41. Cole
“Hi,” Sydney says with an exhausted sigh as she comes inside cabin one.
“Hey.” I meet her at the door for a kiss. “Rough day?”
“Not rough, just busy.” She smiles, wrapping her arms around my waist. “I was up at the glamping site all day. Neal’s crew is working hard. I can’t wait to show it to you.”
“I can’t wait to see what all the fuss is about,” I murmur, placing another kiss on her forehead. It’s something I can’t help, this automatic need to be touching her, to be holding her. But I pull away reluctantly so she can bend over to untie her boots.
“How was your day?” she asks, slipping them off.
“It was good. I spent most of the day over at Paul’s house building some more furniture for him. It’s a good thing we’re storing all my tools over there. It’s the perfect setup for me to work.”
“Oh, I bet he appreciates that.” She straightens, and it’s then that she notices what I have set up on the table.
“Oh, what’s this?” she asks with excitement, noticing the package of cupcakes next to the laptop.
“Have a seat,” I tell her, sliding the chair back for her to sit. “This is yet another take on trying to be creative for a date night around here.”
“Hey, if it involves cupcakes, I’m already sold.” She smiles at me. “Did Shirley make these?”
“No, I picked them up in town before I came back to the island. I also dropped some off with your dad to give to your mom and the nurses too.”
Her eyes soften and go misty at the edges, and I think I’ll happily do anything I can for the rest of my life to get her to keep looking at me like that.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“You don’t have to,” I say quietly, yet again getting sucked in for another kiss. Then I wake the computer up and open the package of cupcakes while the screen loads.
When what I have planned pops up on the screen, she gasps, her eyes going wide.
“Is that what I think it is?” she breathes, her mouth dropping open.
“If what you’re thinking is doing a virtual tour of the Palace of Versailles, then you would be correct,” I say with a smirk.
A squeal escapes her this time, and she covers her mouth with her hand. “Really?”
I nod. “I know it’s not the same as seeing it in person, but it’s the best I can do for now. You said you wanted to admire some of the architecture in France, so I thought this would be nice.”
“It’s wonderful,” she says, her voice cracking slightly.
“Have at it,” I tell her, pointing to the start button. I watch her face light up as she uses the mouse pad to start the tour and immediately gets sucked into it.
I settle into the chair next to her, fully aware that I’m looking at her the same way she’s looking at the screen. I get caught up in simply watching her as she takes a bite of the chocolate cupcake, completely enthralled with what she’s seeing on the screen.
I get up to grab us some napkins, and when I come back, instead of sitting down in the chair next to her, I opt for coming behind her. I bend, curling my arms around the top of her chest, and rest my chin on top of her shoulder.
She sighs, leaning into me as I nuzzle into the crook of her neck.
“Look at those beams,” she says in awe, running her finger across the screen to show me the interior structure of the palace.
I admire the design and craftsmanship of the sprawling palace right along with her, pointing out my favorite sections and listening to hers.
“Stunning, isn’t it?” she breathes.
“It really is,” I agree, keeping my arms folded tightly around her.
“Someday I’ll take you there, babe.” I whisper the promise into her ear, relishing the way goosebumps cascade across her skin in response.
“Okay,” she whispers back, squeezing my forearm while she keeps her eyes glued to the screen.
We move on to the tours of the gardens and many statues on the estate, soaking the beauty in. When the tour comes to an end, my arms lift slightly with her chest as she inhales deeply. I place another kiss on her hairline and back away as she stands, turning to face me.
“That was lovely.” She slowly wraps her arms around my shoulders, and I don’t waste the moment to slide my own around her waist.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” I use the back of my hand to brush her hair behind her shoulder and then run my hand down the length of her arm.
Her eyes lock with mine as her own hand runs up the base of my neck. It sends a shiver straight down my spine, slowly and deliciously, and I can’t get enough of the way her affection makes me feel.
“I love you.” I mutter the words that I know will be the most important ones I’ll ever say in my life, no matter how many times I plan on saying them.
“I love you too,” she replies with a soft smile, making my chest feel like it’s about to explode.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to hearing her say ‘I love you’ to me. I hope I never do. I hope every single time feels just like this.
She leans up to connect her mouth to mine, and I tighten my grip, pulling her tight against me. A warmth flushes down my core as I deepen the kiss, running my hand up the length of her spine.
An urgency runs through me when she uses her fingernails to scrape through my hair. I instinctively move us until she’s flat against the wall next to the loft stairs, and a tiny sound comes from the back of her throat when I push myself into her.
I pull away, breathing hard, and search her eyes for confirmation that she’s on the same page as I am. I find not only that but an even deeper desire in her eyes that further fuels me.
“Take me up?” she asks with a sultry smirk, and I waste no time gripping her by the thighs, wrapping her legs around my waist.
“Hang on tight,” I say. She wraps her arms around my neck, squeezing tight as I carry us up the stairs.