When her mother unexpectedly passes away, Eloise Somerset leaves behind her job as a small-time baker, apartment, and city girl lifestyle to return to her mother's hometown. The town her mother always talked about but never visited. The more she see...
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I tried turning the doorknob a few more times before I finally gave up with an irradiated sigh. "It still won't budge," I grumbled.
"What are we going to do now?" Eloise chewed on her lip. "I left my phone downstairs so I can't call anyone to help us," Eloise said nervously. "I left mine downstairs as well." I huffed as I threw my head back.
"Looks like we'll be staying here for tonight." I turned away from the door to look Eloise in the eyes. Her brows rose in surprise. "You mean us...together... overnight in a room?" Eloise said as she pointed back and forth between us. "Yes, it's not that bad, Darlin'" I chuckled. "Scared of being alone in a room with me?" I taunted her. Her cheeks flushed crimson red. "What?! No! Not at all. We're adults after all." She scoffed nervously. I smirked. I liked ruffling her feathers and seeing her cheeks flash into that adorable shade of red.
I took a step closer to her and I cupped her right cheek, brushing her cheek softly with my thumb. "I like it when you're flustered around me." I said huskily. Her eyes flashed with the surprise of my touch. She didn't move away though. She looked at me with her beautiful doe eyes and her eyes softened. She was just as much affected by our tension as I was. I moved my head closer to hers as I looked down at her lips.
I was brought out of our moment when I suddenly remembered that some person had kept calling her these last few days. Did that mean she had a boyfriend? I wasn't going to start something with a taken woman. It was wrong, so I pulled back slightly and let my hand fall from her cheek. She looked disappointed as I drew back. "What's wrong?" She asked nervously.
"Who calls you every day?" I asked her with a hint of annoyance. Her brows scrunched in confusion. "What?" She asked flustered. "Is it your boyfriend or an ex-boyfriend calling you?" I grumbled. "What? No!" She exclaimed. "I would never lead you on if I was with someone else." She huffed. "But then why are you upset every time that person calls?" I snapped.
"It's my dad, okay?!" She yelled in frustration. She seemed surprised by her own sudden outburst and her eyes widened. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. "I'm sorry, okay? It's just he only calls when he wants something. He was never there when I was younger. He left me and my mom when I was very young and now that she's gone all of a sudden he wants to talk to me." She said as she took a seat on the bed. I took a seat next to her and silently listened to her.
"All that I remember about my father is him arguing with mom and then one day he just left. He left my mom to take care of a six-year-old all on her own. Who does that? Who just leaves their kid?" She stammered as tears slipped down her face. Her father clearly was a hard topic for her. Anger bristled in me slightly. I hated that she was crying over a man who clearly did not deserve to be a father. I cupped her face gently and wiped away one of the tears with my thumb. She gave me a small shaky smile. I wrapped my arms around her capturing her in a hug. She cried into my shoulder as I held her tightly. I rested my head on top of hers. "It's going to be okay." I breathed into her auburn hair.
After a few minutes, Eloise let go of me. "I think that's enough crying for one night." She gave a small laugh as she wiped her eyes. She moved closer to me and gave me a small kiss on my cheek. "Thank you for being there for me tonight." She said as her eyes caught mine. I gave her a small smile.
She abruptly yawned. Today was a long day for her. "I think it's time to hit the hay." I said to Eloise. She nodded her head and her eyes moved behind us to the double bed, the one we were currently still sitting on. She looked nervous as she played with a piece of her hair.
"I'll sleep on the floor," I said as I stood up from the bed. She grabbed my arm. "No, it's okay. The bed is big enough for the both of us." She stated. "Are you sure?" I asked her. She nodded and let go of my arm. She looked uncomfortable as she stared at her top and jeans. "You can wear my shirt if you want?" I said to her. "Are you sure?" She whispered shyly. "Yes." I drawled and pulled my shirt over my head and handed it to her. She took it and walked to the en-suite bathroom to change. She emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later wearing my dark blue shirt, with her other clothes neatly folded in one hand. My shirt hung loosely on her till just above her knees. She looked absolutely ravishing. She noticed me staring, "What?" "Nothing." I said as I smirked.
As she climbed into the bed I stripped off my jeans. "What are you doing?" She stammered and her eyes widened as she took me in as I stood in my boxers. "I'm certainly not going to sleep in jeans, Darlin'" I chimed. She stayed quiet as a light blush crept onto her cheeks. "I suppose I can deal with it for just one night." She uttered. Some part of me hoped that it wouldn't just be a one night thing.
I switched off the ceiling light and she turned on the bedside lamp as I climbed into the bed. Our bodies were almost close enough to touch, it wasn't the biggest double bed in the world. Her elbow brushed my arm as she nestled further into the bed. I looked over at her and she avoided my gaze. We then both rested our heads on our pillows and stared up at the ceiling.
"So what's it like running a winery?" She broke the silence. "Busy and exhausting some days. But I love it." I replied as I stared up at the ceiling with a small smile. "I mostly only do the paperwork though. My brothers are the more hands-on type."
"Nash is a horse trail guide. He takes people riding through the mountains and well you already know Blake is a mechanic." I continued. She turned and smiled at me. "Must be nice to have such a big family." She uttered as her eyes lowered. "It is. They can be a bit much sometimes but they're family." I said.
The bed shifted as she turned off the bedside lamp. The moonlight shone faintly through the window and I could see the faint outlines of her body. She tossed and turned trying to get comfortable. After a while I got impatient. "Just come here." I said as I pulled her closer against my body. Her back was pressed against my front. I felt the warmth of her body against mine. It felt nice. Comfortable. I laid my arm across her middle. She had finally settled. "Thank you." She whispered in the dark. I grunted in response. She gave a small laugh.
I heard her breaths slow into a peaceful rhythm. I felt myself drifting into sleep right after her. Secretly I wished that the night would never end, because once it was morning this moment would be gone.
