Before the last syllable left my lips, a loud voice shrieked from down the hall.
“What the hell?! What happened to the lights?! Ain’t nobody got time for a power outage in the woods!”
Isis.
“Fuuuuuck!” I growled, spilling onto the sheet just as her voice reached max volume.
I flopped back, cussing and catching my breath. “Goddamntiming!”
I swung my legs off the bed, snatched some baby wipes that I had nearby, and wiped myself quickly. I tossed the wipes in the trash, yanked on my sweats, and beelined to the bathroom to rinse my hands. Just as I opened the door—
BAM!
I almost collided straight into Isis’s dramatic ass, who stood there, posted in the hallway like the blackout was beneath her tax bracket. She was wrapped in a floor-length, blush-colored silk robe with fur-trimmed sleeves and a matching satin bonnet that sat perfectly on her head. Her face was still beat like she was waiting on paparazzi, and her arms were crossed tight under her chest like she was preparing to file a noise complaint. Isis straight up was giving somebody’s overpaid, freshly ex-wife, who still lived in the mansion and refused to give the keys back unless she got the dogandthe vacation home.
“IknewI shouldn’t have come on this trip! This is what I get!” she complained, dramatically tossing her hair to the side. “Now I can’t charge my phone, my skin routine’s thrown off, and my aromatherapy diffuser juststopped mid-mist!I had a mask on… a whole glow-boosting collagen mask! Do you know how expensive that is?! You really brought me out here to suffer?Me?! Out of all people!”
I gritted my teeth. “Isis… Shut. The. Fuck. Up.”
Her mouth fell open, scandalized. “Excuse me?!”
“Nah. Shut that shit upright now.You talkin’ ‘bout masks and mist like we not in the middle of a blackout in thedamn woods!And if yo’ mouth wasn’t running more than your ears yesterday, you’d know this might’ve happened! I told y’all it was a possibility. It’s cold, we in a cabin, and the grid up here is unreliable. Stop acting brand new!”
“But I was in the middle of—”
“I don’t give a damn what you was in the middle of. Now bring yo’ bonnet, yo’ spa day, and yo’ complaints downstairs before I find you a bunk outside with the raccoons.”
I stepped around her, heat rolling off me. Isis stormed away, stomping her mad ass back to the room she was occupying.
I descended the stairs shirtless, my gray sweats hanging low on my hips. My mood?Trash.The lights were out, my peace was shattered, I couldn’t fully enjoy my nut, and the woman I wanted was probably knocked out cold downstairs, blissfully unaware that she was the reason I couldn’t sleep in the first place.
When I hit the last step, I froze for a second.
Chesteria was already in the living room, fully dressed, calm, and carrying a tray that had a dish towel underneath to keep it steady. It was stacked with several steaming mugs, a small plate of toasted bagels, butter, jelly, and even some fruit on the side. The rich scent of coffee wrapped around me like a peace treaty to my nerves.
She was wearing one of those soft, slouchy, oversized off-shoulder sweaters that she knew I loved, because seeing her in them always made me want to pull her into my lap. A tan strap peeked out underneath, and the loose neckline dipped just low enough to remind me of exactly why my soul almost left my body five minutes ago.
“You good?” I asked, voice low, laced with that rare softness I reserved only for her.
“Good as can be considering the situation,” she replied, setting the tray down on the center table. “I was in the kitchen when everything went out, but I managed to get some coffee made before the pot cut off. Thank God I wasn’t pouring when it went out.”
She gave me a little smirk and reached for one of the mugs. “Here. I made this one specifically for you.”
I squinted at her, eyeing the cup like it was laced.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she laughed. “I just know how you like your coffee. I wanted to see if I still had it.”
I took a sip, never taking my eyes off her.
“Sooo…” she drew out the word, brows raised. “How’d I do?”
I paused, then nodded slowly in approval. “It’s perfect… damn near better than perfect.”
Chesteria smiled accomplished.
“But thank you… for real,” I added, sighing. “I’ma need this… especially dealing with these idiots we done brought here.”
“Ugh. Don’t remind me,” she groaned, already heading toward the windows. “Let me get some candles going before Isis starts crying aboutambiance.”
