Page 13 of #Resort Romance
Hand in hand, they strolled back toward the path that would lead them to their cabins. Neither said anything and it was a very comfortable kind of silence. Her mind wandered to what was going to happen once they got to her door. They’d kiss—obviously—but…would it be wrong to invite him in? Or maybe they could go to his cabin and…and…
And what, dummy? What exactly do you want to do?
Pfft…that was a ridiculous question. She wanted this almost perfect night to go on.
She just had no idea to what end.
“What are your plans for tomorrow?” he asked. “Anything scheduled?”
Shaking her head, she continued to focus on where they were walking. “Nothing scheduled. I sort of came up here with no actual idea of how I was going to spend my time. I realize now I probably didn’t need to book a two-week stay, but…” She sighed. “It could be nice to just relax and unwind with no obligations, right?”
“We’re gonna find out,” he teased, playfully nudging her shoulder. “My grandparents are looking to play bingo and do arts and crafts. My folks are planning on keeping them company. Honestly, I don’t know what they expected me to do, so I’m going to be winging it too.”
Looking up at Jayce, she smiled. “Maybe we could wing it together?”
He smiled back at her. “Absolutely.”
“We’re definitely going to try out the paddleboats since they weren’t here the last time.”
“Plus, they’ve got to be safer for us than the canoes.”
They both laughed and the next thing she knew, they were approaching their cabins. It was on the tip of her tongue to invite him to join her, but he beat her to it.
“Would you like to come in for a little while? It’s not very late and with no TV or Wi-Fi, I know I would enjoy having some company.” He gently tugged her closer. “Plus, I’m not ready for this night to end.”
Her heart raced at his admission, and it was slightly thrilling to know they thought so much alike.
Smiling shyly, she told him, “Me either.” Jayce opened the door to his cabin and when she stepped inside, she was suddenly a bundle of nerves. “So, um…this looks a little more updated than mine.”
He nodded and glanced around. “And more than the one my parents are staying in too, although…not by much. If I had to guess, I’d say that it sustained some damage, and they didn’t have a choice.”
“Still, you lucked out. And this floor plan looks different from the others too. I didn’t realize there were so many options. Mine has the one bedroom and then a loft, and I know the one your family is in has two bedrooms, but this…”
“Kelsey?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you really want to talk about the different models of cabins?” His voice was low and gruff and so damn appealing.
She shook her head. “No. No, that’s not what I want.” The slight tremble in her voice surprised her, but it also didn’t stop her from slowly walking over to him and stopping when they were toe to toe.
Jayce’s hand reached up and caressed her cheek. “What do you want, “Kelse?”
“I don’t want to be alone tonight.” Even as she said the words, her heart was hammering so loudly, she wondered if he could hear it.
His expression softened before he rested his forehead against hers. “You don’t have to be. You can stay here and we can stay up all night talking.”
Wait, was he…did he not understand what she was saying?
Pulling back slightly, she gave him a quizzical look. “Um…I was thinking maybe we…you know…could spend the night um…not talking?”
Without a word, Jayce led her over to the cozy sofa and gently tugged her to sit beside him. “As much as I would love to spend the night like that with you, I don’t think that’s what you need.”
“But…”
“It wouldn’t be right,” he softly interrupted, lazily rubbing his thumb along the palm of her hand. “I know we’re not strangers, but we also haven’t seen or spoken to each other in over a decade. I don’t think sex is exactly what you need right now.”
The small snort was her first response before she decided to use her words. “If you were a stranger, I wouldn’t have even suggested it. I feel safe with you, Jayce. I always have. Life has been so…depressing and lonely for the last few months. That’s why I started seeing a therapist. I wasn’t handling my grief well and I knew if I didn’t get proactive about my mental health that it would be a downward spiral. Spending time with you today is the first time I’ve felt like myself in a long time.” She edged closer to him. “Didn’t you just ever need to feel close to someone?”
