“Very,” I admit.“Wedding stuff is no joke.”
“You’ve been working too much.”
“I know, but it’s almost over.Plus, Fern is worth it.Her wedding is going to be perfect.”
“You sound tired.”
My chest tightens.“I’m okay,” I say softly.
He nods, but his eyes don’t leave mine.
“What about you?What have you been doing for the last week?”I ask.
“Working.I’ve been pulling a lot of reports, and we had some guys quit or retire, so now we’re scrambling to hire new people to replace them.”
“Sounds stressful.”
He shrugs, moving on to his second taco.“It’s not too bad.We’ve already got people applying, and I’ve been helping out more with the guys in the meantime.”
By the time we finish eating, I feel lighter, calmer, like I can finally breathe again.
“Did you build this place?”I ask as we gather up our trash.
“No, just bought it.You want the tour?”
I grin.“I’d love that.”
He smiles, taking my hand as we leave the kitchen and head for the living room.
His cabin is very him.Every room is simple and clean.Not a lot of clutter, but everything has a purpose.The furniture is solid wood, and the space feels warm despite how minimal it is.It feels safe.
I trail my fingers along the back of the couch as he shows me around.
“Bedroom’s this way,” he says.
My heart skips a beat as I follow him.
“Guest bedrooms.”Rune nods to the first door, then the second.“And this one is mine.”
When we step inside, I pause, taking it in.Big bed.Dark wood.Neat.
“Nice,” I murmur.
He turns to look at me, and the air suddenly changes.The space between us feels smaller, charged and heavy.
“I missed you,” I say softly, the words slipping out before I can stop them.
Rune’s jaw tightens as he turns to face me.“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He takes a step closer.“I missed you too,” he says, his voice low.
That’s all it takes.The distance between us disappears.His hand moves to cup my face, and then his mouth is on mine.
The kiss is immediate and deep, as if he’s been holding back all week and can’t anymore.I melt into him, my hands gripping his shirt as I press closer.He groans against my lips, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me tight against his chest.
“Jem,” he breathes.