Chapter 12 #2
She nodded. “Go get your things. You can stay in Mum’s old room rather than the barn.”
“Thanks.” He kept his elation to himself.
Sure, she wasn’t inviting him into her bed, but the fact she trusted him enough to sleep inside the house meant a lot.
He waited for her to go upstairs and then returned to the barn.
He packed his gear, putting his camping equipment back in the four-wheel drive and then slinging his pack with clothes onto his back.
He locked the car and then examined the latch on the barn.
It might be worth getting a lock while Johann was still around.
Before heading inside, he did a loop of the house and nearby garden, making sure no one was around. All the blinds were down inside the house with only a little light slipping out at the edges, but it was impossible to see inside.
As he returned to the house and locked the door behind him, he heard the shower turn off. Before heading upstairs, he checked the rest of the doors and windows were secure and then met Chelsea on the landing.
The hair around her face was damp with the rest of it tucked into a bun and she wore a cute cotton pyjama T-shirt and shorts set with a sloth on the front. He clenched his hands to stop himself from reaching for her.
“Through there.” She pointed to her mother’s bedroom. “I’ll fetch some sheets.” She trotted down the stairs, her bun swinging from side to side.
He smiled and went into the bedroom. He hadn’t been in here before. Upstairs had been off-limits when he was a teenager and Aunt Maggie didn’t know about the times he’d snuck into Chelsea’s room at night.
He’d never been so glad she was hard of hearing and took her hearing aids out when she slept.
Chelsea had already been through the room. The dresser was dusted and clear of any knick-knacks and the double bed had been stripped of linen. A worn red rug was underneath the bed, so the person could step onto the soft carpet when they woke, rather than the wooden floorboards.
The wooden desk under the large window was also clear and dusted. Ethan walked over to peer out at the night. This room faced the public garden side, and he lowered the blind so anyone walking down the street couldn’t see in.
“Here you go.” Chelsea walked in and dumped the sheets on the dresser. “I think I found the full set.” She pulled out a pale blue bottom sheet and found the corners.
He moved to the other side of the bed and together they fitted it and then she threw the top sheet on. When it was lined up neatly, she went to tuck it under.
“Woah.” Ethan held out a hand.
“What’s wrong?”
“Who taught you to make a bed?”
She screwed up her face. “I taught myself.”
He shook his head. “You tuck it in like that and it will never stay tucked.” The army had drilled into him how to make a bed correctly. He went around her side and hip-bumped her out of the way, showing her how to do the proper corners.
She grinned and raised her eyebrows. “I stand corrected.”
Her cheeky grin loosened the restraint he held, and she gasped as he dragged her into his arms. “Are you giving me lip, soldier?”
She licked her lips, her eyes wide. “I wouldn’t dare.”
As much as he wanted to plunder her mouth, he relaxed his hold so she could escape if she wanted to and brushed a stray hair behind her ear. “Just for the record,” he murmured. “You can give me lip, any time you want.” He rubbed his thumb over her lips. “Can I kiss you?”
She took a second before she nodded.
Slowly, ever so slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers, seeing her eyelids flutter shut just as their mouths met. Soft, luscious lips tasting of mint. She must have brushed her teeth when she’d showered.
His tongue teased, and she opened for him, and they explored each other unhurriedly.
She was everything he remembered and more. Every taste and touch sent throbbing desire through his body, imprinting on him.
Chelsea was the only one he needed.
She was the only one he wanted.
Her moan held a hint of desperation and he deepened the kiss, dragging her closer, fitting her soft body into his.
He could happily spend his entire night like this. He ran a hand down her back, over her perfectly curved buttock, and she moaned, but broke the kiss.
“Ethan… I can’t. Not yet.”
It took all his willpower to relax his hold and let her step away. “Too soon?”
She nodded.
He exhaled. He would give her all the time she needed, as long as she didn’t walk away. “Then how about I teach you to make a bed?”
Her laugh gave him a different type of rush, one straight to his joy centre, and he grinned as he showed her what to do.
***
Chelsea woke to the sound of magpies chortling outside her window.
She smiled and stretched, rolling over to look outside.
A black and white bird sat on the balcony railing calling its good morning to the world.
A dusky light filtered into her room telling her it wasn’t long past sunrise.
She snuggled deeper underneath the patchwork quilt that had been on her bed for as long as she could remember and for the first time in a long time, she felt…
content. She was home in Lilydale, had a project she was excited about, a new relationship with Ethan to consider.
Everything felt right.
Their kiss last night had awoken a desire in her she’d long since thought had died, but the amount of passion scared her.
That much passion could lead to heartbreak as well.
Though lying in bed the night before, she’d decided perhaps it was better to be loved and left than never to be loved at all.
She would bet Ethan was a much better lover now than their awkward teenage moments together.
Perhaps she could give her body what it wanted.
Something to think about later, when she’d achieved her list of tasks for the day.
They’d made such great progress getting the cabins ready for guests, and while she would eventually like to update the furniture and renovate the kitchens and bathrooms, they were adequate for now.
Barry was arriving this evening and by tomorrow night, she’d be able to walk along the paths without fearing she’d tread on a snake, and she’d be able to see exactly what she was working with.
She stretched again and got up, making the bed with a smile as she did the corners as Ethan had taught her, and then quietly opened her bedroom door.
Ethan was sleeping across the hall and she didn’t want to wake him.
His pelvis had been aching so badly last night he’d taken a painkiller to numb it.
She’d make sure he didn’t overdo it today—though she wasn’t sure how she would stop him.
Maybe there was something he could do while sitting down.
As she walked down the stairs, visions of her straddling his lap, kissing him, filled her head. She’d been so tempted to invite him into her bed last night, but her heart refused to rush things.
“Morning.”
Chelsea let out a soft shriek as Ethan’s greeting surprised her out of her thoughts. Her face flushed as she took him in, standing in her kitchen wearing a tight-fitting T-shirt and knee-length shorts. He held up a mug. “Coffee?”
“Yes, please.” She placed a hand on her chest to calm her heart rate, but the vision of him standing in her kitchen at this time of the morning only inspired thoughts that increased it.
“I hope I didn’t wake you.”
She shook her head as she sat on a stool. “No, that prize went to the magpie outside my window.” She smiled. “How’s your pelvis?”
He glanced at her with a smirk, but said, “Not as sore today. Those tablets are pretty strong. I didn’t wake once all night.”
“I’m glad.” She took the coffee he handed her.
“What’s the plan today?”
“I want to check the road to the cottages, make sure there are no potholes which need filling, and check the gate is in good condition. If it’s too difficult to open, I’ll need to fix it.”
“I came in that way,” Ethan answered. “The gate squeaks and is stiff. Could probably do with a coat of rust inhibitor, some lubrication and then paint.”
Of course. She’d forgotten his car was still parked in the barn.
Chelsea unplugged her phone from where it had been charging, added the items to her list, and then flicked to the new social media channels she’d set up.
A few interactions and comments, but not many.
She’d finish scheduling the rest of the posts today and add some videos as well.
“I need to buy a few things for the cottages, so I’ll buy paint then.” Her finances weren’t endless, but if Darren paid back the money her mother had given him like Ethan had asked him to, she would have sufficient funds.
And if he didn’t, it just meant she had to get the cottages profitable quickly. “I want to buy a few annuals for the garden beds in front of the cottages as well, to bring some colour to them.”
“I can weed them while you’re gone.”
Chelsea hesitated. “Should you rest today?”
Ethan glared at her. “Don’t you treat me like an invalid.”
She touched his arm. “I’m concerned. You were hurting last night, and you always had to prove yourself.”
He squeezed her hand. “I’m fine, Chels. I’ll sit on the grass while I weed.”
Though she would still worry, he knew his body best. “All right.” She finished her coffee. “Before I forget, I’m going to take the linen out and make the bed for Barry.”
“Let me. I’ve seen the way you make them.” He winked.
“You can help.” She grabbed the linen from the cupboard and departed out the laundry door.
As she approached the cottages, the smell of manure tickled her nose.
She frowned. There weren’t any farms nearby and there was no breeze.
She pushed past a hedge and her footsteps faltered.
Ethan bumped into her and steadied them both, but she hardly noticed as she stared at the mess of the small cottage.
Both front windows had been smashed and chunks of manure were stuck to the wall.
She moved forward, but Ethan stepped in front of her. “Let me check it out.”