A Vine Mess (Love on the Vine #4)

21. Liam

The sunlight was damn near blinding when I cracked my eyes open the next morning. My abs were sore as hell, and my quads felt like I’d run a marathon.

Nope , I reminded myself. Just had marathon sex.

I stretched out, arm sweeping across the bed to find the space next to me cold and empty. Sitting up, I looked around the room, but the bathroom was dark, and there was no sign of Ella.

Then I heard humming from somewhere else in the cabin.

Sliding out of bed, I threw on a pair of boxer briefs and padded down the hallway.

At the entrance to the great room, I paused, leaning against the wall and watching my girl move around the kitchen.

Yeah, she was my girl now.

Music filtered softly through the space from somewhere, low enough that I knew she hadn’t wanted to wake me with its volume, and she hummed along. With one of my shirts—the one she’d abandoned last night when she got in the shower with me—hanging to her knees, her hair piled atop her head in a messy bun, she was every inch my idea of heaven.

Seeing her in my tee, a Delatou & Danvers branded one that Amara and I had designed and offered in PR packages when we launched the canned cocktails, did something to me. Maybe it was the simple act of seeing our last names together, and the hope that one day, mine would be hers.

“Smells good in here,” I said as I walked toward her.

Ella turned to me with a wide grin, a spatula in her hand, which she waved in the air like a wand and said, “Just making some magic.”

Coming up behind her, I wrapped my arms tightly around her and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, lingering there, deeply inhaling her scent and branding it on my memory. Even with the smells of bacon, eggs, and pancakes mingling in the air, I could easily pick out the floral blend that was all her. Like night blooming jasmine and something earthy.

“Good morning, Wildflower.”

“Good morning to you too,” she giggled as I flexed my hips against her, my fully erect cock pressing into her backside. It didn’t take much for this woman to turn me on, especially not when I snaked my hand under the hem of the tee and discovered she wasn’t wearing panties.

“How’d you sleep?” I asked as my fingers tiptoed higher, closer and closer to the apex of her thighs.

Ella turned in my arms so I was left grabbing a handful of her ass—not that I minded—and slanted her mouth over mine in a long, slow kiss. Only the bacon sizzling insistently in the pan behind her hand me drawing back before we took things too far and burnt the place down.

“Better than I have in months,” she admitted. “Actually, no. Better than I have in years .”

“Fucked you that good, huh?” I teased, bending to nip at her earlobe.

Ella leaned back in my arms, trying to break free, and swatted at me with the spatula, leaving behind a streak of grease on my left shoulder, right over the lips tattooed there. Pressing her own lips to my skin, she licked away the mess she’d made, then pulled from my hold before I could react.

“You’re a brat,” she told me, returning her attention to our breakfast.

“You love it.”

She winked at me over her shoulder in response.

“This looks amazing,” I added, peering over her shoulder. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

“I’ve picked up quite a few things from Brie over the years,” she said. “We only live two buildings apart, so I’ve spent a lot of time over there cooking dinner with her. Not so much lately, though…”

I frowned, catching onto the sadness in her tone. “How come?”

“Well, she’s all happy in a committed relationship with a baby on the way,” she said with a frown. “Doesn’t really have a lot of time to devote to me anymore.”

Once again, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back against my chest. Her head dropped to my shoulder, those green eyes bright as she stared up at me.

“Your sisters—all of them—love you, El. That’s never going to change.” I pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Besides, I have every intention of monopolizing your time from here on out.”

Ella smirked. “Oh really?”

I nodded. “If you’ll have me.”

“In all the ways you’ll let me,” she promised.

“All of them. Everything I am is yours.”

After breakfast, we lost ourselves in each other’s bodies for another few hours before we decided to do some exploring. We spent most of the day wandering the foothills around our rental, content not to share our attention with anyone or anything but each other and the vast expanse of nature. We had a picnic out in the fields, where numerous wildlife, including bison, deer, and too many rabbits to count, roamed nearby.

That evening, I booked us a hot springs excursion, which sounded romantic in theory and felt even more so now that Ella and I were…doing whatever we were doing. We hadn’t slapped labels on anything, but I knew I belonged to her on a soul-deep level, in a way no one else would ever have me. I hoped, and was fairly confident, she felt the same.

When we arrived, I was surprised to find the lot in front of the rustic lodge empty. The hot springs were part of some sort of spa retreat, and inside were rooms for massages, facials and other self-care treatments, plus an indoor pool and hot tub, a restaurant, and gift shop. The second and third floors held the guest suites that offered beautiful views of Grand Teton National Park beyond the windows.

“Hello!” the woman behind the check-in counter said brightly when Ella and I entered the lobby, the ceilings soaring high above us. The entire place was decorated in muted, neutral tones, and soft, instrumental music filtered through some unseen sound system. “Welcome to Grand Lodge and Spa! How can we help you today?”

“Hello, Marcie,” I said, squinting at her name tag. “I’m Liam Danvers. I called yesterday to book a soak in the hot springs.”

“Ahh, yes, yes,” she said, her long-nailed fingers tapping away at her keyboard. “Two of you, correct?”

I smiled down at Ella. “Yep, just the two of us.”

She squeezed my hand tighter in response.

With a flourish, Marcie tapped the keyboard a final time and stepped out from behind the desk, motioning for us to follow. Her steps were extra peppy as she led us down a long hallway. At the end, Marcie pushed through a door. Three doors branched off each side of the small alcove, one marked men , one women , and the third unisex . I appreciated the inclusivity.

“The locker rooms beyond these doors are the only way to access the hot springs,” Marcie said, gesturing at the fogged window on the far wall, beyond which I assumed were the springs. “All we ask is you rinse off when you get out.”

“I think we can handle that,” I said, and Ella nodded in agreement.

“Then I’ll leave you to it!” Marcie crowed with a clap. She retreated to the door we’d entered through, but just as she pulled it open, she turned back to us.

“By the way, I don’t have anyone scheduled for the rest of the day. You’ll have the place entirely to yourselves for as long as you want.” She winked suggestively, and I nearly choked on my tongue at the implication. “Have fun.”

And then she was gone, leaving me and Ella staring dumbfoundedly after her.

“Well, what do you say, Wildflower?”

Ella grinned as she grabbed my hand, towing me toward the door to the unisex locker room.

“I don’t think—”

“Shh, Wills. Just go with it.”

And who was I to deny this woman anything?

The locker room was as spacious and well-appointed as the parts of the lodge we’d seen so far, with sturdy wooden cubbies, a row of toilets, and individual shower stalls. The wall next to the door outside was lined with hooks draped with fluffy white robes and a cabinet filled to the brim with towels and toiletries.

We quickly changed into our swimsuits, and I barely kept my hands to myself when Ella was naked before me, only doing so by reminding myself I could play later. Before we stepped outside, we donned robes and grabbed a couple of towels.

The wind nipped at my exposed skin the second we left the building, and I gave into a shiver, tucking Ella into my side as we made our way toward the water.

The rocks surrounding it were worn smooth, whether by some feat of man or from natural wear, I couldn’t tell. The water itself bubbled gently and steamed the air around us, enticing us closer, wrapping around us invitingly.

Ella’s phone beeped, and she dropped my hand to check the notification while I remained rooted in place, closing my eyes and inhaling a lungful of mountain air.

“God, this place is incredible. I never want to leave.”

When she didn’t respond, I popped my eyes open and sought her out. She stood about ten feet away with her back to me. I knew something was wrong instantly from the way her shoulders were tense and curved inward, from how she was practically vibrating in a way that had nothing to do with the slight chill in the air.

“Ella?” I asked gently, moving closer. I came around her front and peered down at her.

Her phone was gripped tightly in her hand, bleaching her knuckles white, and shaking violently.

“Wildflower,” I tried again. Slowly, her head raised, eyes swimming with tears colliding with mine. “Baby? What’s wrong? Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone except me,” she whispered. Then, slightly louder: “Alfie texted me. I should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy.”

“What’d he say?” I asked, my teeth gritted.

“Nothing,” she replied, turning and attempting to give me a bright smile. But I knew what her real smiles looked like, and this one was strained at the edges, her lips quivering as she attempted to hold it in place. Fake as fuck.

“What. Did. He. Say?”

Wordlessly and with a resigned sigh, Ella held out the phone, and I read her douchebag ex’s message.

In fact, I realized as I scrolled backward, the entire thread was a stream of grey bubbles, each one having gone unanswered. The last text she’d sent was in early January, telling him if he didn’t give her things back, she was sending Owen after him. I wanted to chuckle at that—I knew Owen wouldn’t hesitate to put that little shit in his place—but was too overcome with fury to spare any other emotion.

Despite her silence, he’d continued to bother her for months , saying some incredibly shitty things that had me questioning how quickly I could get back to Michigan and beat his ass to a pulp. Finally, I scanned the most recent, and my vision went red.

You’re such a slut. Spreading your legs for the first guy that shows you some attention. And of course it’s one of your family’s employees. You’re no better than your whore sisters.

“I’ll fucking kill him,” I ground out. “How fast do you think we can get back to Apple Blossom Bay?”

Ella’s lips twitched, a real—though small—smile appearing there. But it fell quickly, eyes going glassy with unshed tears.

Stepping into her space, I pulled her against me. I notched my thumb under her chin and tilted her head back until our gazes collided. “How did he even find out where you were?”

Instead of answering me, Ella took her phone back and tapped around, then flipped it toward me, showing her Instagram feed.

The most recently posted photo was so benign, it irritated me further that the douchebag saw fit to even message her about it. After that near-kiss in that alcove in Deadwood, we’d gone to a little bar for drinks and food. The picture wasn’t anything special—an aerial view of the table, my arm splayed across it, hand gripping my pint, Ella’s more delicate one doing the same across from me. There was a basket of fries, chicken tenders, fried mushrooms, jalapeno poppers, and onion rings in the middle between us, her BLT on one side, my burger on the other.

Completely innocent and absolutely nothing to get up in arms over .

God, I fucking hated this guy.

“I’ll fucking kill him,” I repeated.

Ella shook her head. “He’s not worth it, Wills.”

“I don’t need to remind you, but that pissant never deserved you, Ella. Because you are worth everything . You are everything.”

“I know you’re right, but when you’ve been gaslit into thinking the opposite for so many years…it’s hard to forget that. Hard to rewire my brain to the person I was before.”

“Maybe you don’t have to go back to her. Maybe you become someone new. Someone stronger. Someone who knows her worth and won’t settle for anything less.”

“Are you offering?”

I swallowed hard around the lump of emotion suddenly lodged in my throat. “If you’ll have me.”

“Selfishly, I want you. I want us to keep going on like we have been. But…” She trailed off, expression so stricken I feared what would come out of her mouth next. “You deserve to have all my cards on the table, and I understand if you change your mind afterward.”

“Trust me when I tell you there is nothing you could do that’ll drive me away at this point. And for what it’s worth,” I added, bending to press a kiss to her forehead, “you don’t owe me anything. But if you want to tell me, I’m always here to listen.”

She heaved a deep breath, holding it in for a few beats before she said, “He cheated on me.”

I blinked slowly, trying to get my brain to process those words. That little shit had the most stunning woman I’ve ever known—inside and out—and he stepped out in her? Fucking hell, the rage I’d felt for him before was nothing compared to the hot, insistent anger coursing through me now, demanding I seek retribution for all the ways she’d been wronged.

“Fuck, Wildflower,” I said, the softness of my tone completely belying my inner turmoil. “I’m so sorry.”

And I was. For the way she’d been hurt, for having her trust broken. And because I knew all too well what it felt like to be on the receiving end of that level of unfaithfulness.

She waved me off, clearly not wanting my sympathy. “I thought I was over it, but that kind of thing sticks with you. Like a bone deep bruise that takes a lot longer than you hoped to completely heal.” I only nodded, not wanting to interrupt her when she was on a roll. And anyway, I was more than a little familiar with that particular phenomenon.

“I think I knew something like that was happening, and I just didn’t want to admit it,” she continued. “He was on the road pretty frequently after Delia accidentally put him on the map, and I was content to live my life in Apple Blossom Bay and let him do his thing.” Pausing, she shook her head with a disbelieving laugh. “God, I should’ve ended it years ago. I’m not sure I ever even loved him, you know? I think…maybe I just didn’t want to be alone, and I secretly liked the attention he gave me. At least at the beginning.”

“How did you find out?”

“A few girls DMed me on Instagram to let me know. They were friends of girls he’d cheated with, and it didn’t sit right with them that I was oblivious to the whole thing.”

“Girls’ girls, then,” I said, grinning.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Ella said, one side of her mouth twitching up. “These months since the breakup haven’t been hard in the sense that I miss what we had, because I really don’t. They’ve been hard because I’m so fucking mad at myself for wasting so much time on him, and for turning a blind eye, burying my head in the sand when I knew something was off. And the people in town bring it up every fucking time they see me,” she seethed. “How am I supposed to move on if they won’t let me forget about it?”

“You need to be honest with them.”

Ella only barreled ahead, apparently not having heard me. “It doesn’t help that I can still hear his voice ringing in my head, telling me all the things that are wrong with me. I’m not pretty and skinny like Alix Earle, I’m not—”

“Alix who?”

“—talented like he is,” she proceeded without missing a beat, ignoring my interruption. “I ruined myself with my tattoos.” She held her arms out and shoved the sleeves of her robe up, revealing her ink. “They were my silent rebellion, you know. I mean, I had quite a few when we started dating, but I just kept getting more while we were together because I knew how much he hated them.”

“I love them,” I assured her, exposing my own forearms. “I-I love you . You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Ella. I’ve been mesmerized by you since the first time I met you. And I love you for telling me this. The fact that you trusted me enough to let me shoulder some of the burden…I promise you’re always safe with me.”

I was surprised by the evenness of my tone, of how steady and sure I felt giving her the truth of those three words—giving her my truth at last .

Her entire face lit up, expression softening, and looked like she wanted to say she loved me in return, but honestly? I didn’t want to hear it right then. Not on the heels of such an exhausting emotional purge. I wanted her to be happy when she said them, not crying because another man had broken her and her trust so thoroughly.

“In the end, he was the one who threw it all away. Spit on the years I’d given him, all the fights with my family, all the time with them I’d missed for him. But all that wasted time just led me right here, to this trip with you.”

I folded her into an embrace and held her there, feeling her entire body go lax against me. I knew she was long past crying—she’d had a lot of time to come to terms with the shit he’d put her through, but sharing with me seemed to take the wind out of her.

I wanted to bring her back to herself—back to me , so I made a crazy declaration.

“What do you say we give him a taste of his own medicine?”

Ella pulled back, eyes flashing. “What’d you have in mind?”

I grinned mischievously down at her.

“Take off your clothes, Wildflower.”