Chapter 26
26
Cate
Shane lied to me.
The cooler bumps into my ass, a not-so-subtle hint. I turn back to see him balancing it on his leg. I move into the living room so he can get by. “That cooler looks heavy. Need help?”
“Nope,” he grits. “I’ve got it.”
Wheeling my suitcase with the bag situated on top, I move into the kitchen area of the open concept massive room. “You kept calling it a cabin. I expected logs and wood everything, like cabinets and floors, walls and?—”
Dumping the cooler on the floor, he stands back up. “The floors are wood.”
“Designer wood floors are not the same thing.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” He wipes the back of his wrist across his forehead. “We’ve always called it the cabin. I guess it’s more of a lake house.” Resting his palms on the edge of the stone counter of the island, he says, “Sorry if you’re disappointed.”
“Disappointed? This is a dream retreat. I’ll take this every day and twice on Sunday over a creepy-crawly cabin. I’m more of a hotel than a camping girl.”
He bends down and opens the cooler, but I hear him mumble, “I know what I’d like to take twice on Sunday.”
“What was that?” I tease.
Standing, he twists the cap off a bottle of water and downs half. “What were we talking about?”
“You said you would like to do something twice on Sunday. What do you want to do?”
His eyes steer to the window behind me, staring out as if I’ll give up if he avoids eye contact long enough. Tapping the bottle to the countertop, he says, “I think I’ll finish unloading the car now instead of leaving it for later.”
“Yeah,” I say, laughing. I turn around and watch him hurry out the door. I watch as he treks across the ground to where he parked the car on a concrete pad. Sitting in the passenger’s seat, he keeps one leg propped out and tucks the other inside.
Leaving my suitcase where it is, I walk closer to the window, being nosy. I stand off to the side and watch as he stares ahead.
It took a lot for him to share his feelings with me. I know it’s not something he’s comfortable doing. That’s why I’m here. I see him trying, and it makes me feel special. Shane has a way of making me feel like I matter to him. I’m not sure what caused the change since he left last August, but I can’t keep setting off the same dynamite sticks.
He’s doing the work. I need to do the same.
I double-time it to the door to open it for him when he starts back with another large cooler. “We’re only here two days,” I say, trying to lighten his mood.
I close the door behind him and follow him to the kitchen. He sets the cooler on top of the other. “I tried to be prepared.”
When he stands back, he turns to find me waiting for him. Questions populate in his eyes, pulling his brows, but he doesn’t say anything. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I stand there like I do. I want to touch him, to ease the burden he’s trying so hard to hide from me. So I do.
I reach up and run my fingertips over his jaw, then higher along his temples. I lick my lips, watching as he does the same. Holding my wrists with a gentle touch, he leans into my hand and dips his lids closed for a few seconds.
When he opens his eyes, I whisper, “Thank you.”
“For what?” I’ve failed, placing the blame on him all this time. “For extorting you to come on this trip?”
He chuckles. Taking one of my wrists, he lifts and turns the inside toward him to kiss. And then again, with a little dip of his tongue running along my veins.
“Yes,” I reply breathily, a surefire sign of how this man affects me. “And torturing me with a beautiful lake and stunning scenery, coolers of food, and?—”
“And?” he whispers with his lips running over my wrist once more. He places a final kiss, then smiles at me. It’s not a smirk. No sign of arrogance is found in the softer corners. The gesture is reassuring. Comfort at the simplest level. But his expression holds conviction that has me gravitating even closer to him.
His light cologne sweeps through the air. I take a deep breath, wanting to touch all parts of me any way he can. “I’m sorry, what?”
Laughter follows as he releases me, leaving me to drift into the ethos under the aftereffects of his sweet kisses. “You were saying how this will be a total drag of a weekend.”
“Right. Just horrible.” I laugh, moving away from him. I must, or I’ll end up rotating in his orbit all weekend. As I take hold of my suitcase, it’s become obvious that I will never survive this man.
“Let me show you your room.” He swipes the case, rolling it right out from under my hand while taking my other hand. I can’t lie; his confidence is a major turn-on.
Down the hallway on the left, he opens the only door and moves inside before turning around and pointing out the highlights. “I thought the suite was best for you. There’s nice light and a comfortable bed.” Inviting blankets and puffy pillows cover the mattress. I’m holding his hand, the callused fingers of a musician, his strong hold protecting me even when I have nothing to fear, and wrapping around my hand so gently but firmly that the idea of sleeping alone just became a lot less appealing. His gaze travels over my shoulder. “There’s a bathroom for privacy with a big soaking tub. I remember you like taking baths.”
“It’s . . .” I look around once again. “It’s more than I expected. Are you sure you don’t want to stay here?”
“Is that an invitation?” Seemingly catching himself, he leans down and whispers, “I’ll be good.”
That’s the last thing I want him to be. Behave, Cate. You’re a mess because of this man. “That’s too bad.” I did, in fact, not behave, giving him every mixed signal known to humankind. It’s cruel at this stage. Good thing I came prepared like he did.
I win a smile bordering on seductive, a devilish look in his eyes fixed on mine that has me feeling both to my core. After clearing my throat, I say, “I saw a bath on the schedule. Maybe I can bump that up and take one during the hour allotted for freshening up? Of course, I can wait if it’s a strict timeline.”
“We’re flexible around here. I can draw you a hot bath now.” He walks into the bathroom, still talking, “You can relax while I prepare some snacks to tide us over for the evening.”
Drawing baths.
Preparing snacks.
Flexible to my needs.
I fall back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
To say I’m not charmed would be an injustice. I’m not even sure he’s the same person from last year. So much drew me to him beyond the circumstances back then. Sexy. Magnetic. He knew exactly how to make a girl go weak in the knees and her panties disappear.
I’m not that same girl anymore, though.
He’s still the most captivating man I’ve met, absurdly sexy, and affects me like no other man ever has. But the change in him is profound. Set in his eyes like a goal he’s striving for, he’s not only after my body. He’s after my soul.
This is new. And I very much approve.
“The bathtub is filling, but I need to get?—”
I lift my head from the bed, my arms still wide and legs dangling over the edge. “Need to get what?”
He scrubs a hand over his face as if he needs to clear some thoughts away. “I brought things you might like.”
Propping up on my elbows, I ask, “What kind of things?
“Bath salts. Bubble bath. Wine.” He reaches over his shoulder and scratches the back of his neck, so sweet and lost, stepping out of familiar territory and into mine. “The lady at the store said you might like a bath bomb, so I bought ten.”
My eyebrows shoot straight up along with my spine. “Ten? We’re only here for two days.”
“I know, but I couldn’t decide,” he says, “and they all smelled like something you would like.” My eyes water, and I open my mouth to get more air. I don’t want to cry in front of him, but I’ve never been spoiled like this before in my life.
I push off the bed and go to him, tugging on his shirt at the waist. Shameless, but it’s getting harder to stay away. “Shane, you’ve done too much. Thank you. I’m so grateful, but you didn’t have to do all that.”
“I know. I wanted to.” His eyes dart to my hands on him, and he drags his tongue across his lower lip. “I should go grab the basket.”
“Basket?” Is it wrong to feel this happy when we haven’t worked through all the issues? I’ve been softening my stance since he said he was sorry with his heart on his sleeve. He felt it, but he also felt the loss of me. Two things that drive me to forgiveness, even if selfishly. He didn’t have to redeem himself, but he’s doing it and going all in.
“Check the water to see if it’s to your liking. I’ll get the basket so you can choose what you want to use.” He slips out of my hold and leaves the bedroom.
A part of me thinks it’s for his own need to keep things from progressing physically. Emotionally, though, he’s never been more in tune with my needs. He’s wooing me. God, I can’t wait to repay him.
I see him through the window, trekking across the yard again. It’s so tempting to spy, to see if he’s hiding his emotions from me, so I do. But the smile on his face can’t be mistaken. That man knows what I was doing. Not behaving, that’s what.
Scooting into the bathroom, I test the water. Am I surprised it’s the perfect temperature? No, he’s doing everything right and reading me like a book. I wonder which is his favorite chapter.
He returns, slipping in through the open door to the bedroom. When he sees me, his face lights up like it’s his birthday. Holding the basket out to me, he says, “It’s all yours. Can I bring you a glass of wine? Sparkling water? Soda?”
“Do you have white wine or red?”
“White. The kind I remember you drinking at your apartment.”
My heart clenches. Hugging the basket to my chest, I wish it were him. The first step is acknowledging I have a problem. I’m addicted to Shane Faris romancing me. “Is there anything you don’t remember?”
“About our time together? No. I remember every second.” He reaches down to turn off the water. “Careful, or it will overflow.”
My heart is already. “Thank you again for all the bath products.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll go get that wine.”
It’s too late to add bubbles, so I choose a bath bomb to soften my skin and because it smells so good. After leaving my clothes on the bed, I slip into the tub and sink under the hot water, covering my shoulders but not my feet. Maybe one day I’ll get to try out that huge tub he spoke about at his place.
He walks in after a quick rap on the door, too fast to warn him. “Wait.”
His feet halt, and he turns sideways. “Sorry. I thought you’d be covered in bubbles.”
“Bath bombs don’t bubble up,” I reply, not feeling the need to cover up. It may have been ten months, but I can’t imagine my body has changed much. Or I’ll need a refund from the yoga studio.
His eyes aren’t closed, but he seems to be solving the great mystery of the pyramids by staring at the shower tiles. “Ah. Okay. I have your wine.”
“Do you mind handing it to me?” He comes forward in silence. I take the glass and a sip as he returns to the bedroom. “Thank you.” Before he’s gone, I ask, “Shane?”
“Yeah?” he replies out of my line of sight.
“Do you want to stay and talk to me?”
“From the bedroom?”
I take another sip and open the possibility for more once again. “No. In here with me.”
He appears in the doorway, but his eyes stay locked on mine. “Isn’t that how it started last time?”
“We could try a second time?” Even I know I’m asking for more than a bathroom companion to talk about the weather.
“I’ll get a drink and be right back, then.” Shane doesn’t take long, but when he returns, I notice his body seems lighter, his shoulders straighter, the smile on his handsome face wider. He sits beside the tub, leaning against the wall, and says, “Hi.”
“Hi.” I knew then that this was the beginning we were meant to have.