Page 65 of The Christmas Wife

"Aren’t you at the cabin?"

"Yep."

"So why the secrecy thing?"

"What secrecy thing?"

"You’re still whispering, babe."

"Right."

"Amelie?" she asks, worry in her voice. "Everything okay there?"

"There was a break-in at the cabin."

"What?" I hear the sheets rustle, then the click of a lamp, "Are you okay? What happened."

The line buzzes and I glance at the screen. She’s asking for access to video mode. I decline.

"What the hell?" She demands. "Why aren’t you on video?"

"Uh, because, I’m hiding in the bath tub."

"What the—?" Her voice sharpens, "Why are you hiding? Did the intruder hurt you?—"

"I’m fine," I mumble.

Why’d I have to go and blurt that out to her? Maybe I needed someone to empathize with me, huh?Not that Weston hadn’t. He had taken care of me, even if it was grudgingly… Still, I needed to hear a familiar voice, someone unthreatening with whom I don’t need to pretend.

"Then why are you still whispering?" Her voice sharpens, "Is the intruder still there?"

"No, no. I think Wes scared him off."

"Weston?"

"Yeah."

"He’s there with you?"

I draw in a breath. "I walked in on him, completely naked, as he was wrapping up his hot tub session."

Silence, then she chuckles, "You found him naked?"

"Yeah."

"In the hot tub?"

"He’d just been in…yeah, and he didn’t have a stitch of clothing on and he had a cigar."

"Hot damn." She laughs, "Talk about phallic symbols, hmm?"

That’s true. He’d been all but sending me subconscious signals… Okay, seeing his massive dick upfront? Not that subtle…but you have to give the man full marks for making an impression.

"That’s not all," I add.

"You mean there’s something to top off that picture?" She chuckles.

I frown, "Wipe that image from your mind, please."

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