Page 64 of Unbinding the Demon
26. Love on the Lake
Paintbrushes of various shapes, colors, and sizes clinked into a little blue vase, decorated with white roses. I hummed a chirpy tune as I placed the vase on the beautiful, dark wood desk and took a step back to admire my new painting area with a satisfied smile. Ashton had offered to let me turn one of the spare bedrooms into my personal art studio, which I was more than happy to accept. I had even gotten to pick out the lavender color that he’d painted the walls with.
The room had a few large diamond-paned windows, with a lovely view of the lake, and got plenty of evening sun. It was still mostly empty, considering I had only been living in the house for a few days now, and it took Ashton a few days to fix it up. Most of my stuff was in the bedroom or still in boxes, all neatly stacked in the corners of the room.
I watched a small white moth flutter whimsically around the little table lamp that illuminated the room, as I planned where everything would go. My eyes then drifted over to my rather disorderly potted plants on the windowsills, figuring now would be a good time to rearrange them. “Alright, Fernicus the fern can go here. And Philippe the Philodendron can go over here.” I furrowed my brows and stuck my finger into a black glossy pot, wiggling it around in the rather dry, crumbly soil. “Hmm, looks like Figbert could use some more water...”
As I quietly narrated how I was repositioning my plants, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.Fuck, not here too.I stopped what I was doing and glanced around the room, trying to find the source of the eerie presence. My eyes landed on the open door leading out to the blackened, shadowy hallway.Yeah, big surprise it feels like someone’s watching me from over there.I rarely got the creepy feeling while in this house, which was weird because this place was really fucking creepy before Ashton fixed it up. So, I had been hoping that it would go away now that I was living here. But that didn’t seem to be the case. I grumbled as I turned back around, ignoring the unsettling feeling as I continued to organize my plants.
“It’s starting to look nice in here.” Ashton’s deep voice rumbled through the room, startling me nearly to death.
I jumped with a small scream and whipped around to find him leisurely leaning against the doorframe. He had a soft smile on his lips and a mischievous twinkle in his golden eyes. The black hoodie and sweatpants he wore did little to conceal his massive, muscular frame. “Good grief! Don’t sneak up on me like that!” I placed a hand over my heart and exhaled.
“I didn’t. I’ve been standing over here for quite a while now.” He shrugged and walked toward me, his heavy footsteps echoing in the nearly empty room.
“Yeah, right! I literally just looked over there less than a minute ago, and I didn’t see your big, bumbling butt!” I teased playfully while poking his chest.
“Big, but firm and round!” He slapped his butt with a suggestive chuckle. Then he put his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him in return with a big, goofy smile. “Well, anyway, I have a surprise for you.” A smile of his own stretched across his face, then he leaned down to kiss my forehead. “I’ve laid some clothes out for you on the bed. I want you to go put them on, and then meet me in the foyer. And don’t wear anything underneath them.” He bopped my nose with his finger.
I was super excited about whatever he had planned, but I played it cool and raised a brow with feigned curiosity. “Alright, I’ll go put them on, I guess.” I strolled out of the room like I couldn’t care less. Once I was around the corner and out of his sight, I sprinted down the hall toward the bedroom, my heart racing with enthusiasm.
I bet I’m going to find some cute, sexy-ass lingerie—what the heck?
I paused with a look of confusion as I entered the bedroom. A plain black hoodie, black sweatpants, and a pair of thick, warm socks were lying on the bed. It was practically the same thing he was wearing, just in a much smaller size.Huh?I walked over and held up the hoodie while raising a brow with genuine curiosity this time...Not what I expected, but okay. I stripped down and threw on the new outfit, then headed to the foyer.
My hand glided down the smooth wooden railing as I descended the stairs. Ashton was waiting by the front door. He held a lantern in his hand, its glow highlighting his handsome features. The moment his eyes landed on me, he sucked in a sharp breath, as though in that moment, I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. We smiled lovingly at one another and held eye contact as I made my way down to him.
“You look beautiful.” He took my hand and kissed the back of it, his words filled with tenderness.
I blushed and fluttered my eyes away. The look of pure admiration and affection he was staring at me with was almost too intense to handle. “So, um, what’s the surprise?”
“You’ll see in a minute,” he chuckled. We put our boots on, then he opened the front door and took my hand. “Follow me.”
The porch steps creaked as we traversed into the yard. He held the lantern before us, illuminating the dark, misty night as we walked down the path through the withered, frosty flowers and tall, dying grass. My eyes scanned the grove of dark, wavering spruce, remaining alert to any movement. I was still on edge from that terrifying experience the previous week. The towering trees swayed eerily in the breeze, casting dancing shadows across the glinting, moonlit yard. It was easy to imagine pale, bony bodies shuffling around in the shadows, ready to lunge at any moment. Ashton squeezed my hand in reassurance and smiled lovingly, easing my worries as we approached the lake.
We walked beneath the frost-dusted boughs of the barren oaks as they glistened in the light of the crescent moon. Gentle waves reflected the twinkling starlight, appearing to shimmer as they lapped peacefully upon the rocky beach. The wispy blanket of mist slightly glowed, making it look like a magic spell being cast from the shadows as it swirled across the water. Our boots crunched over the frost-covered stones as we approached a wooden rowboat that swayed at the shoreline. It was tied to a slender birch, causing it to quietly scrape against the rough beach. I peeked inside and saw that someone had removed the seats. It was filled with warm, fluffy blankets and pillows, and the space was just big enough to be a bed.
“What is all this?” I asked while inspecting the boat, with an excited smile growing across my lips. My breath swirled around my face as I glanced back at him, a few strands of hair falling over my face.
The lantern flickered as he placed it on a rock; then he swooped me up into his strong arms, spinning me around once. “This is your surprise.” He nuzzled my nose with his.
I giggled as I was gently placed into the cozy boat. “Wow, Ashton, this is actually so cool,” I said as I fluffed one of the pillows.
He smiled back at me with a look that made butterflies flutter around in my stomach. “I was hoping you’d like it. I know how much you love the night sky,” he added with a twinkle of something almost mischievous in his eyes. He untethered the boat, discarding the rope into the water. It threatened to tip over as he hopped in next to me and pushed off with an oar, making me grip the side for stability. Waves splashed around us as we set off into the icy darkness.
I untied my shoelaces and tucked my boots away at the end of the boat, and Ashton did the same with his much larger pair. The oars lightly splashed against the misty water as he slowly rowed us out to the center of the lake. It was a chilly night, but our hoodies, plus all the blankets beneath us, kept us plenty warm. My cloudy breath fanned around my face as I gazed up at the crescent moon resting high in the starry, midnight-blue sky. In the distance, the silhouette of the jagged mountain range kissed the softly illuminated skyline, cutting into the deep blue with its blackened peaks.
Ashton put the oars to the side and then turned to place a lingering kiss on my lips. “Lay with me.” He caressed my cheek as he spoke, then guided me down with him.
We both rested on our backs, snug as two lovebugs in a rug, nestled closely together. He wrapped one arm beneath me, holding me close, while our hands intertwined on his chest. His raven locks splayed out around him, cascading over the pillow like swirling mist over water and entwining with my long chestnut waves. The moonlight winsomely enwreathed us as we gazed up at the twinkling stars.
As I stared up, I was spellbound by the enchanting beauty of the celestial scenery. Millions of stars whimsically sparkled down at me from the vast midnight sea, as if each one was playfully tickling my face with their pale rays. The Milky Way streamed across the horizon like a shimmering river of white flowing through the bejeweled heavens. A shooting star passed by, catching my eye, and beckoning me to wish upon it.
“Hey, look! A shooting star!” I exclaimed with excitement. “Should we make a wish? They’re supposed to be magical, you know.” I turned to look at Ashton’s amused profile.
“That’s a bunch of rubbish. True magic lies within the power of one’s soul,” he chuckled softly.
“Oh, well, never mind then,” I giggled. “It’s still beautiful to see, though,” I said, feeling enraptured by the glittering scenery above me.
