I swallow, actively avoiding Juniper’s piercing blue gaze.
I’m just excited for pizza. That’s all. Christ. Hungry, horny, and now I can add weirdly anxious to the list. What is going on?
At least we have food.
We were told the cabin would be semi-catered. We’d have a welcome platter—the charcuterie boards—plus some basic necessities like coffee, milk, and a few extras. Then the guests, i.e. us, were encouraged to venture out to the local bakery or the nearby towns for anything else. It all seemed so cute and fun. But honestly, Juniper seems to have the place stocked up with enough food to feed an army for a month. In fact, if we are snowed in this whole time, she’ll have saved us from having to venture out at all!
Juniper offers to put the fire on while Ethan and I cook. And I use the term cook very loosely.
“Sounds like a plan,” I say, and as soon as she disappears we shove as much pizza as we can in the tiny oven, not bothering topre-heat the thing. Then we set a timer for somewhere between all the different suggestions from each box and hope for the best.
Alone at last, I lean against the counter feeling a flutter in my stomach as a playful smile dances on Ethan’s lips. This man. I sigh. With that beard …
The lumberjack vibes are back on!
The air shifts between us, charged and electric, and before I know it, he’s stepping closer, pressing his body against mine as he leans in for a kiss, slow and deep.
He stiffens, pressed to my centre, as I reach to put my arms around his neck and pull him closer still.
My breath hitches, and I gasp as he presses a hand to my back. I melt into him with a groan. I’m sure Juniper will be fine alone for a while. I grow flustered. Hot and bothered. Wet and warm and wonderful in his arms. Oh my god. I want him so badly.
Maybe we could slip away for a moment? Though I’m not sure we could even make it to the bedroom. The way he’s kissing me right now, I—
My alarm trills, and we break apart, giggling like teenagers as I run a hand through my hair and Ethan readjusts his jeans.
I sigh. Maybe not.
“We’ve got pizza!” I swan back into the living room, placing pizza one of three on the coffee table as Ethan comes up behind me to add the other two beside it.
“One each,” Ethan announces, retaking his same seat. “Unless you guys wanna mix and match?”
I shrug. “I’m happy to share.”
Juniper turns from the fire where one lone log on a stack of what looks like old envelopes stews in black ash. “Yeah. I have no idea how to do this,” she says.
“Let me try.” I cross the room to crouch beside her. “My mum has a log fire,” I say then add shyly, “but she’s only shown me how to do it a couple times.”
I send Juniper to fetch kindling and to see if there are any firelighters.
She comes back with a whole basketful of stuff, and once I weed out the good from the not-so-good, we build the fire together. Juniper strikes a long match and lights it right where I say to, and voila! It burns. It burns good.
We sit back on the floor grinning at each other, then I look away, my cheeks heating from the fire. We actually make a pretty good team?
“Good work, ladies!” Ethan says, reaching for his—
“Ethan! Is that your fifth slice?”
“Sixth actually!” he garbles, his mouth full of warm cheese.
“You rotten bastard!” I giggle, pouncing on him. We wrestle, and as I give in, squirming back into my seat, we find Juniper standing there watching us, eyebrows raised.
Oops.
“Honeymooners.” She rolls her eyes, retaking her seat the other side of me. “Remind me to find some earplugs if I have to stay the night.” She winks at me and I’m sure my cheeks must now be crimson.
Stay the night?
“Sorry.” I wince. “We’re so cringey!”
