I’m not stupid. At the end of the day, I’m a man. A man who notices how naturally and effortlessly majestic she is. My fingers got lost in the threads of her long, black, thick, wet hair when they weaved through my fingers. Her skin is so glowingly soft, a beautiful soft brown tone that I could spend endless hours admiring. She has these cute little freckles all over her shoulder blades and neck. I counted them while I held her.
There are twenty in total.
It’s like she doesn’t know how gorgeous she is and the effect she can have on anyone.
Steam clouds seep through the cracks of the bathroom door. She has the heat on high. I can hear the shower running, with occasional splashes of water hitting the tub. There’s a towel already inside, ready for her to use.
For the first time, I don’t want to go to bed early. I don’t feel the need to grab a book and read until I fall asleep. I want to have a conversation. I want to get to know her. I want to know everything before she leaves.
The shower knob squeaks, and the water stops. My fingers tighten around the glass before I bring it to my lips and take a nervous sip. I haven’t felt like this…ever. I thought I was broken. Incapable of wanting to share my space with someone else. Yet, here I am, hoping my long, overgrown mustache and beard don’t turn her off, or if I let my callous attitude get the best of me. I don’t want our first bumpy days to taint how she looks at me.
My back straightens when the bedroom door opens. I haven’t slept in there since I found her looking like a fresh corpse in the snow.
Her footsteps become louder as I sit still, tense and clutching my chest, hoping my heart will stop beating out of it. She appears from the dark hallway, dressed in my clothes because I’ve run out of Merelyn’s old ones. She looks amazing in my black shirt and joggers, even though her petite body makes my shirt look like a dress.
I laugh. My eyes crease as I watch her cheeks pinken. She holds herself by the hips, her arms folding over each other.
“Why are you laughing?” she pouts.
“Because my clothes fit you perfectly. Can’t you tell by the way you’re dragging the pants?”
She rolls her eyes.
“Still sarcastic, I see.”
“Still fucking stubborn, I see.”
Her lips part.
“Don’t worry, I thought about telling you how stupid, irresponsible, foolish, and dumb it was to go out when the blizzard is at its peak, risking your life and how?—”
“Youthoughtabout telling me?” she snaps, clicking her tongue. “You’re doing it right now.”
My jaw clicks shut.
My social skills are shit.
“I’m sorry.” I clear my throat. “Let’s start over. Will you let me start over?”
She stares at me for a pregnant moment, then her chin dips.
I want a do-over. She’s stuck with me for weeks. And we might as well start getting along. I crave her attention, herlaugh, and her smile. I don’t plan on leaving her alone in the cabin again unless it’s an emergency.
She stops in front of me, and her hand stretches forward.
“Fine.” She sighs. “Starting over. I’m Coraline. Coraline Rosa.”
I take her small palm in mine and squeeze, ignoring the crackle in my chest and the spark heating when our flesh connects.
“Gavin Ariksen.” Our hands rock for a couple of more seconds before she pulls away.
“Well, Gavin Ariksen,” she sings, her voice teasing. “I really need to talk to you about a lot of things.” She fishes the beer out of my hand and takes a swig. My dick jumps in my sweats, watching her confidently drink it, seeing her lips where mine were a second ago. She falls and sinks into the couch opposite me.
“What is it?”
“How about starting with the fact that your home is haunted!” her shrieking voice pitches.
She thinks my cabin is haunted? That’s a first.
