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Axel stands up and reaches for the breakfast tray.
“Whatever you decide, Miss B, my lodge is private and secure. If you still want to hide yourself away, the garden is private, and you have free rein of my home. I thought you’d appreciate having more space than a hotel room.”
His kindness is undeniable, and it goes some way toward forgiving him. He was only trying to do something nice for me. A good man, trying to be kind. Perhaps there really are some good ones out there.
“Thank you.”
He slides the breakfast tray onto my lap. “Now eat.”
He stands up and stifles a yawn. He looks tired, like he didn’t sleep much, and I suddenly realize the bed next to me is made up as if no one slept there. “Where did you sleep? Did you sleep?”
He pours himself a mug of coffee. “I had some things to deal with after I put you to bed. I slept in the spare room. I wasn’t going to sleep next to you without an invitation.”
“I’m sorry. You should have put me in the spare room.”
He comes around to my side of the bed and perches on the edge. “This is where you belong, in my bed. I’ll wait until you’re ready to invite me in.”
His lips brush mine, and memories of last night make my pussy throb. I’m so ready to invite him in, but he stands up.
“Eat your breakfast. I need to deal with a few things around the resort today. I’ll be back for lunch. Make yourself at home. There’s a fresh towel in the bathroom, food in the fridge, and you can call down to reception if you need anything.”
I want to call him back to show my appreciation in other ways, but I’ve already put him out too much. I can’t interrupt his work.
“Thank you,” I murmur for the hundredth time.
Axel is being so kind to me and treating me like I mean something. As I sit in his bed, eating crispy bacon and sipping exceptionally good coffee, I can almost imagine I’m safe in this bubble he’s created for me.
10
RUBY
The morning passes while I sip coffee in bed and read my paperback. I get up at eleven to shower and dress, just in time for Axel to stop by for lunch. He brings chicken sandwiches and more of the delicious pastries.
After lunch, he returns to the resort while I explore the lodge.
It feels weird snooping around, but Axel did tell me to, and I’m curious about the man who I feel so safe with. It’s only prudent to check that he’s not an ax-murderer.
It’s three bedrooms, and the living room and dining room. Stairs lead to a basement, and since I need to check that he doesn’t have bodies down there, I take a peek. It’s not bodies, but a wall of computer screens. Some kind of operations center for the resort. I guess this is what the home office of a resort manager looks like.
In the spare bedroom are photographs hanging on the wall: of Axel outside military barracks, looking exceptionally hot in uniform, and what I assume are family photos. One of them catches my eye. Axel, with his face unlined and hair a deep brown, and next to him, pulling a face, is the mirror image of him, but younger and female. Same dark hair, same sea-green eyes. It can only be his sister. She’s curvy, like me, and she stands with a hand on one hip, her chin up, smiling at the camera. Taking up every inch of space she’s entitled to. A week ago, I would have stood like that, confident and proud. Now I’m hiding away in a resort, too scared to go out in public. I wonder if I’ll ever get that confidence back.
The gardens are calming, and the high hedges make them private. Near the kitchen are herb gardens and fruit trees, with paths winding between them. The nicely kept kitchen gardens give way to a large lawn. There’s a sun deck with seats, and the rest is open, flat grass. I wonder why he hasn’t filled the space. There’s enough room for a swimming pool, or a trampoline and swing set. Enough room for the kids to run around. I shake my head, wondering why the hell I’m thinking about kids in Axel’s backyard. He’s obviously a confirmed bachelor if he’s north of forty and hasn’t settled down.
You’re free to leave anytime you like, or you can stay forever.
Axel’s words echo in my thoughts. He can’t mean forever, forever. We’ve only known each other for a few days. It must just be something he said to make me feel better.
But I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face as I look out at the backyard with the mountain in the background. I could get used to this view and this space. It could be somewhere I want to stay forever.
I choose the kitchen table to pull out my laptop. The window faces the garden and the mountain, which helps to retain a sense of calm. I’ve put it off all day, but I have client work to do.
My stomach feels heavy as I open the laptop and wait for it to hum to life. The thought of going on social media fills me with dread. There must be something else I can do to make a living. But until I figure out what that is, I need to work.
I stay focused on my client work for a few hours, ignoring the messages and notifications for as long as I can. Part of me knows I should ignore them completely, but I’m also curious. With the client work done for the day, I dare to take a peek at my own profile page and feed.
Expecting the worst, I’m surprised when the first video that pops up is one of Cameron. It’s the laughing emojis and the comments from other women that make me watch it.
It’s Cameron at a gym, filming himself in the mirror as he does bicep curls. His hair is floppy, and he looks a few years younger than when I met him.
