Chapter 10: Chapter 10

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I woke up with Annabelle sprawled across me, my arm casually slung over her waist. A rush of tingles ignited my body, and butterflies took up residence in my stomach as I registered our intimate position.

I attempted to extricate myself from her, only for her to whimper and hug me tighter.

“Two more minutes,” she mumbled, her eyes still closed.

I relaxed, taking a moment to appreciate the woman on top of me. Her long lashes gently brushed against her cheeks, leading down to deep-pink lips that gave her face this delicate look like she was someone that needed to be protected, but I’d seen her fierce determination.

My fingers itched to trace her features and explore every contour of her beautiful face. It was strange how comfortable I felt with her lying there. It didn’t feel wrong or the least bit strange.

~Is this what people refer to as chemistry? Did I want to explore this feeling more? But the most pressing question, does Annabelle feel the same way about me?~

“What are you thinking about?”

Annabelle’s sleepy voice broke through my thoughts.

“Nothing,” I murmured as she attempted to push herself up.

I tightened my grip, holding her in place. She smiled.

“You’re not a very good liar,” she said softly, finally opening her eyes to meet mine.

“What makes you think I’m lying?” I asked, unconsciously tracing my finger along her jawline, the softness of her skin surprising me.

“Your voice,” she said simply, her gaze steady on me. “It sounds different when you’re trying to hide something.”

“Does it?” I replied, a faint smile playing on my lips.

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed.

“Should we test that theory?” I proposed.

“Diverting attention away from the original question with an equally intriguing proposition,” she said, amusement dancing in her eyes. “What a dilemma.”

“Choose the more interesting of the two,” I suggested, hoping she’d opt for the second.

“All right. What were you thinking about?” she asked.

“So persistent,” I muttered, glancing away. “I think our two minutes are up.”

“Another attempt to change the subject,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Fine, but this isn’t over.”

She wriggled out of my hold and stretched, letting out a contented sigh and walking over to the bag Killian had brought. She unzipped the outer pocket and pulled out some toiletries.

“It stopped snowing,” I announced, looking out the window.

“I didn’t even notice. That’s great,” she said, a smile lighting up her face.

Realization dawned on me. Annabelle would be leaving soon now that the weather was clearing. I frowned and stared at the pattern on the blanket.

“You okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” I assured her with a nod and forced smile.

“You’re not telling the truth again,” she said softly. “Guess we got to test the theory after all.”

I threw a pillow at her, laughing.

“Yeah, yeah.”

She grinned. “All right. I’m going to step outside for a minute. Probably bring in more firewood.”

“Okay. Just be careful.”

“Will do,” she added before she stepped outside, the crisp, fresh air wafting in as she shut the door.

I took a deep breath, a warm feeling in my chest as I watched her spin around in the yard. Annabelle really knew how to change the mood. Having someone else around made everything different and more…enjoyable.

I chuckled as she fell backward into the snow, making a quick snow angel before retrieving the axe and setting a log on the stump. She swung down like a pro, splitting the wood right down the middle in one hit.

~This girl is truly something else.~ ~Is she always like this?~ I wondered. ~Come to think of it, I don’t really know anything about her.~

When she was done, she brought in the split logs, brushed her teeth, and let me brush mine before warming up some soup. She ladled it into two bowls and handed one to me before she added some water into the kettle and hung it over the fire. She sat on the chair opposite the bed. We ate in silence.

When we had finished, she took our bowls and rinsed them.

“I’ve been curious about something,” I stated as she pulled out two cups from the cabinet. “What got you into rock climbing?”

She gave me a surprised look. I shrugged.

“I just realized that I don’t know much about you, and I want to change that.”

She added some chamomile to the cups.

“Well, I started about six years ago. It looked challenging, but also seemed relatively simple. I’ll be honest when I first went at it, it was super hard. It was all just a mess, but I didn’t want to give up, so I kept trying. I’d go a little further up the mountain each time until I finally reached the top.”

She poured the steaming water into the two mugs, a soft smile on her face. “I’ve never been very sporty, so I was pretty surprised when I fell in love with something as intense as rock climbing. It helps me unwind when I feel overstimulated or stressed. What about you? Are you the sporty type?”

“I’ll be honest and say no. I’ve never been very athletic in my twenty-eight years, but I used to be a bit of a jogger. The wind in your face and the burning in your legs makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something.”

“You’re twenty-eight? When’s your birthday?” she asked.

“September tenth. What about you?”

“Are you asking for my age or my birthday?” she asked, tapping a finger on her chin.

“Would I be overindulging if I said both?” I asked hesitantly. “I know some women consider it rude when you ask about their age.”

“Well, seeing as how you’re being so considerate, I’ll humor you,” she replied with a playful wink. “I’m twenty-three years old. My birthday is February tenth.”

She brought me a cup of tea.

“I hope that I made it to your liking,” she said.

“Thank you. I’m sure that it’s great.”

She sighed as she took a seat on the chair opposite me. “I’m curious. What did a day in the life of a CEO look like?” she asked, catching me off guard. “You don’t have to answer if it’s triggering for you,” she quickly added.

“No, it’s fine. Well, I guess I woke up around four in the morning most days. On good days, I would catch up on the news or go for a jog to kick start my day. I’d meet with my assistant once I got to the office, get any updates or appointments for the day, then the rest of my time was endless meetings and emails until I eventually went home.”

“Do you think you’d ever go back to that life?” Annabelle asked.

“I don’t know,” I responded, looking at the swirling ripples of my tea. “Haven’t given much thought to what comes next really.”

“I’ve been thinking about getting an assistant,” Annabelle said with a playful glint in her eyes.

“I’m yours if you’ll have me,” I said quietly, the words sounding more sincere than I had intended.

I felt my ears warm as I peeked at Annabelle. Surprise filled her eyes.

She chuckled. “Any day, Mr. Stone.”

I grinned, taking a sip of my tea, a happy sigh escaping me at the calming taste of chamomile.

“You make a good cup of tea,” I said, trying to hide the teasing tone in my voice. “I’d marry you just to get to enjoy this every day.”

Annabelle’s mouth popped open in shock before she caught the look in my eye and laughed, the rich sound filling the cabin.

“Should I consider that a proposal then?” she said as she wiped her eyes.

“Perhaps,” I said, surprised to find that I kind of meant it.

I watched her over the rim of my mug, loving the way she tried to hide her face behind her cup. We stared at each other for a few moments, the tension building as I waited for her to say something, anything.

“I…um,” she started. “I should check the fire.”

She rose quickly, putting some distance between us. Disappointment settled in my stomach.

~Did I really expect her to say yes to that? It was just a joke, right?~