I shove the emotion aside and force a deadpan face. “I guess we’re stuck together.”
“Looks like.” Her exhale is sharp. “I’m sorry, but your little picture book business isn’t as important as my family memories.”
“Excuse me?” My head snaps up. I can’t believe the words that came out of her stupidly attractive mouth. Heat flashes through my veins. I take four steps toward her sitting on the corner stool. I bend to her level, close enough that our faces are inches apart. “Oh. So,nowyou want to stay?”
The room freezes. Even adorable, clueless Ember stops chewing. About now, I’d like to take the sock from inside the dog toy and shove it down Kez’s throat.
Her gaze drifts to my lips and back up. Our eyes hold. “I never wanted to leave.”
We pause. I never wanted that either. A familiar tingle shudders through my stomach, then moves south. I meet her dark, hungry eyes, pulling me closer. Before I stop myself, I lean in?—
My phone rings. I flinch.
I tear my eyes away from Kez and see Rory’s name flash across the screen. Kez’s warm hand on mine catches me off guard, reminding me of her touch I used to crave.
“Charlotte—,” she begins.
“Don’t.” I pull away. “We are not doing this again.”
I march from the room. I feel the weight of Kez’s gaze follow me until I’m out of sight. Down the hall, I shut the bedroom door softly behind me and toss my jacket on the chair next to her duffle bag. I answer the call and skip the pleasantries.
“My ex is here.”
Rory sounds genuinely perplexed. “What do you mean your ex is inourcabin? Why is Eli?—”
“No,” I cut her off, lowering my voice and carefully listen for noises outside the room. I hear nothing, so I sit at the foot of the bed and let out the breath I’ve been holding. “The other one. Kezia.”
“Oh.” The line goes quiet. Then louder, “Ohsnap.” She’s probably stress rocking on my behalf. “Undoubtedly, she’s the reason you stay single and masturbate. I’m sorry, the reason you’ve chosen ‘intentional celibacy’. This is bad.”
I ignore the last part, instead filling her in on everything that transpired today. How the tow company refused to provide an ETA. The county line disaster, the ridiculous clause, and finallythe kitchen standoff with Kez. When I get to the part about this being her family’s yearly holiday rental, she gasps.
“That’s the same cabin she used to talk about when y’all were kids?” Rory mirrors my words back to me.
“I feel terrible. Especially given it was her father’s favorite place.” I twiddle my fingers together. “But I can’t leave, Rory.” My voice gets small. “I won’t.”
“We can fix this, business partner. Just stay put. I’ll be back before you know it,” she yells, voice distant from the phone.
A zipper races in the background. I can picture clothes flung everywhere as she frantically packs the night before her flight, like she always does. Wait. Did she just say business partner?
Despite the chaos, my lips curl upward into a smile. “You’ve made your decision?”
“Is my generational wealth mission a joke to you? I was always going to say yes. I just wanted you to make more cookies.” I can’t help but laugh despite everything. Her tone turns serious. “Anyway. First, you’re not a terrible person. You purchased the cabin for our business fair and square. Sort of. You know what I mean. Second, Kez ghosted you for years. You don’t owe her a damn thing.” She pauses. “And also…you’re stuck together with what sounds like a fuck ton of unresolved sexual tension and tragic sapphic history I’ve only dreamed about. Use it to get what you want.”
Is this supposed to be making me feel better? “I will not manipulate?—”
Rory shushes me. “Charlotte, I’m not saying that. You’re a boudoir photographer. You’ve literally built an entire business on helping women harness their power and walk into rooms like they own them. Don’t forget who you are just because Kez is there. Show her what she’s been missing and snatch our cabin in the process.” She’s silent for a moment. “I just Googled her.Damn. That woman is mighty fine in a uniform.”
I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen it but can only imagine. “I have no idea how I’m going to solve this situation without getting hurt. Again.”
Deep down, hurting Kez isn’t what I want either. Regardless of our messy past from a decade ago.
“You’re telling me you can’t handle one very hot flustered K-9 officer?” Rory demands.
I think back to Kez and I’s moment in the kitchen, her lips inches from mine. Butterflies erupt in my belly just thinking about the way she looks at me.
Rory’s voice perks up. “TL;DR: Our business is at stake. Use your powers for good.”
“Rory!” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. No. Actually, I can. This is coming from someone whose ex-wife tried to take the house, her airline miles and even knocked over the 1000-piece puzzle she had nearly finished. I shouldn’t be surprised.
