I let out a shaky laugh.Right. He’s asking about the porch.
“It’s not my place,” I say. And I don’t know if I meanIt’s not my cabinorWe aren’t even dating so I’m in no position to give you opinions on your home.
“If it were yours,” he cajoles, “what would you do differently? It’s just a hypothetical.”
I roll my neck. It’s not like I didn’t spend hours imagining a cabin of my own just like this once upon a time, before leaving Blue Ridge seemed possible. And even after, as I fantasized about my ideal home, Mr. Collins’s cabin—thiscabin—would flash to the forefront of my mind, taking me completely by surprise.
“A fireplace and skylights,” I say as casually as I can. “So I could use it in the wintertime. Sip coffeeand watch the creek on a chilly morning. I love the idea of feeling the bite of cold air for a second before getting warm by the fire. Or, if it was screened in, I could sit out on summer nights and hear the crickets and watch the fireflies dance in the woods. I’d need a fan for summer.”
I look up and he’s watching me intently. Then, because it’s too embarrassing for him to know I’ve given real thought to this, I add, “And maybe a butler.”
After a moment, he plays along. “Yeah, a butler’d be good. How about a portal that leads straight to the kitchen for snacks?”
“So, a door.”
He moves his head from side to side, pretending to consider. “A door’s too pedestrian. A portal really makes astatement.”
I laugh, and Sawyer watches me as he takes a sip of wine from his mug. Honestly, the idea of having a butler is laughable to me, I was never rich enough for that to be a reality. But a nagging thought arises. Sawyer is. Or, he was.
“Uh-oh,” he says. “What’s that look?”
I don’t want to bring the mood down, but when else am I going to get the chance to really talk to Sawyer like this? If we’re going to “work through” our past, we have to actually work through it.
“I want to ask about your dad.” He watches me steadily, and I continue. “How come I didn’t know you guys had a falling out? Seems like big news.”
He takes in a deep breath. “It would be,” he agrees, and for a second, I think that’s all I’ll get, that he’s back to his riddles. But he goes on. “Dear old Dad would never let the town in on his dirty secrets. As far as they know, me going into the Navy was his idea.”
With a hollow laugh, I shake my head. “Right.” It’s soobvious I can’t believe I had to ask. And that’s why Sawyer is still the Prince of Blue Ridge. No one knows otherwise.
“My turn to ask a question,” he says.
I snap my gaze to him. “O-kay . . .”
Voice low, he asks, “How upset were you when Dev showed up with a date that night?”
Groaning, I slap my hands over my face. Ofcoursehe’d bring that up. But when I peek at him through my fingers, his eyes are flighty like . . . like he’snervous.
Grudgingly, I admit, “I was mortified I drunkenly invited myself on his date.” A flush rises on my cheeks even now. “And I was furious you witnessed it, and even more furious because I should’ve known better.”
He looks away before asking, “But you weren’t, like, upset you weren’t on a date with Dev?”
I shake my head. “I kind of hoped I’d have feelings for him after years apart, he’s so great, but we’re as platonic as they come.” I look over. “Stop smiling!”
“Am I smiling?”
“Yes! You’re gloating.” I shove his shoulder, and he deftly captures my wrist, towing me closer.
“I’m not gloating.” His fire-lit face is an inch away. “I’m just . . . happy. Dev’s a nice, good looking guy.”
My eyes widen. “You’re jealous!”
Before, I would have assumed Sawyer asking about that night was a way to embarrass me. But he just wants to know whether I have a thing for Dev. Laughter bubbles out of me before I can stop it.
He heaves a sigh and shifts us so I’m nestled between his legs, back against his front, arms wrapped tightly around me, pinning me to him. A zing of arousal pulses through me. And then I feel his erection against my lower back, and thezing turns into a throbbing ache. I let out a trembling breath, trying to wrest control over my base desires.
“I was always jealous of Dev,” he rasps against my ear. “He had everything I wanted.”
“What?” I let out a shaky laugh.
