by D. Lieber
“Yes, yes, I see you, Muir,” she murmured, bookmarking her page and redirecting her attention to her furbaby.
“Good morning,” Sawyer greeted, confident she couldn’t see his silly grin from this distance.
But as she looked over in his direction and visibly held in a giggle, he was certain she’d still heard it. “Morning,” she returned.
He got control of his expression as he crossed the room and sat on the couch beside her, his gaze landing on the cup of coffee on the table next to her cocoa. “Is someone else sitting here?” he asked, pointing at the cup.
“No,” she said. “That’s for you.”
“Thank you.” His smile returned without consent. “Any idea what the plans are for today?”
Eeva shook her head.
Even her shaking her head is cute, Sawyer thought.
“Hmm. Well, we still haven’t made the soap and shampoo for the gift baskets. We haven’t made the candles for Yule yet either. And we don’t have a Yule log. Dad will probably wait a few days before he really starts cooking. So my guess is one of those three things.”
It turned out Eeva’s guess was correct. Once everyone had breakfasted, Ria said they would be making soap and shampoo that day. Because they didn’t have the knowledge to deal with the volatile chemicals involved in from scratch soap making, Eeva and Sawyer were put in charge of the essential oils that would be used as fragrance.
They sat at the dining room table while they let some of the others do the hard work in the kitchen.
“What do you think of ylang ylang?” Sawyer asked, reading the bottle he’d just smelled.
Eeva shrugged. “It’s all right. I like jasmine better. Oh, how about this one.” She held out the vial to him, and he leaned forward to sniff it.
“That one is nice,” he said.
“It’s nag champa. Yeah, I like it, too.”
“Should we try mixing some together?” he asked.
“Yeah, I got my mom’s chart with base, middle, and top notes.” She drew the paper toward her, squinting at it as she read. Then she offered it to him so he could make his own blends.
They focused on their tasks for a bit, Eeva muttering to herself in concentration. Her eyebrows were pulled together as she carefully counted out the drops of oil from the eyedropper.
As she took a test sniff, she smiled, sighing in contentment at her creation. When she looked up at him, he realized he hadn’t been focusing on his own work at all.
“Do you want to smell? I think it turned out pretty good,” she said, holding it out to him.
“Sure.” He leaned forward just as she moved to bring the vial closer to his nose. The glass bumped his nose, and he snuffled as the scent overpowered him.
Eeva burst into laughter. “Oh gods, sorry,” she managed through her giggles. “Are you okay?”
The sound of her mirth tightened his chest in the most pleasant way. “I’m fine,” he said, unable to hold back a smile in the face of her glee.
“I’ll go get you some coffee beans. Maybe that will clear the scent out of your nose.”
She got up from the table and went to the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a glass jar of coffee beans. “Here,” she said, offering him the jar.
He opened it and breathed deep. The earthy scent overtook the smell of her blend.
Before he put the cap back on, Eeva leaned over him and stuck her nose in the jar. She breathed deep then sighed. “I always loved the smell of coffee,” she said. “I wish it tasted as good as it smells.”
“It does. Your palate is just too unrefined to appreciate it,” Sawyer teased.
Eeva made a choking sound then laughed as she straightened up. “Whatever. Your palate is just so dead that you need something that strong to taste at all. That’s why you like spicy food, too.”
“You’re just a wimp when it comes to real flavor. That’s why you can’t handle spicy food.”
She laughed again. “It’s true. I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food. But, seriously, what is everyone’s deal with liking spicy food? I mean, there are other flavors: sweet, salty, savory. Why does everyone want spicy?”
Sawyer just smiled at her impassioned speech, reveling in the comfortable atmosphere they had found.
“Oh my gods, this one time, my friend from college—he’s the president of the Indian Student Association. He invited me to their Diwali celebration. Anyway, they had tons of Indian food there, right? And I could smell that it was spicy before I even put it in my mouth. But I really wanted to try it, so I asked him which stuff wasn’t spicy. He said none of them were. So I trusted him, you know? Lies, so many lies. Do you know how much naan I had to eat to cool my mouth down? Man, it’s like a slow burn, too. You take the first bite, and you’re like, ‘this is good.’ Then four or five bites in, it just hits you. And it stays long after you’ve finished. Have you ever tried Indian food?”
Sawyer couldn’t keep the grin from his face as Eeva told her story. It reminded him of before, when she was talkative and open. He was glad she hadn’t lost that part of herself. “I have,” he answered. “It’s really good. Curry is great on winter days like this. It will warm you right up.”
Eeva pursed her lips in disappointment. “I wish I could eat curry. It always looks so good.”
“I could make you some,” Sawyer offered. “If I blend my own curry powder, I can take out all the spicy elements.”
“You can cook?” she asked, tilting her head.
Sawyer snorted. “I am a grown man, you know.”
“I see that,” she said, her tone carrying the tint of appreciation.
Chapter 35
Evergreen’s anxiety had started to wane as she went about making tea the next morning. Sawyer had been sweet and playful all the day prior. The atmosphere around them had been easy, much easier than in the past. There was no better feeling than the person you like liking you back.
And though the world seemed to shine around her, the anxiety didn’t go away completely. There was something fragile in this stage. His actions said he was attracted to her more than he liked her, and he hadn’t said anything one way or the other. She still didn’t really know about his life at the moment. And the fact that they would be leaving in less than a week hung over her, a looming presence that she couldn’t quite ignore no matter how good she felt.
Still, she tried her best to ignore it, having faith that they would at least talk about what would happen later before they left.
At breakfast, her mother worried that there was still too much to do before Yule. “We still don’t have a Yule log,” she said. “I completely forgot to harvest one at Midsummer. And now we don’t have time for a fresh one to dry out before the solstice.”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Evergreen comforted. “I’m sure there’s a downed tree in the woods. We can just go out there and saw off a log. It’s better that way anyway. And then it’ll only have to dry for a few days just to get the surface moisture out.”
“I’d go soon if I were you,” Cory said. “There’s a storm coming.”
“The news said we would get a dusting tomorrow,” Wes agreed.
“No,” Cory shook his head. “It’ll be worse than that.”
Ria made an anxious sound.
“It’s all right, Ria,” Sawyer soothed. “Eeva and I can go out today and find one. We were tramping around the woods a few days ago, and I saw a few downed trees that might do.”
“Would you?” Ria asked.
Sawyer looked to Evergreen for support. “Yeah, sure thing, Mom. I’ll go get the handsaw from the garage, and we can start looking right away.”
Evergreen heard her father say he would pack them a lunch again as she went to the garage. When she returned, Sawyer was putting on his winter things. She put down the saw and did the same.
“Make sure you bundle up,” Ria said. “The temperature is dropping.”
They did as they were told. Sawyer picked up the saw, and Evergreen carried the l
unch her father had made for them. Then, they waved goodbye and told everyone they’d be back before dark.
Evergreen followed Sawyer through the woods, trailing him to the downed trees he’d remembered. The first two hadn’t been dead long enough for the wood to season properly.
“There’s one more,” he said, leading the way.
Luckily, that tree had sat long enough that it would burn nicely after a few days of drying out.
“Could you hold that end?” Sawyer asked.
Evergreen got down on her knees, the snow seeping into her jeans, to hold the log steady so he could saw it.
It took a while for him to saw through it, much longer than she would have expected. By the time he was finished, it was well past lunch time.
“The temperature really has dropped,” he commented. “Why don’t we head to the isolation cabin and have lunch? We aren’t far now. We could make a fire and warm up before heading back.”
“Sounds good,” Evergreen agreed, trying to stop her teeth from chattering.
“Be careful,” Sawyer advised as he went ahead of her on the path, the log in his arms. “There’s a slope coming up, and it’s probably icy with the temperature change. Ohhhh—”
Sawyer slid down the hill, crashing at the bottom.
“Sawyer, are you okay?” Evergreen shouted, her voice raising in pitch in her alarm. She sat on her butt and slid down the icy hill.
“I’m fine,” he muttered. “Only my pride is hurt.”
Evergreen offered her hand and hauled him up.
He hissed in pain.
“What is it? Are you hurt?”
“It’s okay. I think I just twisted my ankle. It just smarts a little. I’m fine.”
Evergreen gnawed her lips, her stomach churning. “Let’s get you inside. Just leave the log there. I’ll come back for it. Lean on me.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and leaned some of his weight on her as they walked. After she’d gotten him settled on a blanket on the floor of the isolation cabin, she returned for the log, the saw, and the lunch bag. She placed the log and the saw in a corner of the cabin, put the lunch bag on the table, then went out to the wood hutch to get dry firewood.
“Will you call my mom and tell her we’re going to wait a bit before coming back while I make a fire?”
“I’ll be fine,” Sawyer argued. “I can walk as soon as I have lunch and warm up. Look, it’s not even swollen. I just twanged it.”
Evergreen frowned. “Well, let’s see how you feel after you eat.”
As the fire crackled in the hearth, Evergreen unpacked their lunch and set it on the coffee table as before. She watched Sawyer while he ate.
“You worrying like that isn’t going to make it better faster,” he pointed out.
Evergreen sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. I just hate it when people get hurt.”
Sawyer smiled. “I know. You sort of feel it, too. Don’t you? You get all queasy in your gut, like you’re going to be sick.”
“How did you know? Does that happen to you, too?”
Sawyer shook his head. “No, but you aren’t the only empath I know. My friend Flick is like that. She can’t even take her dog to the vet without feeling sick.”
Evergreen remembered the name from his social media, back when she’d still checked his profile every day. “She’s a friend from school?” she asked, not sure she really wanted to know but unable to stop herself.
“Yeah.” He didn’t elaborate.
Evergreen’s stomach hardened in a flash of jealousy. She shook her head to rid herself of the feeling.
After they’d finished their lunch, Evergreen told him to take off his shoes so she could see his ankle. The fire had sufficiently warmed the room enough that she took off her coat and boots as well. She sat on her feet, patting her thighs to tell him to put his foot there. He did.
Evergreen felt around his ankle carefully, her fingertips prodding for any puffiness. She didn’t find any.
“Okay, now rotate your ankle for me,” she directed. “Does it hurt at all?”
Sawyer shook his head. “Nope. I’m okay, Doc. No pain at all. Am I good to go?”
Evergreen chuckled, her worry filtering out with each laugh. “I think you’ll live.”
A chiming melody emanated from Evergreen’s pocket. She dug into it and answered her mother’s call. “Hey, what’s up, Mom?”
“Evergreen Pendre, where in goddess’s green earth are you?” she shouted.
“We’re at the isolation cabin. We just had lunch. Sawyer fell, so I wanted to make sure he wasn’t hurt before we headed back. But he’s fine, so we’re just about to leave.”
“Oh thank goodness,” Ria said with a sigh. “Listen, you guys just stay there. Okay? Don’t try to come back until the storm blows over. There should be snacks enough in the cupboards, and there are blankets in the trunk.”
“What storm?” Evergreen said, going to the window. She couldn’t even see the trees through the blowing snow. “Oh,” she answered flatly. “Yeah, okay. We’ll stay put. But can you feed Muir? He gets a half can of wet food at seven.”
“I’ll take care of him,” her mother confirmed before hanging up.
Evergreen returned to Sawyer on the floor. “I guess we’re stuck here for a while,” she said, putting her phone on the table beside his.
“Guess so,” he murmured, shifting his gaze to the fire.
As the logs cracked in the hearth and the wind began to howl, Evergreen’s awareness fixed on Sawyer. He seemed relaxed, his legs stretched out in front of him. The glow from the fire played in his golden hair.
Without really thinking about it, Evergreen reached out and stroked a shiny lock. Sawyer’s amber eyes met hers.
“Eeva,” he murmured, his expression serious, “I don’t know if this is the best time to tell you this, but—”
Evergreen silenced his words by covering his mouth with hers. Whatever he’d been trying to say must not have been very important because he met her demanding kiss with one of his own.
A shiver ran through her as he slipped his hand into her hair, pulling her closer with urgency. She gasped against his mouth when his hot tongue flicked her lower lip.
He pulled back, his brow furrowed despite the desire in his eyes. “Was that okay?” he asked, his voice breathy and deep.
Evergreen sat up and climbed on top of him, smiling as his hard manhood dug against her through their jeans. She wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with the hair at the base of his head. “Perfect,” she responded.
Sawyer didn’t need any more encouragement. He kissed her again, roughly grabbing her ass as she straddled him.
She moaned against his mouth, the sensation tickling her lips.
Sawyer slipped his hands under the back of her shirt, his rough fingertips sending a thrill up her spine as he stroked her bare flesh. “You’re so beautiful, Eeva,” he murmured, pressing insistent kisses to her throat.
Lust raged inside her, urgent, demanding. She arched her back, grinding hard against him. “Do you have a condom?” she whispered, her voice thick and raw even to her own ears.
He flinched beneath her. She pulled back, staring at him. “No,” he said with a grimace.
“It’s okay. There’s still hope.” She climbed off him and made her way over to the blanket chest. Digging through the blankets, her hand touched the smooth plastic wrapper. She turned back around, holding up a strip of condoms in triumph.
“Why would that be here?” Sawyer asked.
“Does it matter?”
“No, I’m just curious.”
“My parents keep the cabin stocked with condoms in case someone is too sexually pent up to properly meditate.” Evergreen shrugged. “Easier clean up. You aren’t allergic to latex are you?”
“No, you?”
Evergreen grinned. “Nope. Isn’t that lucky?”
“I certainly feel like it’s my lucky day. Do you mind coming over here please?”
&nbs
p; “Oh, I do hope so,” Evergreen said with a chuckle, swaying her hips as she returned to Sawyer.
He laughed at her double entendre. “Don’t worry about that,” he promised.
“Oooo, look who’s so confident now.” Evergreen smoothly climbed back on top of him and wrapped her legs around him.
“Oh, I’ve a right to be. Here, let me show you.” He removed his shirt, his golden hair getting deliciously tousled.
“You do that then,” Evergreen encouraged, placing her palm on his firm chest before kissing him.
Evergreen shivered as he removed her shirt, the cabin not nearly as warm as she’d thought. “Do you need help with my bra?” she asked.
He snorted then smirked before unclasping it with one hand.
I guess not, she thought, grinning.
His skin burned hers as he pressed her to him, smothering her thoughts with sensations. She gasped for air, her desire even more urgent than it had been before she’d gotten the condoms.
He shifted under her, picking her up and laying her on her back atop the clothes they’d discarded.
He stroked his fingers down her body, his touch feather-light and maddening. Her clit throbbed as he unbuttoned her jeans. His eyes were fixed on hers as he slowly unzipped them. “Tell me when you’re ready,” he requested.
“I’m already there,” she informed, not at all surprised that it hadn’t taken more foreplay. It is Sawyer after all, she reasoned. And I’ve been waiting a long time for this.
He obligingly removed her pants and underwear, the fabric rubbing roughly against her smooth skin. He smirked, the expression confident and irritating somehow as he unbuttoned his own jeans.
“You tease,” Evergreen accused.
He chuckled but didn’t argue. The rest of his discarded clothes made a satisfying fwump as he dropped them on the floor.
Evergreen’s breaths came out heavy and slow as she watched Sawyer roll the condom onto his ready cock. She grinned at the glistening drop of precum at the tip. She sat up and wrapped her fingers around the solid shaft.
Sawyer shuddered under her hand, his breath coming out in a rush.
