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"Okay, I'll get that started for you, then." He walked over to the fireplace, and I heard the soft thunks as he poked the fire with the poker.
"You should be set." He walked back, and he went to take care of whatever it was in the barn.
I washed the dishes, then I went upstairs to take a shower. I hadn't taken one since I got here.
Shower
Amelia
Getting regular Brazilian blowouts made me a little bit nervous about water, and I tied my hair up so that it wouldn't get too wet.
I stepped into the hot spray of water. Something inside of me loosened up. I soaped up, and I rinsed the soap off of my body. Somehow, I did feel like new person. Not a completely new person. Just more me. Without the demands of my friends, father, and DC, I was the essence of myself more than anything. Out here, where no one could see, I wasn't a girl who practically lived in a mall, burning up Daddy’s plastic. I was an artist, and a big reader, and I was falling a very little bit in love with the big blonde man who lived here. But I should not. That way was heartbreak. I was leaving soon, too soon to start anything. He had already made it clear that he would never leave his land, that Verona was his home, and that he would not feel the same anywhere else.
It was a shame. My nipples tightened as I thought about his broad shoulders and toned forearms. What would it feel like to bed him? It had been a while since I had had sex with anybody.
My hand sneaked between my thighs to rub at my clit, and I felt a bit of moisture gush between my thighs. It wasn't water.
I stopped touching myself. I didn't think that it was a good thing for a houseguest to do. I felt ashamed of myself. I hadn't slept with anybody in a while, so it must be my dry spell.
When I got out, I wrapped myself in a navy blue towel that smelled like him. He must use it. There weren't any other towels in the bathroom upstairs, though, so it was all that I had. I picked up my dress and draped it over my arm to go back into my room.
When I walked back to my room, I noticed that I had dropped that hair tie from my bun from earlier. I bent to pick it up, dropping my towel.
&nb
sp; I heard a gasp behind me. I spun around, completely naked to see Jimmy behind me. I covered my bare breasts with the dress over my arm. "Oh my gosh! I thought you were in the barn."
"I was. I came back inside. When I didn't see you downstairs, I went upstairs to make sure that you were okay." His voice was a little high. He closed his eyes. "You don't need to cover yourself, you know. You're beautiful."
I went into my room and closed the door, my heart almost beating out of my chest. I shouldn't get involved. I shouldn't remember the look of his face when he told me that I was beautiful. I needed to leave here. I needed to tell my dad that it would not work out, that he needed to find a different heir for his business empire, one that he wouldn't have his daughter marry. I could sit on the board of directors or something. It could work. I could make it work.
I got dressed in my bunny flannel pajamas. I turned off the lights in the room as I went to sleep.
It was hard to fall asleep, and when I did, I thought about the way that he looked when I turned around. I saw the spark of his interest. In DC, with a hot guy like him, I would have already started a casual thing. It was totally different out here, with my father’s wishes dangling. I was not ready to get married to anybody, really.
Polar Vortex
Amelia
The next morning, my entire window was fogged up. I cleared the condensation off of it, but it was still packed with snow.
I put on my dress from last night, and I walked downstairs. Jimmy was listening to a radio.
"The polar vortex is expected to last for the next 5 days. The amount of snow will exceed 36 inches. The governor has declared a state of emergency, and people are discouraged from using the roads. Stay home, folks, and stay warm."
"Oh, goodness."
Jimmy turned off the radio. "Hey."
It felt so awkward now that he had seen me naked. "Hey."
"So, um, I'm sorry about last night. I really didn't mean to..."
"It's okay. I should have brought my pajamas into the bathroom, that's all. It wasn't your fault at all. If anything, it was definitely mine." I tried not to think about the way that he had looked at me.
"Let's just share the blame here." He smiled. "How do pecan pancakes with real maple syrup and bacon sound to you?"
"That sounds fantastic!" I blinked. "Do you want me to help? I can fry bacon and make pancakes. I'm not a great cook, but I can do that much."
