But that was what she did to me. Made me want things I never wanted before. Made me imagine a different kind of life, one where I came home to someone who was genuinely happy to see me. Someone who laughed at my jokes and called me on my bullshit and made me want to be better than I actually was.
The fantasy was so vivid I could almost taste it. Weekend mornings like this one, lazy and warm. Coming home to her. Learning her routines, her preferences and all her moods—even the bad ones. Having someone who was mine in a way that had nothing to do with power or control and everything to do with choice.
For the first time in my life, I understood why people talked about love like it was worth sacrificing for.
And that was when the full weight of what I was about to do hit me like a freight train.
Soon, Harold would call his daughter with questions about the contract. Questions I couldn’t answer without revealing everything. By tonight, Sylvie would know exactly who I was and what I’d come here to do. She’d know that every word out of my mouth had been a carefully constructed lie designed to manipulate her family into giving up everything they’d worked for.
“You’re awake,” Sylvie murmured.
I looked down and found her watching me. “I am.”
She pulled away, yawned and stretched. “You should have woke me up.” She practically jumped out of bed. “I have to get a move on.”
She walked to her dresser and started pulling out clothes.
“What’s the rush?” I asked.
“This weekend is an event weekend at the lodge,” she said as she walked to the bathroom. “We have a neighbor comingover with his wagons and Clydesdale horses to do winter rides through the tree farm for guests. Kids absolutely love it, but it’s a ton of setup work.”
I sat up, intrigued despite myself. “That actually sounds pretty cool. Need help?”
She poked her head out of the bathroom, her face lighting up. “Really? That would be amazing. I could definitely use the extra hands, especially since I’m supposed to meet Dad for lunch to discuss your family’s offer.”
My chest tightened painfully at her words. So that was the deadline. That’s when this would all come crashing down, because Harold would have explained exactly what the Bancroft acquisition meant, and Sylvie would finally understand that I’d been lying to her from the beginning.
She’d see how much my family planned to take. She’d realize that “investment” meant total destruction.
And she would hate me for it.
I climbed out of bed and strolled into the bathroom.
She looked at me and laughed. “What are you doing?”
“Taking a shower.”
“With me?”
“Conserving water,” I said with a wink. “You’re making it sound like we’re in a hurry. I don’t have time to go to the lodge and shower.”
“That’s a terrible lie.”
“But it’s working, right?”
She reached into the very small shower and turned on the water. The shower was barely big enough for one person, let alone two, but somehow we made it work. Steam filled the tiny space as hot water cascaded over us. I found myself mesmerized by the way droplets clung to Sylvie’s skin before sliding down her curves.
“This is cozy,” I murmured, my hands finding her waist as she reached for the shampoo.
“That’s one word for it.” She laughed, accidentally elbowing me as she tried to turn around. “I think you’re too tall for my shower.”
She wasn’t wrong. I had to duck slightly to avoid hitting my head on the showerhead, and every movement required careful coordination to avoid knocking into each other.
I helped wash her hair. Her eyes closed as I worked the shampoo through the auburn waves. I was turned on, but not in a way that demanded I take her against the wall. I was enthralled with her. Every little detail about her.
She was beautiful, yes, but it was more than that. There was something genuine about her that I’d never encountered before. No artifice, no carefully constructed image designed to impress or manipulate. Just Sylvie, completely herself, trusting me enough to be vulnerable in a way that made me want to open up as well.
“Your turn,” she said.
