Chapter 7

Seven

Kami

S leep didn't come as easily that night as it had the night before. I tossed and turned, fitful and restless. And it was all Trevor's fault.

After I shared that our meadow was the perfect place for the wedding I had in mind, he'd brought me back to town. My stomach plunged with disappointment when I thought he was taking me back to the lodge. And then relief and confusion twisted through me when I realized I was wrong.

He wasn't dropping me off. Instead, he brought me to several local businesses—a florist, a bakery, and oddly, the local animal shelter. I'd been charmed by Roxxi the woman who ran the shelter and who also happened to be Trevor's sister and a musician who he thought could help me plan the music for the wedding.

I tossed around under the pretty, soft quilt again. The movement didn't make me any more comfortable, though. If anything, it brought more attention to how much my body ached.

It had started the minute Trevor left me at the door to my room after sharing another of those mind-blowing kisses. My skin got hotter. My nipples stood up like they were waiting for someone's immediate attention. Dampness grew between my thighs.

I'd tried to ignore it, going through my normal getting ready for bed routine. But once under the covers, only my thoughts to keep me occupied, thoughts of Trevor's mouth, his hands pulling me in close to his body, the way his eyes seemed to take in every little detail about me, kept me from sleep.

I'd just started to slide my hands down over my body and dip under the waistband of my panties to try to find some relief when my phone dinged. I paused and weighed whether to continue on my current course of action or distract myself with what was sure to be Asha's demand for more details.

Asha won. I had a feeling that anything I did in bed alone was going to fall far short of what my body really craved anyway. I snatched my phone from the nightstand and quickly swiped to see my messages.

Only it wasn't Asha texting me. It was Trevor.

Are you sleeping, baby?

I chewed my lip and for one crazy instant considered telling him the truth—namely, that he'd gotten under my skin so badly that he'd caught me right before I started doing the only thing I could think of to relieve the tension.

But at the last second, I chickened out. No. I'm having trouble falling asleep. How about you?

I rolled my eyes the second I hit send. He was going to think I was the most boring human being on the planet.

Me, too. I hated leaving you tonight. How bad would it be if I were to steal you in the middle of the night?

Okay, so maybe not the most boring person on the planet if he regretted leaving me. I could feel the sappy smile curving my lips. I hated being left and Mrs. Morgan might call the Sheriff. Could be fun.

I paused with my finger over the send button, debating the wisdom of sharing that information. But then I swear I heard Asha's voice cheering me on and telling me to go for it. I listened to that voice and pressed send.

His response came quickly. Can I see you tomorrow?

This time I didn't hesitate. Yes.

Good. More wedding planning to do or would you like to do something else?

I thought for a second. Actually, there's one thing I thought of. As much as I love our meadow, I should probably try to come up with an indoor venue, too. Just in case the bride and groom worry about the weather. Any ideas?

He responded instantly. Leave it to me. I think I have the perfect place.

Great! You haven't disappointed me yet, so I trust you.

I gasped, the weight of the words I just sent him hitting me hard. I read them again. But they were true. For some reason, I trusted him with this. With my heart…maybe. He seemed grounded and sure of what he wanted now. But still…

Then I'll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams, sweetheart.

" I wasn't expecting this ," I told Trevor as he took my hand and helped me onto his boat.

He grinned and pulled me close. "Trust me?"

I stared up into his dark eyes for several long seconds before finally responding, "Yes."

And it was no less true this morning than it was last night.

His grin widened and he kissed me fast and hard before he got to work launching us from the dock. I couldn't decide which kind of kiss I liked best. The fast drive-bys that left me breathless. Or the slow, deep, lingering ones that left me aching for more.

"So where are we headed?" I asked once we were under way.

"You'll see." He jutted his chin toward a bench seat built into the cabin wall. "There's blankets in there if you get cold."

I wandered over and checked it out, pulling out a fuzzy wool throw to toss over my shoulders. I'd dressed in warm layers, as per Trevor's instructions in his early morning text. The temperature had dropped a little more overnight, and out on the water, the air stung my cheeks.

Trevor kept one hand on the wheel and lifted his other arm, inviting me to snuggle into his side. I took him up on the offer, and not just for the warmth.

"Can you at least tell me how long it'll take to get there?" The truth was, I didn't really care. I'd happily stand here cuddled into Trevor's hard body indefinitely.

He pressed a kiss into the top of my head and I could feel his body shake as a chuckle rumbled through him. "Not too long, sweetheart."

We were on the water for a little over an hour before he maneuvered the boat alongside a dock on one of the small islands that made up the Hartwood Lake. Once he had the boat taken care of, he helped me off and led me down a path that cut through a stand of trees close to the shoreline.

"There's only a small number of year-round residents here," Trevor explained. "And the place we're going is owned by some friends of mine. They spend the winters down south, but they leave their lodge available for me and a few other outdoor guides to use through the winter."

The forest enveloped us and the quality of the silence surrounding us stopped me in my tracks. Used to the sound of the city that reached its way into my apartment even in the middle of the night, it had been a while since I experienced anything like this.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Trevor's gaze betrayed his concern.

I raised my eyes to the towering trees and closed my eyes. It felt almost like walking into a cathedral, serene and powerful all at once. A deep sense of connection with every living thing around me eased into my consciousness and I inhaled the scent of pine and earth and vegetation, taking it into myself.

Something cold against my cheek made me open my eyes, and I found that it had started to flurry while we stood there in silence. I turned my head to Trevor and offered him a smile.

"Everything here is more beautiful and magical than I remember. I can't believe I almost backed out of this trip." I moved close to his side and stood on tiptoe to press a kiss on his smooth jawline. "Imagine everything I would have missed if I made that mistake."

He grinned and pulled me closer. He touched his lips to mine and nothing had ever felt more perfect than standing in this beautiful place and being kissed by this ruggedly handsome man.

He slowly pulled his head back so he could smile down at me. "Let's get you inside and warm."

"Lead the way," I said, and as the words left my mouth, it occurred to me that if he kept kissing me like that, I'd probably follow him anywhere. For once the thought of putting my trust in someone else didn't sound like the scariest thing in the world.

We walked through the trees for several minutes until we reached a fork in the path. One led deeper into the spruce forest. Trevor tugged me down the other.

We walked out of the trees and were met by the sight of an enormous lodge. Built with logs and stone, it fit perfectly into the natural environment surrounding it. An enormous porch welcomed us in.

The rest of the place did not disappoint. The great room in the center of the lodge had cathedral ceilings and huge windows that made you feel part of the gorgeous scenery outside.

I could easily imagine having a wedding ceremony in front of the stone fireplace. Guests could step out onto the porch for a cocktail hour while the great room was reconfigured for a reception.

"This would be perfect for Lily's wedding," I breathed. "It's stunning."

"You think this is a better choice than the meadow?"

I tilted my head and pulled my bottom lip between my teeth before I shrugged sheepishly. "Is it terrible to admit I don't want to bring anyone else to our meadow?"

And that's how I thought of it. Our meadow. When he and I were there yesterday, for a short amount of time, it felt like we were the only two people in a magical world.

"It's not terrible." He gave me a quick kiss. "Come see the rest."

We wandered into guest rooms and a modern kitchen. The lodge had amazing patios along the back that provided incredible views of the remote location. Everything was perfect for a wedding.

"Do you think your friends would rent it out for a wedding?" I asked when we were back in the kitchen sharing another lunch packed by Mrs. Morgan.

"They do a few every year. I'm sure they'd be happy to talk to you about it when they get back."

"It really is perfect." Just like everything else in Hartwood. Thinking about leaving in a few days caused a spot in the center of my chest to ache. I looked up at Trevor, a lump forming in my throat. It was more than just the wilderness I would miss. In fact, I was pretty sure that I'd feel this way about Trevor no matter where we stood—wilderness or city, tropical beach or the side of a mountain. Three more days wasn't close to being enough now that I had spent time with him again and let old feelings have their way with my current emotions.

"You ready to head back to Hartwood?" Trevor asked while we cleaned up after our meal.

I sighed. "I kind of wish we could hole up here for the next six months. I don't think I've ever been anywhere so isolated before. I'd have thought I'd hate it, but…I can't explain it. Something about it just gives me this incredible sense of peace. It's kind of perfect."

I looked up to find Trevor grinning at me. "You won't get any arguments from me, sweetheart."

He hooked an arm around my waste and guided me back to the great room. I turned toward the big front door, but stopped when Trevor pulled me around in the opposite direction.

"What…" I didn't say another word. I didn't need to. I could see exactly what caught Trevor's attention.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see that the flurries that started while we were headed into the lodge had turned into a massive snowstorm while we toured the place and had our lunch.

"Looks like you'll get your wish. We might not get to hole up here for six months, but we're definitely not going anywhere tonight."

My eyes widened and I stared up at him as emotion surged through me. A week ago I'd have assumed what I'd be feeling in this situation would be fear. But the reality was something entirely different.

At the prospect of spending an entire night in the isolated lodge with Trevor Ford, all I could think was about him getting me naked .