dining table sat surrounded by wooden chairs. Beyond was the open kitchen. A closed door split the back wall.
There were no curtains, no rugs, nothing to soften the stark lines. And nothing on the windows to interfere with the spectacular view.
Brianna itched to bring a little color to the room, to warm it up with curtains flanking the windows, comfortable pillows piled on the sofa, and a thick rug on the floor.
But it wasn’t her place to do so.
Neither, apparently, was it any other woman’s place. For that she was grateful.
“It’s wonderful,” she said, smiling at him.
He looked around the room as if seeing it for the first time and shook his head. In comparison to the warmth and color of her place, it was barren, almost bleak.
“Still not finished. But I’m not much on curtains and such. Maybe you have some suggestions.” He closed the door and deposited their cases beside it. “I’ll get a fire going. That’s the primary method of heat. Don’t take off your jacket just yet.”
As Jake moved to the fireplace, Brianna dropped her briefcase on the sofa and went to gaze at the view through the front window. The cabin sat on the slope of a hill, with a small valley beneath it. The sunlight still shone on the opposite hill, the snow reflecting the late-afternoon colors of gold and pink. The worries about the break-ins seemed surreal in such a serene setting.
Brianna sighed with pleasure and turned to watch Jake build their fire.
“You could almost commute from here,” she observed, perching on the arm of the sofa. The trip had taken only a couple of hours.
“No, I need to live in town. If I’m needed, I want to be right there. This is fine for weekends and vacations.”
“Yet you said you don’t come very often. Why not? I’d think you would come up all the time and bring loads of friends with you.”
“It’s not big enough for load of friends.”
“Then a special friend,” she said as if probing a sore tooth.
He looked up and met her gaze. Slowly he stood, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I’ve never brought another woman, if that is what you’re hinting at,” he said pointedly.
Pink washed up through her cheeks as he answered her not-so-subtle question. She should have been embarrassed, but her relief that he did not habitually bring up other women was too strong. She was the first!
She wished she had had a hand in building it. Dare she take him up on his request to help decorate it?
She cleared her throat. “Why not?” she whispered.
He smiled and stepped closer. “There is only one bedroom.” Reaching out his hand, he rubbed the back of his fingers over a heated cheek.
Her eyes widened at that. Did that mean…?
“Fortunately, the sofa opens out to a bed.” Teasing lights danced in his eyes as he studied the myriad expressions dancing across her face.
She wished she were as brazen as she sometimes was in her dreams. She'd love to be bold enough to step into his arms and say not to bother with the sofa bed, there'd be plenty of room in his bed for both of them.
But while wanton fantasies were fine for dream time, they didn't have a place in real life.
He dropped his hand and shrugged out of his jacket.
The fire had started, and already Brianna could feel some of its warmth.
“There are things in the freezer and cupboards. Let’s see if we can find enough for dinner or if I have to go back out for some food.”
Brianna trailed after Jake, shivering a little in the cold cabin, the temperature almost matching that of outside. How long before it warmed up enough to be comfortable? With the fire, the stove and the oven, it should be toasty warm quickly.
She knew a shortcut. If he’d just kiss her once…
Even thinking about a kiss warmed her ten degrees. She unbuttoned her jacket and let it hang open.
Her eyes tracked Jake as he rummaged around in the cupboards and pulled out some cans and boxes. Then he moved to the freezer and searched through the frozen packages.
There were no curtains, no rugs, nothing to soften the stark lines. And nothing on the windows to interfere with the spectacular view.
Brianna itched to bring a little color to the room, to warm it up with curtains flanking the windows, comfortable pillows piled on the sofa, and a thick rug on the floor.
But it wasn’t her place to do so.
Neither, apparently, was it any other woman’s place. For that she was grateful.
“It’s wonderful,” she said, smiling at him.
He looked around the room as if seeing it for the first time and shook his head. In comparison to the warmth and color of her place, it was barren, almost bleak.
“Still not finished. But I’m not much on curtains and such. Maybe you have some suggestions.” He closed the door and deposited their cases beside it. “I’ll get a fire going. That’s the primary method of heat. Don’t take off your jacket just yet.”
As Jake moved to the fireplace, Brianna dropped her briefcase on the sofa and went to gaze at the view through the front window. The cabin sat on the slope of a hill, with a small valley beneath it. The sunlight still shone on the opposite hill, the snow reflecting the late-afternoon colors of gold and pink. The worries about the break-ins seemed surreal in such a serene setting.
Brianna sighed with pleasure and turned to watch Jake build their fire.
“You could almost commute from here,” she observed, perching on the arm of the sofa. The trip had taken only a couple of hours.
“No, I need to live in town. If I’m needed, I want to be right there. This is fine for weekends and vacations.”
“Yet you said you don’t come very often. Why not? I’d think you would come up all the time and bring loads of friends with you.”
“It’s not big enough for load of friends.”
“Then a special friend,” she said as if probing a sore tooth.
He looked up and met her gaze. Slowly he stood, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I’ve never brought another woman, if that is what you’re hinting at,” he said pointedly.
Pink washed up through her cheeks as he answered her not-so-subtle question. She should have been embarrassed, but her relief that he did not habitually bring up other women was too strong. She was the first!
She wished she had had a hand in building it. Dare she take him up on his request to help decorate it?
She cleared her throat. “Why not?” she whispered.
He smiled and stepped closer. “There is only one bedroom.” Reaching out his hand, he rubbed the back of his fingers over a heated cheek.
Her eyes widened at that. Did that mean…?
“Fortunately, the sofa opens out to a bed.” Teasing lights danced in his eyes as he studied the myriad expressions dancing across her face.
She wished she were as brazen as she sometimes was in her dreams. She'd love to be bold enough to step into his arms and say not to bother with the sofa bed, there'd be plenty of room in his bed for both of them.
But while wanton fantasies were fine for dream time, they didn't have a place in real life.
He dropped his hand and shrugged out of his jacket.
The fire had started, and already Brianna could feel some of its warmth.
“There are things in the freezer and cupboards. Let’s see if we can find enough for dinner or if I have to go back out for some food.”
Brianna trailed after Jake, shivering a little in the cold cabin, the temperature almost matching that of outside. How long before it warmed up enough to be comfortable? With the fire, the stove and the oven, it should be toasty warm quickly.
She knew a shortcut. If he’d just kiss her once…
Even thinking about a kiss warmed her ten degrees. She unbuttoned her jacket and let it hang open.
Her eyes tracked Jake as he rummaged around in the cupboards and pulled out some cans and boxes. Then he moved to the freezer and searched through the frozen packages.
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