“Wait, don’t step in without me.”
Whipping her head around, she says, “Then hurry up, slowpoke.”
I jog up to the porch, and my hand brushes over hers as I turn the knob. Kendall enters first, with me on her heels. Flipping the switch, I’m in shock. Rylee also redecorated the hut.
“Dane—this place. It’s just as breathtaking. What do you even do here?”
“When I used to come every weekend, I’d stay in here. I felt like I was away from everyone being down here. The house is too big for one person; sometimes I want to live a simple life.”
“A simple life, huh?! I feel like that occasionally. Getting away from everything, it’s nice to decompress in a space that hugs you. This place hugs me.” Her eyes roam around the space, taking it all in.
I look at her with curiosity. “I’m not sure I feel the hug part, but I think I know what you’re saying.”
It’s a small house, so the tour takes less than five minutes to complete. The bedroom is a mini version of the master bedroom. Rylee even found a smaller chaise to put in the corner of the room.
“This is the most luxurious bathroom,” she says as she walks in, turning on the light. “That soaking tub is calling my name.”
The tub has one of the best views of the lake. You can see out, but onlookers would have to be up against that glass to see inside.
“Go for it.” I gesture to the tub.
“Not now! We still have some stargazing to do.” She turns around and leans up to stroke my beard. “Let’s go check out that porch.”
When we first came in, we sped by the porch, wanting to look inside, but it doesn’t disappoint.
I smirk, thinking about her lying in the bathtub—naked, her breasts peeking out at the top of the water with bubbles all around her. Fuck, that will be hot.
FOURTY-FIVE
Kendall
The porch is the perfect size. It has a couple of chairs with a table in between them and a hammock on the other.
“Where to?” Dane asks, gesturing between the two seating areas.
“Hammock, please,” I answer with a bright smile.
We both walk over, and he eases down onto the hammock first, then swings over to grab and pull me with him. The hammock goes flying, but quickly settles down. The view is breathtaking. The lake, treetops, stars, and the moon are fully showing themselves tonight.
With one leg off the hammock, Dane rocks us ever so slightly. I’m snug up against his side, and my head is resting on his chest. We’re relaxed, holding each other. He strokes my arm, and it’s soothing as I trace circles on his chest. In mindless circling, I can imagine him shirtless with his muscles rippling under my fingertips.
He’s distracting, but then he points up into the sky and says, “Look, there’s the Big Dipper.”
The sky is clear, and seeing the Big Dipper is a highlight of the night. “I love that you can see the stars from here. It’s relaxing, and I can be close to you.”
Everything about him feels right. He’s right for me. My entire body melts into him as I cuddle up to his side and rest my head on his chest as the chilly air bites at us.
I shiver. “Brrr, it’s chilly all of a sudden.”
“The breeze shifted, and now it’s coming off the lake. You want to take that bath now?”
“Yeah, that sounds amazing.”
He darts straight to the bathroom, and I hear the water start. Poking his head out the doorway, he says, “There’s a robe in the closet.”
My plan was to undress in front of him and step into the tub, but a robe will work too.
He yells from the bathroom, “Do you like it hot or just warm?”
