Page 59 of Only One Bed: Anthology Vol. 1
She stared at an imperfection in the wood paneling, pushing away the feelings of inadequacy that had plagued her since before she cracked the dam that held it all back. She wasn’t good enough—whole enough—as she was. Not for anyone. Dating was no longer for her. She’d come to accept it. Besides, was Bree even into women?
She secretly hoped. Or … maybe she didn’t. Maybe working with Bree would be a whole lot easier if she simply pretended the alluring woman was completely and utterly straight. Would that perhaps make the unwanted thoughts disappear? Ah, a possible solution. A sense of control washed back over her, tension dialing back to a manageable level.
“Yeah. Well, I need to do my job. But I guess do whatever the hell you want since the place is empty, and you spent all that time driving. Maybe there’s playing cards or something in a drawer somewhere.”
Bree removed her parka. “We both know I always pack a deck.”
Ness slipped off her jacket as well and grabbed the clipboard and day planner from her bag. “Text me if anything … Never mind. No service.” She disappeared around the corner and headed up the stairs. The cabin was gorgeous, and she had things to do. Her colleague was just a distraction. She needed distance if she wanted to keep her head straight and also shove all those disturbing feelings back down.
She definitely shouldn’t think of how the car had smelled like Bree’s perfume for the duration of the journey, and how that made Ness just want to nestle into her neck like a kitten. She cleared her throat. Okay, that was helpful and not helpful at the same time.
Consulting the papers, she ran through the checklist.Focus. Bree could entertain herself downstairs while Ness worked. It was the perfect arrangement. The first room upstairs wasn’t what she expected. In fact, the upstairs seemed to have been remodeled into one giant room. So, this cabin was a getaway for couples—not families.
A bit of loneliness swirled in her belly. She stared at the massive bathtub, big enough for two. How amazing would a secluded getaway like this be? Howromantic… She swallowed the lump in her throat and jotted some notes as she made her way through the master suite.
Memories pricked at her mind. A trip to Napa Valley. Sunshine, laughter, and wine at the height of a beautiful summer. She and Anthony had the entire villa to themselves. Rows and rows of grapes stretched far outside their window as he kissed along her shoulders and licked up the column of her neck as her eyes fluttered shut. His thick cock was buried deep inside her, leisurely thrusting as he whispered sweet and filthy things between kisses. She’d thought they’d be together forever. That he was the one. But it had ended so coldly and with such prejudice.
Her eyes stung. It wasn’t that she missed him. No. He’d been a dick in the end and easy to get over. What she missed was being withsomeone.
Being in love.
Being so certain of someone else and how they wanted her, the assurance and stability in that. She blinked quickly as she headed back downstairs, ending the tears before they’d the chance to begun.
The stunning stone and marble kitchen featured a breakfast nook, a gas fireplace, and a large workspace big enough for an amateur chef to have a field day. She could see the immense potential for opening this up for rentals or even for buyers. Who wouldn’t want their own private oasis in the mountains? Think of all the candlelit dinners with snow falling outside and cozying up together by the fireplace in the living room.
Her chest ached. Her shoulders slumped. The marketing side of her brain gave way to the personal. This was the sort of place she wanted to share with someone. Though maybe on the beach in New England versus the mountains. But that meant opening herself up again, and she couldn’t do that. The pain was still too real, too intense.
Anthony had made her question so much about herself. What she wanted. What she needed. It’s the one thing she tried to cling to from that relationship.
Yes, it broke her, but it also gave her perspective. She wanted to be accepted, fully, by someone. Loved for who she was and not be expected to hide some of it or worse, deny it. But what if the next person did the same?
What if they also found her lacking by simply being who she was?
“Whatever,” she said aloud to no one, before heading into the living area to survey it, and then outside. Work was all she needed. Anything else was too much of a risk. At least work could be somewhat predictable and controlled. Less emotion was involved. She found comfort in the lists, copywriting, and figures.
Snow was falling as Ness ventured to the terrace. The sound of burbling water caught her attention, however. She didn’t recall the brief stating the home had any water features that would still be running in the dead of winter. She rounded one of the columns, and her breath hitched. Bree was in the hot tub.
And she appeared to be naked.
Her black hair was soaked through and slicked back against her scalp. Ness bit her lip. Suddenly, she was very aware of her own body, and all previous misgivings were momentarily forgotten. Warmth and an undeniable ache coursed through her veins. Her pulse rose in cadence. Her fingers itched to touch Bree’s skin.
This was ridiculous.
Ness grimaced and briefly clenched her jaw. She needed to be a voice of responsibility. They had a job to do, dammit, and here her colleague was nude and dripping with water. Jesus Christ, she looked amazing... “Whatexactlyare you doing? I thought you were playing solitaire or something.”
Bree swiveled around in the water and smirked. “It’s cold inside. Iwastrying to relax and have a good time. You should try it sometime.” She drifted over, propping her forearms on the tub’s edge. Water dripped down the sides. “That scowl you always seem to have might just dissolve.” She flicked a little water at her.
Ness rolled her eyes, even if her stomach dropped at the teasing insult. She’d become a hard ass since the breakup with her ex; she knew it. “Or you could try not being so damn carefree for once. A foreign concept, I know.”
“Oh, she has some bite.” Bree motioned to one of the patio chairs, the look of amusement still on her pretty face.
Ness wanted to take her by the throat and kiss it off her.
“Could you hand me that towel?”
Bree’s request snapped Ness back to reality. She grabbed the towel and flung it over to her coworker. Ness thanked every god in existence that Bree faced away when she stood. But that didn’t stop the heat rising to Ness’s cheeks as she watched the water slither its way down Bree’s spine and over her plump ass. Her own nipples hardened.
She looked down out of respect.Yeah, respect. That’s it. It wasn’t that she wanted Bree more than anyone or that she had turned down dates with others because she couldn’t get Bree out of her mind. She downed the thickness in her throat. Her mind was the only place she’d get to be with her. She knew that. It was too messy otherwise.
