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I joined in her laughter, finding the sight of her, sitting by the fire, thoroughly enjoying a s’more, incredibly endearing. “Embracing a little messiness is part of the fun,” I told her. “Now, it’s your turn. You have to make your own.”
As we continued to enjoy our s’mores and the warm fire, I couldn’t help but appreciate the simplicity of the moment. Here we were, far from the grandeur and expectations of the Wed season, just two people sharing a genuine and unpretentious experience. It was a stark contrast to the formal events we had been attending. No one was judging us. No one was looking at our attire and no one was in the corner gossiping about us.
I found myself drawn to her, not as a match but as someone I genuinely cared about. We were slowly peeling back the layers of our true selves. I was finally getting to see the real Emilie. If I could continue showing her what life could be like with me, I knew I could win her over.
The firelight danced in her eyes as she looked at me with a silly smile. “That is so sweet,” she said. “Between this and the ice cream, I’m going to be up all night.”
“Would that be so bad?” I teased.
“Maybe not.”
She leaned back in the chair and stared into the dark tree line. “I can’t imagine living your life like this.”
“We do work and have responsibilities,” I told her. “But we also have plenty of time to just be us.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve felt so… free. Thank you for tonight. I’ve really enjoyed myself. You’re going to make it very difficult for me to go home.”
“This will be your home as well,” I reminded her. “I don’t think I can stay away from home. It reinvigorates me. It’s where I can reset. I want it to be that for you as well.”
48
EMILIE
The night was warm. The fire added just a little heat to ward off any chill that might blow in. I touched my cheek and found I was sticky. “I think I need to wash up,” I said. “I’m all sticky.”
“Are you tired?” Theo asked.
“Not really. I’m still on a sugar high. And the excitement of being here has my adrenaline pumping.”
“I have another idea,” he said with that little-boy smile. It meant he was up to something.
“Uh oh,” I said, laughing. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“Want to visit the hot tub?”
“Hot tub?” I asked.
“Roman had one put in a while back,” he said. “We have one by the pool, but Roman said we were too loud and he couldn’t properly relax. I think he wanted a hot tub for a very different reason.”
“I did bring a couple of bathing suits, but they’re in my room at the house,” I reminded him.
He gave me a look that made me feel hot and silly at the same time. “We’re all alone. The house is all the way over there. No one is going to bother us. We don’t need suits.”
“You like breaking all the rules,” I said.
“I like breaking some of the rules,” he replied. “Rules that are really unnecessary. I’ll go turn it on.”
I probably shouldn’t, but then there was a part of me that just didn’t care. No one was going to know and Theo wasn’t going to tell. We were going to be married anyway. His family was discreet and never brought up our inappropriate evenings together. I could trust them.
I walked around the patio that stretched out on two sides of the house. The hot tub was surrounded by a tall fence, adding even more privacy. Theo turned to me and smiled again. “Ready?”
“I guess I am,” I said, laughing.
We stripped naked and Theo got in first. I wasn’t embarrassed at all. It was freeing to be naked outside. I wanted to throw my head back and howl at the moon. I settled in across from Theo, and heat washed over me, soothing tired muscles and tension.
The stars above us sparkled like diamonds as we soaked away our worries. The warm water embraced us, and I couldn’t help but sigh in contentment. It was so much better than eating caviar and drinking champagne. This was what life was really about.
Theo’s smile warmed my heart as he gestured to the clear night sky. “Look at that. The stars are incredible out here.”
