A smirk dons his lips, and his arms reach up to the top of the door frame as he leans forward. “I think the words you’re looking for babydoll are ‘thank you’.”
My mouth snaps shut, and I watch as the mischief dances in his eyes.Okay, two can play at that game.
I saunter my way over to him, making sure to put an extra sway in my hips as I move. I watch his eyes trail down my body as the distancecloses between us. I stop right in front of him, tilting my head up with my bottom lip between my teeth.
He’s still leaning on the door frame which gives me a little advantage as I go up on my tip toes, bringing my lips to his ear. “Thank you.”
It comes out breathless, and if I’m honest, I couldn’t stop myself from checking him out as I moved across the room. His dark jeans hang low on his hips, the material hugging his thighs. Damn, he’s mouth-watering. His blue henley shirt fits deliciously across his chest, and the way his biceps bulge out of the sleeves is damn near sinful.
I’m broken from my thoughts as I feel his nose trailing along the side of my face. My eyes flutter closed, and I tilt my head away to allow him more access to my neck. The brush of his warm breath sends noticeable shivers down my spine. Angling my face, his face shifts until his lips are so close, I feel the warmth of his breath on mine.
“Oh, there you two are! I saw your truck and was wondering –” Penelope’s words fall off as she takes in how we’re standing. “Oh goodness, I’m so sorry!” She quickly turns around like she walked in on us naked. A quiet chuckle leaves him before he closes the distance, quickly pressing his lips to mine. He leaves my space, turning around and giving me his back. “Hey, Mom.” Penelope turns back, embracing Xavier before turning to me.
She opens her arms and rotates her body like she’s showcasing the room. “Well, what do you think? Xavier told me exactly what you needed, so I made sure it arrived and was set up right away!”
My eyes go to Xavier briefly before they go back to Penelope. “It’s wonderful. You guys really didn’t need to go to all this trouble for me.”
“Oh, pish-posh dear! It’s truly no trouble. I’m just glad you were able to make it and drag my son here along.” She grabs at Xavier’s arm and gives him a loving squeeze as she looks up at him. He returns her smile, but it’s not his real one. There’s care in this smile, but it’s guarded.
A moment passes, and Penelope clears her throat. “Yes, well, dinner is in the works, and it should be ready at five! I’ll leave you guys to getsettled in, and I’ll see you at dinner!” With that, she saunters out of the room, the door closing behind her.
We stare at each other, the air tense. “You know, she seems to really be excited that you’re here.” I start watching as Xavier’s posture changes slightly.
He shoves his hands in his pockets and clears his throat. “Uh yeah, like I said I haven’t come out here in a long time. Not that my mom hasn’t tried.”
My mouth opens to say something, but he continues. “I’m going to leave you to get the office set up so it’s ready for Monday. I’ll be in the gym getting a quick workout before dinner.” His body still faces me as he begins to step backwards toward the door.
“Yeah – that’s fine. I’ll see you later, then?” Worry begins to make its way through me. He looks at me, and gives me a soft smile before nodding and heading out the door.
Finding my office stuff was simple. However, dragging it over to the office was a workout I wasn’t prepared for. The brunt of the work is done, and I’m standing there as I do an inventory of everything I need so I’m prepared for work. The only thing left to do is get the Wi-Fi password, and then I’m golden.
My skin was sticky with sweat, and I decided I’d feel better once I cleaned myself up. Now, I’m standing in front of the bathroom mirror after the shower, feeling like a million bucks. Quickly throwing a black sweater dress over my head, I check my phone.
Xavier never responded back to the text asking for the Wi-Fi password. Biting my lip, I begin debating whether I wait for him so we can walk down together or go down alone.
I bite the bullet, heading downstairs by myself. Making my way through the hall, I go down the stairs. The dark mahogany floors contrast theeggshell cream color of the walls beautifully. There’s a centralized table in the middle of the foyer that has a vase filled with fresh flowers.
I try to remember which way it was to get to the dining room, but I get turned around. I don’t know where I am, and when I turn the corner I run right into a wall. No. Not a wall. My whole body freezes as hands hold on to my biceps to keep me from falling over. I wish it was Xavier who I ran into, but I’d recognize that pine needle and cinnamon scent anywhere. I close my eyes, willing this nightmare to disappear.
“Oh, sorry.” Dalton mumbles, his hands quickly pull away as soon as he realizes I’m steady. I open my eyes but I keep them on the floor. I can’t look at him.
Before he can say anything else, my worst nightmare comes into play. “Dalty baby, what are you doing just standing– oh.”
Fan-fucking-tastic.
“Ugh, I thought it smelt like desperation over here. Back off bitch. He doesn’t want you anymore.”
A scoff leaves my lips before I can stop it, and I decide at that moment that I’m not going to take any of her shit. “Trust me Chloe, he’sallyours. I hope you enjoy my sloppy seconds.” And with that, I turn around, heading in the other direction. I turn down a different hallway, pushing through the next door. I find myself in the kitchen, and there are people in here working. They pay me no mind as I walk through, eventually finding myself at the door to the back deck.
My heartbeat is pounding in my ears, and my chest grows tighter with each breath. My anxiety is taking the wheel, and I can’t stop it. The last thing I was expecting was a confrontation. My body moves on autopilot, stepping out the back door and onto the deck. The cool air hits my face, and a shiver tears through my body. The bite of cold on my cheeks is a welcoming distraction.
I open my eyes and look around. Five things I can see: snow, the hot tub, the fire pit, a tree, and my breath. Four things I can touch: the ground, my sweater, my face, the chairs around the fire pit. I close my eyes. Three things I can hear: the wind, my breath, and wind chimes in the distance. Iopen my eyes again. Two things I can smell: the trees and the faint smell of chemicals from the hot tub. One thing I can taste: I can taste a hint of crisp, resinous pine, a hint of an earthy undertone.
My heart rate has settled as a chill runs over my body. “Shit, it’s cold” Mumbles from my lips as my hands move up my arm, trying to keep myself warm. “Why did I rush out here? Such a stupid choice.” Looking down, I see that I also failed to put shoes on. I should probably head inside. As I turn around to head back inside, I run face first into another hard wall. “Oh, for fuck’s sake!” I grumble, taking a step back, and look up at the wall of muscle that just blocked my retreat inside. This time, when my eyes connect with the person, it’s not my ex but my current fake boyfriend.
A rush of relief leaves my body, “There you are. I was trying to find the dining room, and I got all turned around. Then, I got all flustered when I ran into Dalton and Chloe.Then,I just needed some air– so, here I am.” I shrug, semi-exaggerated.
“What did she say to you?” he asks firmly.
