I shook my head as a dark, curly-haired, infuriatingly sexy woman invaded my thoughts. "No. It's something I've thought about for a while."
Eden reached out and touched my arm. "Thank you, Simon. I forgive you. Let's start fresh?"
I smiled in relief as a five-tonne boulder lifted from my shoulders. "I'd like that."
Eden opened her arms for a hug which I had no choice but to return. Sure enough, just as I folded Eden into my arms, Barron came storming over. Dude seriously had to rein in his jealousy.
But then, an image of Sofia and Brian flashed in my head. I was beginning to understand where my cousin was coming from.
Chapter 14
Sofia
Ihadtoadmitit, Simon did an amazing job choosing this place. The log cabin was beautiful.
The exterior was made of gorgeous rich brown wood with a moss-green roof. It had a spacious wrap-around porch, furnished perfectly with hand-made rocking chairs.
The interior was just as stunning and cozy. It had logged walls that were a warm, pale brown, set off with deep maroon couches. The whole design was cohesive and complemented well with the cabin's aesthetic. It made my little artistic heart sing.
"So there's two double-sized bedrooms downstairs." Simon came up behind me, gesturing in the direction of the rooms.
"Barr, E; you guys can have the master. It has a jacuzzi."
Eden's face lit up, and she excitedly grabbed Barron's arm. The smile he gave her was heated and full of promise. One guess what they were planning on doing tonight.
"Obviously, the other couple in the group can have the other bedroom."
Ryan grabbed Gabe's hand and dragged him off toward the second bedroom.
I turned to address Eden, but they, too, had snuck off.
Simon cleared his throat in the silence. The air felt thick with a heightened emotion I didn't want to examine. Being confined into a small, albeit, spacious vehicle wasn't as awkward as I expected. I could almost say that I had fun.
He kept his eyes on the road, only flicking off briefly when he wanted to make a point in his conversation or to produce one of his trademark grins. But during the interludes between our conversations, my eyes were constantly drawn to the shape of his hands and the clench of his thighs as they maneuvered his car. Occasionally, he'd flex his fingers against the steering wheel as if trying to shake out the tension. Just like I shifted in the leather seats, trying to relieve mine.
"So, the loft upstairs is pretty spacious,"
Simon commented, sticking his hands in the front pocket of his shorts. "There are four beds set up. You can take that space, and I can sleep down here on the couch," he offered.
I felt a stab of disappointment before sweeping it aside. I should be thrilled that Simon was being a gentleman and wasn't immediately making innuendos about sharing a bed.
I shrugged. "I can sleep down here if you like. The couch does look huge, but I'm tiny, so it'll be like a bed for me."
Something moved in his eyes before disappearing just as fast. He swallowed before casting his eyes down at my bag with a nod.
"Let's check the room out anyway and dump our shit there."
He wasn't lying; the loft was spacious. It reminded me of when I attended summer camp, with the camping beds equally spaced out for privacy.
Although, the four single beds in the loft looked much more comfortable than the thin mattress of a camp bed.
They were against the wall, below the sloping roof. Each bed had a little bedside table with a small lamp. It was cute. Cozy. Intimate.
"For now, I'll just put my stuff here. Out of everyone's way." Simon picked the bed closest to the stairwell.
I nodded and placed my bag on the farthest bed, close to the wall and beside a small window. I bent down and peered outside, taking in the slight drizzle and the raindrops falling off the green leaves. I could see myself snuggling up with a book and a glass of wine, watching and listening to the raindrops.
"The rain should clear tomorrow."
