Chapter Thirteen
Zachary
The next morning, it was very hot inside the cabin. Grace was sleeping peacefully next to me. My phone showed it was ten o’clock. We hadn’t gone to bed until after sunrise, but I couldn’t sleep any longer, so I got up.
I put on my boxers and moved to the living room, checking my messages. I had an unread text from Felicia.
Felicia: Good morning. We’re out with the animals. We’ve put a basket with breakfast in front of the door because we didn’t want to wake you up. I hope you had a good night. I know the couch couldn’t have been too comfortable.
Zachary: Thanks for breakfast.
I tossed my phone onto the couch as I went to open the door. The basket was chock-full of food. On top there was bread and small jars of jam. I brought it in, putting it on the small table next to the wall, and then I heard footsteps. Grace was walking in slowly, a sheet wrapped around her. She looked gorgeous. Her hair was in complete disarray, her eyes heavy with sleep.
“Good morning,” I greeted.
“Hey.”
“Felicia left breakfast at the door.”
“That’s so thoughtful. What time is it?”
“Ten o’clock.”
She gasped, her eyes suddenly wide and alert. “Crap. I need to tell the office that I’m not going in today.”
“Good thinking. I forgot it’s not Saturday. I’ll do the same. Although, I could probably get there in the afternoon.”
She turned around in a half circle to face the bedroom, then turned back to face me and blinked.
“I forgot where my clothes are.”
“You weren’t wearing any pants when I carted you off the couch, so I’m guessing somewhere in here.”
Grace licked her lips and smiled, quickly looking down at her feet. She walked with small steps to the side of the couch, grabbing something from the floor. She dug her hand into her bag, taking out her phone.
“I’ve got six missed calls. I can’t believe this didn’t wake us up.”
“After last night, we certainly needed our rest,” I teased.
She tapped on her phone before setting it on the couch, then glanced at me. “We did, didn’t we? So, what goodies did Felicia prep for us?”
“Lots of things. Have your pick.”
I watched her intently as she came closer, but she didn’t make eye contact. She peeked in the basket, taking out bread and a small jar. “Peach jam. I love this. Haven’t had it in a while. Are there plates anywhere? Oh, wait, Felicia put some in the bottom of the basket.”
We took them out carefully before sitting down.
“Good thinking on her part. Everyone probably eats at the cafeteria, right?” Grace said as she lathered on a lot of butter followed by peach jam.
As she took the first bite, she sighed. “Ah, this is exactly the boost of energy I was hoping for.”
I gave her a half smile. “Why? Do you have a certain activity in mind?”
She instantly blushed. “I wasn’t... That’s not what I...”
I moved closer to her and pushed a strand of hair from her face. “I was teasing you, Grace. You’re tense this morning.”
She licked her lips and then lowered the half-eaten slice of bread to her plate. Her shoulders slumped. “I’m all over the place this morning. I should’ve showered first. It helps me wake up.”
“You’re adorable with your wild hair and holding that sheet around you as if you’re determined not to let me see anything.”
She tipped her head up to me. “That is kind of the point.”
I raised a brow. “You do remember I already saw everything, right?”
“Oh, you’re being mean to me this morning,” she whispered.
“Not at all my intention.”
“Right... Well, since I’m not going to work today, I could spend some more time with the horses and chat with Felicia and Gaston.” She was mostly talking to herself.
“Do your neurons always fire up so quickly in the morning? Because I’ve got to say, I’m a much simpler creature. The only thought going through my mind is ‘How can I convince you to stay indoors with me?’”
She started to laugh. “That’s the sugar, trust me. Wakes me up fast. I’d love to know what the horses do in the morning.”
“I see. So, you choose the horses over me.”
“Zachary, honestly. I can’t blush this early in the morning.”
I leaned in, whispering in her ear, “I can do one better. I can make you come right now.”
She nearly choked on her food. A split second later, I realized she truly was choking. She put the plate down, bending slightly over the table.
“Fuck, I’ll get you some water.”
I grabbed one of the bottles Felicia had put in the basket and opened the cap, handing it to Grace. She took a deep breath and then downed some water.
Once her fit had passed, she glared at me. “You are dangerous for me, Zachary. Quite literally.”
Leaning in, I tugged at her earlobe, but she stepped back. I could feel that she was pulling away. Last night, we’d both given in to our impulses and our needs, but this morning, something had changed. I straightened up and waited patiently, looking at her.
“You want to talk?” I asked.
She sighed. “We should, right? But I feel like I need to get my bearings first so I can put my thoughts in order. I’ll hop in the shower.”
“Sure. I’ll go in after you.”
I took a step back, watching Grace move around the couch once more, gathering her clothes.
After she went into the bathroom, I decided not to waste any more time. I did part of my morning workout routine right there on the floor of the cabin. It consisted of push-ups and jumping jacks. I wasn’t even paying attention to my surroundings until I heard Grace whistle.
“Well, well. That’s a sight I love walking out of the bathroom to.”
She stood in the doorway, watching me without shame. I stopped in the middle of doing a crunch and immediately pushed myself up to my feet.
She licked her lips before tugging at the lower one with her teeth. “How can you be so damn sexy, hmm? Especially wearing just boxers?”
“I, for one, think I’m overdressed. I can drop these, too, but I want to shower first. I worked up a sweat.”
She stepped away from the bathroom door. I winked at her before going in and jumping into the shower.
While the water ran over me, I thought about the conversation ahead. Grace had fun last night—I was sure of it. So why was she retreating now? I wasn’t used to playing games. Granted, I usually just went on casual dates and had one-night stands that I wasn’t interested in repeating.
But now I wanted a repeat—very much so.
After stepping out of the shower, I heard Felicia’s distinctive voice and realized we were no longer alone in the cabin. I wanted to throw her out and just keep Grace prisoner here for a few more hours.
I opened the door, and Felicia looked straight at me.
“Perfect. If you’re both ready, we can head out. It’s a gorgeous day! Poor Starlight got a right scare yesterday and needs some loving.” At the last part, she looked pointedly at Grace, and I smiled.
Grace looked over at me. “By the way, your phone kept ringing while you were in the shower.”
I immediately grabbed it from the couch and checked the messages.
“Damn it. I forgot I had a big meeting scheduled today. If I leave now, I should make it in time.” How the hell did I forget?
Felicia’s face fell. “Right. Grace, are you still staying?”
“Yes, of course. Starlight needs me, and I’d really love to spend more time here before I head back.”
“Fantastic. Then I’ll wait for you outside. I want to check if there was any damage to the cabin during the storm.”
That sounded like a bullshit excuse, but she must have realized that we needed a moment together. I wondered if she could tell what had happened here last night.
After she left, Grace narrowed her eyes and tilted her head playfully. “Are you sure you can’t stay?”
“Unfortunately not. I can’t postpone it because I’ve got execs coming in from all over the area. Our shipping business has run into some logistic issues, and my brothers and I want to work things out with the people directly involved.”
I moved closer to her. I couldn’t understand how this woman seemed more beautiful to me every time I saw her.
“But my previous offer still stands. We’ll just have to move the party”—I wiggled my eyebrows—“to New Orleans.”
“Zachary,” she whispered, shaking her head.
“You’ve had time to think,” I concluded.
“I just... Last night was amazing, but I don’t know. This is a time in my life where I need to be by myself.”
“Right.”
If that was her decision, then I was going to respect it even though I didn’t like it one bit.
“Can I ask you something?” I said.
“Sure.”
“Why won’t you even consider us both investing in this place?” I really had to know if my suspicions were warranted.
She sighed. “I realize I was probably too blunt at dinner. It wasn’t my intention. I just...” She ran her hand through her hair. I wanted to bury my fingers in it, then tug her head backward and kiss her, but it wasn’t what she needed right now.
“For so long,” she continued, “my identity and everything I did were somehow tied to someone else—first to my family’s company, then to my husband. For the first time in my life, I’m doing things completely on my own, and I like it. So, any project I’m embarking on—”
“You’d rather do on your own. I get it.”
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re not mad?” she asked quietly.
“Grace, why would I be mad?”
She shrugged. “Why not?”
“It’s your choice. I respect it.”
We heard footsteps, and we both fell silent as Felicia came in.
“I’ll be right out,” Grace told her, hurrying toward Felicia. She turned to look at me. “Have a safe trip back, Zachary.”
“Thanks, and you too.”
I didn’t like that I was heading back to the city with things between us like this, but I knew it wasn’t the right moment to push.
That didn’t mean I was giving up, though.