12. Chase
12
CHASE
“Duke!” Ronan calls from the attic. “Turn on the faucet again.”
There’s the sound of running water from the bathroom as Duke turns it on. I abandon my work and peer through the bathroom door, relieved when I see the water is clear.
“Looks good!” Duke says. “No more black sludge.”
“Awesome,” I say, getting back to work on the bookshelves I’m installing.
Kane helps me position the wood straight as I fit the final shelf before wiping the sweat from my brow.
Ever since Sienna left a week ago, I’ve thrown myself into working on the cabin. Ronan wanted to help, and soon enough, Duke and Kane got wind of the project and came along too. Together, we finished the floor, mended all the holes and leaks, fitted new windows, sealed everything up, set up the electricity and water supply, and made the whole thing look good as new. Now that the shelves are up and the desk is built, all that’s left is to decorate it. I’m going to wait until Sienna is here for that. I want the cabin to look exactly how she wants it.
“I think we’re done,” I say, standing back to look at our work.
The cabin is unrecognizable. It’s still tiny, but it’s sturdy, solid, and spotlessly clean. All the vines and weeds have been stripped away, and the big new windows are gleaming, letting in the bright afternoon light.
“Good job, guys,” Kane says, nodding his head as he looks around.
“Looks like a whole new cabin,” Duke agrees.
“Thanks so much for helping out.” I reach out to shake their hands. “I owe you all big time.”
“No problem,” Ronan says. “Hope your girl loves it. When’s she getting here?”
“Anytime now.”
My heart pounds knowing I’m going to see Sienna soon. I’ve missed her like hell this past week. Her absence has been a physical ache in my chest, making it hard to eat or sleep, and working on her cabin has been the only thing keeping me going. Hell, even Moose has been gloomy, whining for her day and night.
“Well, we better get going,” Duke says, gathering up his tools. “Don’t want to intrude on your reunion.”
Ronan and Kane follow suit, heaving their tools out of the cabin. I thank them again, feeling so damn grateful to all of them as they disappear into the woods toward their own homes.
“Come on, buddy,” I say, beckoning Moose toward me. “You ready to see our girl?”
He is full of restless energy, almost like he can sense my anticipation as we stand in front of Sienna’s cabin and wait, staring out at the dirt track. Fifteen minutes later, I hear the buzz of an engine getting closer, and my mouth goes dry as I peer up ahead, waiting for the sight of Sienna’s tiny car. It emerges from the trees, and Moose starts barking wildly. As it comes to a stop, I race toward it, wrenching open the driver-side door.
Sienna squeals as I pull her straight out of her seat and into my arms, my whole body breathing a sigh of relief.
She’s back for good.
I never have to let her go again.
I drink in her familiar scent, kissing every inch of her I can reach—her nose, her forehead, her freckled cheeks. She’s giggling, grinning at me, her eyes shining with delight as she wraps her arms around my neck. Moose jumps up to greet her with a cheerful howl.
“I missed you so fucking much,” I tell her, squeezing her tight.
“I missed you too,” she says, her sweet voice making my heart clench.
I pull back to look at her, my eyes roaming her face, absorbing every detail.
“You’re so damn beautiful. I missed seeing your face every day.”
Sienna beams at me, and I lean in to kiss her, sucking on her soft bottom lip. I missed her taste. I kiss her deeply, my hands tangling in her pink hair, our mouths moving desperately. Her tongue laps against mine, and she lets out a soft moan as I pull her close, my cock stirring as her thick curves press against me.
When we finally come up for air, Sienna smiles widely, her face lit up with joy. “I’m so happy to be back.”
“How did it go with your sister?”
To my relief, her smile doesn’t falter. “It went better than expected.”
“That’s great news, sugar.” I press a quick kiss on her cheek. “I have something to show you.”
I set her down on the ground and guide her toward the cabin.
“Oh!” she says, her eyes twinkling. “Wow, it looks so clean.”
“Wait until you see the inside.”
I lead her through the front door and she gasps. “Chase! Oh my God, it’s amazing!”
She circles the small room, inspecting the desk, the shelves, and the new windows.
“It has water and electricity,” I tell her. “Thanks to a few of my buddies.”
“It’s perfect.”
“I left it undecorated—figured we’d do that part together.”
Sienna grins at me. “Sounds fun. Wow, I can’t believe it’s the same cabin.” With another look around, she sighs with delight and throws her arms around me. “Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
I chuckle, holding her close. “You did a lot of the work yourself.”
“I never could have done it without you, though.”
Sienna pulls away from me and heads into the bathroom, inspecting it before climbing the ladder to look in the attic. “No holes!” she calls down to me. “That’s definitely an improvement.”
I smile, but I feel a flicker of nerves as she comes back down, and I swallow hard.
“Sienna, I don’t want you to live here.”
Her smile flickers. “What do you mean?”
I take a step toward her. “I want you to live with me in my cabin.”
She blinks up at me, her lips parting. “Really?”
“Yes. I want you with me, sugar. I want to be with you all the time.”
“Oh, Chase…” she beams at me. “That would be so amazing. I’d love to live with you.”
My nerves seep away, replaced by pure happiness as I hold my girl close.
“I love you, Sienna.”
“I love you too.” Her brown eyes sparkle as she looks at me. “I can’t wait to live in your cabin!”
“Our cabin now, beautiful.”
She grins. “I like the sound of that.” She stands on her tiptoes to kiss me on the cheek, then turns away from me to look around at the cabin once more. “I wonder what I’m going to do with this place now.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, and I have an idea.”
Sienna looks at me. “Yeah?”
“This can be your writing nook.” I point to the desk. “You can set up a computer there in front of the window. There are bookshelves for all your favorite novels, or your own novels even. You’ve got a bathroom, room for a couch or someplace to rest, the attic for storage.” I smile at her. “It’s the perfect place to start making your dream a reality.”
Sienna presses her lips together, and for a moment I’m worried she might not like the idea. Then, to my surprise, she bursts into tears. My heart clenches painfully.
“What’s wrong, beautiful? Talk to me.”
She shakes her head, hiccupping. “N-nothing’s wrong. I’m just so happy that you b-believe in me.” She smiles at me through her tears, wiping her eyes. “You’re amazing, Chase. Thank you so much for doing all this for me.”
“It’s my pleasure, beautiful. You’re worth it.” I dry the rest of her tears with my thumb before taking her hand in mine and kissing it. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
We hold hands as we walk through the forest toward our cabin, Moose racing alongside us. The afternoon is slowly giving way to evening, the sunset streaking the sky with vivid stripes of pink.
“I have something waiting for you on the table,” I say as we head up the porch steps.
“You’re really spoiling me with all the surprises today, huh?”
I chuckle as I unlock the door, but before Sienna can walk inside, I pick her up and carry her bridal-style over the threshold, making her giggle.
“Welcome home, princess.”
I set her down and she laughs when she sees what’s on the table.
An enormous cherry pie and a new pair of panties to replace the ones I burned.
“Thank you, Chase.” She inspects the underwear. “These are perfect. And that pie looks amazing!”
“There’s plenty more where that came from. You’re a Cherry Hollow girl now, sugar.”
“Cherry Hollow girl and proud.” Sienna grins, something naughty flashing across her face. “But right now there’s something I want even more than cherry pie.”
I know exactly what she means. It’s been on my mind ever since I finally set eyes on my girl’s gorgeous curves again. My cock has been aching for her all damn week, and now she’s back, I’m getting harder with every second.
I close the gap between us, kissing up her neck. “Tell me what you want, Sienna.”
“I want you to take me to bed, Grumpy Forest Man. Now.”
With a groan of desire, I pick her up and carry my girl to our bed, feeling like the luckiest man in the whole damn world.