Shoved (Moonlit Lake Matchmaker #4)

Chapter 22

SERENA

Sadie was happily splashing in the bubble bath with some plastic cups and bowls I stole from Storm’s kitchen. Lulu, her new best friend, kept watch with her head resting on the edge of the tub. I swear, that dog was like a four-legged nanny. And seemed to dote on Sadie.

I never imagined having a dog would make my life easier. Or a man either, for that matter. But these two were sure handy to have around.

After shutting the bathroom door, I leaned against it to pull my thoughts together. I had a very vivid dream of kissing Storm last night. It couldn’t have been real. Could it?

I wanted to ask him, but didn’t know how to bring it up. How embarrassing would it be to have come on to the man who was rescuing us—while I was sick? Ugh! But just as embarrassing to admit that I had a sexy dream about him.

It was hard for me to even look him in the eye this morning. But it had to be done. He was my attorney, and I still needed his help. I needed to control my emotions and let go of this crazy infatuation, because that’s all it could ever be.

I took a deep breath and gave myself a pep talk.

You can do this, Serena. You’re a strong woman, single mom, and business owner. A measly little crush is not going to beat you.

Right. I’ve got this.

I walked out into the open space with the living room and fireplace on one end, and the kitchen with an island on the other. In my stressed out and then sickened state last night, I never really took in our safe haven.

It was a two-bedroom cabin, but seemed to have been recently remodeled. The kitchen had stainless steel appliances and a granite countertop. The island had stools on one side, and a sink on the other. There were hardwood floors throughout. And a gorgeous stone fireplace with a big flat-screen TV on the hearth. It was the perfect fusion of rustic and modern—definitely masculine—and seemed to suit Storm perfectly.

But no Christmas decorations to be found. Not a single one. We’d have to do something about that. The hearth screamed for a pine garland and stockings to hang from it.

At the very least, he needed some green house plants. This place was like a blank canvas, and my florist fingers itched to bring a little life to the room—a tall bamboo palm for the corner and a snake plant next to the fireplace would do wonders in improving the vibe and cleaning the air at the same time. Both would suit the masculine decor, and Storm, and were also low maintenance. I might have to order them for him when this was all over. The least I could do.

Storm had the kitchen cleaned up and was sitting at the table with his laptop and a cup of coffee. I sat across from him with my hands in my lap, biting my lip.

“Thanks again, Storm, for letting us stay here and for taking care of us all night. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all you’ve done.”

He waved it off. “Don’t mention it. I’m glad I could help.” He pushed his computer aside, rested his elbows on the table with his fingers steepled. “Any idea who could be following you? I can’t believe the grandparents would do that when they’ve hired attorneys and are already suing for custody. Doing something like this wouldn’t make sense. Anyone else have a grudge against you? Crazy exes? Anything you can think of?”

“No. I hardly dated before I met Ty, and there’s been nobody since. No enemies that I’m aware of. I have no idea who would do this.” I slumped in the chair and looked down at my hands. “Even before I got that summons, I’d always feared what my in-laws would do when they discovered they had a grandchild. Ty made them out to be pure evil. What if they are rich, evil, and unhinged? Just because someone hires an expensive legal team, doesn’t mean they listen to everything they say. They could be trying to intimidate us, or make it seem like it’s not safe for Sadie to be with me. And if they don’t believe they have a strong case, they could try to kidnap her.” I held my head in my hands, unable to stop the tears.

“Hey.” Storm pulled my hand away from my face and forced me to meet his gaze. “I’m not going to let them take Sadie, not legally or otherwise. That said, I don’t think you and Sadie should go back to your house, at least not alone.”

He had a point. I didn’t know if I would feel safe there alone, either. “I suppose we could stay with my mom, but she just has a one-bedroom. It would be really cramped for three of us.”

“You’re welcome to stay here, if you want.” He let go of my hand and sat back, giving us both a little space. The air between us seemed charged now, and my skin still tingled from his touch. “Or if that makes you uncomfortable, we could all go and stay at the farm until this all blows over. My parents have plenty of extra rooms and would love to have you. And Sadie would love it.”

I chewed my lip as I considered both options. Before making a decision, I had to address the elephant in the room. “There’s something I need to ask you before we go any further. Did anything happen last night?” I motioned between the two of us. “I mean, between us?”

“You mean when you grabbed my neck and assaulted me with your lips?”

“Stop.” My head wilted to the table in humiliation and I hid my face in the crook of my elbow. “Don’t say any more. I want to crawl into a hole as it is.” So it wasn’t a dream. I actually assaulted the man when he was taking care of me.

He placed his hand on my arm, touching me again. The heat from his touch felt like it could brand my skin through my sweater. I really should pull away, but I couldn’t. “Hey. I’m kidding about assaulting me. It caught me off-guard, though. I wasn’t sure if you meant to kiss me, or if it was fever-induced delirium. I stopped it because I wanted to make sure it was what you wanted. I’d never take advantage of you like that.”

“I appreciate that, but… ugg!” I groaned, still keeping my head down to hide my embarrassment. “I’m so sorry I did that. And now I’ve gone and made it all awkward. Why did I even bring it up?” I banged my head on the table. “I wasn’t sure if it was real or a dream. I should have just believed it was a dream and left it at that.”

“Serena. Look at me.” When I kept my head buried in my arms, he leaned over the table and lifted my head with both of his hands on the side of my face.

When I finally met his gaze, his eyes were filled with intensity, heat, and also softness. The combination surprised me, and I didn’t know what to make of it. It made me all kinds of warm and mushy inside. Like a tulip blooming amidst the snow, I felt my heart open, soaking in the winter sunshine. And the feel of his hands cupping my head… well, they made me want to see if my dreams were as potent as reality.

“Serena, I promise you, the next time I kiss you, you’ll be a fully alert, aware, and willingly participating.”

Whoa.

Heat rushed through my body, making me want to fan myself. I pulled away from his grasp. “I, uh, better check on Sadie.” I stood up so abruptly that my chair fell backwards onto the floor, and I tripped over it as I tried to flee. Landing in a heap in front of him. Would I ever stop humiliating myself in front of this man?

Smooth, Serena. Real smooth.

“Are you okay?” He rushed over to help me, but I waved him off.

“I’m good. Just, uh, getting a better look at your flooring. It’s, uh, really nice.” I rubbed my hand on the wood floor before scurrying away on my hands and knees.

“Before you go,” Storm called out to me. “Would you prefer to stay here or at the farm?”

As much as I wanted to stay here with him, I couldn’t trust myself around him. Not even when I was sick, apparently. Plus, it would be too much like playing house, and I couldn’t risk my heart and Sadie’s with that scenario. Being alone with this man any longer than absolutely necessary would only bring heartbreak. I was sure of that.

I paused my retreat and turned back to him. “If you’re sure your parents wouldn’t mind, staying at the farm would be ideal. And Sadie will be over the moon about it. She hasn’t stopped talking about the goats since we did yoga there.”

He nodded and picked up his phone. “I’ll call them right now. They’ll be excited to have you.” He met my gaze one more time, his expression serious but reassuring. “And for what it’s worth, Serena, I think this is the right decision. You’ll both be safe at the farm.”

“Thanks. I hope so.”

In more ways than one.