He takes my hand and leads me inside. I follow him, reluctantly dragging myself away from the view.
He’s right. If it’s at all possible, the inside of our cabin is even more luxurious and breathtaking than the view. Open plan and spacious, the living room is arranged around a huge open fire, and the kitchen boasts all the newest appliances—not that I plan on doing much cooking over the next couple of days.
I move through to the bedroom—the only bedroom—my jaw dropping open at the sight of the sprawling king-sized bed. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out over the balcony and into the stunning forest.
“You like it?” Max asks, creeping up behind me.
Turning around, I manage to nod. I don’t even want to think about how much this place must’ve cost him.
“It only has one room, but I’m more than happy to sleep on the sofa—”
“Max,” I interrupt, a smile playing on my lips. “It’s fine.”
“Only if you’re sure,” he says, his eyes studying mine.
“I’m sure,” I giggle, my fingers entwining in his. “And thank you. This is exactly what I need.”
***
We spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the retreat and making the most of our secluded location. After my second dip in the spa, Max hands me a towel, a grin on his face.
“What?” I say shyly, wrapping the towel around my naked body.
“You’re beautiful, that’s all,” he replies, bringing my face close to his. We kiss, and by accident or not, my towel falls to the floor. He leads me inside and over to the fireplace. “You’ll catch a cold,” he murmurs, wrapping a fresh towel around me. I laugh, because it’s still quite warm out. “And if we keep this up, we’ll be late for dinner.”
“Dinner?” I repeat. Who cares about food? Eating is the last thing on my mind right now.
“Go get ready,” he urges, pushing me in the direction of the bedroom.
I groan, but oblige, digging through my bag until I find the only dress I packed. It’s a simple black strapless dress that I pair with a charcoal jacket and some heels. I check my reflection in the mirror.
After I put on some make up and tie back my hair, I stroll back out to the living area, where Max is waiting for me. He’s dressed in dark pants and a deep purple shirt.
“Wow,” he mumbles. “You look incredible.” My face heats and I drop my gaze, feeling giddy inside. “Are you ready?” he asks. I nod, and begin walking toward the door. He chuckles. “Wrong way.”
“Huh?” I turn around, confused. And that’s when I see it. Out on our private deck is a table surrounded by lights, perfectly set for two. “It’s beautiful,” I breathe. “Did you do all this?” I was only gone from the room for half an hour at the most.
“I’d love to take credit, but no. It was management. We have a private chef cooking for us too,” he adds.
“I’m in shock that you went to all this trouble,” I whisper, my eyes welling. He takes my hand and guides me into his arms.
“I’d go to all the trouble in the world for you, Kiara.”
We sit down, taking in the sounds of the birds and wildlife surrounding us. A waiter comes out with a bottle of wine, pouring it into our two glasses.
“Shall we make a
toast?” I suggest. Max shrugs and raises his glass. “To spending a wonderful weekend together and leaving our problems behind.” We clink our glasses.
“To us,” Max agrees. “And to springing this on you last minute, leaving you no time to prepare.”
The funny thing is, if Max had told me about this trip a week ago I would’ve talked myself out of going. Having no time to prepare meant I also had no time to feel guilty. I’m determined to make the most of this. I don’t expect it to fix all that’s wrong with me, but maybe it will makes things clearer.
After a wonderful dinner, which included the most decadent chocolate fondant I’ve ever had, we relax in front of the fire in each others arms. We have music playing in the background as we get to know each other on a more intimate level. The three glasses of wine I’ve had have made me tipsy and relaxed. My nerves are non-existent as things begin to heat up.
“We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with,” he murmurs, kissing my neck. “I’m more than happy just lying here with you.”
“I want this,” I mumble. I roll over so he’s on top of me. We kiss, our tongues entwined. Maybe it’s the wine talking, but I feel ready. I’m tired of feeling bad about how I feel.