11. Sienna
Sienna
Iwake up the following morning to the sound of popping flames and the smell of freshly baked bread.
I barely open an eye and watch the flames come into focus, dancing over hot firewood.
That’s when I remember I’m in the main cabin on the couch. But I don’t move. The heat is nice on my skin, and the couch is honestly better than the cardboard thing I was sleeping on before.
Last night was an even bigger fail than my acting career.
Knox should mind his own business and care less about strangers.
I’m still not convinced that he saved me out of selflessness, and for no other reason.
I know men. They don’t do something unless it benefits them, especially when it comes to women they’re attracted to.
I feel something hotter than the fire on my skin and look around, finding Knox watching me intently from a nearby chair. There’s some serious manspreading going on. He must have a lot going on down there, same as Eli…
Someone is moving around in the kitchen.
I sit up and bring the blanket to my chin. Bad idea. It smells of wood and musk and male pheromones. Fuck the bread. I’m craving something else for breakfast.
“What… am I doing here?”
“You fell asleep, remember?”
“Did you drug me?”
Knox sniffs a laugh and stands, towering over me. To meet his eyes, I have to tilt my head ninety degrees. It’s worth the neck ache, though. He looks really good in a tight black T-shirt that shows off his broad chest and huge biceps.
Eli clears his throat, bringing my attention to the kitchen. As soon as we lock eyes, I remember the incident from yesterday.
I stand up and forget how to breathe.
“Whoa, you okay?” Knox catches me around the waist, stabilizing me.
No. I am definitely not okay.
His hands press firmly into my skin, rough and weathered from doing whatever it is he does all day.
“Breakfast is served,” calls Eli, pacing around the kitchen in nothing but an apron and pants.
I shudder. There’s too much going on. I don’t know how much longer I can do this.
Eli’s body covered in sweat.
Cock in hand.
Moaning.
“Good morning, bud. How did you sleep?”
A little boy waltzes into the kitchen wearing blue flannel pajamas.
I do a double take as I watch Eli ruffle the boy’s hair. “Henry, this is Sienna. She’s our guest for a few days until the snow clears.”
I pop my hand up and give him a wave. “Hey Henry, nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Impressive vocabulary for a boy who doesn’t look much older than four.
“It’s his word of the day,” sidenotes Eli, who’s looking at me with an amused expression written across his face. “And you used it correctly, Henry. Well done.”
For a change, I’m focused on something other than how good-looking the occupants of this cabin are.
Eli had a kid?
And where the hell is Henry’s mom?
Eli’s wife?
Oh, lord.
Eli pulls out some sugar for the coffee and walks toward the hallway without looking at me. Typical. Men always have something to hide. I tug on his belt loop and pull him back— a nearly impossible task since the man’s nothing but muscle.
He could absolutely continue walking down the hallway—I’m not exactly stopping him. But he turns around and faces me.
“You have a son?” I mouth up at him. “Why didn’t you say something before?”
“Nephew,” he whispers.
I frown. “What?”
“His parents passed away a couple of years ago,” murmurs Eli. “We’ll talk about it later.”
I keep my gaze fixed on him as he walks away. First, I find him jerking off. Now I find out he has a nephew. What’s next?
I sit down on the couch and smile at Henry. Surprisingly, he comes and sits next to me, his feet dangling in the air because his legs are too short to reach the floor. He’s a cute little thing with golden blonde hair, and when he smiles, his entire face lights up.
“Sii-enn-aa,” he says, holding each syllable.
“That’s right! You’re a smart boy.”
“That’s what Eli always tells me.”
I stare into those dark blue, innocent eyes and feel an instant wave of sadness rush through me, pushing me deeper into the couch. Losing your parents when you’re so young is rough. It doesn’t get much worse than that. The boy won’t have any memory of his parents, but sometimes it’s best that way.
Henry beams up at me and moves a little closer. He looks happy enough, which indicates that these guys are treating him well. He’s a healthy weight, and his eyes sparkle with childish innocence.
Eli returns, Cash following him down the hallway.
“How are things going, big man?” says Cash, fist-bumping the boy.
Henry slams his knuckle into Cash’s at full force. It can’t feel like much more than a slight bump to Cash, but he makes a show of shaking out his hand and wincing. “Getting stronger.”
“Yes,” says Henry, giving him a smug grin.
The light disappears from Cash’s face as soon as our eyes lock.
Even my green juices aren’t as green as his eyes.
I haven’t seen Cash since our incident yesterday morning, when he basically told me that all celebrities lie out of their asses.
Cash doesn’t look like he’s over yesterday morning either, his eyes turning cold as he looks at me.
He rips his gaze away and advances into the kitchen. “Does the princess have her gluten-free bread?”
I glare at Cash but refrain from saying anything nasty in front of the kid.
“I can teach you some new words if you like,” I say, returning my attention to Henry.
He sits up, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “Really, what kind of words?”
“The only words a woman like her knows are selfish, inconsiderate and crude,” snarls Cash in the kitchen to Eli.
“Don’t—” he interjects.
“Oh, that’s right,” continues Cash. “She’s so ignorant of her own ignorance that she probably doesn’t see herself as anything but perfect.”
“Be right back, Henry.” I flash him a smile that drops from my face as soon as I’m in the kitchen, staring at Cash. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all,” he replies sarcastically.
“You don’t even know me.”
Cash tenses his jaw, the muscle strained so tight it looks like it’s about to snap. God, I hate how fucking attractive he looks, dark hair, gorgeous green eyes and all.
I curl my fingers around the countertop before I lose the plot entirely.
“I don’t need to know you, sweetheart,” he says dryly.
I challenge him with my eyes because I’m limited to what I can do with Henry in the other room. I fantasize about telling him what I really think later, when Henry isn’t around.
“Can you two get over your differences already and quit looking like you want to tear each other to shreds?” Eli asks.
A flicker of something crosses Cash’s face, causing his jaw to get even tighter.
God, the more I stare into his eyes, the worse this gets.
I cross my arms over my chest and attempt to help Eli serve up breakfast. And now I have a bigger issue to deal with.
“Um,” I whimper as our sides accidentally crash into one another. I’m still in my cable-knit sweater and jeans from last night, probably smelling like sweat from my attempted escape.
Eli is shirtless. His bronzed skin dazzles in the morning light that spills through the window, accentuating each and every one of his muscles. I feel the shape of them through my cable-knit sweater, and now my nipples are hard, remembering everything from yesterday.
I step away, and our eyes accidentally catch for a heart-wrenching second. I lose my breath like I did when he caught me fingering myself.
His eyes are so dark that I almost see my reflection in them.
I drop my gaze, trying to get these images out of my mind.
All of a sudden, Knox is standing between us and he looks totally pissed off. “Is something going on between the two of you?”
“Nothing,” I choke out, gulping.
Eli totally didn’t walk in on me yesterday as I was about to orgasm.
And I definitely didn’t watch him come into his hand.
Fuck, he doesn’t even know I saw him.
“I really need a green juice,” I say, deciding to change the conversation. “Do you know where I can get one?”
Leafy greens are the solution to most things, including the ache between my legs that won’t seem to go away.
“Like I said before,” says Eli. “There’s nothing much up here.”
“But coffee shops are everywhere.”
“The coffee shop is right here.” Eli taps on the coffee machine.
I don’t doubt that it makes a decent cup of coffee, but my health coach tells me that I should start every day with green juice. It flushes out all the toxins.
I bite my lip, trying to figure out what all the different buttons do. “Can you make me a green juice?”
“He’s still in the middle of the last favor you asked him for,” calls Cash from the living area.
I roll my eyes. This conversation doesn’t concern him.
“Sure,” says Eli. “I should be able to make it.” He serves up toast and two poached eggs for me. “The bread is gluten-free. I had some left over from when one of my friends stayed with us a while ago.” He adds a finishing touch to my food—some weird-looking garnish.
“What’s that?”
“Your green in its natural form,” jokes Cash, approaching from behind. “What is it with you people having to drink everything in liquid form?”
“It’s called being busy,” I answer. “And having a life. Not everyone has time to sit around all day roasting celebrities.”
“You’re a celebrity?” Henry asks, perking up. He walks over and joins us in the kitchen. His pajamas are two sizes too big for him, but he looks cute, and it brings a massive smile to my face. “What kind of celebrity?”
“Oh, nobody big.”
“All celebrities are big. That’s why they’re celebrities.” He stumbles over the last word this time.
He’s stealing my heart, and we’ve only just been introduced. Perhaps, in another life, I’ll have a mini-me who shuffles around in matching pajama sets, with a natural curiosity for the world. But in this life, that can never happen.
“Eat your breakfast, Henry.” Eli ruffles his hair again, setting him up at the table.
I don’t realize I’m still smiling until I notice Cash and Knox both staring at me.
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I jump.
JULES: Is everything okay, Sienna? Please call me. I’m getting really worried.