“I made it.”
He pulled me against him. “I would, Julia. I’d search the world for you. Now that I found you, I’d never allow you to be stranded again.”
For a moment, I basked in his gaze, allowing the thrill of his touch to flow through me. Feeling his toned body against mine, I finally asked, “Is this part of the employee-and-employer agreement?”
“It’s after-hours.”
My gaze was glued to the way the golden flecks in his eyes glistened beneath the floodlights. “Maybe we should define this further. For example, here is work and” —I smiled— “how far away is the cabin?”
“A couple of miles,” he said, releasing me. “First things first, your things.”
An hour later, Van and I were seated at his kitchen table, eating dinner paired with a bottle of red wine. A fire roared in the large living-room fireplace and beyond the windows, the forecast snow was falling.
Van had explained how a woman he’s known most of his life came once a week and cooked his meals. All he had to do was warm them up when he came home.
“This is delicious,” I said, taking another bite of the chicken fettuccine Alfredo.
“Better than coffee and nectarines.”
“The coffee was warm and those nectarines were fantastic. I was a little leery of the soup.”
Van grinned. “The cans weren’t that old. I like staying out at the cabin when I want to get away from everything. I keep the soup there for when my decision is impulsive. There’s no cell service and being out there gives me a break.”
Inhaling, I leaned back and lifted my face to the ceiling high above. “That’s what being here is for me.”
“I hate to tell you, but you do have cell service here and internet.”
“I also have this nice button on the side of my phone that turns it off.”
“Hmm. Maybe I should try that.”
“You should. It’s liberating.” I took another sip of the wine. “I had a visitor in Ashland.”
Van’s expression changed as his chiseled jaw clenched. “A visitor?”
“Skylar was at the hotel.”
“Had you told him where you were staying?”
I shook my head.
“Did you tell your parents or your assistant?”
“I didn’t, but I suppose Leigh could look at the credit card account and figure it out.”
“She’s your assistant.”
He hadn’t asked, but I nodded.
“You came face-to-face with yourex” —he emphasized the syllable— “-fiancé and yet you’re here with me.”
“Seeing him didn’t make me want to go back to him. I’m not ready to be with anyone. For the first time, I want to find out who I am, who I can be without the past, and most importantly” —I lifted the wine glass and smiled— “who I am when I’m with you.”
“You’re magnificent, that’s who you are.”
Warmth filled my cheeks at his comment. Taking another sip of wine, I sighed. “I like this. It’s not too sweet or too dry.”
As we finished our meal, Van stood, taking the plates to the sink. For a moment, I sat and watched. My father was a modern-day man in his thoughts and actions, yet my parents had a live-in cook and maid. I’d never seen my father, or Skylar for that matter, scrape a plate and put it in a dishwasher.