Page 17 of Bear with Me
CHAPTER 9
OLLIE
Everything Blake cookedtasted better than I expected. I still dreaded the thought of kale chips, but the chocolate chip cookies melted in my mouth, and the vegan lasagna didn't give me heartburn, unlike my mom's meat-loaded version.
Our cabin felt even cozier with the small Christmas touches he found at the general store. My mom decorated to the point of being overbearing, but the small touches I noticed on the fireplace mantle and the battery-powered lights around the windows overlooking the porch and in the back door were the perfect touches of magic we needed to make the holiday bright.
After dinner, I tried to read in the main room, but the fire was too hot. The door to the bedroom was still closed, leaving it nice and cool. I left Blake sweating on the loveseat and curled up in bed with my book.
I lifted my head to the sound of a soft knock a half-hour later. It was only eight o'clock, too early for me to think about going to sleep.
"Mind if I join you?" Blake asked. "It's way too hot out here, and the windows are stuck shut."
I laughed. "Sure." I slid out from under the covers and smoothed the comforter back into place before Blake opened the door.
"I didn't mean to disturb you," he said. "With the fireplace and the oven going, it got really hot out there."
I nodded. "That's why I came in here."
He leaned back against the door and sighed. "I can see why. It's nice in here. Do you mind if I sit and write for a while?"
I sank back against my pillow and patted his spot on the bed. "Go for it."
"Thank you."
"It's your cabin, too." I stared at him until his cheeks tinged pink again.
"Yeah, but neither of us expected to share it." He sighed and propped his pillow against the headboard. The satisfied sound he made when he leaned against it made my heart beat a little faster. "I don't want to keep you from enjoying your vacation. If you want me to go hang out in the lounge during the day, I can."
"This is fine."
Better than fine. I liked having him near me. My bear stopped asking,"What's Blake doing?"when I could see him. Now, he was purring like a satisfied kitten.
"Really?"
"If I need space, I'll go outside." I pointed to his notebook. "You don't seem like the type of person who likes to write in crowded areas." If he was, he wouldn't have come all the way out here to be alone with his thoughts.
"No." He shivered. "I hate the sensation of someone reading over my shoulder." He motioned toward the space between us. He'd angled his body toward me with his knees up, so I couldn't read his notes, even if I wanted to.
"Are you cold?"
"Are you? I heard you rustling around before. Were you under the covers?"
My face heated. "It was comfy, but I don't need them."
"Don't bears like caves and close spaces?" He scoffed. "Do you sleep under your covers at home?"
"Yes."
"Then you should do the same here." He waved his gel pen in the air like a magic wand. "You're on vacation. I don't want you to go back home and tell everyone your roommate wouldn't let you sleep comfortably! If I ever meet your friends, they'll all hate me."
My chest ached at the thought. I wanted him to meet my friends, family, and everyone I knew. If given the chance, I would introduce him to Mai at the Korean grocery and Bonnie at the library, and those were the people on the very periphery of my life.
"Here." Blake stood up and tugged his corner of the bedsheets down. "Let's do it together."
That's how we ended up beneath the sheets for the first time, completely clothed. I read my book to the susurrus of his pen gliding across paper.
When I finished the first book in the series, I pulled my phone from my pocket to check the time. It was past ten.
