around after her, I wouldn’t have the will to hold myself back.
I would have her, or no one would. I had imprinted on her first and I would face an army of challengers if I had to, tearing them apart one by one.
Whitney was mine.
7
When I walked into the cabin, the first thing I felt was awe. From the outside it looked really cozy and quaint, but inside the rooms were spacious.
Dark wood beams crossed the ceiling, giving an air of expanse. Comfortable chairs were gathered around the fireplace, colored throws hung from the backs of them.
Past the lounge area was a big dining table that led off into what was probably the kitchen. Over to the side there was a wide wooden staircase, and I could hear the kids thumping around upstairs.
The walls were hung with beautiful, native American rugs and original paintings. Vibrant waterfalls and shifting shades of green across the treetops graced every room. Thankfully, no dead animal heads. Those types of ornaments had their own beauty to them, but it didn’t mean I wanted a long dead bear looming over me while I ate dinner.
Aside from the kids playing upstairs, the place felt empty and quiet. I could hear the rhythmic movements upstairs that sounded exactly like beds being jumped on. I was happy that after all we had gone through on the road; the kids were fine and treating it all like a big adventure.
I moved through the lounge area into the dining room. I stopped in front of a beautiful painting of the mountain at sunset and let my mind wander. The painting was truly staggering, depicting the colors of the sunset reflected off the ice at the mountain peak.
It was amazing how much you miss those quiet moments to yourself when you have to go sometime without them. With kids in the mix, it was like having your brain constantly picked. You barely had time to formulate an answer before the next question was asked.
Cute as the little monsters were, I was pleased that they were occupied, at least for the moment.
My eyes wandered the impossible brush strokes of layered color and my mind slithered down a slippery slope into thoughts of Aleksy. And Zavier.
I thought my life was complicated enough. It was already a tough situation, coming out here and trying to stay cool under the golden eyes of my boss, one of the sexiest guys I’d ever seen. Running into another of equal allure was not something a girl could predict.
I never considered myself to be especially good looking. My hair was too dark to be blonde, too light to be brown. I didn’t hide myself in baggy sweaters and pants because I was ashamed of my body, just because I liked to be comfortable. My big, wire rimmed glasses took over my face when I wore them, but without them I couldn’t see the finer details of the artifacts I worked with. I knew I looked like a classic ‘nerd’.
Always had, most likely always would. It was difficult to accept that a gorgeous man like Aleksy—or a stunning stranger like Zavier—was interested in me.
I flirted as best I could, but I was really too shy. I should just focus on my work and forget about these hot men. Surely, they weren’t thinking about me as much as I was thinking about them.
Powerful, rich, smoldering hot guys did not get with women like me. I knew how the world worked. I was married to my career. Trying to be. It was just damn hard when men like that were showing up constantly saving my ass.
The stairs practically vibrated as the kids came storming down. It amazed me at how much noise they made on the hollow wooden stairs. Maybe this is what it sounded like when Goldilocks was about to get busted with the porridge. I don’t know. Did the bears come down the stairs?
I was getting my bears mixed up, maybe.
“Guys!” I yelled as I came into the living area again. “No running on the stairs!”
Little Egan halted and Adara plowed into him, making them both sprawl across the floor. Egan just gave a sound of exasperation and an eye roll. Adara started to cry.
“Oh, sweetie.” I hurried over and wrapped my arms around her. “I told you guys not to run.”
“Actually, it was the stopping that caused the collision.” Egan stared at me evenly without a trace of humor, as if this were the most logical explanation and based