Then he was gone, chuckling as he strode from the kitchen.
The air rushed from my lungs, and I gripped the counter behind me, holding tight until my head stopped spinning. Wow.
Foreplay with Jasper was an experience like no other. It had been an education.
With him, foreplay didn’t start the minute we hit the bedroom. It started first thing in the morning. A casual touch as we crossed paths. A sensual stare. A chaste kiss. Dirty words and promises of what was to come.
It had been mere minutes since he’d given me an orgasm, but I ached for another already. Waiting until the packing was finished might kill me.
I shook my head, clearing the fog. Then I swallowed hard and followed him down the hallway to the bedroom.
Jasper had already taken the suitcases out of my closet and had them strewn open on the mattress. “You start on clothes. I’ll get another box for shoes.”
“Okay.” I moved for the dresser just as he passed by.
His arm touched mine, intentionally. Tingles cascaded across my skin.
“You’re an evil man.”
He chuckled from the hallway.
I smiled, collecting my panties and bras from the top drawer, tossing them in a suitcase before moving to the second drawer.
We’d be taking most of my things to the A-frame today. The plan was to haul over everything that could fit in boxes. The furniture, we’d deal with later. This was our second trip so far, and we’d need at least one more.
Though if Jasper wanted to delay packing and spend the rest of the day in bed, he’d get no arguments here. I could grab the rest after work this week. And if we were in the bedroom, I could continue to avoid reality.
For just another few hours.
Then I had to face my family.
My stomach twisted. Other than my sisters, no one had called me since the coffee shop yesterday. Maybe they hadn’t told anyone. Or maybe they’d told everyone.
The fact that I hadn’t heard from anyone was both relieving and stressful. But before I made the announcement, I wanted to be able to tell everyone that Jasper and I were living together.
I was going to confess that Jasper and I had gotten married on a whim. That the past month, we’d been spending time together. Getting to know each other. And the reason we’d kept it a secret was because I’d been unsure. Hence my outburst about the annulment at the coffee shop yesterday.
Then I’d tell them the truth. We were staying married. I’d moved into the A-frame. We were giving it a shot.
No one needed to know that that “shot” had a deadline.
The idea of lying to my parents and siblings made me queasy, so I focused on packing. Packing, I could control.
We’d already finished the bathroom and office. The kitchen hadn’t had much to begin with because, unlike Knox and Lyla, I didn’t hoard gadgets and cookbooks.
Once everything was at the cabin, I’d start the process of sorting. What we wouldn’t use for the next few months I’d put in storage. There was an empty shed tucked into the trees behind the A-frame that was about to get stuffed with boxes and my furniture.
I’d lived in this house for nearly two years, but my lease was up in June. I hated letting this place go, mostly because it was so close to work. But if I kept this house, my parents would ask questions. They’d have doubts. So in an attempt to convince my family and the community this marriage to Jasper was real, I’d let it go. Even if that meant a major headache this summer finding a new house. Rentals in Quincy, decent rentals, didn’t pop up often.
I spun in a slow circle, taking in the bedroom’s tan walls and thick crown molding. I’d miss this little home.
This house was cute. Old, but cute. Yes, the winters were too cold and the summers excruciatingly hot because this place had been built long before decent insulation was a standard. Still, it had been mine.
When Jasper and I parted ways, where would I go next? With any luck, maybe I could just come back here. There might be something else within walking distance to downtown. Worst case scenario, I could move to the ranch.
There was a loft apartment above the barn at home. My uncle Briggs had been living there for a while, but his dementia had progressed to the point where he needed more care, so Mom and Dad had moved him into a local home with nursing staff to help.
Mateo had lived in the barn loft for a while before he’d moved to Alaska. It wouldn’t be horrible. Mom would cook for me. That was a major bonus since I was still working on refining my cooking skills. But the drive to town alone would be time consuming, especially in the winter when the roads were icy.
And my poor pride might never recover if I had to move home after the divorce. I could already hear the snickers at my ten-year class reunion.
“Last resort,” I told myself, then finished unloading the dresser, zipping both suitcases closed.
My closet was next. Maybe we could just leave everything on the hangers. Was there enough room in the A-frame’s closet for all this?
Wait. Did the A-frame even have a closet? I hadn’t noticed one in the bedroom this morning. Maybe it was downstairs by the laundry room or bathroom.
“Jasper, how much room is in the closet at the A-frame?”
No answer. Where was he? Where was that box for my shoes?
“Eloise,” Jasper called.
“Yeah?” I hollered back.
“Come out here.”
I hefted a suitcase off the bed and popped the handle, dragging it behind me down the hall. “How much room do you have in the closet at the cabin?”
Jasper still didn’t answer.
“Can you not hear me?”
Silence.
“Apparently not,” I muttered, trudging to the living room. When I reached the mouth of the hallway, I came to an abrupt halt.
Oh shit.
Jasper stood, legs planted wide, arms crossed over his broad chest, staring at two angry men.
They also stood with their legs planted wide and arms crossed over their chests.
Griffin and Knox didn’t so much as glance my direction. Their glares were locked on Jasper.
Okay, so I guess Talia hadn’t kept this quiet.
My heart climbed into my throat as I risked a step into the room. The testosterone was stifling. It was like walking through a dense fog.
“Hey!” I smiled too brightly, hoping it would cover up my nerves.
Nope. My voice was shaky. Damn it. Someday I’d master cool and collected when faced with my angry, scowling brothers.
One hesitant step at a time, I walked straight through the wall of alpha-male energy to stand between them and Jasper.
Still, they ignored me completely. They looked straight over my head to scowl at Jasper.
This was the problem with marrying a man just as big as your brothers. I was ignorable.
“Did you bring one truck or two?” I asked.
No response. Could anyone hear me today?
“Griffin.” I reached out and poked him in the gut. His scowl deepened but he dropped his gaze, finally shifting his focus to me.
I realized my mistake too late. Because his gaze might as well have been a flamethrower.
“Is it hot in here?” I gulped. “Maybe we should all go outside where there’s more air. You can carry this suitcase for me.”
Nothing. Not even a blink.
“Okay, I’ll just wheel this one out myself.”
“You got married.” Knox’s voice was as lethal as Griffin’s glare.