by Kennedy Fox
"I love it when you talk dirty," I say between pants, and I don't know how much longer I'll last.
"Yes, baby. Come for me. Let me taste all of you," he continues, and when the orgasm builds, I nearly see stars as it rips through me. My voice echoes as my body loses complete control. Eli doesn't stop until I've fully come down from space.
"Wow…” I say, trying to catch my breath.
"You need my inhaler?" he teases, pulling it from his pocket as he stands, and my skirt falls back into place. I squeeze my thighs tightly together, not sure how I’ll make it back to the cabin. I don't even think I'm on planet earth right now as my heart rapidly pounds.
"That was intense," I finally say, and a smirk slides across his lips, which is so damn adorable. I love that look on him, and it makes me crave him all over again.
"I had to return the favor." He leans forward and kisses me just as Bruno rushes up at a full sprint.
I laugh. "Do not jump on me." I point at him, and he actually sits. My mouth falls open. "Oh my God, he listened."
Eli wraps his arm around my shoulders as we walk back, enjoying the spring air and cool forest breeze. Bruno runs around, digging in the brush, and pees every thirty seconds. Watching him has me giggling because he's so excited to be outside. I’ve never seen a dog so damn happy all the time. We take our time walking to the cabin, and I make him promise we'll do this more often, especially since the weather has turned warm.
Bruno is filthy, so before we go inside, we rinse him off with the hose, and immediately after, he shakes, getting me completely soaked. Eli knew it was coming and was smart enough to step away, and he cracks up at my face.
"Every single time!" I shout with a groan. "Bruno, you're a jerk." He comes up to me and licks my hand, and I almost feel bad for raising my voice.
"You should go upstairs and hop in the tub," he tells me when we walk into the house. "Relax a bit. I'll bring a glass of wine up for you."
I look up at him in awe because that sounds amazing right now. "Why do you spoil me so much?" I ask, then kiss him.
"Because you're hot." He winks, then goes to the kitchen.
After I head upstairs, I take off my clothes and run the water, then add some bubble bath. When it's half full, I get in and immediately sigh in relief. Like clockwork, Eli comes in with a glass of wine.
“You’re a saint. Thank you.” I grab it and smile. I’m so relaxed already. Eli sits on the edge of the tub with a grin.
"Want to get in with me?" I ask, waggling my brows.
"I'll take a rain check. I need to get some work done this afternoon," he says sweetly. "But tempting." He stands, adjusting his groin. "Extremely tempting."
Eli tells me he’ll be back later, then leaves. I sip my wine and stare out the big window. I nearly drink the entire glass, and when I get out, my eyes are heavy with exhaustion. I text Eli and tell him I'm going to take a nap, not wanting to bother him while he's working. He responds with how much he loves me and to sleep well.
By the time I wake up, I can tell it's late afternoon. I pick up my phone and see I slept for nearly five hours. When I walk downstairs, I smell something delicious and see Eli's busy at the stove.
"Babe," I say, and he nearly jumps. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." I walk closer. "Whatcha making?"
"I know how upset you were about graduation, so I thought I'd make you a special dinner to celebrate."
My face lights up. "Wow, seriously?" I glance over and see the table's set with one of Mom's lace cloths. The crystal wine glasses and fancy china from the cabinet are set out on it. I look back at him in shock. He wraps a hand around my waist and pulls me close. “I can’t believe you did this.”
"Of course, baby. Nothing but the best for you.” He kisses my forehead. “I made lobster, sautéed spinach, and gratin potatoes. And your mother sent a bottle of Dom Pérignon Rose Gold."
"She sent a fifty thousand dollar bottle of champagne?" I gasp.
His eyes widen as if he hadn’t realized the value, though neither of us should really be surprised at my mom’s gesture. Everything about her is over the top. "She insisted. Only the best for her princess."
I grin and roll my eyes at the way he emphasizes the word. Then my smile spreads wider when I realize he's wearing a suit and tie, looking sexy as hell. Taking a step back, I study how good he looks and know I'm the luckiest woman in the world. He treats me like a fucking queen and makes me extremely happy, but this is beyond incredible.
"You didn't have to go through all this trouble, baby," I say, looking at the spread of food and how hard he's worked while I napped.
"Yes, I did. I wanted to make it special for you as best as I could."
I wrap my arms around his neck and crash my mouth on his. The kiss deepens when he slides his tongue inside, and now I'm tempted to skip dinner and have him instead.
"You already have,” I tell him, pulling away slightly. “More than you'll ever know."
Epilogue
ELIJAH
It’s been eighteen months since Cami graduated, and things have been crazy ever since, but there hasn’t been a dull moment since we both arrived in Roxbury. She’s my everything and being able to wake up next to her every morning has been the highlight of my life. Growing up, I never imagined I’d be good enough for her, and each day, she proves to me I’m more than enough.
The cabin holds a special place in our hearts now that we ended up staying there for eight months. We returned to the city last October when the state lifted the lockdown orders, but certain things were still restricted. No large gatherings over fifty people, limited business hours, and social distancing was encouraged. All schools and universities continued with online learning programs for their students. It felt a bit safer to return to the city, especially after Ryan said they were no longer struggling to get what they needed for their patients. The curve was flattening, and things were slowly going back to some kind of normal.
Cami was determined to buy a new penthouse, one that we could decorate and make a home together, but it had to have a view. Of course she paid for it, and I contributed by negotiating a great deal on an incredible sky rise. Working in real estate helped us find a place that we now call our own. We make love with the blinds open, allowing the skyglow of the city to light the rooms without worrying that anyone can see us.
Four months ago, I planned a weekend getaway at the cabin for her birthday with just the two of us. I surprised her with flowers, balloons, and a chocolate cake I made from scratch. And of course, we brought Bruno and Chanel. After we had a candlelight dinner and she blew out her candles, I got down on one knee and popped the question after telling her how much she meant to me. I was more nervous about asking her than I’d been about anything else in my life. When she said yes and cried, I picked her up and carried her upstairs, and we made love until the morning. It was the best day of my life.
We made the announcement to our family and friends a couple of days later after we went home. Everyone was so damn happy and supportive and were ready to add the big day to their calendars. However, until the lockdown was completely lifted, we weren’t able to set a date. Though, two months ago, a vaccination was finally approved for mass distribution, and we immediately started planning every detail.
Sometimes when I wake up in the mornings, I don’t know how this is my life, or how someone as sweet and funny as Cami is going to be my wife. Now in less than three weeks, it’ll be official, and we’ll be married the first weekend of December. A winter wonderland wedding is everything Cami’s ever wanted, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it’s perfect for her.
I glance over my checklist of things that still need to be done while Cami is at school. Since everything is now open, she was able to finish her last semester of graduate school on campus. Better yet, she’ll finally get to walk across the stage and receive her diploma. Knowing there’s quite a lot to do, I decide to call her best friend and maid of honor. I was going to ask my sister since she
wants to be involved too, but I know she’s busy with work through Christmas.
“Hi, Kendall,” I greet her when she answers.
“Hey! How’s it going, groom-to-be?” she asks in her typical bouncy voice. The girl has so much energy that sometimes she exhausts the piss out of me.
“Just getting some final touches together before the big day,” I tell her with a smile.
“Of course. Give me all the tasks.”
“So, since Cami wants to spend two weeks at the cabin to relive old times, I want to make sure it’s completely stocked and ready. Any way you can pick up enough food and things to last us that long?”
She snorts. “Is Ryan gonna help me? I might need some strong muscles.”
I shake my head. “I think I can arrange that,” I murmur, knowing I’ll have to coax my best friend into taking off work, and even though he’s more than willing to do whatever we need, I feel guilty for asking. He’s not been the same since the pandemic started. He’s the strongest person I know, but it broke him.
“Then absolutely,” she says matter-of-factly. “Food for two weeks. Enough booze to have you drunk 24/7 and a case of lube. Got it.”
I can’t even hold back the laughter, and I’m sure as hell not going to argue with her. “Whatever you say, Kendall. You know what Cami likes.”
“Oh, then I can’t forget chocolate, sparkling water, and shitty microwave meals.”
I think back to when we were quarantined in the cabin together and all the unhealthy processed shit she brought to eat. Kendall knows her as well as I do.
“Extra wood, too,” I tell her, knowing that’ll be Ryan’s job. “Maybe some holiday decorations.” We’ll return five days before Christmas Eve, so it’ll be nice to have the tree and stuff up while we’re there.
“I’ve got this, Eli. I was basically born for this task.”
I chuckle. “Alright, great.”
“I think I can make it happen this weekend. Check with Ryan and see if he’s down, then we can carpool up there on Saturday.”
“Will do,” I say, and we end the call. I was ready to give Cami a glamorous, over-the-top, super-expensive honeymoon, but she didn’t want our first moments as husband and wife to be captured by the paparazzi. She knew if we went anywhere public, they’d undoubtedly find us, and our privacy would be gone.
Moments later, Cami walks through the door with a smile on her face.
“Hey, baby.” She pulls me into her arms and presses her lips against mine.
“How was class?” I ask as we settle on the couch. Cami reaches over and lights the fireplace with a push of a button, then kicks off her shoes.
“Great. Getting a little stressful with exams coming up, but then it’ll be the wedding, and we’ll officially be married! Then I’ll graduate, and we can finally start our forever without interruptions.” She leans her head back on the couch and looks at me with a smile.
“We’re almost there, babe. Everything’s gonna work out,” I tell her encouragingly.
“You’re right. I’m just getting antsy now that it’s all coming up.”
I grab her hand and kiss her knuckles. “So, um. I called Kendall,” I say, and she immediately perks up.
“For what?”
“Well, since we’re staying at the cabin after the ceremony, I asked if she could go up and stock it for us beforehand and get it all nice and ready. That way, you don’t have to worry about it since you’re studying for finals.”
“What’d she say?”
“She wants me to see if Ryan will join her. Give him the hard tasks.”
A big smile fills Cami’s face, and she nods. “Mm-hmm. I bet she did.”
It’s no secret that Kendall has the hots for Ryan because of the comments she’s made. But Cami’s convinced her brother has a major crush on her best friend even though he denies it and acts like he can't stand her. Honestly, he’s never mentioned anything to me before, so I don’t want him to think I’m playing matchmaker because I’m not. That is Cami’s area of expertise, not mine.
“I’ll call him and make sure he joins her,” she says with a chuckle. “You know, so they can get fully acquainted.” She lifts her hand to give me a high five. “Come on, don’t leave me hanging.”
I scoff. “I don’t know why we’re high-fiving. Leave me out of this.”
“Because you found the perfect way to hook up my brother. He’s in love with her, Eli. I swear he is, but he’s just too damn stubborn to admit it.”
I let out a groan. “Great, he’s going to think I’m in on this.”
“He basically set us up, so we’re just repaying him,” I remind him. Ryan sent Eli to the cabin knowing there was a chance I’d be there. The sneaky shit knew what he was doing. “I’ll call him and pull the little sister card. He will not deny me during my special time. Don’t worry about it.” Cami stands, grabs her phone from her backpack, then starts texting Ryan. I can’t see what she’s typing, but she’s got an evil grin on her face, and I know that means she got her way.
“He’ll join her on Saturday.” Cami snorts. “This is too easy. Like feeding candy to a baby.”
“You are so wrong,” I say. “So, so wrong.”
She shrugs. “They need to just bang it out, fall in love, and get married so she can be my sister already. I’ve got it all planned out, and now you’ve helped.”
The weekend quickly comes, and on Sunday, I’m waking to a phone call from Ryan.
“Dude, I think we’re stranded here,” he says.
I sit up in bed and look outside to see everything is coated in white. Last night when Cami and I were watching the news, an arctic blast was mentioned, but I didn’t think anything of it. Upstate probably got it even worse than the city.
“There’s no alternative ways out?” I ask, knowing there’s only a single highway that leads to and from the cabin.
“No, the main road is snowed over. It’s so bad they won’t be able to get the plows out for a few days, and apparently, the news said they expect more snow to come. I had to take a few emergency vacation days from work. We got twenty inches so far, and it’s still coming down. The wind is brutal, so it’s just fucking blowing everywhere. Even if the roads were open, I wouldn’t be able to see shit.”
“Holy fuck. Man, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it’d be that bad.” I brush a hand through my hair, pushing it back off my face.
Cami rolls over and looks at me. She sits up and grabs her phone, noticing it’s six in the morning and then gives me an annoyed look that we’re up this early on the weekend. I mouth her brother’s name, and she perks up.
“If you need anything, let me know, okay? I’ll try my best to help you out.”
Ryan lets out a huff. “Thanks. I just wanted to let you two know so you don’t get worried about us. Hopefully, we don’t lose power. With my luck, an ice storm would make its way here too.”
“God, let’s hope not. Well, I appreciate the update. Take care of yourself and Kendall,” I tell him.
“Yeah, she’s a fucking trip.” He groans, and I hold back my laughter.
“Good luck,” I say before we end the call.
Cami looks at me as I lower my phone. “So!”
“There’s a huge blizzard in Roxbury, and they’re stranded at the cabin until the snow lets up. Apparently, it’s worse up there, so it might for a while, depending on when the roads clear,” I tell her.
“Yes!” She claps her hands. “I knew it.”
“Knew what?” I ask, tilting my head and watching her excitement.
“That the cabin is lucky and helps people fall in love.” She comes closer and wraps her arms around me.
“You think so, huh?” I ask as we exchange a heated kiss.
“I know so,” she says matter-of-factly. “Look at us. How else do you explain what happened?”
I smirk at her happiness. She does have a point.
CAMERON
6 MONTHS LATER
Eli and I have been married for s
ix months, and it’s been pure bliss. I can’t imagine my life without him, and every day, I’m thankful for what we’ve been through to get where we are today. He’s my best friend, biggest supporter, the voice of reason, and the love of my life. I honestly don’t remember how I survived without him. While the circumstances that brought us together were awful, we were able to find love in the midst of it.
Our wedding ceremony was beautiful, and while my parents wanted it to be an elitist event, I refused and planned it my way instead. We got married in front of close friends and family only. I made them all promise not to leak any of the wedding details to the media because the last thing we need to deal with is the paparazzi following us all day. I got so spoiled living in the country that when I returned to the city, it was a wake-up call for Eli and me. But just as he promised, none of it affected our relationship. If anything, it brought us closer. Honestly, I love seeing the printed pictures of us together because it’s proof to everyone that he’s mine. It also doesn’t hurt that my exes saw too. Eli doesn’t care for the attention and has even come up with creative ways for us to escape without being seen. I have yet to sneak out in a suitcase, though. The thought makes me giggle because who knows, maybe someday I actually will.
I roll over and see the early morning light peeking through the windows, but the side of the bed is empty. Reaching over, I feel the sheets, and they’re cold, which means Eli must be up working. He got promoted in his company and now works mostly from home unless he’s doing showings or meeting with clients over drinks. He’s worked so hard for it, and I’m so incredibly proud of him.
After I go through my morning routine, I put on a fluffy robe and walk into the kitchen where Eli is sitting with his laptop. I study him, admiring how handsome he is with the scruff on his chin before he notices me. As soon as his eyes meet mine, he stops typing, and stands to kiss me good morning.
“Coffee?” he asks with a cheesy grin, pouring me a mug and adding a splash of creamer until it’s the color I like. I take it, then sit at the barstool next to him at the island.