Gabe shuts off the engine in front of an A-frame cabin on the outskirts of South Lake Tahoe. It isn’t the same Airbnb we’d shared the last time we were here with the boys, but it’s quiet, and snow dusts the roof, deck, and the ground surrounding us. “Oh my god, it’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah, we should get married more often.”
“Or we should get away as often as possible,” I say as we climb out and he comes around the vehicle.
Gabe wraps his arms around me, and I nestle into him. “Come on, let’s get inside and get a fire started. Can’t have you two freezing to death out here.”
“Can we make hot cocoa?”
Gabe’s face lights up and he leans in to kiss me. “Whatever you want, Freckles.”
I grin up at him and hold my hands out for the keys. “Gimme, gimme.”
“It’s code entry only, babe.”
“Oh, then give me the code.”
“Nope. You’ll just have to wait for me.”
Gabe grabs our bags and deposits them on the porch. A gust of cold wind tickles my ears and neck and I shiver and climb the stairs as he punches in the code. I’m just about to walk inside when he reaches out and grabs my shoulder, pulling me back to him.
“What are you doing?”
Gabe bends down and scoops my pregnant ass into the air. I screech and flail, but he tucks me in close, cradling me against his chest. “I’m carrying my hot fucking wife over the threshold.”
I chuckle and let him carry me inside. He doesn’t set me down as soon as we’re in the warm living room though. Instead, he carries me through the cabin. A small winding iron staircase greets us, and I look up at my husband. “You can put me down now.”
“What the hell? I had these grand plans to carry you up to the bedroom, light a fire, and fuck your brains out all night.”
I laugh. “As tempting as that sounds ... I think it’s safer if I navigate these stairs on foot. Besides, I both need to pee and eat before this baby decides to tunnel his way to freedom. You can light a fire though.”
“And the fucking you all night is off the table too?”
“Oh no, we’ll still be doing that. It is our honeymoon, after all. We’ll just need regular snack breaks.”
“This is why I married you.”
I head up the stairs while Gabe brings the bags inside. After checking out the bathroom with its gorgeous claw foot tub, I pee and wash my hands. Gabe is already hard at work starting a fire in the master and I lay back on the white comforter. The mattress is pillowy soft and feels a lot like lying on a cloud.
“Oh my god.” I moan and start making bed angels.
“You’re supposed to wait until I’m at least in the bed before you start making noises like that, Freckles.”
I roll over and smile at him as I pillow my head on my hands. “Sorry. This bed is just so comfortable.”
He chuckles and stands, leaning over to kiss me. “Why don’t you take a nap? I gotta go grab a couple things for our stay anyway.”
“Really?” I blink open my eyes, unaware I’d even closed them.
“Yeah, you’ve been growing eyelashes all day. You deserve some shuteye.”
“I love you, Dash.”
“Love you too, wifey.” He kisses my forehead, and I’m out like a light.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Lo