AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The truck comes to a stop, and I open my door, excited to be here finally. Shark hops out after me, and the three of us walk toward the cabin.
“Are you cold?” Tate asks.
“You know, you don’t have to be the world’s most perfect gentleman,” I say, feeling slightly guilty about all his generosity.
“Great, finally permission to be a prick,” he says with a grin.
I let out a laugh, knowing he’s not going to change the way he’s acting.
He opens the door to the cabin, and it’s warm and inviting. I have to admit, not only is it clean and well-appointed, but it feels almost like home—a home I wish I had. Clearly, Tate has put a lot of care into it, and it’s got a lovely lived-in feel.
“I can see why you never leave,” I say, looking around admiring what he’s done with the place.
“Yeah, sometimes it takes all the energy I have just to drive into town,” he says, throwing his keys onto a side table and taking off his jacket. Even though it was a hot summer day, it’s still cool enough for a light jacket at night because of the altitude.
Tate walks over to the fireplace and throws some logs in.
“It smells wonderful in here,” I say, smelling something delicious. My stomach growls and I didn’t realize how hungry I really was until that moment.
“I hope that you like pasta,” he says, starting the fire with a match.
“Paste is actually my favorite,” I tell him and he tilts his head.
“You’re not just saying that to boost my ego, right?”
Holding my hands up, I shake my head. “I swear. Pasta is my absolute favorite dish in the world. I like all kinds too. Marinara, Alfredo, even like it in my salads.”
Silence surrounds us, and it isn’t the first time this night where loaded silence envelops us. It’s not tense, really, just ripe with unspoken thoughts and feelings.
“Can I get you something to drink?” he asks congenially.
“Oh, sure. That’d be great.” I follow Tate to the kitchen.
“I’ve got beer, wine, and the hard stuff,” he says, opening the fridge.
“A glass of wine would be lovely.” I’m so used to drinking beer with Callie that wine is a nice change and a great pairing with pasta.
“Coming right up.” He places the corkscrew in a bottle of red wine, and I can’t help but watch his muscles flex as he pops the cork out. I sit at the barstool and watch him. When he looks over his shoulder and catches me admiring him, a blush hits my cheeks.
After pouring two glasses of wine, he hands one to me.
“How about a toast?” Tate holds his glass up, and I do the same.
“What are we toasting?” I ask with a smile.
“You,” he adds. “And a damn delicious dinner.”
I laugh. “I’ll happily toast to both of those things.”
God, he looks amazing wearing a pair of torn jeans and a white V-neck shirt that clings to his muscular chest. I know I look like a hot mess and probably smell like the café, but he’s looking at me like I’m the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. I nervously fiddle with my hair, trying to put it in place.
The wine is delicious, and I can’t help but let out a sigh of happiness. Right now I have zero worries in the world. Just being in Tate’s presence has melted it all away.
“I hope you’re hungry,” he adds. “After that kale wrap this afternoon, I’m starving. It’s like I ate air for lunch.”
I start laughing. “But it was good, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, I mean, it was good. Even Shark liked it.” Tate glances over at Shark.
