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And just like that, she was gone. Leaving me with thighs spread, sitting on my feet and Shadow on her tail, far more interested in where she was going than staying with me.
Chapter 15
Cassidy
Itwisted my hair into a ponytail and added mascara. Eric casually leant against the bathroom doorframe, his masculine heat forcing me to grit my teeth. Okay, the guy gave off big dick energy and my loins were screaming at me to make something happen. My thighs automatically squeezed together as I looked back into the mirror perfecting the second eye, trying my hardest to ignore the pounding that thrummed in my lower stomach.
“Do you always take this long to get ready in the morning?” He casually yawned, covering his mouth and stretching lazily.
“You have to start the day off right. Make your bed and be prepared for any occasion in the day, which includes hair and makeup,” I educated. And besides, he’d woken up slightly earlier this morning. “But I’m done now so the shower’s all yours,” I said, scooping up my makeup bag and assessing my shimmery cheekbone one more time.
“You know there’s no one to impress in this town, right?” he said casually as I stopped in front of him.
“I’ll have you know this is for myself. It’s habit now. And I’m sure Shadow appreciates it just as much as I do,” I said, pointing my nose in the air.
His lips twitched and he intentionally blocked my way out. My heart picked up a beat as I held my own in front of him, my apprehension fizzing at his proximity. Eric casually leant a hand against the doorframe.
“You didn’t have any makeup on yesterday and you still looked fine.”
I pouted. “Just fine?”
“More than fine,” he growled, his green eyes hooded as he lazily stood over me, as if holding himself back as well. I might’ve not been the smartest woman in the room but I knew when a man was into me—and to know the feeling was mutual was satisfying.
I harrumphed with a smile as I barged past him, deliberately scraping my nails along his bare chest as if to push him out of the way. If he was purposefully standing in my way, I could play a little as well. “Yesterday we were snowed in.” I looked up through thick lashes. “But today I’m a free woman again.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. Triumphant, I left him alone in the bathroom. I liked the way he tried his hardest to not show interest. But a man’s body never lied. Neither did the thrumming between my thighs, the fantasy of raking my nails down his chest and torso coming to fruition.
I tried to shake the thought, throwing myself into making another vegetarian omelette. I was pouring coffee into Eric’s mug by the time he walked out towel drying his hair. “We used the last of the eggs,” I said, plating it up.
“We?” he queried.
Casually, I cut a small piece of the omelette from his plate. He watched me as I gave it to Shadow, who gently took it from my fingers. Eric’s eyebrows rose.
“The dog eats before me now?”
In the last few days, I’d quickly learnt what was okay and what wasn’t to feed dogs. And Shadow had the cutest little face that I couldn’t possibly deny him one damn thing. I gave Shadow a big smushy kiss on the top of his head.
“Shadow’s nicer to me and you took your time to sit down,” I casually lectured. “And yes… we.” I twisted my hands together nervously. I’d thought long and hard about his offer last night. It’d taken me aback. Like always, I was just taking it day by day. But it set a relief inside of me when he’d offered for me to stay. I wasn’t sure how much Eric had caught on about my escaping Manhattan, if anything at all. But ever since the mention of Frederick, Canada wasn’t a place I wanted to be. Especially considering Alice had a big mouth. If she’d told either him or my parents I was there, I’d be caught out. I didn’t think my scapegoat would be a burly mountain man, but I wasn’t going to deny the universe when it offered me a little magic.
I looked him in the eye as he waited cautiously for my next words. “We… About that offer you made last night. I thought on it some.” All night actually because I’d hardly slept. “If you’re really okay with having me here, I’d like to stay a few weeks and I’ll totally work hard and do whatever you need me to do. But yea, might be more fun than Canada.” I casually shrugged. Was I out of my mind? I could make friends with anyone and stayed at random places with strangers but there was something different about committing weeks to this cabin with Eric. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at the thought.
He finished his mouthful of coffee. My breath hitched waiting on his reply. But what if he reconsidered his offer? Then I was at my original issue, drive until what? My fuel ran out? It was still three weeks until I received my payout from Candice Magazine. I was royally fucked. In some bizarre, as fate would have it, twisted way, this small-town lumberjack became my knight in shining armor.
“Okay. The offer still stands,” Eric said. “His forest-green eyes seemed to seep into me, as if reading my every thought. I let out my breath, almost embarrassed by how long I’d been holding it.
I squealed, jumping up and down in excitement. “Thank you. You won’t regret it, boss.”
“Don’t call me that,” he quickly hissed.
“How about Daddy?”
His coffee sprayed everywhere. Shadow jumped back, staring at his owner in disbelief. I threw back my head and laughed, butterflies filling me once again. I’d been so nervous that he’d revoke his offer. And yet I just realized how exciting these next few weeks might be teasing this grump.
Chapter 16
Eric
I’d dropped Cassidy off at the café before grabbing supplies from the local grocery store. Whispers had spread amongst the locals about the “new beautiful woman” who was residing with me. Gossip spread around here quickly, and it irritated me to no means. And that was before they’d even found out she’d be staying with me for a few weeks more to come.
