Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
And I’m not the only one to think so. At the encouragement of one of her professors, she set up a small online store selling her prints, and she quickly became sought after. Galleries were contacting her, offering her showcases of her own, which only heightened her profile even more. The success she was having overwhelmed her, which was another reason Emery wanted to come here—the tranquility recharged her and gave her time and space to breathe.
Knowing she was coming here, I immediately began building onto my cabin. It was fine when it was just me, but knowing Emery would be living with me, I knew we needed space. So, I added on and made it a home rather than just a cabin in the woods built for a misanthrope. Because of Emery, I no longer feel like that guy. In ways I can’t even begin to explain, she resurrected parts of me I thought were long dead. In ways I never thought possible, she’s made me happy.
She’s given me her input on the house and what she’d like, and I’ve done my best to accommodate it all. I think we have a really nice home now. Three bedrooms, an expanded kitchen, a great room, a loft, and room to expand even more if we want to. And over the last few months, she’s been slowly moving her things up here, bringing a load every time she comes up. The house in the woods has slowly become a home. Our home.
But there’s one project I built in secret, with no input from her. It’s a surprise gift, and honestly, I can’t wait to see her face.
“Hey,” I say. “How was the drive up?”
“Long,” she replies. “But this is it. This is the last of my things.”
“Why don’t you go relax, and I’ll get it unloaded?”
“I can help.”
I give her a quick kiss and pull her into a warm embrace. “Go relax. Open a bottle of wine,” I tell her. “I’ll move these things in.”
“Are you sure?”
“More than sure.”
“Thank you,” she says.
I kiss her again, then swat her backside. “You’re welcome.”
When she goes inside, I go to the trailer, open it up, and start hauling everything inside. Most of the boxes are light, and it doesn’t take me long to finish. When I have the last of the boxes stacked inside the cabin, I close the trailer and lock it up, then walk back inside and find that she’s already poured me a glass of wine and is sitting on the sofa waiting for me.
Emery gets to her feet and comes over, giving me a long, slow kiss. It’s been a couple of weeks since I felt her lips on mine, and it sends a white-hot tendril of desire coursing through me. My cock thickens, and I gaze at her soft, nubile body, trembling with need. Part of me wants to take her to the bedroom and have my way with her right now.
I sigh and take a step back. “Before we do that, there’s something I want to show you.”
“What is it?”
I grin. “Come and see.”
Taking her by the hand, I lead her outside and behind the house.
“Close your eyes,” I say.
She laughs. “What is it?”
“Close your eyes or you won’t get your surprise.”
“Well then, you won’t get to see the surprise I’ve got for you under this sundress.”
“Fine. Keep your eyes open.”
She laughs, and I lead her down the stone path I built, which leads from the house to her surprise. And as we come around the corner, she gasps in wonder. The sunlight spearing through the canopy casts the building in a spotlight. It couldn’t have been more perfect for the reveal.
“What is this?” she asks.
“This is your new studio,” I reply.
“My what?”
I take her hand and lead her inside. The sunlight streams in through the skylights as she wanders around the large, open space. The walls are practically all windows, giving her an unobstructed view of the woods that surround us, but I made sure to leave plenty of space for her to hang her favorite prints.
“This is your new studio,” I tell her. “With your business taking off, I thought you might need a space to work. So, I built this.”
She clamps her hands over her mouth. “You really built this? For me?”
I laugh. “I told you I could build anything.”
“Eli, this is amazing.”
“We’ll get all your things moved in here and get you set up. I wasn’t sure how you’d want it or I’d have done it already, but—”
She cuts me off by throwing herself at me. I wrap my arms around her, and we laugh together as I pick her up and spin her around. I set her back down on her feet, and she cups my face in her hands, a light of warmth, love, and gratitude shining brightly in her eyes.