Page 38 of Falling Madly
She stood right in front of me now, and her fingers hovering over my chest. “A pole dancing studio.”
“You mean a strip club?”
She shot me a hurt look. “No! I mean a pole fitness and dance studio. I love pole dancing.”
An image of her in clear heels and body glitter flashed in my mind and tried to shake it. “And you need a special studio for it?”
“And an instructor.”
My dick had stopped listening to her clarifications, getting more excited by the second. All I could think of was Teresa in her underwear, spinning around a pole.
I shuffled to my side to grab one of the cable poles in the middle of the floor. “Poles like this?”
She followed me, wrapping her hand around the pole and leaning back. “Not quite.”
“I’ll install a pole for you. Here, or in my cabin. Wherever. As long as I get to watch.”
“It’s not striptease,” she insisted.
“If it involves you and a pole, I’m good.”
My mind was already busy undressing her. She had incredible posture. I’d always sensed Teresa was fit, and that realization had further motivated me to get back in shape. I wanted to be good enough for her.
The heater worked its magic, and we both removed our jackets.
“I think I’ll survive the night,” she concluded. “I only wish I had something comfortable to wear. These jeans feel like a prison.” She grimaced, trying to lift her leg as she spun around the pole. “This pole isn’t half bad! In different clothes, I could practice my routine.”
“Okay. Stay here.” I said, heading for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“Hunting.”
Ten minutes later, I shoved open the cabin door with my shoulder, cursing my frozen limbs. The night temperature had dropped well below freezing and the walk had felt way longer than half a mile—the actual distance to my cabin.
I hated leaving Teresa behind, even if it was only for a short time. She’d put on a brave face, but I could see right through it. I’d been able to read her moods ever since that night, yet she held onto all those secrets. I would uncover them, I promised myself. I’d get there. Even if she decided she didn’t want me as more than a friend.
I closed the door behind me and resisted the urge to crank up the heating since I wasn’t going to stay the night. I packed quickly, prioritizing her comfort over mine. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep a lot of clothes, and had no bottoms that could possibly fit Teresa’s slender frame. But I could make her more comfortable to sleep on the floor and provide snacks.
As I walked around the cabin, I tried to see it through her eyes. Would she appreciate what I’d done with the space? Or would she freak out? I couldn’t risk it.
I hoisted the bag of camping supplies onto my shoulder and headed back outside, traipsing down the road back to the town and the office. But there was one quick stop I wanted to make on the way.
Chapter Thirteen
Teresa
Icollapsed on the low-pile carpet, letting out a deep sigh. The empty room felt creepy, but the office was warm and safe. There was even a little wall light in the kitchen that wasn’t a terribly bright halogen tube. I sat in its faint, warm glow, right outside the kitchen doorway, leaning on the wall, slowly eating every breath mint in my purse. I even popped one of the antacids, just to fill the time.
I took off my shoes and rubbed my feet, trying to bring them back to life. This was the strangest Valentine’s Day I’d ever had, and it wasn’t even over yet. With no phone, no way to tell the time, and nothing at all to do, my mind raced a million miles a second, legs and arms twitching restlessly. What was the deal with Trevor’s cabin? What was the deal with all the apologies, personal questions, and the way he was looking after me? We were suddenly back to where we’d been eighteen months ago. Flirting. Touching. Looking for those excuses to get closer. And right now, I was missing him like crazy.
He’d said he’d be back soon. What did ‘soon’ even mean? Why hadn’t I stopped him at the door and demanded a timeframe? By the time I heard a faint knock on the door, I was lying on my stomach, convinced that I’d grown at least an inch of leg hair and lost two ounces of muscle mass from lack of exercise.
That knock made me pounce to my feet like a dog waiting for its owner. I raced to the door and threw myself into Trevor’s arms. “Oh, my God! That took a year.”
“Hello.” He sounded amused, and a little surprised, dropping two bags on the floor to free up his arms. “It’s been forty minutes.”
By the time he hugged me back, I’d regained some of my emotional resilience and pulled away. Why on earth had I thrown myself at him? What was wrong with me?
