Page 26 of The Cabin-A Reverse Harem Romance
My love of cooking never diminished. It was simply not my highest priority. Now, as I stood over the stove, doing my best to make something that was more than just edible, and would do more than simply fill the void, the idea of cooking for someone like Elise put a smile on my face.
Sadly, packaged spaghetti sauce, no spices, and nothing fun to add, meant that she wouldn’t even get to see my true talents at work. I’d have loved to impress her with my cooking. Maybe someday I’d get the chance. Elise yawned.
“Long day, huh?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
I thought about asking her about the pregnancy test I saw her hiding, but before I could open my mouth to ask the question, Trevor sauntered over, and leaned up against the counter next to me, facing Elise with a worried look on his face. I kept my mouth shut.
“Yeah, I guess so,” she mumbled.
Her honey blonde hair was tousled, and she ran a hand through it, trying to work out some of the kinks and tangles. I yearned to know that her hair felt like with my own two hands. Longed to run my fingers through those fine, silky strands. It looked so soft to the touch that I was barely able to keep myself from reaching out, just to touch it.
I noticed that Trevor watched her as well, fixated on her with a look of yearning even worse than my own. He licked his lips and just stared at her, his eyes taking her in from head to toe, moving from her face down lower, but stopping before he reached her breasts.
Shaking his head, he pushed away from the sink and left the kitchen, once again giving me an opening to ask her about the pregnancy test and get a better handle on what we were dealing with.
“So, is there anything on your mind?” I asked her, dumping the spaghetti noodles into the boiling water.
She leaned back against the sink, right where Trevor had been, and stared off into space. I thought maybe she hadn’t heard my question, or maybe she was ignoring me. Either way, we stood there in a bit of an awkward silence as the noodles cooked on the stove. No need for me to stand watch over them, they’d be just fine, but I was alone with Elise and didn’t want to ruin it or waste the opportunity. I wanted to be there, and let her know I was there for her, just in case she wanted to tell me.
“You know, there is,” she said with a sigh. “A lot of things on my mind, actually.”
“Like what?” I asked, my heart racing.
Biting her lip, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, hugging herself tightly. Her eyes flicked to the floor, then to me, then back to the floor again. She gnawed on her bottom lip, fear and uncertainty etched upon her soft, beautiful face.
“Aaron would have hated Brad, wouldn’t he?” she asked me, taking me by surprise.
“Uh, yeah. He treated you badly, Elle. Horribly. There was no way Aaron would have been okay with that shit,” I said. “You know how much he loved you. And you know he would have killed somebody who laid hands on you.”
She nodded, and tears welled in her eyes, making them shimmer. I moved closer to her, wanting her to take comfort in my presence, and she let me put my arms around her, pulling her close. Her hair brushed against my face, and it was as soft as I’d imagined it to be. Closing my eyes, I inhaled the sweet scent of her. Orange blossoms. She smelled like orange blossoms and honey. It was a fresh, clean aroma that made my head spin. Just a subtle hint of sweetness mingled with her natural scent – a scent that to me, was intoxicating enough already.
“Is there anything else going on?” I whispered into her ear, pushing the hair away from the side of her face. “You can tell me anything, Elise. You know we’re all here for you.”
She lifted her head and stared back at me, her clear blue eyes filled with unshed tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but before any words came out, she pressed her lips to mine. Her soft, plump lips parted for me, inviting my tongue inside of her mouth, making my breath catch in my throat.
My heart raced, and my body trembled, and it seemed like the more I tried to control it, the worse it got. I’d never been shy when kissing a woman before, this feeling was entirely new, and was so totally disconcerting. I knew it was mostly because I knew I wasn’t supposed to be kissing her – and yet, it’s what I’d wanted for so long.
