“Is that where you were? Carol and Nick’s?”
“Yeah. We went over for breakfast. They wanted to see Remy for a bit and Dilynne is obsessed with Carol’s cooking.”
“Oh. Okay.” Her shoulders fall slightly.
“Sorry I forgot to tell you about that yesterday, but with the ER visit and…” I don’t want her to think I was avoiding her because she did anything wrong. I’m the one who did and I fucking hate if I’ve made her question that.
The smile she offers me is quick and small, but it’s there. “It’s fine, Henley. You’re allowed to visit your family.”
Our conversation comes to a halt, almost as if neither one of us knows what to say next. I hate this awkwardness, but the words aren’t there. All I can focus on is the pounding in my chest while watching her hold my daughter and simultaneously wishing Remy was asleep so I could put my mouth on her on places otherthan her lips.
But I can’t focus on the physical need anymore because this is so much more than that. And until I can put a name to it, I need to keep my hands and mouth to myself.
“Well, uh…I’m gonna try to get this room done before I pass out later,” I say, tossing my thumb over my shoulder.
“Yeah. Good idea. Remy and I are just gonna hang out then, won’t we, baby bear?” Elodie peers down at my daughter again before moving toward the door.
But before I can think twice, I blurt out, “Stay.”
Elodie freezes. “What?”
“Stay, El. Please.” I swallow roughly, the lump in my throat swelling as I read the confusion on her face. “Help me decide what else the room needs.”
She licks her lips while she contemplates her decision. But when she moves toward the rocking chair and takes a seat, a wave of relief rolls through me. “I mean, I guess I could watch you attempt to get the paint on the wall instead of you. It’s like free entertainment.”
Elodie’s comment makes me smirk as she holds and talks to my daughter. I turn back to my task and pick up our conversation like normal, hoping the control I found again today will last longer than it did last time.
Chapter 14
Elodie
Song Lyrics & An Orgasm
Your eyes say more than your mouth
Your touch says more than your eyes
And each time you look at me
All I can think about is goodbye
My hand is moving as fast as it can, trying to keep up with the words that came to me while I was cooking. As I scribble down the last line, the smell of something burning hits my nostrils.
“Shit!” Leaping from my chair at the dining room table, I rush to stir the soup on the stove and lower the heat, hoping the entire pot of my mom’s chicken and rice soup isn’t ruined. I take a spoon from the silverware drawer and taste it, relieved to find it still tastes the way it should.
I turn around and look over at Remy, who’s banging her toy on her high chair tray. “I almost ruined dinner, baby bear.” Her garbledresponse makes me laugh as I turn the heat on the burner to the lowest setting then return to my notebook, waiting for more inspiration to strike while simultaneously waiting for Henley to get home from the lodge.
The past few days have left me feeling both relieved and anxious. Walking into the house the other night and seeing Henley painting Remy’s room made the butterflies living in my stomach multiply. They were already abuzz with excitement after that kiss, but knowing that my words the other morning must have gotten through to him made my feelings for this man sprout new roots. My anxiety is still lurking under the surface, though. Even though Henley and I seem to be on better terms, and his grumpiness has subsided a bit, he hasn’t mentioned one word about our kiss.
The kiss.
The one I can’t stop thinking about and may have touched myself to the thoughts of last night.
My hormones are out of control, reminding me of how long it’s been since I’ve been with a man, and that’s saying something because there haven’t been many men to remember. But it’s official: I’m lusting after my boss. And after that kiss, all I can think about is what other talents he possesses.
And there’s that night we went to the ER. In his moment of need, when he was worried about his daughter and feeling powerless, he reached forme.He wantedmethere to help him through it—and that’s the part that’s making these feelings build at lightning speed.
I’m just so terrified of what happens next because between his avoidance and my trust issues, I have no idea where we go from here. And apparently neither does he because we’re both acting like nothing happened, and so far, it’s working.
