Beck kind. She wandered over to the living room and spied a photo on the table there. A quick glance behind told her she was still alone, so she crept closer. It was Beck, a much younger version, with his arm around a woman’s shoulder, smiling down at her. He was shirtless—the photo lo

oked like it had been taken down at the lake—and her head was averted so Sidney couldn’t see her face.

But it was the expression on his that made the photo. It was such obvious, unrestrained love that it made her ache inside. It was the kind of look every woman on the planet wanted. The kind that said, I love you. The kind that said, I give every corner of my heart to you.

For someone so young to have that? For a girl to inspire that kind of devotion and depth in a young man? It said a lot. Beck had loved his Cate something fierce, even as young as they were. It made Sid wonder.

What did it feel like to have someone look at you like that? To know you held their heart in your hands? To have that kind of power was scary, and to give it up was scarier.

Would she ever experience a love like that?

“You ready?” Beck’s voice echoed from down the hall.

She jumped and then got busy with her boots, which were at the front door. “Yes.”

He came up beside her and reached for the door. “Let’s go.”

She slid into his truck, and though they made small talk on the way over to the cottage, the only thing in her mind was that photo and maybe the feeling that she’d just stepped into something.

And that something was going to bite her in the ass if she wasn’t careful.

Chapter Fifteen

Over the next few weeks, Beck and Sidney fell into a pattern. His days were spent working on a new kitchen for a client, while his evenings were spent at the stone cottage with Sidney. Hell, even the kitten spent most of her time there. This thing between them was more than a flirtation. More than two people physically attracted to each other.

It was moving in a direction he wasn’t entirely sure he was comfortable with, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. In the space of a month, Sidney Barrett had become the kind of drug he didn’t seem capable of giving up.

Simply put, he didn’t want to.

Case in point…