Page 16 of By Candlelight

I stacked most of the wood on the covered porch, but brought in enough for the rest of the day and started to build the fire.

I felt Mia behind me before she said anything. Before she even made a peep.

“You could make yourself useful and hand me that kindling bucket,” I said, pointing to the bucket not three feet from me. I rolled my eyes at myself, and then watched as she picked it up and wordlessly handed it to me.

She must have showered. I smelled the floral shampoo as she approached. She had changed into another pair of leggings and a tank top. A fucking tank top when it was twenty degrees out. She had one of those oversized cardigans on, but it was open and the top of her chest was bare, the neckline of the pink top hugging the curves of her tits so perfectly I wanted to scream.

“You trying to kill me?”

Her brows knit together in confusion, and I didn’t blame her for it.

“What do you mean?”

I stood, crowding her personal space and not caring one bit. She tilted her head back and looked up in my eyes. I saw the confusion there, the shock at my sudden movement.

But I saw something else. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. And it was so damn close to desire, I almost said fuck it all and took her right there on the hardwood floor. But the tiniest thread of self-control stopped me. I put my hands on her arms and gently—so fucking gently—nudged her back a step so I could walk past.

“Just forget it.”

I walked up the stairs, not knowing where I was going since there really was nowhere to go. But I need a minute. A few minutes.

I needed a few minutes away from the complication and temptation that was Mia.

I ended up in the bedroom and slammed the door behind me. If I didn’t do something to calm myself down, we’d both be in big trouble.

thirteen

MIA

Well,shoot. I didn’t know what that was all about. But Drew clearly had something on his mind and it seemed that I maybe annoyed him somehow.

Sharing a bed was a ridiculous thing to suggest, but I couldn’t help myself. I’d wanted to sleep next to him. I’d wanted to feel his body close to mine.

I thought that he might be interested in me. I knew on the surface he liked the way I looked, and I knew that I aroused him, at least in a small way.

But I felt stupid for thinking that lent itself to actually liking someone. How did I develop a school girl crush on Drew after knowing him for less than two days?

This was the eternal optimist in me coming out to play. I didn’t think about real life or consequences, I lived in my own world, apparently.

How embarrassing.

Regardless of my intentions, I upset him somehow, and the only way to fix that was with some good old-fashioned apology cookies. And since it was Christmas, I could make apology Christmas cookies. Even better.

I laughed at how silly I sounded and how he probably would hate this. But I was stuck in this cottage with nothing else to do, so I figured I might as well make some sweets. If nothing else, I could stuff my face later while he ignored me.

I scavenged the cupboards for all the necessary ingredients. They wouldn’t be fancy, but any port in a storm. Or, cookie, in this case. I got to work making two batches, one chocolate chip, and the other, my mom’s famous soft gingerbread cookies. Those always worked on my dad when he was in a mood.

The best part was they were quick and uncomplicated. In less than a half hour, I was taking two batches out of the oven.

Drew still hadn’t come downstairs. Probably for good reason. He didn’t want to be bothered. I knew this. But I still piled a bunch of cookies onto a plate and walked them up the stairs to say my piece.

As I got to the top of the stairs, I heard a grunt coming from the closed bedroom door. A grunt? No, a moan. Or a grunt that turned into a moan. He must not feel well. Oh dear. What if he hurt himself somehow?

I put the cookies down on the little table in the hall and walked to the door to knock on it. But as soon as my knuckles were in position, I heard it again. But this time, there was more.

“Mia…”

It was so soft I almost didn’t catch it. But my supersonic hearing did. He said my name. And thengruntedagain.

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