walking at a slower pace for my sake. I haven’t been into the woods like this yet. And if we’re following a path, well, I can’t see it.
We stop when we reach a small clearing where there are two fallen trees and a large axe lying between them. I grin at the thought of Mal out here chopping down trees like a sexy, muscly lumberjack. Maalik gestures for me to sit on one of the tree stumps before picking up his axe and moving to a new tree. He seems a bit awkward at first, like having me watch him makes him nervous. But soon enough, he gets into a routine.
At first, it’s kind of hot watching him. His muscles flex deliciously as he works. He’s so strong that it takes hardly any time at all for the first tree to fall, and he moves the fallen tree effortlessly with his bare hands to line it up against the others he already cut before I came out here.
Eventually, I start to feel bored. I fight back a yawn and glance around the clearing, looking for any distraction. Maalik notices my fidgeting almost right away. Which is surprising, since I assumed he was focused entirely on his task. He asks me to stay put and rushes away back through the woods the way we came.
He’s back in just a few minutes, and he hands me a cute little wicker basket. When I raise my eyebrows at him, he takes my hand and leads me a little way into the woods. He surprises me again by crouching and pointing out tiny blue berries growing on a bush. They’re covered in frost, but Maalik picks them carefully and places them in the basket.
I pick a few too, and Maalik grunts like he’s pleased with me. Before I can continue, he pulls me away and points out another bush. This one has bright red berries growing on it, and they’re much easier to see in the snow. He shakes his head as he points to them and grumbles the word špatný.
I grin, giving him a thumbs up to let him know I understand not to pick those ones. I seriously adore him for giving me a task to do that will keep me occupied and out of his way without making me feel silly. It helps that he’ll be nearby too, and I don’t have to worry about getting lost in these woods. I know he’ll come find me within seconds if I call for help.
Before he can disappear to go back to the clearing to chop down trees, I surprise him with another soft kiss on his lips. Maalik kisses me back this time, hesitantly wrapping his arms around my waist. His kisses are sweet and gentle, and god, I’m fucking melting. Way too soon, he pulls away, kissing my forehead as he lets his arms drop.
I watch him walk away and wait until I hear the thunk of his axe before going in search of more of the blue berries. I pop one in my mouth to taste it, but it’s frozen and a bit tart. Still, I’m sure Caelan will be able to make something tasty with them. Hell, maybe even Mal will be able to. I’m still surprised by how delicious those muffins were.
Berry picking is fun and peaceful, and I find myself laughing quietly to myself as I search them out. Living in New York my whole life, I never thought I’d find myself doing something like this. Living this kind of life. Alistair would laugh his ass off if he could see me.
What would he think of my situation? I’m living in a secluded cabin in the mountains with four hot men who spoil me every chance they can, and I get to spend my free time drawing, painting, and picking berries. It’s so provincial and so vastly different from my old life, but I can’t deny how happy it makes me. If I had the chance to go back home, I’m not sure I’d want to. To see Al, yeah, of course. But to my old apartment and my job with Madame Deverell? I don’t think so.
Alistair would hate it here. It’s too quiet, and he’s always loved the atmosphere of living in the city so much more than I ever did. If we found each other again, could I convince him to move here, anyway? He could have a cabin next to ours, and we’d be