Chapter 29
Jake
I woke up this morning, face down with a painful erection trying to make a hole inside the cushion of the couch.
It could have been my imagination but I swear as I was falling asleep last night I heard Scarlett make a sound that could only be described as sexual.
Either that sound, or just hanging out with her all day yesterday had led me to dream about her through the night.
The things I would do for her if given the chance.
To be honest, the house wasn’t that cold this morning but it was three o’clock in the morning when I woke up and tried as I might, I could not go back to sleep.
I started the back up generator outside just to have something to do with my hands.
And with the hope that the frigid temperature outside would take away the erection.
While it did accomplish that, it did little to wipe Scarlett from my mind.
Spending time with her yesterday was quite possibly the most fun I’ve had in, well, I don’t know how many years.
She was different than I expected her to be.
When things started out rough with us I thought she was uptight but maybe that was actually me.
Yesterday, Scarlett was so uninhibited. After a few awkward moments with breakfast, and my mini heart attack when I thought she actually was vegan for a second, things were…
easy. I try to think about the last time I had a relationship that was easy and I can’t.
Fuck. This isn’t a relationship. She is my neighbor. My chill, extremely sexy neighbor, but my neighbor nonetheless. I can’t start something with her. If things went south then it would be awkward forever.
Still, when she comes out of my bedroom dressed in tight black leggings and an oversized white sweater I can’t keep the smile off my face.
I have no real reason to smile but she just brings it out of me.
I look at her now, cute as a button and I want to know if I could make her make the noise I heard last night.
Thinking about her in my bed last night, well I can’t think about that now or I’ll get hard in my kitchen while I make her breakfast.
She digs into the still steaming biscuits and gravy and lets out another unholy sound.
Yep, well, as much as I have been trying not to get hard, my dick salutes at the sound and I shuffle into the seat next to her, trying to will myself to think about anything other than her.
Her soft, warm skin. The way it might feel pressed up against me.
Nope. Stop that. I need to think about something else.
Anything else. Baseball? I hate baseball.
I look out the window and focus on the snow.
Cold, cold snow. That may do the trick if it didn’t make me remember Scarlett’s face yesterday when we were outside and the snow picked up.
She pointed her face to the sky and spun around in circles, reveling in it.
She was beautiful. She is beautiful, sitting next to me.
Around a bite I ask, “So what do you want to do today?” The instant it left my mouth I think what a dumb question.
It’s not like we’re friends or she’s here to hang out with me.
She’s here because her house doesn’t have heat until the power is back on.
But I don’t know what else to do, I can’t keep quietly listening to her make her happy noises over food.
She looks at me with a look of surprise and it confirms that I am an idiot for asking that.
After taking a second to chew and swallow her food she responds, “I’m sorry, I should probably get out of your hair and let you get back to your normal routine.
I’ve already invaded your space, eaten your food, and slept in your bed.
” A little chuckle escapes and she puts her hand over her mouth when it does.
Don’t think about her sleeping in your bed, Jake. “No,” I say, “you’re a welcome guest.” There’s a small part of me that hopes the power never comes back on so that she can stay forever but I know that won’t happen.
“Well, I appreciate it. I’m sure my house is freezing over there.”
“Yeah I bet it is, but I checked on the chicks earlier and they’re nice and toasty. You did a great job beefing up their coop.” Her face beams with pride and she bites the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling too wide.
“How’s Henrietta?” She asks, and I can’t help but notice how touched that makes me.
I could see it yesterday in the way that she was scratching Henrietta’s head that she was smitten with her.
Just like Cami. Don’t get me wrong, I love Henrietta but it’s more of a symbiotic relationship.
I supply Henrietta with the oats, she gives me the milk I need to sell my goods at the farmer’s market.
We love each other because we get what we need from the other.
But Scarlett just hands that love over to Henrietta without anything in return.
I admire that and admittedly wish that I was the recipient of that kind of love.
“Well, she’s pissed that there’s snow on the ground and refuses to leave her pen.
I gave her some treats this morning to make up for it.
” Scarlett gives me that brilliant smile of hers and my chest aches.
I’ve always been a keep it close to the chest kind of guy.
I talk, but usually only when I really have something to say.
Something about being with Scarlett makes me want to talk all the time, even if I say something dumb because I want to see her eyes light up, or her face spread into a wide smile.
Cami comes out of the bedroom with a loud yawn while she says, “is the power back on?”
“Nope,” I respond.
“Good, I was hoping we’d get the day together again.
” I sneak a peek at Scarlett who tries to hide a smile as she puts another bite of biscuits into her mouth.
Cami shuffles her feet over to the coffee pot and pours herself a cup.
I’m not sure when my baby niece grew up into a full grown person who drinks coffee but here we are.
She turns around and blows over the top of the coffee cup and looks over at the two of us. “So, what’s on the agenda today.”
“Well, you know we still have to do the chores.” I raise my eyebrows and in my mind I’m giving off a fatherly figure vibe but with the way Cami looks at me, I don’t think it landed.
“Right, and then?” She looks expectantly at both Scarlett and I, Scarlett turns to look at me and all of a sudden I’m the one who’s supposed to have all the answers?
“Why are you both looking at me?” I ask. “All I know is I need to do my daily chores. Other than that, I’m up for anything.”
“I want to go sledding,” Cami states. I see now why she keeps looking at me. The hill we’ve always used for sled riding was on Blaine’s property. Which is now Scarlett’s property. So she’s looking at me to be the one to ask.
“That sounds fun! Where do you guys go sled riding?” Scarlett asks.
“We used to always use the hill on the other side of your house. Blaine and my dad were friends from high school and growing up we usually just treated his property as ours and vice versa.” I shrug, “but don’t feel like you have to.”
“No, I love that idea. It’s funny actually because when I bought the property I was told it was about five acres but when I got here I realized that a few of those were unusable with the hill.
I actually thought to myself that sled riding would be the only good use for it.
” She chuckles and promptly gets up, taking her plate to the sink to rinse it off.
The act is so normal, so innocent, but it gives me the tiniest glimpse of a life with her and damn it, why am I thinking of a life with her?
I shake my head and stand to do the same thing with my plate.
“Do you want some breakfast first, Cami?” She asks.
Great, and she’s motherly to my niece. Awesome.
Cami raises her coffee up as if to say that was her breakfast and then shuffles back to her room and closes the door.
Scarlett looks at me and says, “I guess that was a no?” before I can answer she continues, “I’m going to go get dressed to help you with chores.
” I open my mouth to protest that she doesn’t have to but she disappears inside my bedroom before I get the chance.