Page 10 of Hothead

Right. He needed to get his act together. Fast.

“Fuck it.” Creaking open his car door, he pushed out and let his boots crunch the gravel.

He needed answers. That’s why he was there. At least that was what he told himself as he stomped down toward the guest cabins, huffing and puffing as he went.

This is not how I expected to be spending my evening.

Night had fallen a while ago, the last of the light long filtered from the sky. Making it hard to see. He supposed he could pull his phone out if he got desperate. For now, he would stick to the path Wade had carved out.

A few minutes later, an orange glow was in sight, illuminating a small wooden cabin. The only one in a row of five that was lit up.

Bella.

It only took one knock, and the door was swung wide.

She was wearing far less than he was prepared for. Tiny peach-colored silk shorts and a matching camisole.

Jesus Christ, she’s not wearing a bra. Why does God fucking hate me?

It was something she seemed to notice at the same time as him, as she quickly crossed her arms over her chest, giving him time to put his tongue back in his head.

“Uh ...” She seemed just as tongue-tied for a second, before fixing her face and narrowing those piercing eyes on him. “I thought I told you to call?”

Nice to know her sass was still firmly in place, pajamas on or not.

“Yeah. I didn’t want to,” he grunted out.

“Oh, well, that clears that up,” she mocked, rolling her eyes and taking a step back so he could enter. “I’m gonna go put ... I’ll be back in a minute, okay?”

Bella scurried into the bedroom and shut the door, leaving Luke standing in the cabin’s main room. A living slash dining room slash kitchen. Small but cozy. Deciding to take a seat on the equally small fabric couch, he dropped his head back against the cushion and let his eyes shut.

You’re doing the right thing. You need to know.

When Bella re-entered, he noticed that she was still wearing the shorts, but the vest had been replaced with an oversized band T-shirt. She also happened to be wearing a bra now. Not that he was looking.

“Do you want a drink? I guess it’s a bit late for coffee ... Oh! I could make us some hot cocoa?” Just the idea of hot cocoa seemed to light her up. She was practically bouncing. So happy that it made him think twice about declining.

“Sure, angel, hot cocoa sounds good.”

Another beam was sent his way as she busied herself behind the counter, his eyes following every move as his brain chastised him for being such a sap.

When she finally came to join him on the couch, hot chocolate was pushed in front of him, and he had to admit it smelled fricking good. A bit like her.

“Thanks.” He accepted the mug and took his first sip.

“So, I take it you read the letter?”

When his attention returned to her, she was twisting on the sofa to face him, pulling her legs up and crossing them over each other.

“Yeah, angel, I did.”

“That’s it? Please don’t tell me you came all the way over here just to grunt at me?”

How she managed to pull a smile out of him so easily, he didn’t know. “No, Bella, I didn’t come all the way over here togrunt at you. I have questions. The first one being ... didyouread the letter?”

It was his turn to twist in his seat now, letting his own leg bend and rest on the cushion.

“No, Luke, of course I didn’t. That letter was intended for you and you only.” She seemed to be genuinely offended.

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