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Chapter Eight
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A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Nine
Before I knew it, brunch was over, and it was time to go. I'd barely felt the minutes pass. My aunt and Carla had traded snide remarks all morning, but I hadn't noticed them at all. I was having a wonderful morning.“May I walk you out to your car?” Freddie asked after I'd said my goodbyes to everyone.“Sure,” I said before remembering that my car wasn't exactly something I wanted to show off. But I wasn't about to miss out on a few extra minutes with him.The sun beat down on the black asphalt as we worked our way through the rows of cars.“Is summer like this in Paradisa?” I asked.Freddie looked around at the sizzling pavement, the screams of cicadas, and the rising humidity and shook his head. “Not at all. It's hot, but not like this. And our insects are a bit quieter.”I chuckled. “What kind of summer activities do you have?”He shrugged. “We ride horses, there's swimming, and the ocean is close.” He smiled, his eyes going distant. “We do bonfires on the beach. The water is alwa
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Ten
Stevens Point is the small town home to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. It's known as the birthplace of the creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and hosting the world's largest trivia contest each year. I looked forward to that trivia contest every year. My team even took third place one time.The cabin is located a comfortable biking distance from downtown and on one of the many lakes in the area. I'd spent a week at the cabin nearly every summer of my life. It was a cute three-bedroom place with a large sunny living room. The private dock was perfect for launching kayaks, fishing, or floating on inner tubes.The drive up to the lake was the best one I'd ever had. It was so easy to talk to Freddie. We talked about our favorite foods (he liked fish and chips best) and favorite films (Princess Bride for both of us). His impression of the Shrieking Eels had me laughing so hard I could barely breathe.I was smitten.We pulled up in front of the cabin. I threw open the door
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Eleven
“I'm not usually the one who cooks dinner,” Freddie explained. He looked down at his tomato on the counter. “And I actually lied when I said I could help. I have no idea how to dice tomatoes.”I loved the way he said tomatoes. It sounded fancy with his Paradisian accent. But the man had brutally destroyed one of the tomatoes. It lay bleeding in tomato paste form on the cutting board.I pushed the mangled tomato to the side of the cutting board and put out a new one. I took the knife in my hands and showed him how to cut the slices.“Like this?” he asked, sliding in behind me. He draped his arms over mine, resting his hands carefully on top of my own. His breath tickled my ear, vibrating straight down and activating parts of me that had nothing to do with cooking.His heat seeped into me, and I couldn't stop my eyes from closing with a flutter. I forced myself to concentrate, holding onto the tomato like a lifeline.“Yup,” I managed to say. “And then like this.”I was lucky I didn't s
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Twelve
“Zoey...”He kissed me, his hands tangling in my hair this time. He tasted like pure lust and I had to have him.I reached for the hem of his shirt, lifting it up. He broke from the kiss just long enough for the fabric to go over his head, but then his lips were back on mine.My palms spread out on his chest. He was so warm. So muscular. So real that I was glad there was no way I could possibly be dreaming this. There was no way that I could imagine the solidness and the heat of him.I pulled off my own wet shirt, tossing it to the kitchen floor.He hissed his pleasure, his eyes looking me over with reverence. I felt beautiful when he looked at me like that. Like he'd never imagined anyone could look this amazing with their shirt off. I knew I wasn't anything special, but when he looked at me like that, I felt like a freaking super model.I reached behind me and unhooked my bra. I loved the way his eyes dilated as he saw me. I loved the little hitch in his breath and the way his stom
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Thirteen
I woke up to an empty bed.However, the sounds of someone in the kitchen and the scent of coffee had me feeling better about it rather quickly. I brushed my teeth and hurried out to find Freddie in the kitchen.“I ordered donuts,” he said as soon as he saw me. “I wanted to make you a beautiful fancy omelet, but I also didn't want to burn down your aunt's house.”“I appreciate you not destroying the cabin,” I replied. “But the coffee smells great.”“Coffee is the one thing I can actually cook by myself,” he said. “That and a bowl of cereal. I'm quite good at that one too.”I grinned as he handed me a mug full of steaming caffeine. I grabbed one of the donuts from the box and took a bite of delicious sugary goodness. It wasn't on my usual diet, but this was vacation after all.“Come sit on the porch with me?” I asked, motioning my head to the sliding glass door. Freddie beamed and followed me out.We sat in the morning sunshine on two deck chairs, the box of donuts perched between us o
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Fourteen
“So, you just have to move your paddles like this,” I explained, showing him the scooping motion. We sat just off the dock in old leaky kayaks. The life vests smelled like last summer's sunshine and this year's mold, but we wore them anyway.“Like this?” Freddie asked, repeating the motion perfectly. He then proceeded to turn his kayak in a neat circle, looking rather pleased with himself when he came back around.“Yeah.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “I think you've done this before.”“Not in a boat like this,” he replied. “But I did do some rowing in college. The concepts are similar.”I rolled my eyes. Of course, he did rowing in college. He probably did all the expensive sports. I knew he had money. The rental car he'd driven us in hadn't been cheap. His clothes, even his swim trunks, were high end. He had gone to school with Carlson, and since Carlson was ivy-league educated, he tended to run in prestigious circles. I didn't want to pry and ask just how rich he was. But even I coul
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Fifteen
“I love how peaceful it is here,” Freddie remarked the next morning. We sat out on the back porch, sipping coffee and eating the waffles I'd finally made.“Me too,” I agreed. I sighed with contentment, licking the last bit of maple syrup from my fork. “This is even better than I imagined. Thank you for being here.”He flashed me a grin. “Believe me. It's been my pleasure. I think this is the first real vacation I've ever had.”“Really? You've never been on vacation before?” I frowned. “Your parents never took you anywhere?”He shrugged. “I've been on holiday to lots of places, but it was never relaxing. It was always scheduled with tours and meetings. I had to beg for a day off to just sit at the beach or the pool, but even then, I wasn't allowed just to relax.”“Why not?”“It's just not my family's way,” he replied. “We're always on. We're always smiling and doing. I've never been allowed to sit and do nothing. There's always something that should be getting done. If you aren't doin
A Midwestern Cinderella Chapter Sixteen
“Would you rather live in the mountains or on the beach?” I asked Freddie, my head resting on his shoulder as we enjoyed our last evening together. The days had gone so quickly and wonderfully. I had kept asking him to stay another day, and he kept agreeing. I was sure he would get tired of being out in a cabin on a lake, eating home-cooked meals, and reading books on the porch.But he didn't. If anything, I think it soothed his soul as much as it did mine.The night sky sparkled with stars through the window, but we were tucked under a light blanket on the couch inside. The blanket was almost too hot, even with air conditioning, but I liked the weight of it on my lap. My shoulder fit perfectly under his arm as we snuggled on the couch, just talking and enjoying the sound of crickets and frogs outside.“I assume I get a house?” Freddie asked. “I don't have to live out in the wild?”“Yes, you get a comfortable house with a TV and everything,” I told him with a wave of my hand. “Beach o
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