Page 94 of A Second Dawn

Her eyes move slowly as they take me in, settling on my exposed biceps hugging my pillow. Her eyebrows shoot up, and I watch her throat as she swallows.

Ella has a thing for muscly arms, and I’ve never been happier to be so physically fit.

Working out is part of my daily routine so ingrained in me, I could never skip it. It’s my addiction, but her appreciation is the cherry on top.

“I can’t get over you only wearing a singlet in this freezing cold,” she says quietly, so as not to disturb Claudette, who’s sleeping on the other side of the bedroom.

“I normally sleep naked,” I wink at her. “Even in winter. It’s only for your sake I’m covering up.”

I’m rewarded with her trademark blush. Teasing her never gets old.

“You’re a deviant,” she mumbles. “You and Rhia would get on brilliantly.”

I grin at her. “Do you never sleep naked, Sunshine?”

I just can’t help myself playing with her some more, wanting to turn that blush into a deeper shade of pink.

She doesn’t disappoint. How could she? She’s my Ella.

The color of her cheeks now reminds me of the petals of a blooming rose, their velvety softness mirroring the vulnerability she exudes in this moment. Perfection.

“Umm,” she stutters, looking anywhere but at me.

Is she picturing me without clothes?

Like I am with her?

Her creamy white skin, her full, lush breasts, and pink nipples.

Stop!

This is making me hard. It’s impossible now to leave this bed in a decent state. But, perhaps, seeing the outline of my rigid cock might give her the push she needs to finally give in to what we both know will happen sooner or later.

And I pray it’s sooner because my sanity is being severely tested.

I glance back outside, focused on the warm hues now painted across the sky.

“Snow is on the horizon. I can sense it,” I tell Ella.

Her forehead wrinkles, and she shakes her head. “There’s not a cloud to be seen. It won’t be today.”

“No, not today,” I agree. “But it’s in the air. Last night, the breeze carried a crispness you only get right before it snows. I notice it every year at my place.”

Ella gets that faraway look that tells me she’s remembering her childhood in the Austrian Alps. We’ve talked endlessly about her time there. I cherish those moments when she opens up and shares her life experiences with me. I cling to her every word then, like a climber gripping tightly to a precipitous cliff face.

“How about I take you out for one last lunch in the village before we’re stuck up here for the next few months?”

She smiles at me. “I’d love that.”

And that smile… it brings a warmth to my heart that words can’t capture. The sheer brightness of it is like a burst of sunlight breaking through the clouds.

Yes, I’m soppy, but it can’t be helped.

It just feels like everything is falling into place—finally.

A frigid gust of wind ruffles the leaves around us as we step out of our cabin after breakfast.

We didn’t join the others at the main house. Ella still can’t stomach the smell of eggs. Thankfully, it seems to be the only scent that sets her off.

---