Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Elora
“Did you sneak down into the basement when I wasn’t looking?” Beckett asked, a teasing look on his face. “No wine cellar. Yet.”
“Future project?”
He nodded. “Among others.”
“Well, they say when you own a house, your to-do list never ends.”
“It’s true. But this was my grandparents’ place and where they raised me.
I’ll never leave.” Beckett’s mouth drooped, and his shoulders sagged, his voice softer.
“I’ll fix it up, make some additions. I built the porch myself, installed the hot tub, and hired a landscaper. I kind of suck at gardening.”
A loud giggle burst from my throat at the thought of the big, burly mountain man planting flowers.
“What do you do for work?”
“I designed a couple of computer programs and sold them. I’m working on my third one.”
“That’s cool. A smartie tech nerd. I like it.” I wiggled my eyebrows, enjoying the flirty banter.
Beckett showed me around the rest of the cabin, including the upstairs, where there were two bedrooms and two bathrooms. One inside the primary bedroom and another in the hallway.
The floor warmed up with the flick of a button, and a towel warmer sat by the shower, just like he said.
The best part was his backyard. A large wooden deck took up about half of the backyard space, complete with patio furniture, a grill, and a fire pit.
Hanging lights hung along the outside, and a hot tub sat off to the side.
“The place looks great, Beckett. Thanks for showing me around. I’ll delete those pictures I took,” I said as we walked back inside.
Lifting my camera strap over my head, I held it with both hands and was flipping through the album until his large hand landed on my arm. “Wait.”
I looked up at him, and his icy-blue eyes hold me in a trance.
“You don’t need to delete them.”
“I don’t?” I searched his eyes, unsure what he really wanted. He was so adamant that I delete them earlier.
“I overreacted before. I’m sorry. I just—” Beckett looked away when we stopped in front of the couch, facing each other.
He shook his head and sighed. “I don’t do well around other people, Emilia.
” He ran a hand over his buzzed hair. “But for some reason…with you…” Beckett stopped again and sighed.
When his eyes grabbed mine and held me in an intense stare, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t speak.
“I’m okay when I’m around you. As if you take away all of my pain without even trying,” Beckett revealed, and I swallowed hard.
We stood mere inches from each other, my chest heaving at the same rate his was—way too fast.
His eyes fell to my lips and back up again.
He’s going to kiss me…
My hands shook as the world around me fell away, my body humming, my knees weak and ready to give out.
Kiss me, please, kiss me.
Beckett blinked, and the moment was gone. A stone mask, the one he wore so well, the one I was finally breaking through, quickly spread across his features. “Are you hungry?” His voice was steely yet husky.
He feels it too. He must.
I shook my head, and Beckett moved his lips closer to mine.
My breath hitched in my throat.
Kiss me…
Meow!
T-Bone pranced at our feet and broke the moment. Beckett stepped away, nearly tripping over his cat. “Shit, sorry, T-Bone. I’m starving. Are you? I think I’m going to go make something.” He scampered off to the kitchen, leaving me desperate for more.
“Can I use the bathroom?” I called.
“Of course. No need to ask.” Beckett popped his head out.
“Thanks.” I hurried to the half bath on the first floor that he showed me earlier, nestled between the foyer and the library.
I still couldn’t believe how many books the man had.
After washing my hands, I fetched my phone from my pocket. I needed to tell my mom how my afternoon had shifted from taking pictures to exploring a hot mountain man’s cabin, where I almost kissed him. Would she even believe me? I wasn’t sure I would believe me.
Maybe I was dreaming.
But a quick pinch to my arm told me I definitely wasn’t.
Emilia: You won’t believe this
Mom:?
Emilia: I’m in a hot mountain man’s cabin right now!
Immediately, my phone rang, her name coming up on the screen. The sound echoed around the room, and I cursed the tile. I silenced it and waited a beat before answering. “Mom. I can’t talk right now,” I whispered, cupping my hand over the bottom of my cell phone.
“Where are you? Emilia, this is not funny. Are you in danger? Do I need to come get you?”
“Mom, relax. It’s okay. I’m fine.”
“Then what the hell do you mean you’re in a hot mountain man’s cabin? What does that even mean?”
I rolled my eyes, but only because she couldn’t see me. “You know the cabin I sent you pictures of?” I half whispered.
“Yes.”
“A guy came out, pissed that I took pictures of his cabin. He ended up inviting me inside. It’s beautiful. Custom log work and log furniture.”
“This doesn’t sound good, Emilia. Not to put a damper on it, but you don’t know this random guy in the woods.”
“I know. It sounds bad, believe me. But he’s nice. Trust me, Mom, okay?”
“I trust you, love. I don’t trust others.”
I hung up the phone after saying goodbye and stared in the mirror on the wall. My mom had a point.
She wasn’t wrong to worry.
But she also didn’t have the same gut feeling I did.
Beckett felt like a warm blanket, a haven, a comfort place.
A place I wanted to be in, to always go to.
He couldn’t possibly hurt me.
Right?