Is hejealous?I’ve just met the guy, and he’s getting all OTT possessive like he owns me. There’re red flags all over this situation, and yet I’m seriously considering spending the night in his cabin.
“No. No boyfriend,” I squeak.
Aiden relaxes, and his finger brushes a strand of hair from my cheek. “Then why the hesitation? You worried you don’t know me? Go down to Jake’s Retreat. I’ve got a dozen guys who’ll vouch for my character.”
“At a retreat?” I can’t imagine what a bunch of guys are doing at a retreat in the mountains. “What do you do? Broga?”
Aiden chuckles, revealing a dimple in his left cheek.
“It’s a veteran’s retreat. We run events and classes to help veterans get back to civilian life. There’s a recovery wing and accommodation units. And yes, they’re building a yoga studio.”
“Oh.” That makes sense. A veteran’s retreat in the mountains. They take care of people here. You wouldn’t find anything like that in Jersey City.
Aiden steps back suddenly, and the chill night air swoops in to take his place.
“Take a photo of me and my car. Send it to a friend along with my address. That way someone knows who you’re with and where you are.”
It makes sense; if I had someone who cared where I was. But I’m not going to tell him that.
I pull my phone out of my pocket. It’s only got one bar of battery left. With no electricity, I can’t charge it.
Aiden strides over to his SUV and stands by the plates. I snap a photo showing the plates and then zoom in for a pic of his muscular torso and handsome face. He’s wearing a panty-melting smile, and this one’s for my personal collection. So I remember the mountain hottie who appeared out of the dark and lit up my campfire.
“Send it to someone you trust,” Aiden says.
I scroll through my contacts, but I can’t think of anyone to send it to. Mom will be a bottle deep by this time of night. She forgets to call me on my birthday, so she’s not going to remember to call me in the morning to check that I’m still alive.
The other numbers on my phone are more acquaintances than friends. There’s a girl from my class who I had coffee with once, but whenever she invited me to parties, I had to work. Shestopped inviting me after a while. There’s Clarissa from work, but I only have her number so we can swap shifts if we need to.
The hard truth hits me: there’s no one to send the picture to. Between my college courses, working at the restaurant, and taking care of Mom, there’s no time for friendships.
I press buttons on my phone and pretend to send the message. If Aiden is going to murder me, then it’s better he thinks someone is coming for me and not know the truth: that no one would miss me if I disappeared.
While I’ve been pretending on my phone, Aiden has filled a rusty bucket with water from an outside tap and thrown it on the fire. Another dousing extinguishes the flames, and we’re left with smoking embers.
He rakes the coals apart with a stick and throws one more bucket to make sure it’s extinguished.
“Grab your bags, and you can follow me in your car.”
I grab my backpack from where I left it inside. The darkness of the house casts strange shadows, and I’m relieved I don’t have to spend the night here.
But as I follow Aiden up a winding road heading farther into the mountain, I wonder if I’ve jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
But even if I have, I like the heat.
5
AIDEN
Ihold the cabin door open for Lexi as she enters her new home. It’s an A-frame log cabin, two-stories with a roof that extends almost to the ground. Lexi’s face lights up as she steps through the threshold, making me glad I tidied up this morning. I didn’t realize I’d be inviting my future wife over.
“This place is great.”
She turns in a slow circle, taking in the open fireplace, comfy couch, and wooden table that separates the living room from the open kitchen.
“You can leave your bag here. I’ll put a pot of tea on.”
She sheds her coat, revealing a checkered shirt underneath. The buttons are almost bursting to contain her full breasts. I like a woman with curves, and Lexi has curves for days.
