Page 36 of Monsters, Vows, and Growls
Another smile tugged at the corners of her lips, raising my hopes that after ten years, we might finally have another shot at us.
I let her go inside first, while I grabbed our bags and the grocery items. I hadn’t expected her to cook, but she had smiled and asked me what would be the sense in dating a chef if I didn't take advantage of it. She also wanted to test more recipes forSmoke & Ember,and I would be lying if I said Thorne and I weren't looking forward to it.
A small squeal from inside caught my attention, "Oh Pats, it has a clawfoot tub!
I grinned as I stepped through the door, grocery bags in one hand, our weekend bags slung over the other. Her voice lit up the space better than any light switch ever could.
“You’re easy to impress,” I teased, setting everything down on the kitchen island.
She spun around, barefoot now, her eyes wide with that unguarded sparkle I hadn’t seen since we were teenagers. “Excuse me, I’ve had dreams about tubs like that. I might never leave it.”
“There’s also a fireplace in the bedroom,” I offered.
She arched a brow. “Trying to impress me, Mr. McCloud?”
“Desperately,” I said, more honest than I meant to be.
She didn’t answer. Just smiled again—softer this time—and turned back toward the hallway. Thorne was practically vibrating inside me.She likes it. She’s happy. Did you hear her squeal? That was a mate-squeal. We made her squeal. Get the wine. Get the damn bubble bath.
We just got here.
Doesn’t mean we can’t start.
The cabin had a rustic-modern feel, clean wood beams, polished concrete floors, soft throws draped over chairs like someone had lived here and loved it once. But it wasn’t cluttered. And it was ours for the weekend.
I found Ella standing in the bathroom, still staring at the tub like it might grant her three wishes.
“I brought your fancy bubble bath,” I said.
She turned. “You did?”
I held up the bottle. “Lavender and eucalyptus. Your favorite. Or at least it used to be. I could’ve sworn I found you in my bathroom once sniffing the matching lotion like it was oxygen.”
She laughed—actually laughed—and pressed a hand over her heart like she needed to hold it in.
“Oh my God,” she said, voice warm with disbelief. “You remember that?”
“I remember everything,” I said quietly.
She stepped toward me, close enough that I could smell her shampoo and the faint scent of citrus on her skin.
“You never forget anything?” she asked.
“Only the things I want to,” I said, in a rough voice. “And even then… never you.”
She looked up at me, eyes wide and vulnerable, a look I knew well. She was searching for her footing. Still caught somewhere between past and present, between wanting to stay and still wondering if she should run.
I didn’t touch her. I just stood still and waited for her to decide.
“I’m going to unpack,” she said after a moment, stepping past me. "Oh, by the way, which bedroom do you want?"
"It doesn't matter to me," I answered honestly. There were two bedrooms, one with a king-sized bed and the other… with two sets of bunkbeds.
There is no way we'll fit on a bunkbed, Thorne complained.
We'll make do, I shushed him, but I could feel him pouting. Damn bear.
"There is no way, you'll fit on one of these bunkbeds," Ella unknowingly echoed Thorne, whohah'edme in my mind.
