Page 25 of Axe-Rated Lumberjack

“We’re not swinging anything in here,” he said. “I just want to show you how the grip and balance work.”

I stepped beside him.

Hudson demonstrated where his hands would rest and explained how he’d position his feet for a controlled movement. He was patient and precise, using ordinary language rather than overwhelming me with technical vocabulary.

Then he offered me the broom.

“Want to try?”

“Absolutely.”

I took hold of the handle and arranged my hands as he’d shown me.

Hudson studied my stance.

“Not bad. You’re standing a little too narrowly, though. You want a solid base before you move anything with weight.”

I widened my feet.

“Better?”

“Much. Can I adjust your grip?”

I nodded.

He stepped closer and gently moved my upper hand down the handle.

His fingers were warm against mine.

This was a perfectly innocent demonstration of tool handling.

Unfortunately, my imagination had received no such information.

“Now,” he continued, “keep your wrists aligned. You don’t want to twist them when the weight moves.”

I was listening, although it was difficult to concentrate on my wrists when Hudson stood close enough that I could see the faint gold flecks in his green eyes.

He glanced at my feet.

“Mind if I put a hand at your waist? It’ll help me show you where to keep your balance.”

My pulse picked up.

“Go ahead.”

Hudson moved behind me, resting one broad hand lightly against the side of my cardigan while guiding my position.

He wasn’t pressing against me, and his touch was entirely appropriate to what he’d asked permission to demonstrate.

That didn’t make it any less distracting.

I could feel the warmth of his palm through the wool. His deep voice reached me from just above my shoulder as he explained how to keep my weight centered.

“That’s it. Now you’ve got room to move without throwing yourself off balance.”

I stared at the ordinary wooden broom in my hands. There was absolutely nothing sexy about it.

And yet I was standing in my rented cottage, holding a cleaning implement, while a gorgeous lumberjack taught me how to wield an imaginary axe.