Page 64 of Lovingly Restored

Thank god, I think. What’s going to happen next? Will he eat me out again?

Instead, he leans over me and kisses my forehead with tenderness.

“Don’t you dare touch yourself tonight.”

My mouth falls open. “What?”

He’s going to leave me hanging?

“Now we’re even. One for you in the pantry. One for me here,” he says, matter of fact. “The next time you come will be tomorrow in that cabin, and it will bemydoing. Understand?”

I want to say something smart and indignant. To tell him to fuck right off and that I’ll do with my body what I please. I know full well, though, that anything I do to myself tonight in the dark will be a poor substitute for the orgasms he can give me.

Instead, I nod like the needy girl I am and listen to his footsteps as he retreats from the room. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.

Chapter twenty-one

Isaac

Afterastraightstretchof highway, we wind our way through a mountain pass high above the Pacific before heading deeper inland toward the backcountry. As the steep road flattens, we’re spit out into a clearing surrounded by dense conifers that seem to swallow us on our approach. The cabin rests far down a narrow drive, a stovepipe protruding from the navy metal A-frame roof, giving the otherwise simple structure a modern vibe. We ascend the shallow steps to the covered patio, stomping off the snow from our boots.

“This is more snow than I expected,” Ashlyn says, sliding her hand into mine.

“Right? We gained a lot of elevation.”

That must be why I’m so light-headed every time I look at her.

“Shall we?” Ashlyn looks ready for adventure, her bag over her arm.

“I’ll go first. It’s been empty for a while.”

I expect her to roll her eyes or fight me on it, but she steps aside, “Be my guest.”

The solid oak door swings open, and I wait for my eyes to adapt to the dark. A black wood stove dominates the living area, squatting on four metal legs. The air is dusty and stale, the long-cold flooring groaning under me. This will do, this will do just fine. I’m about to call Ashlyn in when motion catches my eye, and a shadow zooms across the floor towards my feet.

“Holy shit!” I jump a foot and turn tail for the safety of the front porch.

“What! What is it!” Ashlyn backs herself up against the railing to make space for my rapid exit.

“You know, I think a hotel might be nice this time of year. What’s another couple hours in the truck? Grab your bags!” I hop off the porch, striding away from the cabin.

“Hang on a minute,” Ashlyn calls after me, hot on my tail, trudging through my tracks.

“Rat, Ashlyn.Gigantic rat.”

“And that’s a problem because…?” The question hangs in the mountain air.

“I don’t do rodents.”

“You don’tdorodents? My big, strapping, carpenter man can’t handle a teensy tiny critter?”

I don’t miss that she called me ‘hers’ or ‘big’ or ‘strapping’. That’s interesting.

“It wasn’t ‘teensy tiny’. And Icanhandle it, I just don’t want to.“ I examine the tips of the trees towering over us.

She folds her arms across her chest, pushing her breasts up in her sweater in a way that has me reconsidering the use of the cabin...at least for a while.

“I’ll take care of your rodent.”

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