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“I don’t know.” She shrugs and twists her hair to the side. “I watch too much reality television and I don’t read classics. I like the dirty stuff.” She bites back a smile. “I guess you knew that too, though.”
“Wouldn’t have, had I not gone through your desk for a stack of folders. That’s my bad.”
“It is.” She nods. “You can’t unsee that cover either.”
“Why did she have him tied up? I thought it would be the other way around.”
“Not always.” Her cheeks turn red, and she stares down at the ground. “Anyway, is that all we need to know? What if she asks me about your dreams and—”
“I’m living my dream. What about you?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’d like a job that doesn’t keep me away from home so much.”
“Ouch.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“Okay, what else?”
She hesitates. “A family. I know Josh is happy with the two of us, and so am I, but there are times when I wish we were a bigger pack.” A long pause ensues as she looks up at me. “That’s never going to happen, though. So… what about the physical connection thing? You mentioned it last night. Should we awkwardly hug a few times and get it out of the way?”
Holding her in my arms is everything I’ve ever wanted. Hell, it’s been all I’ve thought about since we met. And though I wish it were happening naturally, there’s no way in hell I’d turn her down.
Feeling a bit like a creep, I reach out toward her and pull her close to my chest. “You know you’d have no problem finding someone if you put yourself out there.”
She gasps. “When would I have time to do that? I’m at the office all day and half the night.”
I fail to tell her that’s the point. Instead, I rub my hand over her back slowly. “What are you looking for in a partner?”
She shrugs, wrapping her arms around my waist. “I don’t know. Someone to do all this with, I guess. Someone who wants to be together, laugh, and… take control.”
“Take control?” I grin. “Didn’t see you as the type.”
“I’m not. I don’t mean it like I need someone to boss me around all the time, but it would be nice to know someone else was making plans I could dispute later.” She smiles. “You don’t miss being in a relationship?”
Josh runs out of the bathroom, flying his hands around in circles making machine noises. It’s a helicopter, maybe. “Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!” He spins onto the floor, shoves his boots on, and jumps into the air like he’s fueled on chocolate and maple syrup.
“Sounds good, bud. Why don’t you start shoveling the walk and we’ll be right behind you.” Mae speaks softly and Josh listens straight away, nodding and swinging open the cabin door.
A rush of cold air swirls inside and the door slams shut. There isn’t much snow. We’d be fine without shoveling. That means Mae either likes it in my arms or she’s desperate for an answer to her question.
The cold air spears her nipples against my chest, and for a second, I wonder if maybe she’s enjoying herself here with me. Then she asks again, “Do you miss being in a relationship? You spend so many hours working. That must get old.”
“It doesn’t.” I hold her tighter, moving my hand slowly up and down her back, inadvertently tangling my fingertips in her hair. She smells like red berries and vanilla, and against my rough fingertips, she’s smooth like velvet.
What the hell is happening?
She sinks into me further and sighs softly. She must not notice she’s done it because she continues to settle.
I brush the back of her hair, and without thought, kiss the top of her head as though it were written on a script of things that should come next, as though every minute of my life had led up to this moment.
Slowly, she looks up at me, her gaze soft and steady.
We don’t say anything… because we don’t have to. This silence speaks volumes and suddenly, our song is one that sounds like snow dripping off the roof of the house, and the soft echo of the floorboards as they creak beneath our feet. As cliché as it is, the world stops spinning and everything is calm.
She tips up onto her toes and lands her hand on my chest, rubbing gently as our lips inch closer to one another. Slow and sure, mouth against mouth, we’re locked together in a dream.
“What’s happening here?” Josh bursts through the door. “Are you kissing your boss?” He pretends to throw up. “Gross! You’re not supposed to do that, Mom!” He’s talking, but Mae’s gaze hasn’t left mine and there’s a softness in her eyes that says she wants more.
