“It’s not that…”
“It is. At the root of it. If you trusted me, you’d be curious, maybe even suspicious. But you wouldn’t have immediately retreated.”
“So, what. This is a trick?” She pointed to the bags.
“No, because we are leaving, we’re just switching rooms.”
Cessie stared at him for a long moment. She started to tear up again.
“Damn it.” She pressed her hands over her face, embarrassed. “I never cry.”
“I know, baby.” He gently but firmly pulled her hands away from her face. “That’s part of the problem.”
She looked up at him, and it was almost physically painful to feel hope blossoming once more. “You never cry.”
“That’s because I’m a mean bastard.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Aww.” He grinned. “It’s cute when you’re delusional.”
Cessie laughed. She knew how he seemed to other people. She didn’t actually have much of a social life, but the few times they’d met up with her fellow residents and their spouses at bars, she’d seen the wary way they acted around him, even when—or maybe because—he only said a few words.
“Leon?”
“Yes?”
“Why are our bags packed?”
“We’re moving to a private cabin. We need the privacy.”
“Because of what you have planned.”
He released her wrists and slid an arm around her waist, turning her to the door. “Yes.”
“Remind me what that is…?” Cessie tipped her head back and to the side, fluttering her lashes as she looked at him.
“You can try guessing at breakfast. Then, once I confirm the special equipment I requested is there, we’ll move to our private cabin.”
“Special equipment?” she squeaked.
Leon grinned, then gave her ass a firm swat to get her moving.
CHAPTER 7
The private cabin was nestled among tall pines, secluded away from the main building and accessed via first a gravel path and then a trail through the woods. It looked rustic from the outside, all dark timber and stone, but once inside, it opened into a space that was both intimate and indulgent.
In the main room polished hardwood floors gleamed underfoot, softened by a thick, woven rug in muted tones of green. A cozy armchair sat by the window, facing out toward the woods, with heavy drapes that could be pulled shut for privacy. A couch was positioned in front of the fire, a basket beside it full of thick, soft blankets and floor cushions.
If the main room and small kitchen were well-appointed but simple, the bathroom was decadent. A deep, freestanding clawfoot tub big enough for two sat beneath a window, perfectly placed for bathing while looking out at the moonlit trees. Beside it was a glass-enclosed rain shower with two detachable showerheads.
The vanity was wide, topped in smooth marble, with two porcelain sinks and a large mirror framed in deep, dark wood. Plush white towels were stacked neatly on open shelves, and a small basket of artisanal soaps, oils, and lotions sat waiting—scents of sandalwood, vanilla, and lavender faintly perfuming the air.
Everything in the cabin—from the heavy iron fixtures to the thick, luxurious bathrobes hanging by the door—was designed to make a guest feel not just welcome but kept. A private world where time slowed, and every need or indulgence was only a breath away.
Cessie backed out of the bathroom, a low-level of arousal starting to heat her blood after she saw that tub. They’d fucked in a spa once, which hadn’t been all that fun because even with the epic pounding he’d given her, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about bacterial growth. But a tub…
Leon was in the kitchen, staring at the contents of the fridge.
