“Aarrgg,” I grumble, heading upstairs to find my phone. But when I pull it out of my purse, I forgot that it was still dead. Digging my charger out of my bag, I go back downstairs and plug it into an outlet in the kitchen.
When it turns on, a crap ton of messages from Ally pop up asking if I’m okay, and if I’m surviving the storm. But there’s even more messages from our friend group chat asking me where I am and why I haven’t been texting them.
Shit.
I never told Ellie and Mel that I was coming here. I only called Ally, and then packed my bags and left. We’ve always told each other everything. I just happened to not tell them this particular series of events.
Sighing, I type out a message, explaining myself.
Hey guys, I’m sorry I’ve been MIA, but I’m in Pine Cove right now. I needed to leave ASAP, and I forgot to tell you…
A minute later, I get an influx of texts from them.
WHAT?!!!? Mel texts.
YOU’RE IN FREAKING MAINE??!! Ellie adds.
Yes, calm down. I quit my job Thursday because my boss is a dick, and then I came here to clear my head. But it’s anything but clear.
Why? Mel asks.
Because Ryan brought me back to his house this morning, and now he’s at work and I’m alone in his house while there’s a blizzard currently in progress.
WHAATTTT??!! You and Ryan?? Jake’s older brother?
Yes. I have a confession to make to you… I press send and pause, wondering how to say this without causing a freak out. We had sex at the BBQ last summer, and I haven’t been able to get him out of my head. And now I’m fucking staying at his house because Dottie’s lost power and his house still has it.
My phone starts ringing a couple minutes later, and I see Ellie’s name flash on my screen.
“Hey,” I say when I swipe to answer the call.
“Yeah, hey, bitch. What the fuck?”
Laughing, I lean forward on the counter. “I’m in his house right now while he’s at work.”
“No. I mean why didn’t you tell us about him?”
“I don’t know. It was personal.”
She’s silent for a few seconds. “Do you like him?”
“Maybe,” I whisper. “And I don’t know what I’m doing. This is new for me.”
“I know, Ash. Well, do you know how he feels?”
“I don’t know.”
“Okay, then. Just be you. You’re fucking amazing, and he’s lucky that you’re even giving him the time of day.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“I’m not. I know you, Ashley. Forgive me for saying this,” she says, “but you’ve been messed up since your dad died. Emotionally, and mentally. The men you’ve chosen since were only distractions for you. You’re scared because you think if you find something real, then it’ll be taken away from you like your dad was. But trust me on this, Ash. You’re not living if you’re scared of what you can’t control.”
“I know, Ellie.”
“Do you, though?”
“Yes.”
“Good. And don’t forget how much of a badass bitch you are. You’re a hard shell with a soft center. Give him both.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I smile.
“Alright, love you, girlie.”
“Love you, too.”
“You better call me with updates.”
“I will.” I laugh. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
Hanging up, I send a text to Ally separately.
Hey, Al. Ryan plowed his way to the cottage last night and saved me from starvation. And then this morning he brought me back to his house because he still has power and didn’t want me out there by myself. He’s at work now, and I’m just trying to keep myself busy until he gets back. I’m kind of worried about him.
I’m glad he got to you before you starved LOL. I know cheese and wine only goes so far.
Yes, he brought me a big, juicy cheeseburger, a brownie, and wine. He’s perfect.
Oh, is he?? Haha. And don’t be worried about him. Ryan knows what he’s doing.
Are you sure?
Yes. Just relax and enjoy the heat while you can. This storm isn’t supposed to stop, and I don’t know how much longer you’ll have power. We’re on a generator right now and my phone is going to die eventually.
Alight. Go have some fun with your man.
I will!
Ally and Jake are so in love, it’s disgusting. They’re lucky to have found one another, and it was all by chance.
I wouldn’t even be here right now if it wasn’t for Ally. If she hadn’t come here to Pine Cove, then I never would have gone to that Taylor family barbecue, and I never would have met Ryan. I would still be living a life of dating apps and partying.
Groaning, I push away from the counter and open the fridge. I need snacks to distract myself. Pulling out sliced turkey and cheese, I make a few rollups on a plate, and take them with me to the living room. I can’t believe it’s only noon, so I turn the TV on, and flip around until I find a mindless reality show to get lost in.
At some point I must have fallen asleep, because I wake up a few hours later, and the room has darkened. Yawning, I get up and unplug my phone in the kitchen. Holy shit, it’s already after four! I slept, for like, three hours!
Ryan is going to be home at six, so I search around his fridge and cabinets to find the ingredients I need for chicken and penne vodka, and get to work.
Cooking has always helped me to clear my head. At least for a short time.
When it’s all together in a casserole dish, I put a layer of cheese on top, and cover it with foil before putting it in the oven on low.
Looking at the clock, I see it’s five thirty, so I run upstairs to shower and change before Ryan gets back.
I don’t know why I’m nervous, but I am. I’m staying in his house, and I made him dinner. This feels like some weird first date.
Showering, I let the hot water beat down on my tense muscles. I haven’t heard from Ryan, and I hope he’s okay. I could have called him, sure, but I didn’t want to seem like some nagging girl checking in on him.
Sighing, I tilt my face up into the water and rinse off before stepping out and wrapping myself in a towel.
Opening the bathroom door, I run smack dab into a wall of man. “Oompf,” I grunt out as arms wrap around me–steadying me.
“Sorry,” Ryan’s deep voice utters quickly. “I was just coming up to look for you and didn’t realize you were showering.”
“It’s fine,” I say into his chest. “But I’m getting you all wet now.”
His low chuckle vibrates through me. “Funny, I thought that was my job.”
“Ryan!” I laugh, smacking his chest.
Holding my towel tight, I step back out of his arms, and look up into his stupidly handsome, smiling face. But as he rakes his eyes down my wet, towel clad body, his smile vanishes, and his heated eyes meet mine again.
My wet hair drips down my back and shoulders, and I watch as Ryan’s eyes follow a drop as it runs down my neck and chest, disappearing into the valley between my breasts.
“I’m going to go put some clothes on,” I whisper, my pulse racing. If my skin was any hotter, the water would be steaming off of me.
His eyes dart back up to mine, holding my gaze for a long moment. Stepping aside, I walk past him and down the hall to my room in a dazed state.
I wish he would have just ripped this towel from my body and pinned me against the wall. That would have been more than fine with me.
Ripping it from my body myself, I wrap my hair up in it, and apply a generous amount of lotion all over. This cold air is already drying my skin out.
I change into leggings and an oversized sweater that falls mid-thigh and slightly off my shoulder, showing off the black lace bralette I have on underneath.
Taking the towel off my head, I comb out my hair, and put in some leave-in conditioner so my curls won’t dry frizzy. Flipping it over a few times, I give it a little volume,
and then move on to applying my face lotions. I don’t bother with any makeup, but I do apply a little mascara to make my green eyes more enticing.
Deciding I look good enough to where it doesn’t seem like I’m trying too hard, I make my way downstairs, and find Ryan in the kitchen taking the casserole dish out of the oven.
“It should be done. I was just letting the cheese melt.”
“You made dinner,” he says, sounding surprised.
“I did.” I smile. “I take eating seriously.”
He smiles back. “I do too. I’ll grab the plates if you grab the forks.”
“Sure.” Remembering where I found them earlier, I open the drawer near the sink and take out two forks and knives and bring them over to the table. “So, how was work?”
“Good. Quiet. Mostly sitting around eating donuts.” He smirks.
“I knew it.” I laugh lightly. “Waste of taxpayer money.”
“Hey, I did have to venture out and bring a few citizens food and water.”
“You did? Who?”
“A couple of elderly ladies who live about a mile away.”
“Ah, I knew it. I had a feeling the ladies of Pine Cove made calls of distress just to get you to them.”
“And why is that?” He asks slyly, a smile playing on his lips and a gleam in his eyes.
“Oh, please.” I roll my eyes. “You know why.”
“Why don’t you tell me, Ashley,” he says, coming up next to me. His chest brushes against my shoulder as he leans in and places the plates on the table, my heartrate kicking up.
“Well, because, you’re you.”
“And what am I?”
“I am right, though, aren’t I?” I ask, breathless. I can’t focus on what he’s asking me.
“Only sometimes,” his low voice whispers in my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin.
“Seriously?”
“No, sweetheart.” He chuckles. “I like that you’re jealous, though.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“You are,” he says, brushing my hair over my shoulder, exposing my neck. “But I like it.”
A chill runs down my spine. “I’m not. Now sit, and I’ll bring dinner over.”
“I got it. You sit.” With a gentle nudge to my arm, I sit in the chair I’m closest to, and watch him carry the casserole dish to the table.
He changed out of his uniform and into sweatpants and a Pine Cove High football t-shirt. And damn. Holy hot balls. Those pants hang off of his hips like they were meant for me to just tug them down, and his t-shirt is stretched tight across his broad chest, showing me every hard plane.
“So, what did you do today? Do much snooping?” he asks.
Smiling, I spoon out a decent portion of penne onto my plate, the pasta steaming up into my face, smelling heavenly. “Oh, I snooped. I love your book collection. I’m surprised, actually.”
“That I read?”
“Yes.” I smile. “And that you have such an extensive collection of classics. I’m surprised, and impressed.”
“I’m happy to keep you on your toes.” He smirks, spooning out his own portion of pasta. “This smells really good, Ash, thank you. You didn’t have to cook. I was going to when I got home.”
“I wanted to. And”–I look up at him–“I wanted to say thank you for letting me stay with you. Having electricity and hot water is nice. I don’t think I would have lasted much longer at Dottie’s if you hadn’t saved me.”
“You’re welcome. But you would have made it. You’re strong.”
Smiling, I take a bite of pasta and close my eyes. Damn, it’s good, if I do say so myself. Which I am.
“Ash.” He groans. “This is fucking delicious.”
“Thanks.”
“I didn’t know you could cook.”
“You don’t know much about me, Ryan.”
“I know,” he says, looking me straight in the eyes. “But I want to change that.”
“Okay,” I whisper, my chest constricting from the way he’s looking at me.
“Tell me more about your dad.”
“Oh, um, okay. Well, he was the absolute best person I knew,” I tell him, not being able to hold back my smile. “We did stuff together all the time. We’d go to baseball games, football games, movies, out to eat. Anything, really. My favorite, though, was when we’d just drive around on Sunday mornings. We’d listen to Sinatra, or classic southern rock, and just run errands.” I shrug. “I don’t know. We’d talk and drive. It was nice.”
“You really miss him, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” I admit, looking down, tears gathering in my eyes. But I blink them away. I really don’t want to cry right now.
“I’m sorry, Ashley. I can’t even imagine how you feel. But you can talk to me about it. I’m here.” Looking back up at him, I meet his soft blue eyes, and the tears I was trying to hold back, fall on their own. “Please don’t cry, sweetheart.”
“No, I’m not sad. Thank you, Ryan. That means more to me than you can possibly know.”
“It’s the truth,” he says, his gaze never leaving mine.
Glancing down at my plate, I try and gather myself again, but I can’t. He’s doing something to me that I can’t help, or stop.
We finish eating in a comfortable silence, but I can feel his eyes on me the entire time.
I take our empty plates to the sink and cover the casserole when he asks behind me, “Do you want wine?” I jump. I didn’t even hear him approach.
My hand flies to my heart, feeling it beat rapidly beneath my fingers. “Yes, please.”
“If you grab two glasses from the cabinet above you, I’ll get a bottle from my office, and meet you in the living room.”
“Alright.” Reaching up, I take down two glasses, and then sit in the chair where I was reading this afternoon.
“Keats?” Ryan asks, taking a seat on the couch, his eyes darting to the book on the table as he uncorks a bottle of merlot. I hadn’t realized I left the book out.
“Oh, yeah. He’s one of my favorites. I took a class on him in college.”
“Which is your favorite by him?”
“The butterfly one.” I smile, watching him pour the wine.
“‘I almost wish we were butterflies and lived but three summer days – three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.’”
“You know it?”
“It’s my favorite too,” he tells me, his eyes soft, yet serious.
“Huh. What a coincidence.”
“A coincidence. Sure.” He smirks, handing me a glass.
“Thanks.” Taking a sip, I let the wine slip down my throat and settle in my stomach–warming my insides. “Is it still snowing out?”
“Yeah. I hope it stops soon, though, or I’ll have a lot more rescuing to do.” Rubbing his forehead, Ryan takes a sip of wine and leans back against the couch.
“Does it snow for days often?”
“No. Maybe a couple of times in the season. But this is more than usual.”
“Well, as long as we have power–” And I’m cut off by the lights going off. Great.
Chapter 11
“Well, I jinxed that, didn’t I?”
“Definitely.” He laughs. Damn, it’s dark in here. I can’t see him, or anything. “I’ll make a fire.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t worry, Ash. We’ll be alright.”
“I’m not worried.”
“I hear it in your voice. You’re safe with me, though. I have a fireplace, candles, food, and alcohol. We’ll survive.”
I breathe out a lungful of air. “Okay.”
It’s not surviving I’m really worried about, though. It’s being alone in the dark with Ryan. With nothing to do but sit with him, I know I won’t be able to resist his charming sexiness for long.
I hear him strike a match, and a flame lights up his face–his chiseled features even more sharp in the flickering light.
A
s he gets the fireplace going, the living room is cast in a soft, warm glow, and I feel the heat lapping at my exposed skin.
Sipping my wine, I watch Ryan as he moves around the room. He takes out a few white pillar candles from a hutch in the corner and places them on the coffee table. Lighting them, he sits back down on the couch, smirking, patting the spot next to him.
“Come here,” he says in a low, seductive voice that makes my stomach clench. I’m sure he’s charmed many women into doing just about any and everything with that voice. And the fact that it’s working on me right now shouldn’t be a seen as a sign of weakness.
Nope. I’m not weak.
But…just maybe I am a little for this man.
It’s like my body has a mind of its own, and I stand, walking the few steps towards him. Sitting next to Ryan, I feel the sliver of space separating us charged with electricity. It’s like the second I come close to him, I’m immediately sucked into his atmosphere, and I feel as if I no longer have control over anything.
Sitting rigidly, I sip my wine, and take shallow breaths so my shoulder doesn’t touch his.
“Relax, Ashley,” Ryan murmurs close to my ear, his warm breath blowing against my exposed shoulder and neck.
“I’m relaxed,” I say, even though every muscle in my body feels tense.
“Come here.” Reaching out, Ryan puts his arm around me and pulls me against his body. With one touch, I sigh, relaxing into him. And despite being a solid wall of muscle, he’s the most comfortable thing in the world.
The minutes pass by, and I watch the flames dance in the fireplace–listening to the crackle and pop of the wood as the sparks and embers fly.
“What’re thinking about?” he asks softly.
“Just that the fire is really pretty.”
“Huh. I didn’t peg you as a pyro. But then again, it’s always the good girls that like to play with fire.”
“Who said I’m good?”
“I read people for a living, sweetheart. You’re a good person. You try and come off as rough and tough, but you’re loyal and fiercely protective of your friends, and you put other people’s happiness ahead of your own.”
“You can read all of that from me?”
“Yes. And I can also read that you want me,” he adds, stroking my arm.
Her Maine Reaction Page 11