Chapter 4
four
. . .
Gracie
Everything had changed in a matter of seventy-two hours.
I’d packed up my failed life in Paris and flown to Blue Sky Bay, a town that felt like a second home to me.
It was where Cutler lived, and about an hour out of the city, so I spent a lot of time here.
He lived in a ranch-style house in walking distance of the quaint downtown.
His lot sat on the edge of Blue Sky Lake, with views of the water and the mountains in the distance.
There was a peacefulness here, similar to where I’d grown up in Cottonwood Cove.
And right now, this was what I needed.
“I’m so happy we’re here,” I said as we pulled into Cutler’s garage. It had been a long flight.
I wanted a hot bath and a good night’s sleep.
“Me too. And I want you to make yourself comfortable. My home is your home, you know that, right?” he said before getting out of his truck as I unbuckled myself.
He’d left his truck at the airport when he’d flown to Paris, and seeing as we’d arrived home in the middle of the night, I was grateful we hadn’t had to ask anyone for a ride.
“Thanks. I really appreciate it, Bear. It’s good to be home,” I said when he pulled my door open.
I was tired and jet-lagged and moving slowly, which of course he’d picked up on.
When I started to climb out, his large hands moved to my waist, and he lifted me out of the truck.
The smell of sandalwood and cedar flooded my senses as he set me down.
I glanced up, taking in his dark, slightly disheveled hair and his sleepy eyes under the dim lighting in his garage.
He tilted his head to the side when he realized I was staring at him.
“You okay?” he asked, and my fingers itched to rake across the scruff peppering his jaw.
“Yes.” I shook my head and smiled. “Just a little jet-lagged.”
He nodded and moved to the back of the truck, and I followed before he shooed me away. “I’ve got it.”
We went inside, and he stopped in the kitchen and grabbed us each a bottle of water from the fridge. He leaned against the island and handed one to me.
My best friend was tall, with broad shoulders. He was easily the best-looking man I’d ever laid eyes on.
He had more sex appeal than any one man should be allowed.
He also had the personality to go along with it. He was charming and funny and flirty by nature.
Women loved him.
Men loved him.
Kids loved him.
Adults loved him.
Cutler Heart was pure magic.
Always had been.
I’d been drawn to him from the first time I met him.
He’d always made me feel safe and loved and—special.
I reached for the bottle, his fingers grazing mine as I took it from him.
“Are you hungry?”
“No, I’m too tired to eat. Do you care if I take a bath before I go to bed?” I asked.
“Jeege. What did I say?”
“Your home is my home.” I chuckled, my voice sounding slightly hoarse. Probably due to all the talking we’d done on the flight home, mixed with a lack of sleep.
“Exactly. Let’s get these suitcases to your room, and you can take a bath and get some sleep.
” He set his water bottle on the counter and wheeled my bags down the hallway, stopping at the room beside his.
I’d stayed here many times before, and I’d decorated the place, so I was more than comfortable at Cutler’s home.
“I forgot how much I loved this room,” I said as I plopped down to sit on the bed, and he moved to sit beside me.
Rustic wood floors ran throughout his home.
He’d given me free rein on the interior design, which was modern farmhouse.
He’d drawn this house on a pad of paper one night when we were still in college, and years later, he’d built it.
Cutler had expanded his father’s construction business here in Blue Sky Bay, and he was the architect on all their projects here as well as back in Magnolia Falls.
He’d been written up in several architecture magazines and had a brilliant eye for design.
“It’s your room. Always has been.” He tilted his head to the side as a wicked grin spread across his handsome face. “Although, if memory serves, there was a time when we’d have sleepovers when we were young, and we’d sleep in the same bed because you were afraid to sleep by yourself.”
“You were the only friend my parents ever let me have sleepovers with, and you were such a cuddly boy back then. You always ran hot, which I loved, because I was always freezing.” I chuckled.
I’d known this boy—this man—most of my life.
“Yeah, and I loved warming up my girl,” he said as he lunged forward, tipping me back on the bed. He hovered above me after rubbing his scruff against my neck as I fell back in a fit of giggles.
“You still run hot,” I whispered as my fingers traced along the scruff on his jaw, the way they’d been dying to.
“Welcome home, Jeege. I missed you.”
“I missed you too. And I’m happy I’m here,” I said, sounding a little breathless. “And I’m not kidding about this, Bear. I really do want you to teach me some of your sexy tricks while I’m here, okay?”
“You don’t need any tricks, Jeege. You’re sexy as hell exactly how you are.” He chuckled as he pushed up in one swift movement, almost abruptly, as he moved to stand at the foot of the bed.
I propped myself up on my elbows. “I want to have the kind of power that you have, you know? Like I just make one move, and the other person is all flustered. You’ve definitely got it, and I’m just asking for you to pass on your expertise.”
He tipped his head back as he laughed, then shook his head and smiled. “You’ve got it—you just don’t realize it. And I think that makes you even sexier.”
“Listen, I’ll just be straight with you.
Gabriel basically said that I’m boring in the sack.
Personally, I found him to be very unexciting.
We hadn’t had sex for months before we even broke up, but it’s not like I have much to compare him to.
So that’s why I’d like to learn some things before I even consider entering my next relationship. ”
And who better to teach me than the man I trusted most in the world? He was experienced and sexy, and he’d never do anything to hurt me.
We were best friends, and I felt safe with him.
There was no risk of things getting complicated because it wasn’t like Cutler would ever look at me as more than a friend.
It wasn’t his thing.
But he could teach me plenty, and I was ready to learn.
“He said what to you?” His hands fisted at his side, and his jaw clenched. “Fuck this guy, Jeege. Don’t let that fucker get in your head. You’re perfect exactly how you are.”
“I just want some tips, and you’re the perfect guy to help me. I mean, who else could I ask to do this?” I smirked. “Come on. We’re best friends. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal. And this is a perfect time for me to get a bit more—educated.”
He rubbed his face and blew out a breath. “You’ve been back in the States for an hour, and you’re already tasking yourself with things to accomplish while you’re here.”
“What can I say, Bear. I’m a number one achiever—it’s sort of my thing.”
“Is this that Strengths test thing you made me do?” he asked.
“Yes. I’m a number one achiever and you’re a number one woo, which makes a lot of sense.”
He arched a brow. “How about you let your overachieving self have a little break for a few days, yeah? You can become a sexy diva once you get settled.”
“I’ll make you a deal,” I said, my voice teasing as I moved to my feet. “I do all the cooking while I’m here, and you teach me how to be a sexy diva.”
He smiled. “You’re a damn good cook, so how can I turn that offer down?”
“Great. We can start tomorrow.”
“Fine. Good night, Jeege. Let’s get some sleep.
I’ll see you in the morning.” He leaned forward and I closed my eyes, feeling that warmth and familiarity coming from him.
I stayed still, letting the moment linger, enjoying the feel of his hand as it hovered at my shoulder, and the quiet weight of his nearness as he kissed the top of my head.
His presence had always been my safe place.
I sighed softly. “Good night, Bear. Love you.”
“Love you more.” He winked before walking away, pulling the door closed behind him.
A sense of excitement settled in my chest that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. I was out of that tiny apartment and putting my life back together.
I had three months to work on an amazing project with my best friend.
I could hike in the mountains again, and swim in Blue Sky Lake.
I was going to get my mojo back, and Cutler Heart was going to help me do it.
I couldn’t ask for a better teacher.
I made my way to the bathroom and turned on the water in the bathtub.
After undressing and tying my hair in a knot on top of my head, I sank beneath the warm water.
It felt good to be here.
This was exactly what I needed.
I’d helped Cutler design this kitchen a few years ago when he built this place, and I was silently patting myself on the back as I moved around the enormous space. It was so well thought out.
A chef’s dream.
I’d been cooking noodles in a four-hundred-square-foot studio for the last few months.
This was a massive upgrade.
And his refrigerator was well stocked, of course, because my best friend enjoyed a good meal.
I’d woken up before the sun rose because my inner clock was all messed up. I went for a walk and did some stretching exercises, and now I was making pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
I was feeling much more like myself.
I was amazed at what a couple of days with my best friend had done for my mental state.
Like he’d breathed life back into me.
I normally cooked with music on, but Cutler was still sleeping, and I didn’t want to wake him up.