Clothing decorated every square inch of my bedroom, and I had no desire or energy to clean it up. Derek would be at our secret meeting spot in less than thirty minutes, and I still had to get ready.
Ocean threw me an outfit. "Wear this."
I groaned, but peeled off my comfortable clothes to put on her latest fashion torture. The skinny jeans clung to my skin like they'd been painted on, and the low cut blouse left little to the imagination, but I had to admit the color complimented my skin tone. For a red-head, Ocean had a lot of clothes that worked for me, which made me wonder if she secretly bought clothes for me and pretended they were hers. I'd never seen her wear most of these outfits.
Still, after brushing out my hair and applying a light coat of lip-gloss and mascara, I studied myself in the mirror and smiled at what I saw.
Ocean came up behind me. "You clean up good, Rose. Now grab your bag and let's get going. I'll drive you to your spot."
I whistled for Sandy and pulled her leash down from its hook, though I'd likely never even need to use it. She came, but slowly, with none of her old enthusiasm.
"Did you pack dog food? My toiletries? A razor?" How horrible would it be if I had to go all hairy during our romantic interlude?
"Yes, yes and yes. I got you covered. I even included protection in case you suddenly learn to control your powers and are ready to let loose and bump uglies with Mr. Hottie. I figured on Extra-Large, am I right?"
"You are so crude sometimes, Rose." But that didn't stop the uncontrollable giggles that took me over. "And, um, yes. You're right."
By the time we left, I had to redo my makeup from all of the tearing up.
When we got to the secret spot behind the property, Derek was already there, standing by his car.
At the sight of him my heart froze, reluctant to meter out any more beats for fear that it would accelerate time, and I would lose these moments with him all too soon.
His face lit up with joy when he saw me. "You came!" He reached for me, swinging me around like a child.
"Yes. I came."
Ocean loaded my luggage into the trunk of his car while we gazed at each other like star-crossed lovers.
Sandy sat at my feet, waiting for us to finish.
I looked down at her and patted her head. "Derek, this is Sandy. Sandy, this is Derek."
She hadn't fully recovered from the massacre of her pups, and I'd hoped that coming with us would cheer her up.
Derek held his hand out. "Hi there. You're beautiful."
She sniffed him, then licked his hand, and he petted her.
I smiled at the two of them. "She likes you. She's usually wary of strangers."
He ruffled her head, then put his arm around me. "She must know I'm not a stranger."
Ocean cleared her throat. "Okay, you two love birds, I'm outa here. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
She winked at me, then drove away.
Derek watched her car pull out. "What wouldn't she do?"
"There's nothing Ocean wouldn't do," I informed him.
"Well," he pulled me against him more tightly, "I like the sound of that. Shall we head to the cabin?"
I gulped past the lump in my throat and nodded.
Despite my best intentions, I couldn't stay away from him. My only hope lay in finding some way to stay in control of my powers.
These next two weeks would be my ultimate test.
When I imagined his cabin, it was a modest affair with a small fireplace, a bedroom or two and a too-small kitchen that didn't get used often.
Yeah, no. What stood before me could have appeared in any number of "where the stars live" magazines. The polished wood tones of the multi-level, well, let's just call it mansion? Estate? Really freaking big house that happened to be made out of logs so people called it a cabin? Whatever it was, it blended well with the tall pine trees and spruce that surrounded it. The snow-peaked mountains in the distance leant the scene an Ansell Adams quality, had it been in black and white. Instead, the subtle colors of winter gave it a warm feeling, despite the snow.
It had a wide porch with outdoor couches and chairs and an iron wood-burning fire pit for warmth. Near that sat a custom built Jacuzzi. I loved soaking in hot water while siting in the cold, watching it snow, and hoped we'd have a chance to use it.
Derek carried my luggage, and I followed him up the steps and into an expansive living area that connected to a gourmet kitchen with an island, a bar and a formal dining area.
"My father had this built from fallen trees. It took years to finish, but no trees were cut down in the making of this house. He even resourced the local boulders and rocks that were pulled during the foundation laying to create the landscaping and some of the ornaments and detail in the design."
A spiral staircase led to a second and third floor, and the wall behind it was made entirely of glass, so as you climbed the stairs you could look out at the mountains and forest. "Your father sounds like an amazing man. I hope to meet him some day."