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The bed dips with Cambria’s weight, and she stretches out behind me as she snuggles under the blankets. We’re both silent, the cottage filled with just the sound of our combined breaths.
“Want to do a nighttime meditation?” Cambria whispers.
“Hell, no,” I grunt.
Cambria giggles again, and dammit, if I don’t love every time I can get her to make that sound.
“Just checking. Goodnight, Dante.”
“Night, Cambria.”
We both lie in the dark stillness, barely touching, as we drift off to sleep. I didn’t think I’d be able to get a single wink in, but I already feel more relaxed than I can ever remember. I don’t want to think about why.
CHAPTERFOUR
CAMBRIA
My alarm goes off at six-thirty, and I roll over, turning it off without opening my eyes.Why do I feel like a pile of hot garbage?
Last night comes back to me in little vignettes. I was startled awake by someone rattling my door and bursting through it. Then a giant beast of a man roared and made an obnoxious commotion, tearing down my beaded curtain like a jerk. I almost squirted him in the eye with my water bottle, but then he introduced himself.
Dante.
God, could he be less perfect? Seriously, it’d be easier to ignore him if he weren’t a foot taller than me and rippling with lean muscle beneath his crisp suit. From what I saw of his hands and arms, Dante has tattoos covering his chiseled body. I certainly didn’t picture every single place he might have ink on him as I drifted off to sleep last night.
Peering over my shoulder, I’m slightly disappointed to see I’m alone. I’m not sure what I expected. For Dante to wake up and suddenly be a warm and inviting person instead of cold and aloof? I love my sleepy-time tea, but that’s a tall order for any beverage.
I climb out of bed and throw on leggings and a sweatshirt before running through my morning yoga stretches. I focus on a posture of open acceptance for whatever the day holds. I have a feeling I’ll need all of the mindfulness tools at my disposal to make it through the week.
After stretching, I sit cross-legged on the floor, leaning against the side of my bed. Resting the back of my hands on my knees, I hold my palms open as I silently repeat my intentions for the day;I release shame, I choose authenticity, and I carry peace within me.
I’m on my second round of deep breathing when I hear Dante pacing around. Peeking one eye open, my attention is drawn to the kitchen window, where he’s stomping in one direction, pausing, spinning on his heel, then stomping in the opposite direction.
“If you need me to come back… No, I haven’t seen him yet, but… Yes, Boss. I understand. But you’ll still call me if–”
He pulls the phone away from his ear and stares at it. I can’t quite see his facial expression from here, but I assume he’s trying to melt his phone with laser vision.
“He hung up on me,” Dante growls, staring at the cell phone in his hand.
I watch as he shoves it back into his pocket and wipes a hand down his face. Dante’s shoulders drop as he lets out a defeated sigh.My heart hurts for whatever weight he’s carrying. I don’t know what Dante’s job is, but I’ve been told it’s very demanding. If he’d let me, I’d give him a shoulder massage and work through a relaxing meditation before showing him some stretches to ease back tension and realign his neck.
As it is, Dante seems to think that if he tried meditating, he’d burst into flames. That’s partially why I’m so determined to get him to do it at least once. The other part of me genuinely believes in the practice of mindfulness, and I think everyone could benefit from a few moments of inner peace.
I close my eyes and get back to my intentions, trying to push thoughts of Dante out of my head. I definitely don’t focus on how his taut muscles would feel beneath my hands as I rub the tension from them.
The front door swings open, and in steps Dante. His eyes find mine instantly, and a shiver runs down my spine. I didn’t get a good look at his features last night in the dark, but in the cold, hard light of day, I see he’s even more handsome than I thought. Damn it.
Deep brown eyes lock onto mine, and I find it impossible to break the connection. He’s sharing something with me, but before I can figure it out, he blinks and shakes his head.
“Are you done with your new age nonsense?” he grumbles, waving a hand in my direction.
I smile at the grumpy Dante as he shuts the door and leans against it. “For now,” I answer cheerfully, hopping up from the floor. “One of these days, I’ll get you to join me. It’s not as crazy as you might think.”
Dante raises an eyebrow, letting me know he doesn’t believe me one bit.
I grab my phone and toss it into my bag, along with a few other things I usually take to the main house.
“Seriously. Most days, it’s just stretching and taking a few moments to ground yourself and prepare for the day. Your breath is a powerful tool once you know how to use it. I also paint my face with rabbit’s blood and dance naked in the full moon once a month to rejuvenate the crystals I use in my spells, but other than that, it’s totally normal.”
