Chapter 9 Danni
DANNI
Iwake the next morning with a mixture of excitement and loss. Excited because I finally know what I want to do with my life, and I won’t let Mom stop me. And loss because this is the last day I’ll be waking up in Colter’s arms.
We fooled around last night like we’ve been doing ever since the rocky pool.
He did wicked things with his tongue. But I’ve not felt him inside me yet.
I want to go all the way with him, but he hasn’t suggested it, and it’s too embarrassing to ask.
What if he says no? There must be a reason he’s been holding back.
He told me he doesn’t do relationships, and maybe that’s it.
Over breakfast, Colter gets the call that my car is ready.
Everything about packing my bag feels heavy. I try to make it last, knowing these will be the last few moments I spend with Colter. But too soon I’m packed, and there’s no excuse to stay any longer.
I give Daisy a final pat goodbye and she looks at me dolefully, reflecting exactly how I feel.
“You get the bike all to yourself again, girl.” But the big dog only whines and rests her head on her paws.
I slide onto the back of Colter’s bike, trying not to let him see the emotions churning inside me. He seems surprisingly calm about all of this. And it just illustrates how inexperienced I am with men. He told me it was just for the weekend, but my big, stupid heart went and fell for him anyway.
Last night while we watched a movie he was on his phone a lot, and he went out to take a call. I guess this weekend is ending for him too, and he’s moving on to life without me.
The ride to the clubhouse seems too short, and soon we’re pulling into the courtyard behind the bar. The mechanic’s shop is directly behind the bar, but Colter crosses the courtyard, passes the brewery, and rides right over to one of the other buildings in the compound.
“I want to show you something.”
He seems excited, and that hurts. I’m too despondent to be interested in anything, and it’s clear he’s not sad at all about me leaving. Without paying much attention, I get off the bike and follow him to a building that’s on the edge of the courtyard.
Colter slides the door open. It’s one of those old-fashioned sliding wooden doors with peeling green paint.
Inside is nothing but a wooden workbench and some old paint cans. The single window is boarded up, and dust motes dance in a slit of light that peeks through the gaps.
“What do you think?”
I squint at Colter, not sure what he means. It just looks like a storage shed to me.
“About what?”
“A lick of paint and a good cleaning. You could put glass back in the windows for more light.”
I still don’t know what he’s talking about, but based on the smile on his face, he seems pretty pleased with himself. Which just adds to my irritation. I’m devastated to be leaving, and he’s showing me a creaky old workshop.
“Can I just get my car?”
I turn my back to the shed. I just want to get out of here now to get in my car and drive away before I break down.
Colter takes me by the shoulders and spins me around. With one arm around my shoulders, he gestures with the other arm.
“Your studio could be at the back, once the window’s fixed. And the front part could be a gallery and shop.”
Studio… shop… The words break through my foggy brain. Does he mean…?
“You think this could be my studio?”
My chest flutters, and hope fills my heart. Colter nods as the realization hits me.
“You found me a studio? Here?” Does that mean he wants me to stay?
He’s grinning like the cat that got the cream, and there’s something else in his expression. Hope.
“Do you like it?”
I step into the shed and really look at it for the first time.
When the window’s fixed, it will get the morning sun. Perfect for sketching. The space is long and narrow, and I can imagine rows of artwork and display cases.
The location is perfect. This side of the courtyard stretches to the left of the bar. The gallery would be seen from the road, and anyone stopping in at the bar or brewery could stop by for a look.
Then there are the tourists that come to the mountains. If I dropped brochures in all the tourist venues, it could be a destination shop.
A funny sensation pools in my stomach and makes my body tingle with the possibilities.
“Colter, it’s perfect. But…” I can’t finish what I want to say, because I’m afraid of his answer.
His expression turns serious, and he takes a step toward me. “But what, Danni? Tell me this isn’t what you want, that you don’t want to stay?”
I’m taken off balance. Colter told me he doesn’t do relationships, that this was just for the weekend. Does he really want me to stick around?
“But how about you? What do you want?”
His hand brushes my cheek. “Danni, I want you. Since the moment I saw you leaning on a 1956 Caddy, I wanted you. I tried to tell myself it could just be for the weekend, but I was wrong.”
“I thought you didn’t do relationships?”
“Neither did I. I was hurt once. When I went on my first tour, I came back and my girlfriend was with someone else. I swore I’d never get close to a woman again. But over the years, it’s become a habit rather than a conviction. I thought I was okay on my own until I met you.
“I want you, Danni, and not just for the weekend. I want you for life.”
My breath hitches. It’s everything I hoped he’d say to me.
“If you want it, there’s a life here for you, Danni.
I arranged it with the guys last night. No one uses this building anymore.
You can have it on lease, and I’ve paid for the first six months.
Even if you don’t want me, you can take the building.
But you’ve got to make sure this is what you want. You have to tell me what you want.”
I think about Mom and the dozens of messages she’ll be leaving on my defunct phone.
I think of the years I’ve spent trying to please her and how miserable I’ve been.
I think about the last few days on the mountain, of Colter and the way I feel when I’m with him.
No one makes me feel like he does. I’ve never felt freer or more myself. So what do I, Danni Malone really want?
There’s only one thing I want, and he’s staring at me with a hopeful look in his eyes.
“I want you, Colter. I want this. All of it. I want to stay with you on the mountain. It’s what I want for myself.”
His lips press against mine, and a sigh escapes me. His kiss feels so right. Our bodies press against each other, and his hardness pushes into me.
With his foot, Colter kicks back and pushes the door. It slides closed, shutting out the light.
“What are you doing?”
“Now that I know you truly want me, I’m claiming you.”
A delicious shiver goes through me, and my panties dampen. I like the sound of that.