Page 49 of Cedarwood Cabin

I carry the cooler and a picnic blanket while Dax stands in his motocross gear, carrying his helmet. He looks undeniably hot in his gear.

He walks over to the garage and grabs his motocross bike as I walk alongside him. I glance over at Lyka, who is topless and chopping wood. I can’t help but bite my bottom lip, blushing at the sight of him. I quickly look away, hoping Dax doesn’t notice.

“Yo! I’m gonna show Flora the track,” Dax shouts.

Lyka wipes the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and nods. There is something about his topless body and manliness that makes my stomach flutter.

How the fuck am I going to cope with living with these two for three weeks?

It’s been less than twenty-four hours since lockdown started and I already have had too many thoughts about them.

Holding the handlebars to his bike, Dax and I walk deeper into the forest. We come to a hill and I look down to see the track with dips and jumps.

“You can see the whole track from here. Make yourself comfortable,” Dax says.

I flick out the blanket, spread it on the ground, and place the cooler on top. I lower myself and stretch out my legs, watching as Dax puts his helmet on.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Seeing him in the whole outfit with his helmet, not being able to see his face, turns me on.

He mounts his bike, kick-starts it, and rides onto the dirt track. He controls the bike well and confidently, making the first jump as if he has done it countless times before. I feel breathless as I watch him. He navigates the track’s twists and turns with ease, his engine echoing around the forest.

As Dax circles back around, I take in the scenery, looking up at the tall trees above. My heart skips a beat as I watch his bike fly through the air and land smoothly. I am so impressed by his talent.

Dax pulls up beside me, removing his helmet. His face is flushed and he looks impressed with himself.

“Whoa, that rush! What do you think?” he asks, out of breath.

“Okay…that was incredible. I can see why you win a lot. You’re really good.”

Dax can’t help but grin with pride. “Thanks. It’s a lot of fun. You should try it sometime.”

“Uh, I’ll stick to watching for now.”

Dax dismounts his bike and sits beside me. He reaches into the cooler and pulls out a couple of sandwiches, handing one to me. We eat in comfortable silence.

You can hear the forest around as the breeze hits the trees and birds sing. As we finish lunch, I look back toward the cabin and thoughts of Lyka come to mind—the sight of him working and his muscles flexing. I feel a mixture of emotions and don’t even know what to think. Dax lays back on the blanket, looking up at the sky.

“Just saying…this isn’t such a bad way to spend lockdown,” he says, breaking the silence.

I join him, lowering my torso and lying on the blanket next to him. I look up, taking in the blue sky that peaks through the trees above.

I know they say the calm is before the storm, but today is so beautiful!

“Well, in the previous lockdown, all I did was eat and paint.”

“You paint?” Dax asks, turning his head to look at me.

“Yeah, watercolors. I haven’t painted for a while, though.”

“My mother used to paint, too. We have some watercolor paints in the barn. Maybe you could get back into it.”

“Maybe…”

I love his encouragement despite my hesitancy. It’s been a long time since I felt the urge to create. We lie there in silence, taking in the forest views.

Dax breaks the silence. “Tell me about your paintings, Flora.”

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