Page 62 of Forecheck
And every single one of them involved getting my girl naked.
For the next few hours, she led me through several shops, picking up ornaments, scarves, and other items for her family and friends. As we moved down the sidewalk toward another shop, we passed the entrance of a food tent. The smell of chicken and apple pie and other things I couldn’t name wafted out, stopping Berkley in her tracks.
“Are you hungry?”
In response, she tugged me inside. Long, rectangular tables laden with food lined two of the walls, and smaller, circular tables filled the rest of the space. I paid at the door, and Berkley and I loaded our plates from the buffet-style spread and chose a spot in the corner.
We ate in silence for a while before I spoke. “You know, it’s funny. I feel like I’ve known you forever, but sometimes, I also feel like I don’t know you at all. Like, Lexie was the one who told me you have siblings. I feel like that’s something we should’ve discussed before.”
“Well, to be fair, there is a lot we can still learn about each other.”
The way she said it had me snapping my eyes up to meet hers across the table. As I watched, she gave me a small smile and bit her lip, winking.
“Berkley Daniels,” I said, leaning closer. “Are you saying you want to take advantage of me?”
Berkley laughed, and an older couple seated at a table nearby turned to glare at her. “Get me out of here, and you can find out for yourself.”
“Done,” I said. With efficient movements, I stacked our plates, grabbing them with one hand and Berkley’s with the other, dropping them in a garbage can and towing us back into the snow.
Love This Blush
From the outside, theAirbnb looked like a log cabin. It wasn’t particularly fancy or large, its small driveway barely big enough for Brent’s truck. Surrounded on three sides by trees, it faced a quiet street, with only a single neighbor that I’d seen some way up the road.
Brent stepped to the door adorned with an evergreen wreath and said, “Cover your eyes.”
I did as I was told, straining my ears as Brent pressed the code into the keypad. When it beeped, he ushered us inside.
“You can uncover them now.”
The cabin’s interior was warm and cozy, exactly the kind of place I’d expect to find in the woods of Michigan. The dark, exposed log walls were brightened by a whitewashed fireplace, a large, cream-colored sectional sofa, and a wooden ladder stacked with white fleece blankets. The living area flowed seamlessly into the kitchen, where a giant granite-topped island defined the boundary of the space, and candlelight sparkled off the stainless steel appliances and white cabinets. Off the living area was another door I assumed led to the bedroom andbathroom. A sliding door off the kitchen opened onto a small covered patio where the hot tub was located.
A fire was already burning in the hearth, and a bottle of wine sat waiting for us on the kitchen island.
“Brent…”
“Do you like it?” The nervousness in his tone was apparent, and he turned away from me to open the bottle of wine, pouring two glasses.
Crossing the room, I slid my arms around his waist, pressing my face into his back. “It’s beautiful,” I said into his shirt. “But you didn’t have to do all of this for me!”
“I know,” he said, turning to smile down at me as he handed me a glass of wine. “But we rarely get the chance to be completely alone. I didn’t want to have to share you with anyone tonight. This way, we can relax. Just you and me.”
“Thank you,” I whispered and kissed him. In an instant, our tongues tangled, and his hands slid beneath the hem of my sweater. Only a loud growl from my stomach forced us apart.
We took our wine into the living area, and Brent created a cozy nest of blankets on the floor, where we curled up, backs to the couch, with our wine and a tray of meats, cheeses, fruits, and veggies.
“Can I tell you something?” I asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
“Of course.”
“I feel guilty being here. I feel like I should be studying or something.”
Brent squeezed my hand. “If anyone deserves a night off, it’s you.”
“Thank you for this,” I said again.
I tilted my head in invitation, and he kissed me again, a sweet slide of his lips against mine. I sighed happily when we parted.
“Did you ever finish your degree?” I asked, nestling closer into his side and popping a grape into my mouth.
