5. CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER FIVE
Huxton
Ihold the cabin door open for Elise, taking a deep lungful of her floral perfume as she steps inside. Smelling her again doesn’t do anything to calm the edginess I’m feeling, having her in my presence again has me reeling.
I’ve been a mess all week. Most of my tasks have had me strapped to my chair, staring at my laptop screen. I hate it, and it certainly hasn’t helped the ache in my heart.
“Wow, it’s beautiful in here,” Elise whispers, taking in her surroundings.
Despite every effort this week, I’ve obsessed about this moment. Having her in here with me. My home. Our home.
Every time I’ve closed my eyes, unable to sleep, she’s been there. I see her pretty eyes, her gorgeous face. Her flowing hair, plump cheeks and soft pink lips. Everything about her is etched into my brain, like the world’s most beautiful tattoo.
“I’ll get the teapot, make yourself comfortable by the fire,” I say, gesturing to the open living space.
After quickly ducking down to my bedroom for a fresh shirt, I grab the teapot and fill it at the sink. I pick my favorite blend of herbs and spices from the pantry and make my way to the fireplace.
Elise is perched on the edge of my favorite armchair, sparkling eyes watching the flames in the fire. She looks goddamn perfect. So tiny in my huge chair, so innocent.
I feel my need for her coursing through me.
I’ve never been a believer in love at first sight. But the moment I laid eyes on Elise, standing there in that white towel, so pure, like an angel from heaven. I’m a believer now. She’s the one for me, and after a week of telling myself it can’t happen, seeing her like this… maybe I’m done fighting it?
I add my special concoction of herbs and spices to the pot and let it come to the boil. Elise watches me, just like she always does. She thinks I don’t notice her looking, but I don’t need to look to know she’s staring at me.
“I’m so sorry about this Huxton,” Elise says, her brows furrowed. “I didn’t mean to disturb you, but we didn’t know what else to do.”
I settle in the chair next to her. “There’s nothing you can do that we can’t fix.”
She’s fidgeting, her nails clawing at the worn thread on the edge of the chair. I hate that she’s stressed like this, but even when she’s nervous she’s fucking adorable.
“Talk me through it.”
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and takes a deep breath. Her beautiful big eyes drop to the floor, an attempt to hide unnecessary shame as she tells me every detail about the mistake she’s made.
Her voice is panicked, but I love the emotion that she shows. She cares just as much as I do. That’s something my father would be proud of.
Eventually, Elise draws breath and I let the cracking of the fire take the silence for a moment. Slowly, I rise to my feet and move the teapot off the fire, allowing the tea to steep a few minutes longer.
“Thank you for telling me,” I say, trying to ease Elise’s worries. “Don’t worry, I know exactly what to do.”
Elise blinks up at me, hope filling her beautiful eyes. “You do?”
“Yep.” I grab the pot and pour a cup of my special herbal tea. “Drink this and I promise everything will be ok.”
Elise shakes her head and stands to her feet, her cheeks turning pink. “Huxton, I don’t think you understand. I broke-”
“Elise,” I interrupt, standing to my full height and holding out a mug of steaming hot tea. “Please, drink this. You will feel better.”
She looks at me like I’m crazy, but she does as she’s told. Her eyes remain on mine as she sips. I can’t look away as her lips purse around the rim of the cup. She swallows and her tongue swipes across her lips. I’m sure I imagine the moan that leaves her lips, but then she does it again with the next mouthful.
Fuck. God give me mercy on this gorgeous woman.
So seductive. So sexy.
Is she doing that on purpose?
The air thickens around us and I move in closer. I can’t help myself. I need this woman, I need her touch. She must see the urges passing through me because she takes a step back and sits down, long lashes batting up at me.
“This is good tea,” she says softly.
I settle down beside her and drink my tea. “Thank you."
The tension in the air slowly dissipates as the warmth of the fire engulfs us. We make small talk and I watch as Elise looks around my home. She asks questions about my life, and I tell her this was my childhood home. We talk about the launch and how we’re nearly over the line.
I can sense Elise’s nervousness about the mistake she’s made. The fact that I haven’t addressed it yet is playing with her emotions, but I keep her talking and slowly she relaxes.
Her mistake could happen to anyone, plus, from what she’s told me, I know it’ll be easy to fix. I could have done it by now, a simple back-up on the cloud will restore it into the computer program. But if I fix it too quickly she’ll disappear again, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.
Putting it off keeps her here. Where she belongs.
We sit in the warmth and comfort of the fire, talking for nearly an hour and drinking tea together. I can tell she’s intrigued by the photos of my family hanging nearby because she keeps staring at them.
By the time we finish our tea, I see darkness beginning to take hold outside. Flickering flames give my cabin a warm feeling and I jump up to turn on a few lamps.
“Well, I guess we should take a look at this reservation issue,” I say, moving to the table where my laptop is on the dining table.
I crack it open and fire it up. Elise moves over to stand behind me, bringing her intoxicating perfume with her. She watches me as I alternate between programs, retrieving the files from the cloud, adding them back in with a few clicks of the computer.
“You’ve done it!” Elise says excitedly, her warm hand touching my back. My skin feels like it’s about to catch fire where she’s touching me, but I don’t dare move.
“Nearly…” I mumble, staring at the screen. “Just move these bookings here… and… done.”
I stand up and clap my hands together. Elise’s jaw drops, her beautiful big eyes wide with relief.
“That’s it?” she gasps. “Everything is fixed? I didn’t ruin everything?”
I chuckle, and shake my head.
Relieved, Elise moves in to hug me. My heart skips a beat and without thinking, I pull her against me. Elise lets out a sigh of relief and rests her head against my chest. She melts into me, and I feel the tension in her bones relax. My heart is pounding so fucking hard I’m sure she can hear it.
I’m not sure how long we stand like it for, but when we pull apart Elise’s gaze meets mine. Her eyes aren’t anything like I’ve been imagining all week - they’re more beautiful than I thought.
“I told you everything would be ok,” I say softly.
“Th-thank you,” she whispers, her voice barely above a breath. “I couldn’t bear the thought of ruining this for you. I know how hard you’ve worked, Huxton.”
“It’s late,” I say, glancing over her shoulder to the blackened windows. “You should stay for dinner.”
Elise hesitates, but before she can answer, I pull her soft body closer, holding her tighter against me. “I insist.”
Without too much hesitation, Elise settles back in my armchair while I prepare a simple meal in the kitchen. I open the best bottle of wine I have stashed at the back of the pantry, a dark red that’s aged well. We eat in front of the fire, sitting on the floor, legs crossed with pillows beneath our asses.
“I remember cold winter nights like this as a kid,” I tell Elise as she brings her wine glass to her lips. “Dad was always on about wasting firewood, so we would have to sit this close just to feel the warmth.”
“You live in a forest!” Elise laughs.
“I know!” I chuckle, remembering the way he used to scold us. “That was my father for you. He’d wait until the last embers were just about to stop glowing before adding the next log.”
Elise shifts on her pillow, setting her empty plate down beside her.
“That wooden structure down at the retreat? The one of the man and the smiling boy… that’s you and your father, isn’t it?”
I grin, thinking about the centerpiece I made to celebrate my father’s vision for his land.
“Yeah, that’s us,” I say. “It took me months to make that structure.”
“It’s beautiful,” Elise says, her lips tilting.
“This was his dream, to share the beauty of our land. Make it a place for everyone to enjoy. He didn’t get the chance to do it, so I’m helping him.”
“I’m sorry he’s not here to see it,” Elise says gently.
“Me too,” I admit.
As the fire dies down, we empty another bottle of red wine. Elise is the perfect company and we don’t stop talking about our lives. She tells me about the city, and I cringe at how awful it sounds.
“I hope you never go back there,” I tell her.
I can’t stand the thought of this beauty ever leaving. Not to the city. Shit, not even back to her cabin tonight. She belongs here now, with me. She might not know it yet, but I’m never letting her go.
Not tonight. Not any night.
The room grows darker, and I let the fire start to burn out. I move in close, my hand brushing against Elise’s as we snuggle on the floor. She moves into me, giving me exactly what I want. Our fingers intertwine together, and I wrap a protective arm around her.
I can’t resist this woman. I was a fool for thinking I could.
But I don’t need to.
I was scared of her becoming a distraction, but she cares about this retreat just as much as I do. The fear in her eyes when she thought she had destroyed all the bookings, the regret and despair in her voice. She cares.
Dad wanted to share this land, and I can’t think of anyone better to share it with. I’ve already decided it. For the rest of my life, Elise will be with me.
“Elise,” I whisper, sliding my fingers to intertwine with hers. “Spend the night with me.”
Her eyes sparkle and without even a hint of hesitation, she nods.
I lean in and kiss her, knowing my life is never going to be the same again.