AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Babe, if you don’t want me saying certain things that offend your pretty little ears – then I refuse to answer that question based on the same grounds,” he smiled affectionately.
“Well, I knew that too,” she teased and tapped him playfully on the nose. “But do you want a tiny cabin like this or…”
“No,” he interrupted and hesitated. “I want a home,a true home, where we can…” and grew silent, looking away from her. She touched his beloved cheek and turned his eyes back to her.
“We can…what?”she invited softly. “Tell me your deepest dreams. Share with me, Jake, because you might be very surprised.”
“I want a house,” he began hoarsely, not holding back. His dark eyes searched hers as he spoke. “I want a kitchen that overlooks a big backyard where we could have a dog or watch the children play someday.”
She smiled tearfully, nodding.
“A placehere, Lena. A place where we are far from everyone. We can take long walks and look at the mountains. I can go hunting and teach my son how to do it someday. I want to have a garden and a clothesline with a silly cloth bag to hold the pins like my mother had when I was a boy. I want to sit on the back porch and watch the sunset with you.”
She laughed softly as he chuckled, suddenly looking embarrassed and then looked back up at her, curious.
“Doesn’t any of that scare or worry you?”
“Is it supposed to?”
“No.”
“So, we would be roomies and…” she teased, mocking him.
“Nawww,” he breathed as his lip curled, and his hand that rested on her back was now dragging his finger slowly up and down her spine, tracing it. “I suppose you could call it ‘roomies’ because we’d be sharing a bed…”
“Why Mr. Ortega,”she said in mock disbelief, pretending to look outraged and shocked, but a part of her was fascinated at his thoughts.
“Don’t gimme that, Lumberjack,” he retorted. “You want me as much as I want you, and we both know it. Are you going to make me work for this relationship that we are going to absolutely have between us?”
“Are we going to have one, Pudding?” she said innocently and smiled.
“Maybe,” he shrugged and got this bored look on his face. “Did you wake me up for this? Just to question me?”
“Don’t turn this around and bring back that macho attitude,” she said softly, knowing just how to get at him. “We were having a discussion, talking about our future, and you mentioned a house, babies, and…”
“Us sharing a bed,” he murmured softly, looking at her lips again.
“Technically, we shared a couch for the last few hours.”
“You know what I mean,” he said carefully as he shivered again when she drew her finger across his lower lip. “… And what I want.”
“Whatdoyou want?” she asked intimately, leaning forward to kiss him again, only to see him back away slightly, watching her.
“Don’t play with me, Lena, because then neither of us win.”
“I’m not playing. Do you know what I want?” she began and drew up her courage from within, grasping at the things that made her happier than she’d ever been and fighting forthis… whether she was ready or not.
“I want to share my life with a man who puts me first, treats me like I’m special, and values my opinions,” she whispered, holding his gaze. “Someone who is honorable and takes the couch to keep Bigfoot and door-knob-wielding-bears away…”
Jake cracked a smile, listening.
“I want a man that scolds me for doing too much, treats me gently as he cares for me, and holds me to keep me warm… while imagining a home and future we could have together, if only…”
Her voice trailed off, and he took the bait immediately, frowning.
“If only what?” he snapped. “I don’t like being coy, setting conditions and all this bargaining.”
“If only he would finally admit that he loves me,” she whispered tearfully, holding his gaze. “Because I’m falling for him too, and it scares me to think that this could all end someday. I love our little cabin because I can hide here, cuddle with my guy, and…”
