Falling Madly

Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Trevor

T he remote for the heat pump hung helpfully on the wall underneath it, and I cranked it up to a higher setting. “It’ll be good to test if this works, in case we want to consider this for an office.”

“It would be an upgrade,” she muttered.

Our current office only had a small space heater with no cooling option and got very hot and stuffy during the summer.

“Everything about this is an upgrade,” I countered with a smile.

Her eyes narrowed. “Everything? Only having a handful of restaurants, a constant stream of tourists and paying three times as much for a gallon of milk?”

“We’d have to stock up in Denver. That general store is for emergencies only,” I said.

“And if you want a hobby, the only options are hiking and skiing.”

“What are you talking about? There’s hunting, fishing, woodworking…”

“Yeah. There’s a lot of stuff for you to do,” she said, but her mouth curved up.

“There’s a gym!” I countered. I’d seen the sign earlier.

She took a step closer, looking at me with slightly unfocused eyes. A little drunk. Happy. “There’s a gym for dudes, full of iron, that smells like feet.”

“And what you need is…”

She stood right in front of me now, and her fingers hovering over my chest. “A pole dancing studio.”

“You mean a strip club?”

She shot me a hurt look. “No! I mean a pole fitness and dance studio. I love pole dancing.”

An image of her in clear heels and body glitter flashed in my mind and tried to shake it. “And you need a special studio for it?”

“And an instructor.”

My dick had stopped listening to her clarifications, getting more excited by the second. All I could think of was Teresa in her underwear, spinning around a pole.

I shuffled to my side to grab one of the cable poles in the middle of the floor. “Poles like this?”

She followed me, wrapping her hand around the pole and leaning back. “Not quite.”

“I’ll install a pole for you. Here, or in my cabin. Wherever. As long as I get to watch.”

“It’s not striptease,” she insisted.

“If it involves you and a pole, I’m good.”

My mind was already busy undressing her. She had incredible posture. I’d always sensed Teresa was fit, and that realization had further motivated me to get back in shape. I wanted to be good enough for her.

The heater worked its magic, and we both removed our jackets.

“I think I’ll survive the night,” she concluded. “I only wish I had something comfortable to wear. These jeans feel like a prison.” She grimaced, trying to lift her leg as she spun around the pole. “This pole isn’t half bad! In different clothes, I could practice my routine.”

“Okay. Stay here.” I said, heading for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Hunting.”

Ten minutes later, I shoved open the cabin door with my shoulder, cursing my frozen limbs. The night temperature had dropped well below freezing and the walk had felt way longer than half a mile—the actual distance to my cabin.

I hated leaving Teresa behind, even if it was only for a short time. She’d put on a brave face, but I could see right through it. I’d been able to read her moods ever since that night, yet she held onto all those secrets. I would uncover them, I promised myself. I’d get there. Even if she decided she didn’t want me as more than a friend.

I closed the door behind me and resisted the urge to crank up the heating since I wasn’t going to stay the night. I packed quickly, prioritizing her comfort over mine. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep a lot of clothes, and had no bottoms that could possibly fit Teresa’s slender frame. But I could make her more comfortable to sleep on the floor and provide snacks.

As I walked around the cabin, I tried to see it through her eyes. Would she appreciate what I’d done with the space? Or would she freak out? I couldn’t risk it.

I hoisted the bag of camping supplies onto my shoulder and headed back outside, traipsing down the road back to the town and the office. But there was one quick stop I wanted to make on the way.