car. This is taking things way too far. “Do not drive it, Rose.” I don’t know why I’m angry about this. I don’t want a car. Does he buy cars for all the legions of women he spends time with? Is that the deal?
Well, I don’t want his gifts.
I want him.
So do all the others, of course. That’s our curse.
“I’ll be back later.”
I leave them there as they fawn over the ridiculously expensive gift.
“I’m just going to sit in it, Gi,” Rose calls after me as I go into the house. “I won’t start it.”
I check the side table in the dining room for the scrap of paper with Vaughn’s phone number. I’m relieved to find it’s still there.
I key his number into my phone and I make my way out the back door, over the fence, across the field. To his cabin.
As he said it would be, the door is unlocked.
Cautiously—because it does sort of feel like breaking and entering—I go inside.
The cabin is sublime.
It’s dusty from being empty for so many years but everything else about it is picture-perfect. Inside the front door, there’s a sitting area, with a cushioned window seat, several comfortable-looking chairs and a coffee table made out of a smoothed piece of wood sliced directly from a tree trunk.
The cabin is much bigger than it looks from the outside.
The walls, floors and ceilings are all made of wood. The sitting area opens out into a living room with huge windows with a view to the field and down to the pond. There’s a free-standing log-burner in the corner of the room. Three enormous leather couches create another sitting area next to a stone fireplace. A swing in the shape of a deep, comfortable rope chair hangs between the two areas, giving the place a whimsical feel. Decorative lampshades and tasteful rugs add pops of warmth and color. There’s a bar with stools and an open-plan, state-of-the-art kitchen. Chunky glass pendant lights hang over the bar. There’s a dining table on the other side of the kitchen with French doors leading out to an outdoor table and a fire pit. And there, on the far wall above the table, is the painting Vaughn described.
Black and white geometrical shapes. It almost looks out of place in the rustic space, but the patterns are organic and mesmerizing after a while. It grows on you.
I peek into the bedroom, which is spacious and light-filled, with a huge bed. There’s a stone wall with a fireplace and a desk with a lamp. There are two sash windows on either side of another set of French doors. I can’t help exploring further. A second door in the bedroom leads into a luxurious bathroom complete with a jacuzzi bath.
Wow.
I love everything about this place.
I could live here.
With him.
We could spend all day in his bed, doing all the things we did in the limo. And more. Much, much more. He could be my first everything.
Dragging my mind back to reality, I walk over to the painting. I take a few photos of it.
Then I go into the living area and sit on one of the couches. There’s a throw blanket I pull over myself because the air is cooler tonight. I send the photos to Vaughn, along with a text.
The past twenty-four hours are catching up with me. I didn’t sleep at all last night and it’s been a busy day.
I’ll just rest my eyes for a few minutes.
As soon as my eyes close, I see him in my memories. All blue-eyed and beautiful.
Maybe Rose is right.
Maybe I should just do it. I could go to Seattle with Rose and we could see Ruby perform—which I would absolutely love to do. We could spend time with her and celebrate her new success. I haven’t talked to her much lately because she’s been so busy and I miss her.
Then … I could see how it goes.
If his rule is one night, and my rule is not to have sex with someone I don’t love, maybe we can both get what we want. My rule could happen in one night.
If I have sex with Vaughn Tucker for one night and one night only, I haven’t broken my rule. Because I do love him.
Everything I know about him so far, I love.
Except for one thing. That small detail about him being a playboy from hell.
I’ll have no delusions about riding off into the sunset with him, because I know it won’t happen that