Page 15 of Honoring Freedom
“Can you still not boil a pot of water?”
“I take offense to that.” She angled her head haughtily.
“But is it true?”
"I haven't boiled a pot of water in ages," she remarked somewhat arrogantly.
“Then how about I do the cooking. I’m not a master chef but even you probably couldn’t go wrong in a kitchen like this. It practically cooks everything itself.”
She playfully pinched his arm. “Behave yourself.”
“Just please don’t grab a skillet and hit me with it,” he teased.
“With that, I’m going upstairs and taking a long bath. I think you and your ego can manage dinner.” Her smile could have won vicious battles.
He watched her walk away, feeling the stirring below his belt.Damn her.She’d roped him back in and he wasn’t fighting.
Chapter Five
Freedom loved the cabin.
The bedroom that was hers exuded rustic elegance.
She set her suitcase on the hand-stitched quilt covering the four-poster bed and dug out the first thing she came to, then changed her mind. She hadn’t expected to have dinner with Keller, but didn’t it only make sense that they would? Since they were grown-ups and business associates, she decided to pull out a cute dress she hadn't worn yet. She'd thrown it into her suitcase at the last minute while packing, just in case. The dress wouldn't make it look like she was trying too hard, but it would show off her curves nicely.
What she loved about the bedroom didn’t actually have anything to do with the room itself. She loved the bathroom that she’d designed herself. Daddy let each of his daughter’s design their own bedroom space. She’d wanted a rustic meets elegant sanctuary.
Pushing open the hand-crafted sliding door that had been made with reclaimed wood from an old barn at Sagebrush Rose, she stepped inside her oasis. The rough-hewn logs and ceiling beams had a story to tell because they were also repurposed from the barn.
In the center of the room stood the clawfoot bathtub, gleaming in porcelain radiance under the soft glow of the candlelight chandelier. The tub’s antique brass fixtures gave the rustic charm that she’d been looking for.
Turning on the faucet, she opened the lid of a delicate China container and sprinkled the infused herbal granules into the water. Instantly, the room was immersed in rose and eucalyptus.
While the tub filled, she undressed, pulled her hair into a shell clip, and stepped into the inviting warmth of the water which hugged her as she sunk into its embrace. Directly in front of the bathtub was a window that offered a view of towering pines and the craggy, snow topped mountains in the distance. Their tips kissed the sky that was bathed in orange and pink colors as the sun started to set.
She reached for the lighter and lit the row of candles along the bathtub and picked up a sponge from the basket. Using the chunk of soap that also smelled of rose and eucalyptus, she soaped her sponge, enjoying the feel of the rough and softer combination caress her sensitive skin. Keller had evoked emotion in her, and thinking of him made her nipples bead.
With each smooth glide of the soapy sponge, her body became more aware.
Keller wasn’t the same man she knew fifteen years ago. He’d grown into a confident, self-assured cowboy who had an irrevocable charm that could make a woman melt. He certainly did make Freedom weak in the knees.
Running the sponge over one leg, she gave a little giggle. She wasn’t sure where the sound came from within her, but she liked feeling…
What?
An unexpected excitement to have a conversation with a man. Butterflies in places that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
She laid her head back and closed her eyes, smiling to herself.
What harm could come just by simply enjoying his company?
Her cell phone beeped, and she craned her neck to check the screen. Seeing that it was from Keller, she read his message…
When you’re finished come to the back porch for a gourmet dinner. K.
I’m almost done. F.She hit ‘send.’
Using her toe, she lifted the drain. She couldn’t wait to see what he prepared.