Page 12 of His Cabin Obsession

I push open the door to the cabin – and stop dead in my tracks.

Every surface is scattered with wildflowers, purple and yellow buds turning their heads towards the ceiling, green leaves and stems festooned amongst them. Everywhere the flowers leave so much as a tiny gap, a glowing light has been placed, artificial rather than flame, some kind of mood lighting that appears to be linked to a smart control device. I have no idea how the tiny generator can be handling all of this, but their dim power means they are only just visible in the late afternoon light.

That’s not what startles me the most, however. No, that would be the table – empty when I left, but now set with a beautiful dinnerware set. A platter of bread and two small pots of olive oil and what looks like balsamic vinegar are set out in the center of the table, and two white plates gleam invitingly in front of the chairs. Room service style platters line the surfaces of the kitchen counter, some of them issuing a very enticing smell.

Amongst all of this, standing propped against the far end of the kitchen counter with a glass of red wine in his hand, is Aaron. He’s changed into a more formal button down shirt, though the top few buttons below the collar are open, giving him a sexy undone kind of look.

“How was your walk?” he asks.

“Great,” I say absently, forgetting about my earlier resolve to yell at him until he realized the error of ways. “What is all this? And how did it get here?”

“That,” Aaron says, giving me a wink. “Would be telling.”

Chapter Ten

Aaron

“No, seriously,” Olivia says. “Was it all hidden away in one of the cupboards, or something?”

I smile at her. The truth is, I had my assistant come and deliver all of this, orders from restaurants at home flown in by helicopter, mood lighting bought from a store I have the number of, the wildflowers picked up on the way to the helipad. Then he drove them all over in the fastest possible time.

I had help. But really, I’ve spent my whole life working hard to get to a position where something like that is in my power. All I have to do is snap my fingers and wave a wad of cash in the air and I can get whatever I want.

Except for Olivia, of course. But this will help.

“I have my ways,” I say, to keep the air of mystery. I have a powerful and rich life – but I don’t want a woman who’s just interested in me for that. I need to know that she feels the pull, the connection between us, without it being about money. “Sit down, have some bread. We don’t want the food to get cold.”

Olivia does as I tell her, walking forward and slipping into the chair facing me. I move towards her to take my own place. “Water, or juice?” I ask.

“Juice would be nice,” Olivia says, though there’s still a dubious note in her tone. “What is all this?”

I pour her a glass before sitting down with my wine, reaching for a hunk of bread from the platter. Encouraged by my movements, Olivia does the same. I’m glad. I want her to eat. She clearly enjoys food, and I want her to have what she likes. “I needed to apologize,” I say. “I embarrassed you earlier. That wasn’t my intention. I hope you’ll believe me when I say I never wanted to make you feel uncomfortable in any way.”

“This is your way of apologizing?” Olivia asks, with an eyebrow lifted. “How much did this all cost?”

I chuckle. “You don’t need to worry about that. Nothing I couldn’t afford.”

I can see her eyebrow lifting even more. She wants to ask – to find out more about me. I can’t have that, not yet.

“But…”

“Eat your bread,” I tell her, keeping my tone light and teasing. “It’s still warm, but it won’t be for long.”

Olivia takes a bite as told, and then closes her eyes in bliss. I suspected she might. This is artisan bread, flown in from one of my favorite bakeries, and they always get it right. A dunk in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, long enough to catch the flavor but quick enough for it not to be overwhelming, enhances it even further.

“So, tell me about college,” I say. “Where are you going?”

Olivia swallows her mouthful before replying. I like that she has good manners. “New York University. Some really good authors have graduated from there.”

New York. What a coincidence. It just so happens to be the city where I spend most of my time. Could this have aligned any better? The more I learn about Olivia, the more I know that my initial instincts were correct. I need to claim her. She’s perfect for me.

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