Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Looking back, Navier would ask herself how she missed all the signs.

She was sufficiently clear-eyed to anticipate tension; it was only natural after almost two years of long-distance. However, she expected good weeks ruptured by occasional disagreements and short-lived arguments, not the palpable resentment and simmering anger which hovered like a toxic gas in their apartment — inescapable, corrosive, debilitating. Like any other pair of workaholics, they retreated into their work, keeping separate schedules to avoid one another as much as possible. She was always out of the apartment by the time he woke up, and he only came to bed long after she’d fallen asleep.

One day he stopped coming home at all. 

She didn’t see it at first. He met her at the gym; she was young and lost and jobless and he hired her as his assistant. A selfless act of kindness, he said, expecting praise. He arranged a meeting between them — she was sweet and shy and wanted to be friends. A strange proposal coming from a woman who was his employee; Navier rarely socialized with his friends and never learned the names of his ever-changing assistants. She rebuffed the request — she worked long hours and they would see each other at the company Christmas party and the odd happy hour. There was no need to be friends. 

But then she was at the apartment, making herself at home: eating whatever she liked, drinking Navier’s Merlot, using Navier’s candles, depleting Navier’s chocolate stash. He became angry when Navier brought it up — didn’t he bring friends over all the time? Why was she making a problem out of something so trivial? She bit her tongue. They’d lived together for a few months and his friends had yet to come by. She stopped asking him to replenish the groceries after he accused her of nagging.

They hosted a housewarming party eight months too late. He invited her without telling Navier and then spent all evening ignoring their other guests. Meanwhile, Navier ran around frantically, opening bottles of wine, refilling bowls of chips, buzzing people in when the doorbell rang. The next day, Nian called, devastated — who was she, and why did she falsely accuse Nian of having an affair?

Still, she refused to see it. 

Until the promotion.

Navier was a lawyer assigned to his unit to work on an acquisition. She requested the assignment, hoping that it would bring them closer. It didn’t. He was rarely available even as the acquisition date loomed. Rather than make more time, he sent her, although she was unqualified in every respect. 

One Thursday evening, after waiting in vain for one of them to show up to the weekly meeting, Navier decided that she’d earned a treat. She’d eaten dinner at her desk every night that month; tonight she would reward herself with takeout from her favorite restaurant and eat it in front of the TV.

Maybe it was her gut quite literally looking out for her; maybe her subconscious finally decided to force consciousness on her. 

Her mind took mercy on her and didn’t store that moment as a vivid memory that she could replay whenever she sought torment. Yet certain sounds, smells, and tastes had the power to bring it all back — the song that blared on her new speakers, the soft lavender scent of her then-favorite candle, the spicy tuna roll in its takeout tray.

She couldn’t even quit right away — her pride wouldn’t allow it. She needed to see the acquisition through. Her colleague Eliza generously volunteered to take her place in meetings so Navier wouldn’t have to see them, but nothing could be done about the gossip and nosy stares. 

After all that hard work, the acquisition fell through. Some other company swept in at the last minute with a much better offer. She resented them, not because all her hard work was suddenly pointless, but because they waited so long to end her misery. At least she was free. She immediately looked for a new assignment and took an unexciting role with the forgettable segment that no one cared about, effectively a demotion from her position supporting the fastest-growing segment in the company. Anything to avoid them. 

It wasn’t enough. He came back with apologies, tears, and promises. She rejected him over and over again — he made it easy. His apologies were hollow like his heart: he was still dating her. Navier reached her limit at Thanksgiving when he barged into her parents’ home and begged on his knees. It was time for a fresh start, far from Sovieshu and Rashta.

Navier broke her lease and quit her job on the same day. Her last week was slow since Christmas was around the corner and she’d already transitioned most of her work, so she divided her time between packing and browsing travel sites. After picking the destination, she went shopping and allowed herself to be talked into buying whatever the salesperson recommended.

Her brother helped her move for the second time that year. After a hectic, exhausting day, her possessions were safely stowed in her parents’ basement and her suitcase was packed with brand-new winter clothes and all the books she’d opened but didn’t finish in the last two years. The next day, her brother drove her to the airport and hugged her long enough to bring tears to her eyes. She boarded a plane headed West, to the least likely destination: a remote cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Chapter Text

Dusk was beginning to sweep over the road when Navier leaned forward in her tiny rental car to read the faded sign — Eagle Creek Lane. The first snowflakes began to fall as she pulled into the gravel driveway. Perfect timing, she thought gratefully. She’d been anxious about driving in the dark during a snowstorm.

The driveway was wide and covered with a thin layer of snow. Untamed forest stretched to the right; a sign marked the hiking trails advertised on the rental website. To the left were the three cabins. Navier drove past the first one, which was clearly unoccupied. A stretch of unkempt lawn strewn with fallen leaves separated the first cabin from the next one, which would be hers. A bit further down the driveway was the third cabin, the biggest on the property, with two bedrooms and an outdoor hot tub. There was a car parked out front but the cabin was dark, aside from the porch light. Though Navier hoped she wouldn’t have to socialize with her neighbors, she felt comforted by their presence. It wasn’t until this moment, face-to-face with the endless wilderness, that she grasped the full meaning of ‘cozy, isolated cabin.’

It took a few minutes to bundle up — jacket, gloves, scarf, gloves off and on again (she’d forgotten to check her phone for the lockbox code), hat. She found the lockbox in the firewood shed, retrieved the key, and jiggled it in the lock. Once inside the cabin, Navier turned on the lights and ran to the space heater, paying no mind to the trail of sludge she left behind. She set the heater to the highest temperature and stood there, still wearing all her winter clothes, waiting for the sweet moment of relief. But her hands were still cold and it struck her that the room was dark.

On, off. On, off. On.

Nothing. 

She tried a few more switches. Then she checked the fridge. 

Still dark.

Navier lit the flashlight on her phone and noticed that there was no cell reception. She tried to breathe in deeply and exhale slowly to control the rising panic, but the visible puff of air only made it worse. Her heart thumped somewhere in her throat and her body felt empty and detached; sensations she dreaded.

It’s alright, she thought. I solve all kinds of problems at work. I can figure this out.

She stepped outside and looked around. The snow was falling thickly now and her footsteps had almost disappeared beneath a fresh layer of snow. Driving in this weather would be too dangerous. There was only one option.

The interior of the cabin at the far end was still dark. Navier knocked on the door anyway. She knocked again, more forcefully. And again, almost frantic. 

She refused to give in to the surging anxiety. Whoever was staying in that cabin would be back soon, and she could wait in her car. She could wait all night, if necessary! Then she heard barking and turned around. A speck of brown emerged from the woods and ran toward her, wagging its tail. 

“Oh, hi!”

It was a large chocolate-brown Labrador. He was abuzz with excitement, wagging his tail and jumping on her, trying to lick her face. A man’s voice called from a distance but the dog paid no mind, too engrossed with Navier to listen to his owner. Navier crouched and patted the dog’s damp fur. She was mortified to notice the tears welling up in her eyes — she told herself it was the cold, but the lightness in her heart felt more like relief. 

“Bird! Step back!”

The man caught up to them and the dog — Bird, apparently — looked at his owner with a puppy’s well-rehearsed but heart-melting guilty expression and didn’t back away from Navier.

“I’m so sorry. He’s friendly, but he knows better than to lunge at strangers.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Navier said, rising to face the man. 

She had to repress a blush when she noticed how close they were. He towered over her and smiled cheerfully, the apples of his cheeks pink from the cold. He’d obviously been caught in the storm; there were wet patches all over his green coat and his shoulders were dusted with snowflakes. He wore a gray wool hat over his light-blonde hair, which was long enough to fall casually over his eyes. His lashes, glistening with drops of ice-cold water, framed a pair of stunning violet eyes. He stared at her with curiosity but showed no sign that he resented the intrusion; he transmitted such warmth and friendliness that Navier felt instantly at ease.

“Sorry to disturb you,” she said. “I booked the cabin next door, but the power is out and I’ve got no cell reception. I came here to ask for help.”

“How awful! How long have you been waiting out here? Please, come in, you must be freezing.”

The man unlocked the door and held it open for Navier but Bird flew in first. Navier stepped into the mudroom, which was covered in wet, muddy paw prints. The dog was already comfortably seated on the sofa. Unwilling to step on the plush rug with wet boots, the man scolded Bird from the entrance without any success. Navier bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. She politely removed her shoes and joined Bird on the sofa, but not for long; the man dragged the dog back to the mudroom and rubbed a towel over his fur, muttering angrily the whole time.

Navier looked around. She’d seen pictures online so the layout was familiar. The interior was a harmonious blend of gray stone and wood; the furniture was cozy but modern. The sectional on which she was seated was at the center of a large open area, facing floor-to-ceiling windows which opened to the outdoor deck. A modern and spacious kitchen faced the driveway, to her right. Tucked away next to the kitchen was the mudroom, where Bird was still being subjected to his drying procedure. To Navier’s left, opposite the kitchen, was the chimney; two cozy armchairs faced the fireplace and Bird’s bed had been placed in between. Behind her, two doors led to the bedrooms.

“Sorry about that,” the man said, joining her in the living room. Bird followed meekly and cautiously placed his head on Navier’s lap.

The man was on the verge of scolding the dog again but decided against it when Navier scratched Bird’s head with her gloved hand. He disappeared into one of the bedrooms and returned with a space heater, which he positioned close to Navier. She smiled gratefully and shifted to face the heater, and he finally took a seat on the sofa.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news,” he said. “The wi-fi is down and my phone doesn’t have reception either.”

Navier sank back on the sofa. Her fresh start wasn’t going as smoothly as she’d hoped.

“Even if we could get in touch with the owner tonight, it’ll take a few days to fix the problem,” the man said. “Today is Thursday… and with Christmas coming up next week…”

He trailed off; the predicament was obvious. Navier felt the tears well up again and focused on Bird, who was now lying at her feet.

“I could drive you into town, if you want. But you’d have to come back to get your car, and all the decent hotels are probably full. Unless…”

He looked away from her and Navier could have sworn that he was blushing.

“Yes?”

“Stay here. There’s two bedrooms, after all. You’d even have your own bathroom. And we’re not at risk of losing power since this cabin has a backup generator.”

Navier blushed, too. It was a crazy suggestion and she could never take him up on it. 

But she didn’t have much of a choice. And Bird was adorable. And this man was… but she didn’t even know his name.

“Sorry, but what’s your name?”

“Ah. I’m Heinrey. It’s lovely to meet you…”

“Navier.”

“Navier. What a beautiful name.”

Her heart fluttered dangerously.

“Isn’t someone joining you?” she asked.

Perhaps a friend or a relative was coming down, and she’d have to leave. 

Or a girlfriend.

She scolded herself instantly for the thought but her body tensed, relaxing only after Heinrey shook his head. 

“No, no one. It’s just Bird and me.”

Heinrey smiled warmly. She would never admit it, not even to herself, but she decided to accept the offer the minute he suggested it. She looked down at her lap and counted to one hundred — she wanted Heinrey to think that she took her time to think it over.

“In that case… I guess I’ll stay. Thank you so much.” Then, impulsively, she added, “You really saved me. I’ll make it up to you.”

“I look forward to that.”

He smiled widely, a lovely smile that lifted the apples of his cheeks and made his eyes squint. It was an earnest smile with just a hint of flirtation. Navier suddenly felt lightheaded. She removed her gloves, coat, and hat but the sensation persisted.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, until Heinrey suggested that they grab Navier’s things from her car. She bundled up again but he walked out without wearing a jacket. It would have taken Navier at least three trips to gather all her things, but Heinrey gallantly carried her suitcase, duffle, backpack, and one of the tote bags full of groceries. All she carried was her purse, the second tote bag, and an empty coffee cup. She cringed as she remembered just how heavy her suitcase was, but Heinrey didn’t say anything.

She unpacked while Heinrey lit a fire. She came out of her room carrying a candle for the living room and a bottle of hand soap for the kitchen sink. While unloading groceries, she noticed Heinrey covertly smelling the jasmine-and-roses candle.

“How about I start making dinner?” Heinrey asked, joining her in the kitchen.

“Do you want any help? Though I should warn you that I’m not very good at cooking.”

“Want to open a bottle of wine?”

Heinrey moved with confidence as he chopped vegetables and stirred the sauce he cooked from scratch. Navier chose a bottle of Pinot Noir from Heinrey’s stash, and then determined that she’d be most helpful by staying out of the way. She took a seat at the kitchen island, which doubled as a dining table, and watched him in silence; she ought to make conversation but couldn’t think of anything to say. She was becoming anxious at the thought of eating dinner in awkward silence when Heinrey asked how long she planned to stay.

“I booked the cabin for a month.”

“What a coincidence! We arrived yesterday and we’re also staying a month. This is my first real vacation in several years so I figured I earned it.”

“How come you haven’t taken a vacation in so long?”

Conversation flowed easily. Heinrey explained that he started a business some years ago, and it grew so quickly that he’d worked constantly ever since. He worked even on his days off. When he adopted Bird, he realized he wanted to slow down a little.

“You adopted Bird? How long ago?”

That was another story. Heinrey handed Navier a bowl of pasta and took a seat across from her.

“It happened completely out of the blue almost two years ago. I walked by the shelter during an adoption drive and all the animals were out on the lawn. One of the volunteers tried to talk me into adopting, and I was so determined to avoid making eye contact that I accidentally made eye contact with Bird instead! You could say it was love at first sight, wasn’t it, buddy?”

Bird, asleep on his bed by the fireplace, didn’t react. Heinrey laughed. 

“It wasn’t until we got to my apartment that I realized I had no idea what I was doing. So we went to the pet shop and I bought everything — and I do mean everything. Then we went to the beach and that’s where he got his name. He wanted to play with the seagulls but they obviously flew away. He was so sad. I didn’t think the name ‘Gull’ was any good, though, so I went with ‘Bird’ instead. What do you think?”

“It’s a great name,” Navier said, smiling widely. Her anxiety about making conversation with a stranger had vanished. She felt as if she’d known Heinrey for years.

They opened a second bottle of Pinot Noir — Navier decided she’d earned a third glass after the stressful start to her vacation — and moved to the armchairs by the fireplace. Heinrey fed another log to the fire, making it crackle.

“How come you’re here for a whole month?” Heinrey asked.

“I quit my job,” Navier said. She hoped he wouldn’t ask why. 

“Congratulations!” Heinrey said, holding up his glass to toast. “What do you do?”

“I’m a lawyer… Hey! Don’t make that face!”

“Sorry! I’m not usually a fan of lawyers.”

Navier frowned. “I’ll remember that.”

She meant to inflect her words with playfulness but Heinrey seemed worried that he’d offended her. 

“I’m sorry. I know that getting through law school takes a lot of dedication and brains. But how come you quit?”

“Ah… it’s … it’s complicated.”

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to pry.”

Navier feared that she’d ruined the pleasant atmosphere but Heinrey knew how to make her feel comfortable. He switched the subject right away.

“Have you ever visited this part of the country before?”

“No, never.”

“I’ll be your guide! I used to come here as a child so I can show you my favorite places.”

Navier started to thank him when she accidentally let out a yawn. Heinrey checked his watch and smiled apologetically.

“It’s late and I have to take Bird out. I won’t keep you any longer.”

Navier nodded sleepily and headed to her bedroom.

“Hey… Thanks again, Heinrey.”

***

Heinrey kept his hands in his pockets and walked in circles to stay warm while he waited for Bird to do his business. He could not believe his luck. Navier was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met and she’d be staying with him for a few days. And even after the power was restored in her cabin, he’d still get to see her over the next month.

I wonder if she’s single…

Something about her tone suggested that she’d come here escaping something… or someone. It couldn’t be her job; quitting a job doesn’t cause sorrow like that. But he suspected that whatever heartbreak she’d experienced was somehow connected to her job.

He shrugged and urged Bird to hurry up. Navier would decide whether or not to confide in him. 

Confide — what am I even thinking? We’ve known each other for less than a day.

It was still snowing. Heinrey wished it would snow all night, making it impossible to leave all weekend. He instantly regretted the thought and cursed himself.

Bird was finally done and they hurried inside. Heinrey looked forward to getting in bed; the sooner he fell asleep, the sooner it’d be morning, and then he would see her again.

Chapter Text

Sunlight seeped in through the window, waking Navier. She was in excellent spirits — a unique happiness tinged by excitement, like a kid waking up on Christmas Day. She searched for an explanation: a hopeful dream she could no longer remember, or the coziness of being bundled up in warm blankets, or feeling perfectly well-rested after a good night’s sleep. Though all were true, she believed it was something else… something she couldn’t remember.

It took her a minute to become oriented in the unfamiliar surroundings; the wood paneled wall, the snow-covered fir out the window, the thick cream-colored wool blankets. Then she heard kitchen noises; the clinking of ceramic, drawers opening, a whisk beating against a metal bowl. As though a light bulb lit up inside her head, she instantly recalled where she was, and who she was with. Her spirits soared.

It sounded like Heinrey was making breakfast and Navier allowed herself to hope that he would make enough for two. The pasta last night was excellent, as good as any in a restaurant. One of Navier’s New Year’s resolutions was to learn how to cook; she’d survived off cheap takeout and ramen during law school and slightly better takeout since then, and it was time to improve her diet and give her wallet a break. Maybe Heinrey could teach her…

There was a whine and a rap at the door, followed by Heinrey’s voice. Navier smiled. Bird must have sensed that she was awake. She finally left the bed and went to the bathroom, thanking the universe for the layout, as it’d be mortifying to walk out with bed hair. She sped through her morning routine but hesitated to forego makeup; she didn’t want Heinrey, who was so handsome, to see—

But why should I care what he thinks of my appearance? 

She argued with herself while washing her face and settled on a light makeup look, just enough so she wouldn’t feel so exposed. 

Feeling more confident in jeans, a chunky sweater and warm socks, she took a deep breath before leaving the bedroom. Bird was instantly hopping up on her and she bent down to scratch his belly.

“Good morning, sleepyhead!”

Something deep inside Navier stirred at the sound of Heinrey’s husky voice. He held a pan in one hand and a spatula in the other. He was wearing a t-shirt, red flannel pants, and black-rimmed glasses. His hair was messy, like he’d just rolled out of bed. Navier could not believe someone could look so handsome right after waking up.

“It’s only eight-thirty,” she said defensively.

“Bird has been waiting by your door since seven,” Heinrey said, smiling to show Navier that he was only teasing. “He woke me up, in fact, didn’t you Bird?”

Navier laughed. The delicious aroma of pancakes and coffee wafted from the kitchen and her stomach growled.

“It smells delicious! Can I help with anything?”

“I’m all done. Take a seat and I’ll be right there.”

The pancakes were the best Navier had ever had, fluffy and drenched in high-quality maple syrup.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked. 

It was bad timing as Navier had just taken an over-large bite of pancake, so she nodded, embarrassed. But Heinrey smiled and dropped another pancake on her plate. 

“I slept really well, but not long enough… thanks to Bird.”

“Maybe he can stay with me tonight,” Navier joked.

“I bet he’d like that.”

It was that same tone he’d used last night, earnest with a hint of flirtation and playfulness. It set her heart aflutter. She cleared her throat.

“So… Do you have any plans for today?”  

“I thought I would drive you to town so you can contact the owner, but it snowed several inches last night and the roads are dangerous. I’m afraid you’re stuck with us a little longer,” Heinrey said, smiling widely. “Bird and I are going hiking. Would you like to join us?”

It was a sunny day and Navier wanted to stretch her legs after the long travel day. And, although she’d never hiked before, she had all the necessary gear thanks to the enthusiastic lady at the outdoors store. Besides, if she turned him down, he might take offense and stop asking her to join in the future. She didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to spend time with him.

Navier had just made up her mind to join when she worried that Heinrey only asked to be polite. 

Then he said, “I’m sure Bird would love your company… and so would I.”

That settled it. Navier smiled shyly and confessed that she’d never hiked before and Heinrey promised to pick an easy trail. They cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher, and then they each went to their bedrooms to get dressed.

When Navier was ready, she stumbled upon a wrestling match between Heinrey and Bird in the mudroom. It looked like the dog didn’t want to wear his neon-orange vest. She watched, amused, and was struck by how attractive Heinrey looked in his hiking gear, like someone who would take charge and keep her safe in the woods. She was excited to go on an adventure with him.

Heinrey won the battle at last and noticed that Navier was waiting. 

“Ready? I’ve got snacks for both of us. Do you have enough water?”

They stepped outside and the cold air cut into Navier’s face like a knife, but the rest of her body felt warm enough. Any more layers and she’d be moving like a stiff robot. Heinrey led the way: down the driveway, left at the wooden pole, then straight into the forest. Bird, walking without a leash, stayed by Navier’s side.

The trail was lovely. They walked beneath naked aspen trees and everything was white for a while. Then the trail zig-zagged uphill and Navier, struggling to breathe, stopped noticing the landscape. When the trail flattened at last, she caught her breath and looked around. The landscape had changed completely and she was awe-struck by the majestic firs surrounding them. It was quiet aside from the snow crunching beneath their steps, wood creaking as the trees swayed, soft thuds as little mounds of snow fell to the ground, knocked off branches by the breeze. Snowflakes glimmered in mid-air. The scent of fir was intoxicating and the cold air felt rejuvenating.

They walked in silence. Occasionally, Heinrey turned around to make sure that Navier was keeping up. Her heart skipped a beat whenever their eyes met. He’d swapped his glasses for contacts, and now nothing stood between Navier and his disarming violet eyes. She couldn’t think of anything to say to him and, in any case, she needed to concentrate on the bumpy trail.

After about an hour, Heinrey paused to drink water. He filled a collapsible silicone bowl for Bird, who spilled more water than he lapped up before walking away to sniff the trees. 

“How are you doing?”

“I feel great!” Navier said. Her eyes were bright. “It’s so beautiful here.”

They admired the stunning view of the mountains covered in a blanket of pristine snow. The pine trees were blue and endless like the sea, their snow-covered tops white like sea foam. Navier took deep breaths of the pure mountain air, forcing out the pain and sadness with every exhalation. Standing on these ancient mountains was spiritual and soothing, and a peaceful happiness filled her heart.

They kept going and Navier finally thought of a suitable topic of conversation. 

“Do you hike often?”

“Any chance I get,” Heinrey replied.

Once again he took charge of the conversation, launching into descriptions of his favorite places and memorable incidents. It seemed like he’d been everywhere and experienced everything nature had to offer. He told her about the time he tripped on a rock and had to walk eight miles on a twisted ankle. The time he was in the jungle and stepped on a fire ants’ nest and ran to the river to wash them off. The time he pitched his tent on the wrong side of the mountain and couldn’t sleep all night due to the howling wind. The time he and his friends decided to pass the evening telling horror stories, only to cut the camping trip short when an ill-timed owl’s hoot scared them witless. 

Navier couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much.

“Oops,” Heinrey said, stopping without warning. “It’s been two hours. We should turn back now.”

Navier was shocked. She’d never walked so far. Suddenly, she became aware of the cold seeping in through her boots, the stiffness in her left knee, the soreness in her thighs. She tried not to think about the fact that they had two more hours to go…

“Don’t worry. The way back usually goes faster,” Heinrey reassured her. He was digging through his backpack. He brought out energy bars and a thermos filled with coffee, which Navier accepted gratefully. Her strength started to return, but then — overwhelming shame. She’d had too much to drink.

“Um… Heinrey? I have to… you know, I drank a lot of water…” 

He gave no indication that he was put off or uncomfortable and said that he’d walk ahead with Bird.

She waited a few minutes until she was sure that they were out of sight and out of earshot and then she waited a little longer. Once satisfied, she walked off the path and found a suitable spot behind a large tree. When she lowered her pants and the two pairs of thermal leggings underneath, her legs stung painfully due to the cold. Navier was in such a rush to cover herself up that she didn’t even wince at the less than ideal conditions. 

How on earth did I end up in this situation?

On the way back, her face burned, but she was determined to act like nothing unusual had happened.

Heinrey was waiting by a clearing in the woods, throwing snowballs for Bird to chase. He waved when she approached and started walking right away. She was grateful that he didn’t comment on her open air adventure.

After some time, Heinrey started talking again.

“Do you travel much, Navier?”

She didn’t, though she used to dream of traveling as a child. Sovieshu was uninterested in the destinations she suggested; he liked to party and favored weekend trips to Las Vegas and Miami. The few times she went along he drank half the time and worked the rest, so she stopped joining. But she didn’t tell Heinrey about any of that.

“I guess I never had a willing travel partner, you know? My… my ex, he was never interested in the places I wanted to visit, and my friends had their own thing going on. After I finished law school I was so busy with work that I sort of forgot…”

“Where would you like to go?”

She would go anywhere. It didn’t matter — old or modern, cities or nature, beaches or mountains, oceans or lakes, hot or cold. She just wanted to see and experience new things. She picked the first place that came to mind.

“I’d like to go to London.”

“You know, I used to live in London.”

“Is that why you pronounce some words funny?”

Heinrey laughed and laughed and Navier was ashamed of herself. She hadn’t meant to say it like that — she just wanted to know why he rounded his ‘o’s and dropped his ‘r’s sometimes. 

He didn’t seem offended, however. He explained that he’d attended boarding school near London and picked up some of the accent. After school, he lived in London for a few years.

Navier hung on to his every word. His life was so interesting, while hers was so… dull. 

But unbeknownst to her, Heinrey was fascinated by her. He wanted to know what had held her back from doing what she wanted, and what changed her mind. Because he knew that she was adventurous, even if she’d reject the label. After all, she booked a cabin in the middle of nowhere and just…showed up. And only someone with an adventurous spirit confesses to having zero hiking experience and joins anyway — and here she was, keeping a good pace, panting just slightly, making no complaints about the cold or her aching legs.

He suspected that her ex had something to do with it and wondered what happened. But he kept that to himself; there were so many other things he wanted to know. So he asked all kinds of innocuous questions, watching Navier’s reactions closely.

“My father is my hero, so I’ve always known I wanted to be a lawyer like him.”

“Hobbies? It’s such a boring answer… I like to read. Except… to say I’m a reader feels like I’m cheating since I haven’t finished a book in years. I swear I’ll read at least three books while I’m here… No, two… Alright, just one.”

“In another life I think I’d like to do something in politics. I’m not too bad at persuading people, finding compromise, that sort of thing. But making all those big speeches would be too terrifying.”

As they walked, her tongue seemed to loosen.

“I’m definitely a dog person but I haven’t owned one since I was very young... It’s impossible when you’re working six or even seven days a week. Some weeks my fridge was completely empty, and I felt like I could barely take care of myself, let alone a pet.”

“I love sweets! There’s a French bakery near my old apartment and I used to go before work almost daily. They sold the tastiest little passionfruit-meringue tarts, but I didn’t get them often because I can’t resist chocolate. Sometimes I see the most intriguing dessert on a menu but if there’s anything else with chocolate, nine times out of ten I’ll get the chocolate. It’s like I lose all willpower.”

“I’m determined to learn how to cook! And… My other resolution is to… well, I ended a very long relationship a few months ago. It was a disaster… he cheated on me... and after I moved out he was everywhere, begging for another chance. So I left my new apartment and I quit my job, since we sort of worked together. Now all my things are in my parents’ basement and I don’t have a home anymore. When this month is up I have to figure out where I’ll live.”

Heinrey pulled back. He sensed that she wouldn’t have mentioned any of this if her guard wasn’t down and he regretted taking the conversation in this direction. Hoping to distract her from any negative feelings, he asked what she wanted to eat for dinner. The color returned to her cheeks and she happily answered that she’d eat anything he cooked. This pleased him.

“They say that a good cook and a bad cook are a match made in heaven,” he said.

Navier was startled by his flirtatious smile but recovered quickly.

“Who says that?” she teased.

“Well, you know… people…”

“Maybe you can teach me how to cook.”

“I’d be happy to,” he replied, regretting his shameless attempt to flirt. 

The trees were beginning to thin and they fell quiet. They were almost back at the cabin. Heinrey made sandwiches and, after thanking him, Navier went to her bedroom to shower and rest. Heinrey did the same, but he couldn’t get her out of his head.

Neither could Bird. He lay down by her door and took a long nap.

Chapter Text

After dinner, another delicacy effortlessly whipped up by Heinrey, he took Bird for a walk while Navier sat by the fire with her favorite book. When they came back, Heinrey restrained Bird so he could wipe his paws clean and dry him well. Just as he’d predicted, Bird dashed to curl up next to Navier as soon as he got the chance.

Heinrey tended to the fire, refilled Bird’s water bowl, ran the dishwasher, changed the music from an upbeat playlist to something more relaxing, and then he ran out of things to do. There was no wi-fi, so he couldn’t stream a movie or scroll idly on his phone. He didn’t want to play a video game. He considered the hot tub, but it’d be boring all by himself.

What he really wanted was to stay near Navier. As discreetly as possible, he watched her lounging on the sofa, stroking Bird’s head idly, absorbed in her book. She hadn’t looked up in a long time and Heinrey wondered if anything could distract her. He noticed that she was grinning, then she flipped the page and chuckled.

What could be so funny?

He’d asked the question aloud and Navier noticed him staring. Fortunately, she seemed unbothered and simply held the book up so he could read the title.

“I’ve read it so many times and it still makes me laugh,” she said. “Have you read it?”

“No — it was assigned in school, but I read a classmate’s notes and passed the exam somehow,” he confessed.

Navier glared and Heinrey was suddenly thrilled by her disapproval. She went into a rant, defending the book against the misperception that ‘it’s just a silly romance for girls.’ Heinrey’s eyes flashed, excited by her passion. He wanted to tease her some more.

“I didn’t cheat on the exam because I thought it was a girls’ book,” he said. “I cheated because I didn’t read books. Still don’t.”

Navier’s eyes widened. Heinrey smiled mischievously, hoping to spark another angry rant. Or a scolding.

Instead, she patted the sofa, inviting him to sit next to her.

“Listen,” she said. 

It is a truth universally acknowledged…

Her voice was deep and rich. She read well, enunciating clearly and inflecting the dialogue with emotion. When she reached one of the passages that made her laugh, she paused to observe Heinrey’s expression and he knew right away that she expected a reaction.

He lifted his eyebrows and smirked, nettling her. 

“You don’t think that’s funny?”

“Maybe I have to read it for myself,” he answered. He leaned forward to read over her shoulder. The truth was that he’d been too captivated by her voice to make sense of the words. Now he was too close, and her hair smelled like roses, and the words on the page were blurry. Heinrey turned to look at Navier; she was equally flustered by his proximity. He cleared his throat.

“I’d like to hear some more,” he said. Then, unwilling to increase the distance between them, he grabbed the nearest throw pillow and lay down next to her. He could almost believe that his head was on her lap.

At first, he could only focus on her voice but, gradually, he began to tune into the story. Before he knew it, he was fully invested and protested when Navier closed the book and stood.

“It’s time for bed,” she said, softly.

Heinrey’s heart throbbed with longing and tenderness as Navier kissed Bird’s forehead and retreated into her bedroom.

He was smitten.

***

They quickly settled into a routine. Navier took Bird out for a quick walk while Heinrey made breakfast, then they went on a hike. They made sandwiches or ate leftovers for lunch, and then separated for a few hours. Navier soaked in the hot tub — it was necessary relief for her aching muscles — while Heinrey rested in his room. He actually wanted to join her but didn’t say anything, wanting to be respectful. Navier wanted his company, too, but was too insecure about showing so much skin, so she didn’t say anything either.

They met again around five to make dinner. Heinrey tried to teach Navier how to cook, but she could barely process his instructions, too distracted by his presence, the way his hair fell over his eyes, his confidence, his rolled-up sleeves showing off his toned forearms, his seductive sandalwood scent…

After dinner they sat together by the fire and Navier read until her eyelids were heavy. She rarely made it past nine o’clock.

Navier had been dismayed to learn that Heinrey and Bird went on daily hikes. The early-morning kitchen noises and aromas enticed her to join for breakfast, but always with the intention of going back to bed. But each time, no matter how sore her legs and how cold the air, she went along. She told herself that she didn’t want to disappoint Bird. And she was growing very fond of the friendly, affectionate dog. But Heinrey… he made her heart flutter, his voice gave her shivers, and his touch set her skin ablaze.

She knew it was dangerous. But she craved the sensations he provoked.

Perhaps she should have been more cautious, but Heinrey’s company was so pleasant and carefree that Navier forgot some of her self-consciousness. She traded her neat outfits for loungewear and limited her morning skincare routine to three products. Her barriers continued to fall; she changed into pajamas after dinner, for extra comfort while she read to Heinrey, and stopped wearing mascara after it smudged off during a snowy hike. It was refreshing to give herself a break from the pressure of being put together at all times. And the way Heinrey looked at her… she was sure it was her imagination… 

But why did he always smile when their eyes met?

***

“Morning!”

Navier shuffled out of her room, still wearing pajamas. The table was already set with breakfast and Heinrey was waiting by the coffee machine. As usual, the sight of him rendered Navier temporarily speechless. She tried not to stare. 

“Bad news,” Heinrey said, taking a seat and handing her a cup of coffee. “No hiking today. It’s snowing too much.”

Navier tried to hide her relief by taking a sip of coffee. Heinrey leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, and smiled playfully. 

“You sure look disappointed,” he said.

“Not at all,” Navier said. She straightened up and adopted a dignified expression. “I don’t feel sore at all and the cold doesn’t bother me.”

He laughed. “You’re very funny.”

“Don’t mock me.”

“I’m serious! I like your sense of humor. You really nail the deadpan delivery.”

Navier took another sip, this time to hide her confusion. She wasn’t sure whether to believe him — no one had ever told her she was funny. In fact, Sovieshu never understood her jokes, though he complained frequently about her inability to lighten up.

“What do you want to do this morning?” Heinrey asked after breakfast.

She thought for a moment. “Want to play a board game? I think I saw a chess set around here… Do you know how to play?”

“Yes, and I’m very good,” he said.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed, though she didn’t really think that Heinrey was bragging. He was so charming and earnest that his comment was more a mix of teasing and a truthful description of his abilities. It definitely wasn’t anything like Sovieshu’s obnoxious boasts, which so often lacked substance. Heinrey seemed genuinely confident, and Navier recalled his assertiveness when they went hiking, the way he took control, the certainty that he would keep her safe. A wave of attraction surged through her body.

Heinrey lit a fire while she set up the chess board on the coffee table. They sat across from each other, on the floor. Bird chose to stay close to Navier.

“Ready?”

Heinrey opened the game. He wasn’t lying about his skill. He moved the pieces quickly and decisively, but with an air of carelessness that roused Navier’s competitive spirit. He seemed a little too confident that he’d win.

“Do you play much?”

“Not really,” Navier said, keeping her eyes on the board. “I don’t know many people who like to play, aside from my father.”

“Is he the one who taught you?”

“Yes, when I was little. We kept meaning to play this past Thanksgiving but never got around to it.”

“Are you and your father close?”

Navier answered patiently, though she suspected that Heinrey’s questions weren’t motivated by innocent curiosity. About twelve turns in, she really needed to concentrate. Rather than answer Heinrey’s latest question— about her relationship with her brother growing up — she called him out.

“Is this why you’re so good at chess? You talk your opponent into making a mistake?”

Heinrey laughed heartily.

“You got me. I’ll shut up now.”

But Navier was wrong. She wasn’t on the receiving end of Heinrey’s dirty tactics, though he was ruthlessly competitive and often used conversation to fool his opponent. His desire to talk to Navier was sincere — he needed to know more, hear her voice, grow their friendship.

He would’ve been well-advised to pay more attention to the game, however, as he might have noticed the careful net Navier was weaving. She knew she’d stumped him at last when he spent several minutes studying the board. He tapped his fingers on the coffee table and stretched his hand toward the knight — and then he made a fatal mistake: he looked at her.

Navier’s gaze was fixed on the board, emerald eyes flashing gold in the warm light of the fire. Her hair was uncharacteristically messy and she was still in pajamas. Bird, whose head was on her lap, looked up at her with adoration. Heinrey felt that he’d intruded in a peaceful, intimate moment. He was suddenly aware of the void in his life; he felt it in his body, in his heart, and his eyes stung. He swallowed hard.

After waiting for a long time, Navier looked up at Heinrey with questioning eyes and he realized that it was still his turn. He reached for the bishop but noticed his mistake at the last second. He picked up the knight instead and made the intended play.

“Check,” Navier said. 

Heinrey’s mouth fell open as he stared at the board, at her, and then back at the board. She’d lured him into a trap. He didn’t even know he was in danger of losing. A shiver ran down his spine — could this woman be any more incredible?

“Let’s play again,” she said.

Heinrey didn’t talk much during the second round and stopped himself from looking at her, but Navier spun another subtle web. By the time he noticed what she’d done, it was too late to escape.

“Again,” she said.

She’s so sexy when she takes control like that, Heinrey thought. He’d gladly lose to her all day to keep hearing that commanding voice.

Three games in, he started to figure out her style. He couldn’t predict her moves just yet, but he could discern the intent behind certain choices that puzzled him at first. He also resorted to baser tactics. 

“Come here, Bird,” he said during Navier’s turn. For a moment, he wasn’t sure that Bird would leave Navier’s lap — Heinrey certainly wouldn’t have —, but Bird came quickly, wagging his tail. Heinrey scratched him behind the ears and laughed when Bird licked his face.

Navier watched them with a smile.

It worked.

“Check,” Heinrey said.

This time, Navier’s mouth fell open. She leaned forward and held her head in her hands.

“I think Bird has a lot of pent up energy,” Heinrey said with a smirk. “I’ll take him outside while you study the board.”

Navier narrowed her eyes, feigning annoyance, making him laugh. Navier turned back to the board but, try as she might, she couldn’t understand how Heinrey managed to penetrate her defenses. 

***

Later that day, they were sitting together on the couch when Navier felt the urge to ask a question that nagged at her since the day she met Heinrey.

“Heinrey, do you…”

“Yes?”

“Never mind.”

“You can say it.”

“Well, I wanted to ask if… but if it’s too personal…”

He smiled brightly. “Go ahead. Ask me anything.”

“Well, since it’s Christmas… I was wondering if…”

Heinrey’s smile faltered for a moment but he hid it behind a cough. “Go on.” 

“I just wanted to know if… if you… Do you have a… a girlfriend?” 

“Oh! No, no, I don’t. Not in a long time, since I’ve been so focused on growing my business.”

Although his answer came as a relief, the pit in Navier’s stomach wouldn’t go away because of the way his expression darkened. She tilted her head. “You seemed… uncomfortable before…”

“I thought you’d ask about my family. I figured you wanted to know why I’m here all alone, at Christmas.”

“Oh. Well, I did wonder but… You don’t have to tell me.”

Heinrey didn’t say anything for a few minutes. He wanted to explain, but it was too painful. Especially this time of year.

“I lost my parents when I was young,” he said. “It’s part of the reason I went to boarding school.” 

“I’m so sorry.”

“It was just my brother and I for a while. He was older than me. But he passed, two years ago.”

“Heinrey… I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I brought it up.”

“You weren’t the one who brought it up,” Heinrey said, gently. “It’s been better since Bird came into my life, but Christmas is still difficult…”

Navier was stricken. She whispered, “And I barged in on you when—”

“No! No, that’s not how I feel at all. Your company has been… I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to me. It was unexpected but… I’m happy to have you here. I’m happy we met.”

“I’m really sorry about your family, Heinrey.”

Navier moved closer and hugged him. Heinrey leaned into her, rested his head on her shoulder, closed his eyes, breathed in her scent of roses. He needed to be hugged like this. He needed to be hugged like this, by her. A painful knot formed in his throat but he fought against it. 

When he recovered his composure, he gave Navier one last, tight squeeze and they separated. Her eyes were full of compassion but Heinrey couldn’t open that door, not now, not yet. So, feeling like a coward, he looked away and made up a distraction.

“Want to learn how to make brownies?”

Chapter Text

On Tuesday the 23rd, the snowplow finally cleared the road and Heinrey and Navier decided to go into town. After breakfast, while Navier dressed, Heinrey played fetch with Bird to tire him out, as he’d be staying behind.

Navier was more careful about her appearance that day. She wore makeup and a flattering outfit: a gray long-sleeved wool dress, black tights, and knee-high leather boots. When she re-entered the living room, Heinrey noticed the dress right away — his eyes lingered on the short hem and her curves, emphasized by the form-fitting silhouette. Navier pretended not to know, though she was thrilled by his dangerous gaze, full of thirst and sensuality. Hope bloomed in her heart, warm like the embers of a fire, but it also confused her, torn as she was between stoking the flames, or extinguishing them. 

In the car, they listened to music and didn’t talk much. Navier was free to look out the window and admire the snowy forest as Heinrey had insisted on driving. About an hour later, they reached the outskirts of town and their phones began to buzz nonstop. Navier texted the cabin owner about the power outage and scrolled through messages from friends and family. Then she texted Nian, a close friend, who was in town for the holidays. They’d agreed to meet for coffee.

“You’re sure you don’t mind?” she asked, for the fifth time. 

“Not at all,” Heinrey reassured her. “I’ve got to check in with work and I want to grab groceries.”

He dropped her off at a café and drove to the grocery store. He didn’t actually need to check in with work — that was just an excuse so he could drive Navier to town and spend more time with her. They also didn’t need groceries, but Heinrey wanted to make a special Christmas dinner. He also bought chocolates for Navier and two bottles of Pinot Noir.

The checkout line was long so he pulled out his phone and started to catch up on email. He’d barely made any progress when he got a call from a friend, Elgy.

“Hey man, where the hell have you been?”

Elgy accused Heinrey of purposefully turning off his phone to get out of their plans to ski together. Elgy also hosted an annual New Year’s Eve party at the posh ski resort nearby, which Heinrey had promised to attend. But that was before he met Navier and shut himself off from the outside world.

“I didn’t have any wi-fi or cell reception, and we were snowed in,” he explained.

“You, snowed in? For five days? I don’t buy it. Weren’t you bored out of your mind?”

Elgy was sharp. Heinrey sighed and considered telling a lie but he wanted to tell someone about Navier. He explained the situation and asked for advice.

“I’d like to get her a Christmas present. Is it too soon?”

Elgy seized the opportunity to give his friend a hard time.

“Of course it’s too soon. You’ve known her for five days? Can you even say you’re friends?”

“Sure I can,” Heinrey said, stung. “I… I just thought…”

“Have you slept with her?”

“How dare you!”

“But you’ve fooled around…”

“No!”

Elgy was quiet, taking Heinrey seriously at last.

“You like like her, don’t you,” he said, disgusted. 

During all this, the checkout line had advanced and it was Heinrey’s turn. He struggled to pay at the same time that he explained how he felt about Navier.

“I… I can’t… I can’t stop thinking about her.”

“About how badly you want to sleep with her?”

“You… you… you’re such a…It’s not like that! It’s… Listen, I gotta go.”

He grabbed the bags and hurried to his car. Elgy was too cynical to provide useful advice. So he called McKenna, his cousin, childhood friend, and the chief-of-staff at Heinrey’s company. 

McKenna picked up instantly. 

“Hey. I swear I’ll get back to you on that contract,” Heinrey said, quickly. “But I called because I need your advice. I met a woman.”

He held the phone away from his ear while McKenna berated him for disappearing.

Heinrey tried to cut in. “No, she—” 

“The wi-fi was—”

“I would’ve but it snowed eight—”

“Look, I said I would—”

“McKenna, listen to me! Don’t blame her, she had nothing to do with any of that. But, listen, is it too soon to say that … that I’m…”

Now that Heinrey had McKenna’s full attention, he didn’t know what to say.

McKenna prodded him. “To say you’re what?”

“I’m… Well, you know, I’m…”

“Attracted to her?”

“Yes, but it’s more than that...”

“Let’s see… How long is a typical date? Two or three hours? And you’ve spent how many hours with this woman?”

Heinrey did the math quickly. 

“So… by your count, I’ve been on fifteen dates with her, at least. That’s very helpful, thanks McKenna.”

“Wait, Heinrey, I didn’t—”

Heinrey had already hung up. He whistled as he drove to a quaint street packed with stores to get a gift for Navier.

***

“He’s….he’s kind.”

Not far from the shops where Heinrey was pestering the salespeople for help finding a gift for the woman he wanted to date, Navier tried to explain their relationship to Nian. 

“You like him!”

“No, I—”

Unfortunately, Nian was perceptive, well-versed in romance, and one of Navier’s oldest friends. She immediately saw through Navier’s attempts to deflect.

“Can we please talk about something else?” Navier begged. “What’s happening with your husband?”

“Ex-husband,” Nian replied, dryly. 

“Don't be sorry,” she added, catching sight of Navier’s horrified expression. “It’s not your fault. I don’t even blame that woman. Can you believe he hasn’t talked to me since that night? I won’t fight to stay married to a man who won’t even talk to me before filing for divorce.”

Nian lowered her voice to a whisper and smiled coyly.

“In any case, I’ve moved on. André is here with me.”

André was Nian’s personal trainer. Nian started to see him with new eyes due to his steadfast support during the collapse of her marriage. They’d been together for three months — three passionate, steamy months according to Nian.

“I’m telling you, you need to let out some steam after all that asshole did to you,” Nian said. “Why not have a little fun with Heinrey?”

“I don’t know…” Navier demurred.

“Come on! What’s the harm? You like him, he likes you, just go for it!”

“You think he likes me?”

Nian scoffed and shook her head.

“Haven’t you spent almost every waking hour together over the last week? Hasn’t he cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner for you? And he drove you all the way here because the roads are ‘too icy’? Please! Do I have to spell it out for you?”

Navier looked away and her eyes landed on the very man who provoked such merciless teasing.

“Hi!”

She cursed herself for squealing and waving so eagerly, and Nian’s knowing smile made everything worse. After rushing through the introductions, Navier escaped to the bathroom.

Nian intended to question Heinrey while Navier was gone, but Heinrey was faster.

“I need your advice, please,” he said. “Do you think Navier will be uncomfortable if I get her a Christmas present?”

Nian arched her eyebrows.

“It isn’t much! She said my flannel pajamas looked cozy so I got her a pair…”

“Tell you what, Heinrey. I will help you… if you answer my question.”

“Alright.”

“Is she just your latest conquest?” 

Heinrey’s friendly eyes became cold. He took his time, choosing his words carefully, when he saw Navier coming back. Nian noticed that his features softened instantly and warmth returned to his eyes.

He lowered his voice. “I know that she’s been through a lot and you’re just worried about her. And it’s true that I only met her a few days ago. But she’s not a conquest. She deserves so much more than that.”

Nian nodded, satisfied, and turned to Navier.

“Navier, darling, I’ll text you about the New Year! André and I are driving down to—”

It was the same ski town where Elgy hosted his annual party. Heinrey’s mind raced with possibilities while the friends embraced. Nian took the opportunity to whisper a piece of sage advice.

“He likes you. And he got you a Christmas present.”

Nian left with a wave and a wink. Wide-eyed and speechless, Navier allowed Heinrey to lead her out of the café. The lunch rush was beginning and the place was packed with tourists, so Heinrey placed his hand on her back to keep her close. She was disappointed when he dropped his hand as soon as they reached the street.

The memory of his firm hand on her lower back stayed on her skin for a long time, an exquisite, hot tingling. She exhaled, reminding herself to stay focused. She could deal with the effects of his touch later; for now, she urgently needed a gift.

“Would you mind if I look in some of these shops?” Navier asked. 

When Heinrey wasn’t looking, she texted Nian.

Like me?? Explain yourself! Do you mean for real, or just for a fling?

What should I get him?! Help!!!

Navier took pride in her thoughtful gift-giving and usually spent weeks searching for the perfect gift. But the shops were full of trinkets and kitschy mountain-themed home decor. By the time they reached the third store, she was becoming desperate. She browsed the selection of candles. Sovieshu used to say that candles were for girls. Did Heinrey think the same?

The store carried her new favorite brand and its flagship scent of jasmine and roses. It was the same one she kept in the living room. More than once, she noticed Heinrey lighting it and breathing in the scent with his eyes closed. Perhaps he’d like it? She could even write a cheeky little note, something like — You’ll think of me when you light it at home.

Yes. That’s perfect.

The problem was purchasing it in secret. Fortunately, Navier spotted a shelf with dog accessories in the corner and came up with a cunning plan. She selected a green bandana that would contrast nicely against Bird’s brown fur. At checkout, she wrapped the candle in the bandana before handing them to the saleslady. 

“Please, can you wrap these up separately? And don’t let that blonde man see the candle, I’m buying it for him.”

The saleslady winked and rang up the candle, which was called ‘The Lovers’. Navier had been too excited about finding a gift to consider its implication.

On the way to the car, Heinrey asked what she bought.

“Just a little treat for Bird.”

“Sometimes I think that you like Bird more than you like me,” Heinrey teased.

Navier blushed but Nian’s comment gave her confidence to tease him back. 

“Bird doesn’t hesitate to let me know I make him feel special.”

Heinrey pouted, but his eyes twinkled. “You make me feel special, too.”

Navier’s cheeks stayed bright red for a long time.

***

The owner of the cabin texted while they were shopping. He apologized profusely, promised a refund for all the days the cabin sat unused, and half the rate going forward. Due to the holiday, the soonest the repair crew could come out was after Christmas, on the 26th, still three days away. But Navier chose the last slot available — on the 29th.

A lot more than a silly winter fling.

Navier held Nian’s words close to her heart, like a talisman.

On the drive back, Navier said, “The repair crew can’t come out until the 29th. I’ll be imposing on your hospitality a little longer.”

Heinrey wanted to squeeze her hand but thought better of it and squeezed the steering wheel instead. 

“Good,” he said.

But he was ecstatic. The owner of the cabin had also texted Heinrey to thank him for helping Navier out of a tight spot. The text mentioned that the repair crew could come out as soon as the 26th. Which meant that Navier purposefully picked the later date: she wanted to stay with Heinrey.

And with Bird. But also with Heinrey.

***

When they returned to the cabin, Bird ran past Heinrey to greet Navier. He refused to go out for a walk without her, so Heinrey led them on a short walk behind their cabin.

“I have an idea,” Navier said, looking at the deck.

“What is it?”

“I checked the forecast and the sky will be clear tonight. Why don’t we hop into the hot tub after dinner?”

Heinrey’s heart did a back-flip.

“We’ll be able to see lots of stars since there’s no light pollution,” she added. 

As if Heinrey needed to be persuaded. “I’d love that,” he said quickly.

***

Dinner was quiet that night. Neither was very hungry; the upcoming dip made them nervous. Heinrey had the sense to suggest that they save dessert for the hot tub — if they could not talk, they could still eat.

So far, Navier had avoided wearing a bikini in front of him, and she rushed to get into the tub first. She submerged her body up to her neck, but the goosebumps on her skin wouldn’t fade. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, and it was starting to work when she heard the door open. She suddenly felt both excited and terrified.

And then she saw him.

At the sight of Heinrey’s body, Navier forgot everything, even her own name. She cursed her luck: she was just starting to become accustomed to Heinrey’s good looks and charm, and now he was shirtless right in front of her! His muscles were sharply defined but not excessively bulky. She wondered if he’d be cool to the touch, like a marble statue in a museum, and what it’d be like to be enveloped in his strong arms.

He held out a wine glass for her but she didn’t take it. Instead, she blurted out, “You must work out a lot.”

Heinrey blushed and mumbled something. He gave up on handing the glass to Navier and placed it on the deck, next to a plate of brownies.

“I should have known that Sovieshu was cheating,” Navier muttered.

Heinrey cleared his throat. “What’s that?”

“My ex. Before we broke up he went to the gym all the time. Later, I found out that ‘gym’ was code for sleeping with her. I should have known, because his body never looked like yours.”

Heinrey could not think of a response so he sipped his wine.

“I’m not sad about it. I’m not even angry anymore,” Navier said after a while. “I wish he hadn’t cheated, obviously, but it needed to end one way or another, you know? I wasn’t right for him, and he definitely wasn’t right for me. We’d been dating long-distance before we moved in together. Do you know how long it took for him to cheat?”

Heinrey shook his head.

“Three months! It’s like he couldn’t handle that things weren’t perfect all the time, that I’m not perfect all the time. At first I resented that he didn’t talk to me about it, back when we still had a chance to try to fix things. But now…”

She glanced at Heinrey.

“Now I’m glad that we didn’t waste time trying to fix something that was already broken. When I…”

She leaned a little closer, like she was telling him a secret, and Heinrey’s heart raced. 

“When I told him about London he made fun of me since I haven’t traveled much. And he didn’t like it when I ate dessert. He warned me about my weight. But you showed me how to bake brownies.”

Heinrey felt his veins run cold. He didn’t know it was possible to feel such hatred and contempt toward someone he’d never met. He took Navier’s hand.

“Navier. You are so kind, and lovely, and I’m so glad that I met you. And he… he sounds like an idiot. Worse than Wickham.”

This lightened the mood and Navier laughed. That was the name of the villain in the book she read to him in the evenings.

“Here, have a brownie,” Heinrey said. When Navier hesitated, he added, “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met and one or two or three brownies can’t change that. So take it.”

Navier took two.

She leaned back and looked at the sky for the first time. It was a full moon — a bad night for stargazing. In any case, they’d been in the tub for a long time and she was tired. She stood up and fumbled with her robe — in her rush to beat Heinrey to the hot tub, she’d neglected to fold it neatly, making a quick escape impossible.

“What about the stars?” Heinrey asked, disappointed.

“It’s a full moon!” Navier exclaimed, pointing upwards.

“Ah. Beautiful,” he said. But he didn’t tear his eyes away from her.

Navier cinched the belt of her robe and collected her wine glass and the brownies. “We’ll try another night. Coming?”

“In a minute.”

“Good night!”

“Good night,” he said, keeping his eyes on her until she re-entered the cabin. Then, taking deep breaths, he buried his hand in a mound of snow nearby.

Chapter Text

Since they didn’t have a Christmas tree, Navier and Bird went outside to look for a replacement on Christmas Eve. Navier picked up a fallen branch of spruce, shook off the snow, and took it inside. She propped it up against the window and placed the presents for Heinrey and Bird below. She also hung two fluffy winter socks from the mantel, like stockings. Heinrey was delighted when he saw the makeshift Christmas display. He added his own gift to the modest pile.

They spent the day much like every other — a hike, lots of cooking, some lounging. They decided to eat dinner later than usual, to force themselves to stay awake until midnight. The Troby family opened gifts before breakfast on Christmas Day whereas the Laszlo family opened gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve. Navier chose to follow the Laszlo tradition as she was impatient to open Heinrey’s gift.

However, two people can only feast for so long. By ten o’clock, stuffed and sleepy, they moved to the couch and relaxed. Navier kept eyeing the presents.

“I don’t think I can stay awake ’til midnight,” she said. “I’m too tired.”

Heinrey smirked. “Is this a ploy to open the presents before the strike of midnight? Because if it is… I’m willing to play along.”

Navier smiled and went to the makeshift tree to pick up Bird’s gift. She made a show of opening the card and announcing the lucky recipient. Heinrey opened the gift on Bird’s behalf and admired the bandana. Then he gave it to Navier to tie around the dog’s neck.

“Very handsome,” she said, kissing Bird’s forehead. The dog wagged his tail half-heartedly, unwilling to move from the cozy spot by the fire.

Heinrey grabbed the largest package and gave it to Navier. She accepted it and opened it while he eagerly awaited her reaction. It was a pair of red flannel pajamas.

“I can’t wait to put these on!” She lifted the shirt up to her face, stroking her cheek with the fabric. “Thank you, Heinrey.”

“Merry Christmas, Navier.”

Heinrey’s deep voice was strained with emotion. The lighthearted, playful atmosphere vanished and Navier stopped smiling. She returned to the tree and picked up the last gift. She stood very close to Heinrey while he read the card and unwrapped the box.

So you will think of me whenever you light it.

Navier could tell that Heinrey was pleased, though he was also unsmiling. He let the wrapper fall to the floor and the scent of jasmine and roses wafted up. A slow, romantic song played on the speakers. The fire crackled. Sensual details they would never forget.

Their eyes met. Unspoken emotions suddenly became real and known to one another. They marveled at the intimacy of their shared solitude and the strange circumstances that brought them together. Navier was overcome by vulnerability, like she was baring her soul to Heinrey, but she could not look away from his intense violet eyes.

“Thank you,” Heinrey whispered.

He leaned forward in a second that lasted an eternity. His lips brushed her cheek. She closed her eyes and held her breath.

He drew back and their eyes met again. Navier no longer felt so compelled to avoid his gaze, and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss Heinrey’s cheek, opening herself to him a little.

Both intended to step away but they closed the distance instead. Heinrey wasn’t conscious of his hands reaching for Navier’s waist, drawing her closer. And Navier wasn’t aware that she’d tilted her face and lifted her chin to make it easier for Heinrey to kiss her.

Their lips met and she raised her hands to his shoulders. He kissed her again, and she kissed him, opening her lips a little against his mouth, rolling them off his lower lip. They kissed like that a few more times, each kiss delicate like a snowflake, loaded with beauty and meaning like the first snowfall of winter.

The fire sputtered as the last log fell in a shower of sparks. Startled, they parted. Heinrey grinned — an earnest, delighted, boyish grin. His smile seemed to say that he could forget what had happened if that’s what she wanted, but that he didn’t want to forget.

She didn’t want to forget, either. But it also seemed wise to stop for now and make sure that it was real, and not the heat of the moment.

“Merry Christmas, Heinrey.”

“Merry Christmas, Navier.”

He held her hand for a moment and then she slipped away to her room. She leaned against the door, heart racing, trying to understand what just happened. She heard Heinrey’s voice, gently pleading with Bird to go outside before bed. It took all of Navier’s willpower not to barge out of the room to kiss Heinrey one more time. But she knew that one more time would likely turn into more… and more… and more… It was best not to complicate things any further. If Heinrey wanted to pretend that nothing had happened, she would be hurt but she’d get over it. But if he were to change his mind after they slept together, she’d be devastated.

She lay in bed. The pillows were positioned in such a way that she imagined Heinrey’s body pressed against hers as she fell asleep.

***

Heinrey’s heartbeat was erratic. He was relieved that Navier stopped him before things became too heated. He was determined to behave like a gentleman — Navier deserved to be treated like a queen — even if deep down Heinrey wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and kiss her, keep her up all night, do things to her that drove her wild.

He took a deep breath. Regardless of what they did or didn’t do, his feelings for her wouldn’t — couldn’t — change. Because he could no longer pretend not to know exactly how he felt; any possibility of keeping up the act vanished when she rubbed her cheek against the fabric of the red pajamas.

I am falling for her.

Yes, of course it’s crazy. But crazy doesn’t make it any less real.

He closed his eyes and re-lived every detail, every sensation. From his hands, which held the elegant curve of her waist; to his shoulders, where she gripped him like only he could ground her; to his mouth, which tasted her for the briefest second; to his stomach, where he felt a tight knot; to there, where he felt a delicious vibration that… He reached for the candle on his nightstand and smelled it, allowing the scent to take over his senses, enveloping him, overwhelming him, driving him crazy… almost as much as Navier did. Then he noticed the label.

‘The Lovers.’

***

Navier glowed with happiness when she woke up. The memories flooded her and she hugged the pillow tightly. She leaped out of bed and ran to the bathroom; she wanted to see Heinrey as soon as possible.

The worries surfaced while she washed her face. Heinrey smiled at her dreamily when they separated, but what if he’d changed his mind about her overnight? Nian said that he thought of her as more than a casual winter fling, but what if she was wrong? What if everything changed and they became awkward around each other? If they hadn’t kissed, they could have stayed friends. But there was no going back now.

She threw the towel to the floor, irritated that her anxieties were ruining such a special moment. She hated her habit of letting her worries spiral out of control. Nian would have told her to take things one step at a time. But when Navier grabbed the doorknob leading to the living room, she felt like her whole future with Heinrey would be decided the moment she walked out.

“Good morning!” Heinrey said cheerfully. “Take a seat, breakfast is almost ready.”

She did, and moments later he leaned over her to place pancakes on the table and she caught a whiff of his musky scent. Then, he squeezed her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

“Merry Christmas, Navier,” he whispered in her ear. 

A shiver ran down her spine. He couldn’t have been any clearer that he was thrilled about their kiss. 

But now she faced a new problem. He made himself clear and now it was her turn. Soon after, Heinrey’s hand was near the center of the table, and she seized the opportunity before her shyness could stop her.

“Merry Christmas, Heinrey.” 

He smiled brightly and intertwined their fingers. 

A few moments later, rather awkwardly, he reached for the maple syrup with his left hand. Navier relaxed her hand, allowing him to let go if he wished, but he held on tightly.

After breakfast, they moved to the sofa to finish their coffees as they usually did. But this time, Heinrey sat a lot closer and wrapped an arm around Navier’s shoulders. She was torn between wanting him to kiss her and worrying that she’d get carried away if he did. The sofa was so comfortable, and large enough to lie down, and their beds were only steps away. But even though she wanted to kiss him, and more, she needed a sign that more wouldn’t end after they slept together.

“I don’t want to rush you,” Heinrey said, quietly. “But I’d like to talk to you about last night… if you’re ready.”

Navier considered. She wanted to know what he thought, first. 

Heinrey started. “I’m very happy about last night. And I’d like… I’d like to… Hmm. This is harder than I thought it would be.”

Heinrey was usually so articulate and confident, but now he struggled to find the right words. Navier turned to look at him, heart thumping in her throat, and he took her hand.

“You’re special, Navier. Just now, I was about to say that I’d like to repeat what happened last night. But that’s not all. Whatever this is, I don’t want it to end when you move into your cabin. I don’t want it to end when the month is up.”

He did find the right words, after all. Navier’s heart soared; he’d answered her every wish. But it was too soon to let her guard down.

“Heinrey, that’s also what I… I hoped you felt that way. But… it’s only been a few days and…”

He searched her face. “We’ll take it slow. Would that make you more comfortable?”

She nodded. It was such a relief that he said everything she needed him to say, and more. She’d had no idea how to have this conversation. 

He seemed to know that. He smiled warmly and squeezed her hand. Navier expected that he would kiss her at last but was surprised, and terribly disappointed, when he stood up instead. 

“Come on. We’re going for a drive.”

“Where?”

“There’s a new trail that I want to show you. Bring your phone. There’s a cell tower near the trailhead, so you can call your family and friends.”

Chapter Text

Neither knew how they did it, but they didn’t go any further than kissing chastely and holding hands over the next few days. They came to an unspoken agreement to wait for a sign that it was time. Until then, it was something of a challenge: the longer they waited to yield, the sweeter it would be.

However, what seemed careful was reckless. Because every time they kissed, every time they intertwined their fingers, every time they made excuses to touch each other, every time they lost themselves in hopeful smiles and timid glances, they fed a fire that burned just beneath the surface, waiting to break free and consume them.

On the day the repair crew was finally due, Heinrey and Bird set off for a hike. Navier watched them leave from the window, thinking about the night before. Heinrey usually kissed her goodnight at her door, and last night she held onto him, prolonging their kiss. She could barely breathe as she remembered what happened next; his hands on her face, his mouth on her neck, her body pressed against the door… Navier shrugged; a half-hearted attempt to shake off the feelings roused by the memory.

It would be a lot easier to keep a distance if they stayed in separate cabins, but a painful knot formed in her stomach at the thought. She was starting to question the need for distance. So far, Heinrey had been nothing but respectful and patient. He was the one who stepped back the night before — sure, his eyes flashed with lust, but if he hadn’t stopped, Navier had been more than willing to pull him into her bedroom. How much longer did they need to wait to prove… what exactly? There was no such thing as risk-free love. All she could do was take the plunge and hope she’d opened her heart to the right man.

When the electrician’s truck pulled into the driveway, Navier knew one thing with certainty: she wanted to stay with Heinrey.

***

Heinrey caught himself hoping that the repair would take a few days. He missed Navier during the hike — he wanted more time, more closeness, more intimacy. It was time to talk to her.

The repairmen were still working when Heinrey got back, so he left Bird with Navier and headed to town alone as they were running low on groceries. All he could think about during the drive was that they already acted like a couple.

He rushed through the grocery store, wanting to return to Navier as soon as possible. But he’d been offline for almost a week and an obscene number of unread messages had accumulated on his phone, including a reminder from Elgy about the New Year’s party in two days, and an email from the hotel he’d booked for that purpose, informing him that his room had been upgraded to a suite.

Heinrey considered what to do on the drive back. It’d be nice to stay in a hotel for a couple of days: work out at the gym, catch up on work, maybe even… take Navier out on a date? But… if she didn’t want to come along, then… then he didn’t want to go at all.

He smiled ruefully. Even the thought of spending two days away from her was unpleasant. And she might be moving out of their cabin? He could not stand the thought.

The truck was gone when he pulled into the driveway. He was in such a rush to see Navier that he parked haphazardly and left the trunk open with the groceries still inside.

“I don’t want you to leave,” he declared the moment he walked through the door.

She came to the mudroom, grinning.

“You’re stuck with me, the electric—”

“Navier, I want to be stuck with you.”

He hugged her and she laughed. He wouldn’t let go, afraid he’d lose his mind if he looked into her bewitching eyes.

“I planned to lie,” she confessed, her voice muffled as she was pressed tightly against Heinrey’s chest. “The cabin has power now. But I wanted an excuse to stay here with you.”

He couldn’t help himself. His lips met Navier’s and when she kissed him back with ardor he lost control.

Somehow, he managed to navigate around the furniture without lifting his lips off hers, and they ended up on the armchair, which he would never leave again, because that’s where he belonged — Navier straddling him, kissing him like that, moaning softly, pressing her body against his, exerting such exquisitely painful pressure on him right there. They kissed and kissed and kissed, and Heinrey was in heaven. Nothing could interrupt such bliss, nothing could separate his lips from hers, nothing could distract him from—

Bird barked. After a few moments of confusion, Navier disentangled herself and climbed off to check on him. Heinrey collapsed against the armchair, stunned.

“It’s just some squirrels,” she said, a little breathless. Then, “Heinrey… why is the trunk of your car open?”

“Shit—”

He ran outside followed by Bird, and they shooed the squirrels that surrounded the car. Heinrey brought the groceries inside, stopping for a moment to bury his hand in the snow to calm down after that armchair embrace. Then he retrieved Bird, who was still barking at the squirrels, now safely up a tree. Back inside, Navier was putting the groceries away. Her face was pink and she seemed flustered. Although Heinrey desperately wanted to draw her back to the armchair, he remembered his promise.

“I got ingredients for risotto,” he told her. “Think you can handle making the sauce?”

Though Navier was still learning how to handle a knife, she suspected that she would’ve done better if her hands weren’t trembling after that kiss. She chopped the shallots slowly and unevenly, and handed them to Heinrey to fix the mess. But the rest was easier, as she only had to measure ingredients and stir constantly. Meanwhile, Heinrey prepared the scallops.

“I caught up on messages while I was in town,” he said. “I was supposed to meet a friend for the New Year but it totally slipped my mind. Would you like to come with me? As my date?”

He provided more details. When he mentioned the location, Navier recalled Nian’s New Year’s plans in the same town.

“So what do you think?” Heinrey asked. “I have a room booked, just for three nights. But I’ll cancel if you don’t want to go.”

“You would do that?”

“’Course I would,” he said, giving her a side hug. “I want you to be my midnight kiss.”

Navier smiled shyly. “But I don’t have anything to wear.”

“What about that gray dress you wore to town the other day?”

“That’s not an evening dress. I can’t wear that to a party!”

“Sure you can.” He glanced at her with a sly smile. “It looked incredible on you. But you can just buy something to wear, there’s lots of shops in that town.”

“It sounds like you really want to go.”

“Not exactly,” Heinrey said, shrugging. “It seemed like a good idea back when I expected to be here with no one but Bird to talk to. I’m not really into Elgy’s party scene but he’s one of my best friends and I haven’t seen him in a while. I figured I’d ski by day and sneak out of the party right after midnight. Of course, I’d much rather do the sneaking out part with you.”

This led to another side hug. The prospect was becoming increasingly attractive to Navier. She wanted to see what Heinrey was like around his friends. She could spend time with Nian and talk to her about… things. And, as much as she enjoyed the domesticity and privacy of their cabin, changing things up might bring her and Heinrey even closer. Her stomach filled with butterflies as she considered what closer meant.

“Let’s do it,” she said.

***

They left the next morning after breakfast. It was a short three-night stay but the car was full with Heinrey’s ski gear, Navier’s large suitcase packed with more clothes than she’d ever need, and all of Bird’s things. 

“My email situation is becoming a little dire,” Heinrey said, wincing as his phone buzzed nonstop when they reached a service area. “I’ll spend a couple hours catching up today if that’s okay.”

“That’s perfect since I have to go shopping,” Navier said. “I’ll ask Nian if she wants to tag along.”

A few minutes later, Heinrey’s phone rang. It was McKenna.

“I should take that,” Heinrey said. “Do you mind?”

Navier didn’t and, moments later, McKenna’s voice blared from the speakers. 

“Hi—”

McKenna was already in mid-sentence. 

“—matter if she’s the love of your life, you can’t just disappear like that!”

“Wait, McKenna—”

“—perfect for you and—”

“Hold on, stop talk—”

“—work less now that you’re in love but you swore you’d review that—”

“McKenna! Shut up!”

“Hi, McKenna,” Navier cut in, loudly. “This is Navier. It’s nice to meet you.”

McKenna fell totally silent.

“You’re on speaker, man,” Heinrey groaned. “We’re on our way to meet Elgy.”

“Oh… well, uh. It’s nice to meet you, uh…”

“Navier.”

“Right. Uh… Heinrey? Should I call you back?”

“No! I’ll call you back.”

Heinrey groaned again. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Navier, who was biting her lower lip to stop herself from smiling cheek-to-cheek. She cleared her throat.

“So… who was that?”

“My soon-to-be former chief-of-staff,” Heinrey said, making her laugh. “He’s also my cousin, though I’ll have to disown him now. We were close growing up.”

Navier’s heart fluttered. What did Heinrey say about her? He stared straight ahead like his life depended on it. His cheeks were rather red. 

“He knows me better than anyone,” he said after a long silence.

Could there be something behind McKenna’s words? Was it possible that Heinrey already cared so much about her? And how did she feel about that?

Heinrey ruffled his hair, looking very uncomfortable, like he was making up his mind about something important.

“Look,” he said. “I don’t want his words to scare you off. But I did mention you when I talked to him the other day and… and, well, I guess I told him that you… I told him that I like you.”

He was so mortified that Navier took pity on him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. His tight grip on the steering wheel eased a little. 

“I’m sorry. I know I said we’d take things slow. But… I guess McKenna tipped my hand. I don’t want to put pressure on you, but I also don’t want you to think that I’m going around bragging to my friends about… or that I’m sharing details about what we…”

“Do you remember when you said I liked Bird more than I liked you?”

“…Yes.”

“Well, you weren’t wrong, but you’re not far behind.”

They were quiet for the rest of the drive. Neither could stop smiling.

Chapter Text

When they arrived at the hotel, Navier waited in the lobby with Bird while Heinrey handled the check-in. He faced a problem: he’d emailed the hotel in advance to request a second room, or at the very least a room with two beds, but the hotel was at capacity and they were stuck with a king-sized bed. He was terrified that Navier would think he’d done it on purpose to pressure her into having sex. 

I’ll offer to sleep on the couch, or a rollaway bed, he thought in despair. But what if she says we can share the bed? I hope she wants to… but if I accept and then… the slightest touch from her and I…

His mind ran through multiple scenarios, each more mortifying than the last, until he resolved not to step foot in the bedroom… Unless Navier asked him to, of course. And, in a moment of further weakness, he considered that Navier might want more… and if so…

I just won’t make any moves until she does.

Still riddled with anxieties, he hid them behind an easygoing manner and went to look for Navier and Bird. They were surrounded by a small crowd of dog lovers. Heinrey felt a sort of arrogant thrill as he broke up the crowd; he was the man Navier had chosen and he would get to kiss her at midnight on New Year’s Eve. 

The thought that he was Bird’s owner, and that the real source of attention was Bird and not Navier, didn’t cross his mind.

He wrapped his arm around Navier’s waist and led her to the elevator. His hold on her was firm and steady; it gave her a sense of safety and freedom. Intense heat radiated from his touch and Navier’s mind wandered to a secret place, which she’d discovered only recently, during her first kiss with Heinrey.

Their room was very nice. The living room was large enough to accommodate separate areas for lounging and dining, a workspace in the corner, and a small bathroom. Navier walked around, exclaiming with delight at the view, the fireplace, the ice bucket with a bottle of champagne. Then she walked through an ample hallway that doubled as a closet and entered the master bathroom. It was enormous, with a rainfall shower, a large bathtub, and two sinks. After looking around with an approving eye, Navier entered the master bedroom.

“Oh!”

There was only one bed and it was covered in rose petals. The lights had been dimmed, suffusing the room with a romantic, golden glow. After looking out the windows at the ski slopes, Navier opened the closet by the entrance. But it wasn’t actually a closet; the doors opened directly into the bathtub, undoubtedly to discourage privacy and modesty. They’d been given the honeymoon suite.

Heinrey stared from the doorway, not daring to step past the threshold. “I tried to get a second room but this is all they had…” 

But Navier was excited. She plopped on the bed and the rose petals bounced around her.

“This is the nicest room I’ve ever been in!” Navier exclaimed, holding Bird’s collar to stop him from eating the petals that landed on the floor.

“You can have the bedroom and I’ll sleep out in the—”

“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t you—” she cut herself off with sudden comprehension. “There’s room for both of us. And this bed is so comfortable! Come, check for yourself.”

“Are you sure?”

Seeing him hesitate, Navier smiled playfully and waved him over. Heinrey shooed Bird out of the bedroom and then approached Navier, equal parts apprehensive and excited.

“It’s the sign, Heinrey,” she said.

“Sign? Of what?”

“That it’s time.”

Navier stood and caught his lips in hers. She kissed him gently at first, but then she pulled him closer and deepened their kiss, drawing more and more passion from his lips. Just as Heinrey lifted his knee to the bed, the doorbell rang and Navier’s phone buzzed.

“It’s the luggage.”

“It’s Nian.”

They smiled regretfully.

“I told her we’d go shopping as soon as I was settled in the room. And you have to work.”

Heinrey kissed her one last time. 

“Go. I’ll be waiting for you.”

***

“Don’t you think that’s enough?”

Navier’s outstretched arms ached under the weight of so many dresses. Nian wasn’t listening, too engrossed in a rack of pale pink gowns that Navier was sure wouldn’t look good on her, yet Nian extracted two. The pile grew heavier. With a sigh, Navier reminded herself to be gracious. Not only did Nian volunteer to help her find a dress, she did so without demanding the right to grill Navier about Heinrey.

“And… that’s the last one!” 

They headed to the dressing room and Nian stepped right in. Navier hesitated before taking off her clothes. She asked, “Aren’t you going to leave?”

Nian clicked her tongue impatiently and held up a garment that didn’t resemble a dress at all; it consisted of a series of loops hanging from a strip of fabric in the middle. Navier thought it looked like a limp octopus. She hadn’t the slightest idea how to put that thing on.

“You still want me to leave?”

“Please stay.”

“Lift your arms!”

So Navier lifted her arms, lowered her head, held up her hair, stood straight, and twirled. She felt like a doll. With the practiced efficiency of a professional shopper, Nian unzipped zippers, bunched up skirts, held out sleeves, and returned the garments to their hangers. The dresses were then classified into discards and maybes. The discards grew a lot faster than the maybes; Navier eyed the thinning pile of untested dresses with wariness, dreading a second spin through the labyrinthine women’s floor.

With only three dresses to go, Nian clapped her hands together triumphantly. “That’s it! It’s perfect!”

“Isn’t it too… provocative?”

“Exactly.”

Navier twisted and turned before the mirror. The rich shade of forest-green contrasted beautifully against her skin and emphasized her eyes. The sweetheart neckline was playful, while the daring slit along her leg gave it drama. Navier’s style was usually conservative; simple, classic styles that wouldn’t draw attention. But now… now she looked good. She wondered how Heinrey would react to the dress. Her skin tingled at the thought.

Nian stood behind Navier, pulling up her hair in a variety of styles.

“Messy updo, nude heels, red lip if you’re feeling bold, nude lipstick if not. And a touch of gold on your eyes.”

“And you’re sure that this will be okay for the party?”

To Navier’s relief, she’d discovered that Nian was also attending the New Year’s party. Nian and Elgy knew each other somehow; a friend of a friend. Nian seemed to know everyone. 

“Yes, this is perfect. You’ll fit right in.”

“In that case… I love it. Thank you, Nian.”

“Darling, that’s enough twirling. We’ve got to hit the lingerie department next.”

“Oh… o-okay.”

Later, as they looked for shoes, Nian called Navier’s name three times before getting her attention.

“Sorry,” Navier said, snapping out of her thoughts. “I was just wondering…”

“What Heinrey will think about your new lingerie?”

“You know, it’s not like you to wait until the end of a shopping trip to pry,” she said, snatching the shoe from Nian and trying it on. 

“I was following your cue,” Nian explained. 

Navier rolled her eyes. “That’s never stopped you before.”

Nian laughed. “True… but this time, I didn’t need to. You’ve already told me everything I want to know.”

“But I haven’t said anything.”

Nian gave her an irritating, condescending smile and counted off with her fingers. 

“Let’s see… I know that you’re here with Heinrey and I’m almost certain that you don’t have separate bedrooms this time. You can’t stop smiling. Whenever your phone buzzes, I see the anticipation in your eyes and the disappointment when it’s not a text from him. And, most importantly, you didn’t resist when I dragged you to the lingerie section.”

Navier looked away. She couldn’t deny any of it. 

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Nian insisted. “It’s more than a winter fling, isn’t it?”

Navier’s wide eyes, reluctant smile, and pink cheeks said it all. Still, she whispered, “A lot more.”

***

Heinrey downed two espressos and settled to work, determined to clear his inbox by the time Navier returned. It was doable, given he only ever read one in ten emails. After handling the urgent tasks there was still enough time to get started on the priorities for January. Heinrey wasn’t going to allow work to interfere with his remaining time with Navier.

He was immensely relieved that she didn’t take offense at the bedroom situation. Not only that — she actually wanted him there and… Heinrey still couldn’t believed what happened. She kissed him, she pulled him in, she wanted him.

The way she took control of the situation drove him wild. She was usually so reserved and composed but he’d gotten a peek at another side of her; a side he yearned to explore — passionate, sensual, daring. Try as he might to concentrate on work, Heinrey repeatedly caught himself thinking of her. If only they hadn’t been interrupted… He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, wondering how it would’ve unfolded… how he would’ve climbed onto the bed, undressed her… his hands and his lips all over her, his eyes fixed on her as she came undone…

After handling emails and taking an ice-cold shower, Heinrey took Bird for a walk and made a couple of phone calls. It was dark by the time Navier texted that she was wrapping up. Heinrey and Bird returned to the hotel and waited in the lobby. Several families approached to ask if their children could play with Bird and, for a while, the dog was delighted with the attention and scratches. The children dispersed when Heinrey said that Bird was getting tired, but they were replaced by a woman whose squeals were so high-pitched that Heinrey felt the urge to cover his ears.

“Hey. Leave my dog alone. He’s tired.”

“Come here, you precious puppy,” she cooed. She crouched and tried to give Bird a hug. Bird leaned back as far as possible, determinedly avoiding eye contact with this overbearing human.

“What the— Bird, get back here,” Heinrey said, stepping forward to shield his dog.

The woman stood up and whined, “But I saw him playing with all those children. Isn’t he friendly?”

“He can be,” Heinrey replied, tersely. 

“What’s wrong with you? I want to pet him! Come here, puppy!”

Heinrey was incredulous and his patience was running low. “Leave us alone.”

He walked away, vaguely aware that the woman was loudly bashing him, whether to someone else or to bystanders, he neither knew nor cared. He stepped outside into the cold, where they were unlikely to be bothered. A few minutes later, Navier stepped out of a cab, laden with shopping bags, and both Heinrey and Bird forgot all about their unpleasant encounter with the entitled woman.

“I’m starving!” Navier said, bending down to greet Bird, who strained against the leash to jump up on her.

“Let’s drop him off upstairs and then we can walk to the restaurant,” Heinrey said, holding Bird by the collar. He feared for Navier’s cream-colored coat.

“Oh! Why don’t we just eat here? It’s so cold outside!”

Bird napped under the table while they ate and talked about their respective afternoons and plans for the next day. Navier wanted to know more about Heinrey’s friends, hoping he’d reveal the key to getting them to like her. It always bothered Sovieshu that Navier didn’t spend more time with his friends, but she was never entirely comfortable around them. In the end, her suspicions that Sovieshu’s friends disliked her proved correct — they helped hide Sovieshu’s affair for months and shunned Navier as soon as she broke up with him. So she was anxious to make a good impression on Heinrey’s friends, but she was no good at making small talk and parties overwhelmed her. She consoled herself with the thought that Nian would be there. She also hoped that Heinrey would stick to her side, but she couldn’t say anything — he’d think she was too clingy.

It was time for dessert. The restaurant offered a chocolate soufflé, Navier’s favorite, but the menu noted that it required twenty minutes to prepare. She didn’t want to force Heinrey to wait that long, so she ordered the next-best thing: a chocolate pot de crème.

“And I’ll have the chocolate soufflé,” Heinrey said, surprising her. He’d told her previously that he generally preferred fruity desserts. 

“Didn’t you see the apple crumble?”

The server paused, but Heinrey didn’t change his mind. To Navier he said, “I could tell that you wanted it.”

“You didn’t have to do that!”

Heinrey smiled. “I wanted to.”

Twenty minutes later, Navier watched nervously as Heinrey tried the soufflé.

“It’s excellent,” he said, but Navier didn’t believe it.

“Can I have a bite?” she asked.

He scooped up a generous chunk and held the fork out, past Navier’s waiting hand. Confused, she leaned forward to take a bite. It was decadent and rich, and she hummed with satisfaction. 

“Wow! It’s delicious.”

“Not as good as my grandmother’s recipe,” Heinrey said with a wink. “We’ll make it when we’re back h— in the cabin.”

They swapped plates halfway through. Navier relished every bite.

“You got whipped cream on your face,” Heinrey said, chuckling. He swiped below Navier’s lip and she was mortified. But then Heinrey put his finger in his mouth and sucked on it, looking her in the eye the whole time, making no effort to hide exactly what he was thinking. She was entranced; the look in his eyes pulled her in closer, and closer, and closer. His gaze was an invitation, an irresistible invitation to explore something that had settled deep in her body… a flame she wasn’t sure she was allowed to touch, or feel, or know… And now Heinrey was inviting her to play with fire. Her fingertips prickled with electricity. She feared she’d do something crazy, like lunge over the table to kiss him. She swallowed hard. Dinner was over, and now…

Heinrey stood up, grabbed Navier’s bags and Bird’s leash in one hand, and offered the other to Navier.

Tonight was the night. She could feel it.

She took his hand.

Chapter Text

In the crowded elevator, Heinrey pulled Navier close, lining up her back with the front of his body. Tension and excitement surged inside her and she closed her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek to suppress a nervous giggle.

“So, when can I see your new dress?” he whispered, brushing her ear with his lips. He felt her shiver.

“Tomorrow!” 

“But… If you show me now, I can make sure that it’s appropriate for the party.”

Navier hesitated and Heinrey knew that he’d struck a nerve. He felt guilty, but not enough to take it back.

“Fine,” Navier muttered. “But I need a few minutes.”

Having bought herself some time, Navier went to the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. Then she sat on the bed and smoothed out the fabric of the dress to calm her shaky hands. She wanted this moment so much, but now that it was about to happen she was a nervous wreck. If only she’d pulled Heinrey into her bedroom when they were kissing by her door a few nights ago. She couldn’t even remember how an innocent good night kiss turned into unrestrained passion; it all happened so naturally that she didn’t have time to feel self-conscious. But now, the pressure to start something, to seduce a man who could bring Navier to her knees just by licking his finger… 

With a jolt, Navier realized that twenty minutes had already passed, and the rush to get ready displaced her worries. She couldn’t zip the dress all the way up so she went to get Heinrey. Her heart, already impossibly tight, tightened some more when she saw him lying on the sofa, Bird stretched lazily over him. Her heart swelled with warm affection, but that warmth was almost immediately transformed into hot desire for this man. The wild thought that she’d be the one on top of him in a few minutes rendered her speechless. 

Heinrey sensed her presence and looked up.

“Zipper… zip up… I can’t.”

She mimicked the motion with her hands but not very clearly, as she was holding the dress up to her chest. However, Heinrey understood and, after gently pushing Bird off, followed Navier into the master bedroom. He closed the door, telling himself that it was a necessary precaution to protect Navier’s dress from Bird, though he was much more concerned with preventing further interruptions.

Navier was standing by the window, observing the ski pistes lit up for night skiing. Her back was uncovered and Heinrey got a glimpse of her bra. He took a deep breath and zipped her up quickly, covering up the enticing black lace before he said something stupid.

The dress was on and Navier turned around, keeping her arms wrapped around her body as she searched Heinrey’s eyes for judgment. He held his breath.

“You look… you look stunning.”

“Really?”

He grabbed her waist. The fabric was cool and smooth beneath his fingers. He wanted nothing more than to move his hands up and down, explore the shape of her body beneath the sensuous fabric, trace the outline of the coy sweetheart neckline. Instead, he stroked her cheek softly with the back of his hand, forcing his eyes and his hands to stay fixed on her face.

“You are so beautiful, Navier.”

This time, there was no gradual progression from timid and tender to brazen, insatiable, all-consuming passion; their bodies picked up right where they left off, from the moment when wearing clothes becomes intolerable. And it escalated from there. Heinrey ran his hands along Navier’s waist, her hips, her thighs. He found the slit where the dress revealed the skin and slipped his fingers underneath the fabric. Then he held the back of her thigh firmly and lifted it, encircling his hip, bringing their bodies closer together.

“Heinrey!” Navier said, breathless. “My dress!”

“Sorry,” he said, immediately letting go and taking half a step back. He was ashamed — he allowed himself to be carried away.

But Navier was reaching behind her neck, fumbling with the clasp.

“Unzip it,” she demanded. 

Heinrey’s hands itched to rip the dress off, but he forced himself to prolong his torture. He pulled the zipper down slowly, agonizingly slow, entranced as Navier’s delicate skin was revealed, inch by inch. He forgot to breathe when he reached her lower back — the zipper went lower and lower and lower and—

“What’s taking so long?”

The zipper reached the end of the line and Navier turned around and began to kiss him again. Heinrey was half-conscious that a rustling followed by a faint thud was the sound of the dress coming off. A moment later, he’d fallen back onto the bed and Navier stood between his legs. He searched for something to say, something to do, but it was futile, his brain seemed to have short-circuited. Navier fumbled with the buttons of his shirt.

“Are you sure?” he mumbled.

In response, she simply kissed him again. But, as they kissed, Navier’s lust-driven boldness gave way to insecurity. She feared to disappoint, feared that her advances gave Heinrey false expectations of experience that she didn’t actually possess. She leaned back and looked at Heinrey, who smiled dreamily, his eyes half-closed, adoration and desire written on his face. More, was the single thought in her mind; her insecurities no longer seemed to matter. She pulled on Heinrey’s shirt and he unbuttoned it quickly, threw it aside, and shifted back on the bed, pulling her along with him. She landed astride him and gasped when she felt just how hard he was, but there was no time to catch her breath because Heinrey was enormously excited by her position and his mouth was more demanding than ever. 

Until he stopped.

Navier gasped again, this time due to disappointment.

“Do you want to keep going?” he asked, looking her in the eye. 

Navier’s mind lagged behind her body’s need for more. She felt like she did at the top of the mountain; gasping for air, stepping into the unknown, yet certain that she was in good hands. She trusted Heinrey completely. Only this time, he wouldn’t guide her downhill cautiously and deliberately. He’d tumble down with her, recklessly.

“Yes,” she said.

Navier had once imagined that Heinrey’s skin was cold like marble but his chest burned hot and his racing heart thumped beneath her fingers, which moved with curiosity and eagerness, as if she was determined to memorize Heinrey’s body and she’d never have another opportunity to do so. Heinrey wanted to reassure her, tell her she could look and feel anytime she wanted, but he said nothing, because he’d have to be an idiot to discourage her touch. He traced the lace of her bra. Things had moved too fast, there wasn’t enough time to look, he knew only that she wore a black lace bra and a matching set of panties. He set out to discover their shape with his hands. 

Heat rippled through Navier’s body, growing in intensity and frequency as Heinrey’s hand traveled down her back. The sensations that brought her to this point — his mouth, his touch, his hot body — it was no longer enough to keep her arousal at bay, more, her body continued to command, more. When his hand slipped under the thin strap of lace around her hip, she involuntarily squeezed her thighs, making Heinrey groan. More. She rolled her hips forward, tentatively, timidly, as though testing what she could get away with, too shy to reveal how much she needed from him. But Heinrey wasn’t shy at all. His hips rose to meet hers.

She was on her back; Heinrey had flipped her over. The motion of his hips was even more aggressive now that his weight was on top, creating white-hot friction. Navier tightened her legs around him, the thin fabric of her panties and his skin-tight boxers the only barrier, simultaneously insubstantial and infuriatingly obstructive. She tried to focus on Heinrey’s body, hot against hers, feel him, figure out his size before he removed his boxers, but it was like trying to find answers in a burning fire.

Heinrey’s mouth was moving around, kissing her mouth, her neck, nibbling on her ear, he even kissed her shoulder. From the side of her neck, he traveled downward with a long stroke of his tongue, reaching her clavicle, and he tugged lightly on the strap of her bra. Then his mouth went lower…

“May I…?” he asked, brushing the lace of her bra with the back of his hand.

“Yes,” she gasped, shocked that so delicate a caress could provoke such a delicious quiver. But it could be even better — he moved the cup out of the way and flicked his tongue over her nipple. She arched her back, aching for more. In between moans, she asked him to take the bra off. Heinrey complied and suddenly he couldn’t have his fill. He used his hands, his fingers, his lips, his tongue. Navier wanted him to do this forever.

But he stopped, so that he could keep moving down. Navier was confused when he kissed along her rib cage, and the top of her stomach, but she was too aroused and hot to guess what he was doing. All that mattered was that it felt good, though not quite as good as kissing him or having his full attention on her breasts. 

He seemed to have read her mind because he was suddenly kissing her on the lips again, but not for long. He lifted his torso and moved his hands to the mattress; temptation must be removed before he asked the question, so important it felt like his entire future hinged on Navier’s answer.

“Do you want to keep going?”

She looked up at him, shyly, but her voice was steady and clear when she answered. Yes, she wanted to keep going.

He grabbed her panties again and pulled down, tentatively, keeping his eyes on hers. 

“Is this okay?”

Navier nodded and shimmied her hips to help. She thought that Heinrey would proceed to remove his own underwear but he was too occupied with her breasts. Then he kept descending… and descending… and descending... 

“May I?”

She nodded, totally unsure of what he planned to do next but burning with curiosity. She was incredulous as she watched Heinrey lower his head between her legs. She held her breath and then — it came out as a lustful cry. She held the bedpost with both hands, bracing herself for the second—

She threw her head back and shut her eyes tightly, savoring the—

Her body shook, she arched her back, she—

***

There was no consciousness of the passage of time. There were no thoughts in her mind. All of her was the focal point of Heinrey’s attention. She was reduced to sensation and pleasure, skin and tongue, shallow breaths and heat, so much heat, licking flames, so hot she started to melt away…

***

When it was over, Heinrey returned to her neck, kissing her lightly. He hovered his hand over her thigh, but Navier flinched; her skin was too sensitive. He retreated and held her hand instead. After a few minutes, he started to kiss her and Navier wondered what he was planning. His kisses, tender and affectionate, weren’t the kisses of a man on the verge of having sex.

He couldn’t have changed his mind. Navier knew he was attracted to her; he’d done all these things so enthusiastically, and she’d felt his… in fact, yes, he was still aroused. So what was going on?

“Heinrey… I thought we were going to… you know…”

Heinrey moved down and kissed her neck, sucking lightly.

“Yes, I would like that,” he murmured.

But he moved down to her clavicle and caressed her breasts; he still wasn’t taking any other measures to … get on with it. 

“Heinrey… you’ve been doing that for a while and…”

He lifted his head to look at her.

“Are you tired?”

Navier was confused.

He added, “If you want to sleep then we can stop…”

“N-no… I don’t want to stop… I’m just…”

They were equally puzzled. Navier couldn’t understand why Heinrey was doing all these things to her while neglecting himself, why he was waiting to start having sex. While Heinrey didn’t know that Navier wasn’t used to such prolonged foreplay. 

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“I just… I’m not used to… You don’t have to do all this, you know.”

“You don’t like what I’m doing?”

“I do! I really do. It feels… it feels amazing.”

“So then…”

“I’m just saying, if you want to… you know, get started, then you can… You don’t need to spend so much time on… on me…”

It finally clicked for Heinrey. Navier wasn’t used to being with a man who took care of her. He tried to smile but grimaced instead, torn between sadness and bitterness. He shook the feelings off by reminding himself that he would cherish her the way she deserved, he would give her unimaginable pleasure, over and over, for as long as she let him. It made him even more determined to take his time before the final act — and what a thrill to deny himself until he couldn’t bear it, because every time he thought his arousal reached its peak, Navier proved him wrong and took him higher. He wanted to be driven to his very limit. 

“Navier… I want you to feel good. It makes me feel good. I’ve enjoyed every minute in bed with you.”

“So… so you don’t mind?”

“Mind? Do you have any idea how soft your skin feels, how good you taste, how much you turn me on when you sigh and moan and pull my hair?”

Navier blushed fiercely. 

“I think it’s been long enough and you won’t be so sensitive down there anymore. I’d like another taste.”

“Heinrey…”

He was already between her legs. She meant to stop him but opened her legs reflexively, and when she felt his tongue slide against her she couldn’t think or speak. She felt the pleasure build, but this time her arousal wouldn’t be tamed by his tongue alone. 

“Heinrey, I want you to… I want more…”

“More?” He looked up, smiling slyly, and slipped a finger inside of her. 

It wasn’t enough. 

“Yes… No… I mean… I want more, I want you… inside.”

Heinrey swirled his tongue against her a couple more times and then came up to meet her eyes. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

“You don’t owe me anything. We can stop here if you want.”

“But I don’t want to stop!” She opened her eyes wide, amazed at her outburst. She lowered her voice, “I want this. I want you.”

Heinrey’s earnest expression vanished; his eyes were full of ardor. He reached for a condom on the nightstand and put it on quickly. Then he lay down on the bed and pulled Navier on top of him. 

“Heinrey!” she gasped, placing a hand on his chest to regain her balance. 

“You’re in control,” he said. “Go as slow or as fast as you want. And we can stop anytime.”

She was touched by his consideration but almost immediately moved on to more important things. She was mad with desire and Heinrey was ready. She hovered her hips over him and froze at the sensation of pressure. Despite all the foreplay, she worried that it would hurt due to his size.

She meant to move slowly to give her body time to adjust, but she slid all the way down in a single motion. Heinrey moaned and reached for her waist, pulling her closer, but Navier resisted, startled by how suddenly he entered her, but there was no pain, only an unfamiliar sensation of fullness and shivers shooting up and down her spine. Her heart beat rapidly as she looked down, finding herself intimately intertwined with Heinrey, then she ran her eyes along his stomach, his chest, and finally his face. He was breathing heavily, his mouth slightly open like he could not believe that this was happening. Navier had never felt so wanted, so tempting, so attractive. She slowly rolled her hips forward and Heinrey flinched and held his breath. 

“Are you okay?” she asked.

He remembered to smile. 

“So much better than okay.”

Neither fully understood what was happening, who was on top, where their hands touched, where their lips kissed. They surrendered to one another, fully and spontaneously. Heinrey kissed Navier like he’d never kissed before — giving physical release to the powerful emotions that had been growing ever since he first laid eyes on her. He savored her every sigh, every moan, every time she grabbed his arms tightly and dug her nails painfully into his skin, every sign that he was giving her pleasure. Suddenly, Navier opened her eyes wide; a wave of vertigo crashed over her. She hesitated only for a moment. On the other side was Heinrey, ready to catch her.

The ground gave way beneath her, she couldn’t feel her legs. So she jumped.

Chapter Text

They lay side-by-side in a dreamlike daze for a long time. Heinrey shifted to his side and ran his fingers through Navier’s hair. She closed her eyes, enjoying his touch.

“So… what did you think?” he asked playfully.

Navier kept her eyes closed and smiled. She’d never had sex like that before. 

“That was incredible.”

“Which part?”

“All of it.”

He lifted her hand to his lips. “I also enjoyed all of it. All of you.”

She would have blushed if her face hadn’t been red from all the exercise. Heinrey plopped back onto the bed with a groan.

“I don’t want to go outside.”

“Outside?”

“Bird.”

“Oh, right.”

“But I really don’t want to leave this bed.”

“Then I’ll go,” Navier said, getting up.

Heinrey pulled her down and embraced her. “I meant to say that I don’t want to leave this bed as long as you’re also in it.”

She laughed. “Well, that’s not an option, is it?”

Heinrey groaned again and hugged her tightly.

“The sooner you go, the sooner you’ll come back,” Navier pointed out. “And I need some time to get ready for bed.”

Heinrey reluctantly got out of bed and threw on clothes. Bird was asleep in the living room, atop the heated tiles, and glared when Heinrey shook him awake.

“I know, buddy, I don’t want to go outside either but we don’t have a choice. Come on.”

***

After Heinrey left, Navier stretched in the bed and sighed with satisfaction. This must be perfect happiness, she thought. It was a delightful feeling of peace and contentment in her body, mind, and soul. She closed her eyes and saw only Heinrey.

When she entered the bathroom she noticed that her makeup was a mess; no lipstick remained on her lips while her chin was stained pink, and her eyes were dark with smudged mascara. She was a bit embarrassed that Heinrey saw her like that, but then he’d seen her completely naked, out of control with pleasure, red-faced and sweaty. There was no point in being embarrassed.

Navier hopped in the shower. Then she put on the flannel pajamas and slid under the sheets. Back in the bed where she’d experienced the best sex of her life, Navier couldn’t help becoming aroused. She debated how long until she could ask Heinrey to repeat some of the things he’d done to her that night. At the very least, she ought to reciprocate before asking… but she really didn’t like to do that… 

Sovieshu used to beg and nag incessantly to get her to go down on him. But whenever she relented, he became brash and rough, pushing her head down to force himself deeper, no matter how many times she asked him not to. He accused her of lying about her gag reflex and said that she just had to get used to it, by going down on him more often, of course. Over time, her dislike turned into revulsion.

Don’t think about him right now.

She didn’t want to ruin her first night with Heinrey with ugly thoughts about the past. And sex with Heinrey had been a totally different experience; he made her feel comfortable and special, he prioritized her pleasure, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy doing so. He even said they could stop if Navier was tired. So he’d probably listen if Navier asked him to be gentle, and he’d understand that she just wasn’t very good at that.

Feeling better now that she had a plan to broach the subject, Navier turned her thoughts to Heinrey’s body while she patiently waited for him to return. 

***

It was late, so there weren’t many people around to see Heinrey smiling like an idiot. He cheerfully greeted everyone he passed, and the bellman received an enthusiastic handshake and a tip. Heinrey and Bird stepped outside and walked past a group of smokers leaning against the fence of the small dog park next to the hotel.

Heinrey couldn’t stop thinking about her, her, her, Navier, Navier! He’d known for days but downplayed the feeling by insisting that he was still in the ‘falling’ stage — as if one can slow a fall, let alone stop in mid-air and walk away without consequence. But now he knew that falling happens swiftly and inevitably, no amount of caution or rationality can slow it down, and Heinrey hit rock bottom before he even knew he’d tripped. No — not rock bottom, being in love felt more like taking flight to the top of the mountain, high up amid the clouds. It was all elation, lightness, and the endless longing to hold the woman he loved in his arms.

Heinrey loved Navier, he loved her, he was in love with Navier.

She’s the one. Navier is the woman I will marry.

Lost in such ramblings, Heinrey didn’t notice that Bird led him away from the dog park and toward a snowy field at the edge of the forest. As so often happened, the snow gave Bird newfound energy and he zoomed around in wide circles, wagging his tail happily. Heinrey chased him, laughing.

“I should have brought a towel,” he said, bending down to shake the snow off of Bird’s fur. But Bird jumped aside and rolled around in the snow, and Heinrey crouched to scratch him. 

“Look at you. We can’t let Navier see you like this.”

Bird leaped and licked Heinrey’s face.

“You love her, don’t you? So do I. Do you think she’ll want to stay with us forever?”

Bird launched into a second round of zoomies while Heinrey watched, lost in thoughts of a future with Navier. There were obstacles but he waved them away; he’d worry about them later. For now, he just wanted to think about—

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He focused on the silhouette of a man. It was odd; the man would’ve had to stray off the path to reach the snowy field, but he didn’t have a dog, and Heinrey could think of no other reason to head in this direction. Yet the man kept walking toward them with purpose. Heinrey thought he recognized one of the smokers they’d passed earlier. 

The man stopped a few yards away and nodded at Heinrey. He said, “My name is Sovieshu.”

“I don’t have a lighter on me, if that’s what you’re after.” 

The man watched Bird in silence while Heinrey wondered what the hell he wanted. After a few minutes, the man asked, “How do you know Navier?”

“How do you know her?” Heinrey countered. He didn’t like that the stranger followed him to ask about Navier. 

“She used to be my girlfriend.”

Heinrey frowned. Sovieshu… Could it be? Wasn’t that the name Navier dropped now and then? Yes… this was the idiot who cheated on her, and that was the tip of the iceberg. He betrayed her, shamed her about her dreams, drove her to insecurity about her weight, broke her heart. And now this asshole was poking around for information? Heinrey felt a flash of rage.

“How do you know her?” Sovieshu insisted.

“We’re together,” Heinrey replied.

“Together? You mean that she’s your girlfriend?”

“Yeah.” Heinrey turned away resolutely and whistled to Bird.

But Sovieshu wouldn’t let it go. “Since when? How did you meet?”

“Look, man, it’s none of your business. You’re broken up. I don’t want to talk about this with you of all people.”

He spoke firmly and hoped that would be the end of it. But Sovieshu stepped forward, fists clenched at his side. Bird jumped in front of Heinrey, making a grumbling noise that was not quite a growl but threatening nonetheless. Heinrey hurried to put his leash back on.

“We’re leaving now. Don’t follow us, or my dog will lunge at you. And stay away from her.” 

Sovieshu scoffed but didn’t follow. Heinrey’s anger soon turned to worry. Navier didn’t know that Sovieshu was around, which meant that he’d observed them without their knowledge.

What a creep. Is he still hung up on her?

He hoped that Navier wouldn’t be too distressed. With any luck, they wouldn’t run into him again.

***

Thinking that Navier was already asleep, Heinrey took care to enter the bedroom silently. But she’d waited for him and welcomed him back with a big, dreamy, relaxed smile. He was thrilled; her smile was his reward for the pleasure he’d given her. He hurried to undress and join her under the sheets. 

“Good night, Heinrey,” she said.

“Good night, Nav—”

She kissed him, holding his lower lip between hers before slipping her tongue in. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and climbed on top of her. They didn’t stop, and the heat intensified until, unable to bear it any longer, Navier squeezed her thighs against Heinrey’s hips. He was so surprised that he broke off and looked at her, wide-eyed, the question at the tip of his tongue.

Navier returned his gaze with sultry eyes. Heinrey took her clothes off and put on a condom in record time. The sound of her laughter was soon muffled by his urgent kisses.

Unlike the frantic, unrestrained sex they’d had before, they took their time. Heinrey caressed Navier’s skin with gentle, almost insubstantial, strokes; Navier swayed her hips in long, circular motions. It wasn’t a race to orgasm but leisurely, indulgent exploration.

Heinrey lifted his torso to switch positions and happened to notice that Navier’s face was illuminated by a ray of moonlight seeping in through a crack in the curtains. She looked so lovely, his heart ached.

“Navier, look at me.”

She opened her eyes but only for a moment, distracted by the cadences of pleasure.

Heinrey gently placed his hand on her cheek, and their eyes met again. This time, she held his gaze. 

“You are so beautiful, Navier.”

His affectionate words, the way he looked at her with adoration — it tipped her over the edge. She bit her lip and gripped the sheets tightly to retain some control over her body, and then she was climaxing.

“Don’t hold back,” Heinrey whispered. 

He didn’t need to ask; her shy attempt to climax quietly was totally ineffective against such a powerful sensation of release. Heinrey soon joined her; the sounds and expressions of Navier’s ecstasy were irresistible.

They lay in bed for a while, gradually coming back to Earth and recovering their senses. Heinrey got up first and stepped into the bathroom; then it was Navier’s turn, and she stood on shaky legs. She was almost ready to fall asleep but her pajamas were missing. She found them by the window.

“Don’t put them on. Just come to bed,” Heinrey pled.

She acquiesced with some embarrassment, but as she approached Heinrey she realized she could never feel uncomfortable around him. He pulled her close, relishing the exquisite feeling of skin against skin, and closed his eyes. 

“That was amazing,” he whispered. “I’m crazy about you.”

Navier’s heart fluttered wildly. She knew, intuitively, that this was a confession from the heart. Heinrey’s lust for her was undeniable, but the sex they’d just had was real, and intimate, and loving. She settled into his body, squeezed his forearm, which was wrapped around her right below her breasts, and started to drift off. 

Chapter Text

Navier woke but she was still dreaming — the silky sheets cool against her bare skin, her body perfectly well-rested, her mind at ease and filled with pleasant thoughts. She stretched lazily, relishing in the enormous size of the bed, but then her heart skipped a beat. She was alone.

Her mind was on the verge of jumping to worst case scenarios when she spotted a note on her nightstand. 

Out for a walk with Bird. 

H.

There was a misshapen heart next to the H. It was filled in with strokes of the pen, but, on closer inspection, Navier noticed that Heinrey drew over the outline repeatedly, attempting to fix the shape, until he gave up and colored in the empty spaces to hide his mistakes. Her heart swelled with affection as she delicately traced the letters with her finger.

The warm glow of happiness coloring her cheeks intensified as she remembered last night’s events. A stream of memories flashed through her mind, like indecent snapshots that also captured the sounds, tastes, and excitement of the night. It was hard to believe that she did all those things, but echoes of the sensations lingered all over her skin; too strong to be mistaken for a dream, but too weak to compare to the real thing, which she craved once again. 

She pressed her thighs close together and became keenly aware of her nakedness. But Heinrey was already fully dressed since he’d gone outside. Navier got out of bed and headed to the bathroom but, first, she carefully stored Heinrey’s note in her wallet.

She was just about done when she heard Bird whining and pawing at the bathroom door, followed by Heinrey’s cheerful voice.

“We’re back and we brought breakfast!”

She joined Heinrey in the living room, where he was opening a box of fresh pastries. 

“Why are you dressed already?” he asked, pouting.

“You’re also dressed!”

He drew her close and kissed her cheek. “I had no choice. But it doesn’t matter. This can be easily rectified.”

He started to lift Navier’s shirt. She felt lust awaken so she took his arm to stop him.

“You said you’re skiing today.”

“You changed my mind.”

“But your friends are waiting for you. Won’t they be angry if you’re late?”

“Let them be angry.”

Heinrey hugged her tightly, letting her feel his arousal. It was certainly a tempting offer, but Navier didn’t want to be the cause of a rift between Heinrey and his friends. Besides, they’d know exactly why Heinrey ditched them when they met her later that day. The thought alone was mortifying.

“Come on,” she insisted. “You have to meet your friends and Bird and I have our own plans.”

Heinrey retreated meekly. Navier dived right into the pastries; she was starving. She spread generous amounts of apricot jam on a croissant. 

“So… when are you meeting your friends?” 

“Not for another hour and a half.”

Navier froze in mid-bite.

“That long?”

“Yes, these aren’t the kind of people who start their day early.” 

“But then what time… and we… why didn’t you say… we had time…”

Heinrey leaned forward and asked, playfully, “Time for what?”

“I didn’t realize it was still so early.”

“I’m a morning person,” he said. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “It’s when I have the most energy.”

The implication gave her shivers.

***

The hotel had a dedicated ski area with lockers and big picnic tables where skiers could change into their gear. Elgy and his friends were crowded around one of the tables.

“There he is,” someone said.

“About time!”

“Who’s that girl he’s with?”

“Probably just the fling of the month.”

“Did you know about her, Elgy?”

“I did,” Elgy said. “She’s coming to the party tonight.”

He walked over to say hello. Heinrey held Navier’s hand tightly and glared at Elgy. His meaning was obvious: absolutely no dirty jokes, crude comments, or embarrassing remarks, or else.

“There’s no need to look at me like that,” Elgy said with a mocking smile. “I’ll behave.”

He introduced himself to Navier. After a few minutes of polite small talk, Elgy said he looked forward to seeing Navier at the party, told Heinrey to hurry, and walked away.

“Won’t you introduce me to anyone else?” Navier asked. 

Heinrey studied the group. “I’ve met most of them, but I don’t know anyone that well,” he said. “Elgy’s always surrounded by a bunch of people. I’ll introduce you to my friends tonight.”

“Elgy wasn’t nearly as bad as you led me to believe. He’s actually kind of nice.”

“That’s because I threatened him,” Heinrey said.

Navier laughed and Heinrey felt a pang of regret. He wished he didn’t have to go skiing; he’d much rather spend the day with her.

“So I guess I’ll see you in a few hours!” Navier said, brightly. Heinrey opened his mouth but she placed a hand on his chest.

“Yes, yes, I will call or text if anything comes up. Stop worrying. I’ll be fine.”

“Keep Bird close. He won’t let that creep anywhere near you.”

“I will,” she said. “Have fun! And be careful up there.”

“It’s nice to know that someone cares about my safety,” Heinrey said with a smile. 

He leaned forward and gave Navier a passionate kiss. She kissed him back for a few moments but pushed him away when she remembered that they were in a public place, in plain view of his friends.

“See you later,” Heinrey whispered. 

He winked and walked away. Navier lifted her fingers to her lips, dazed, but the sight of Elgy grinning and waving broke the spell. She turned to leave and almost bumped into a woman.

“Sorry!” Navier said. 

The woman glared and Navier hopped aside, bewildered by the woman’s disproportionate reaction to such a minor inconvenience. Yet there was no reason to give it a second thought; the woman was obviously having a bad day for reasons unrelated to Navier. 

However, Navier was wrong; she was the direct cause of Christa’s anger. Christa had been in love with Heinrey for many years. Their families had been close and Heinrey’s older brother, Wharton, even wanted to date Christa at one point. Although Christa was closer in age to Wharton, she always wanted Heinrey.

Perhaps out of respect for his brother, Heinrey never showed any interest. Christa wasn’t discouraged, however — Heinrey was younger and Christa wanted a serious relationship with him, so she waited patiently while Heinrey dated sparingly and casually. Then Wharton passed, and Christa offered Heinrey her sympathy and company, respecting his grief, not making any moves, though hopeful that he’d slowly fall in love with her. They’d last seen each other recently, over Thanksgiving; he’d been in a good mood, self-assured and flirtatious, and Christa knew that he was ready to date. He was ready to date her. This ski trip was perfect: a respectable amount of time had passed, there would be plenty of alcohol at Elgy’s party, and, at midnight, Christa would kiss Heinrey.

But this other girl swooped in at the last minute! And Christa was forced to see the man she loved kissing another woman! 

She swallowed back bitter tears and approached Heinrey, who was talking to Elgy. Heinrey’s cheeks were pink and his smile was goofy. She hesitated before getting too close, but still caught most of their conversation.

“You better wipe that stupid smile off your face before I throw up,” Elgy was saying. 

“Don’t be a dick.”

“So when’s the wedding?”

“Keep that up and you won’t be invited.”

“Aha! But there will be a wedding.”

Heinrey scoffed but his cheeks were rather red. He clapped Elgy’s shoulder and walked away toward the lift. 

Christa had to act fast. She steeled herself and followed. She’d have a chat with Heinrey on the lift. 

***

Navier and Bird enjoyed a relaxing day together. They went for a walk along the river, then Navier went to the gym and relaxed in the heated pool. After lunch, she took Bird on another long walk. They didn’t run into Sovieshu at all, which was just as she expected: Sovieshu loved to snowboard and wouldn’t give it up just for a chance to talk to her. But still she felt relieved when she returned to the room without incident. 

By the time Heinrey came back, Navier was almost ready for the party. She was just reapplying hair spray when Heinrey joined her in the living room, freshly showered and dressed in a suit. He looked so handsome, it was unfair. 

“That was quick,” she said, trying not to glance at the time. She desperately wanted to have sex before their dinner reservation. 

She caught sight of Heinrey looking at her with hunger, but then she saw her own reflection in the mirror and sighed, disappointed. There wouldn’t be enough time to reapply her makeup and tame her hair. Still, she didn’t trust herself to make sensible choices if Heinrey were to try something, so she asked him to take Bird for a walk while she finished up. Best to remove all temptation.

They didn’t talk much on the way to dinner, both abuzz with excitement and lust, and also with disappointment that they couldn’t rush back to their room and tear each other’s clothes off as soon as dessert was over. Dinner was also quiet, though that would’ve come as a surprise; their mutual attraction was such that they communicated constantly with sexually charged glances and smiles.

It was finally time to head to the party. Both wished to skip it but said nothing.

***

“I’m going to take Bird out for a short walk. Want to come along?”

Heinrey had sneaked up from behind. Navier blushed as he embraced her waist and pulled her close, resting his chin on her shoulder. Heinrey’s friends smirked and shook their heads at his shamelessness and her shyness. Those who knew Heinrey well were starting to sense that this woman wasn’t merely his latest fling; he was clearly smitten. 

Navier couldn’t turn around to face Heinrey; his embrace was too tight. She leaned against his chest and tilted her head back, ready to accept his proposal, when she caught sight of his seductive gaze.

“How about you get Bird and I’ll meet you in the lobby,” she suggested.

Heinrey blinked with momentary confusion, then he smiled. 

“You know, you can come up. I can control myself.”

The champagne gave Navier the courage to say something a little risqué. She murmured, “But I don’t think I can.”

Heinrey pulled her even closer, so she could feel the effect of her words through the thin fabric of her dress.

“Midnight can’t come soon enough,” he said. “Meet you in five minutes?”

Navier stopped by the ladies’ room and then headed to the lobby. But she froze when she reached the corridor. Her heart shrank with revulsion. Standing in a secluded corner were the last two people she wanted to see. Rashta was clinging to Sovieshu, trying to get his attention, while he looked into his phone, totally oblivious to her.

Despite Heinrey’s warning, Navier had forgotten about them — the excitement of the party, the champagne, and Heinrey’s alluring presence drove all unpleasant thoughts from her mind. For a moment, it seemed like her evening would be ruined, but then her heartbeat slowed and her body relaxed. She swallowed back a scoff — after all the pain Sovieshu caused her, he was already checked out of his new relationship with Rashta. Why were they still together? Didn’t Rashta know about his many attempts to reconcile with Navier?

It was difficult to remember why she ever cried over him. There was no anger, no bitterness, only indifference. She felt lighter, grateful, and relieved.

Sovieshu looked up and noticed Navier. She met his gaze calmly but coolly, and held it for a few seconds before turning away. Just then, Heinrey and Bird stepped out of the elevator. The dog wagged his tail with excitement upon seeing Navier, but stopped in his tracks, staring fixedly at something behind her. 

“Let’s go,” Heinrey said, quickly. He gently placed his hand on Navier’s back and steered her toward the entrance. 

Navier glanced back, discreetly. She felt nothing when she saw Sovieshu’s stricken face.

***

I shouldn’t have come.

The jovial atmosphere, incessant laughter, couples canoodling oblivious to their surroundings, singles pairing up on the dance floor under the influence of alcohol-fueled lust, all of it was grating. Christa didn’t want to be there, pretending to celebrate and laugh and dance. She wanted to be upstairs curled up in bed, crying, stuffing herself with chocolate, not putting on a fake smile at this stupid party where everyone was having fun, especially them: couldn’t they have the decency to behave with some propriety? Couldn’t they at least try to hide their desire? Didn’t they have any shame? 

“Don’t worry about them,” her friend Marie said, interrupting Christa’s thoughts. “It’s obvious that it’s only physical attraction, it will fizzle out soon enough.”

That was a compelling possibility. Christa was sure that Heinrey was ready to settle down, and this fling could be a final taste of freedom. But Heinrey’s words still nagged at her.

I think she’s the one, he told her on the chairlift.

Marie was dismissive. “Look at them. She’s clearly uninterested. Look how stiff she seems, she’s barely reciprocating. He’ll get sick of chasing her like a puppy soon enough. You just have to be patient.”

“I don’t know when I’ll see him again,” Christa said. “He’s always so busy and he never makes time for me anymore.”

“He’s ungrateful. After you were there for him after his brother’s death?”

Christa sighed. Grief brought them so close. Heinrey used to check on her all the time, wanting to know how she was coping, asking if she needed to talk. Sometimes he held her hand, earnestly looking into her eyes, telling her he missed Wharton, too, even if they weren’t as close. But months passed and she noticed that he texted her less often, he stopped calling weekly, and they met only once a month, if at all. He was busy with work, of course, so Christa was patient. He promised he’d text her after Thanksgiving, and he did, asking if she planned to attend Elgy’s party. He said he looked forward to seeing her, but he showed up with another woman!

Marie didn’t voice her suspicion that Christa might be reading too much into her relationship with Heinrey. Christa was too valuable as a friend — she frequently attended glamorous parties full of rich, attractive men, and generously brought Marie along. It wasn’t worth losing these advantages over mere speculation. It was easier to look for flaws in the girl that had Heinrey swooning, especially since her disinterest was apparent: throughout the night, she accepted Heinrey’s embraces and kisses but disengaged after a few moments, her expression flat. 

Perhaps Christa did read too much into her relationship with Heinrey, but Marie thought it was also a mistake to read too much into Heinrey’s relationship with this other woman.

“What should I do?” Christa asked.

Marie considered for a few minutes. Then she said, “It’s time to do something bold. You’ve waited in the sidelines all this time and it hasn’t worked. Why don’t you get him alone and tell him how you feel?”

Chapter Text

Heinrey led Navier to the courtyard, and they stood by a propane heater while Bird ran off-leash. Navier didn’t say a word to acknowledge the awkward encounter with her ex, and neither did Heinrey. He felt guilty for leaving her alone at the party. He was furious at himself for failing her and ruining the night. Huddled up next to the woman he loved, his heart should have been filled with contentment as they watched the happy dog prancing in the snow; instead, Heinrey was filled with apprehension. When Navier finally turned to him, he braced himself for her reproachful words.

“Have I mentioned that you look very handsome today?” she said, timidly.

He chuckled with relief and pulled her closer. Navier squirmed, looking around to check that no one could see them.

“You take my breath away, Navier,” Heinrey said. “I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you all night.”

She stilled and surrendered to his demanding hands.

“This dress looks incredible on you, it’s driving me crazy… I can’t stop thinking about your body,” he continued, hands moving, descending, hinting at indecent things. “What I want to do with you when the party’s over.”

Navier shivered and Heinrey muttered something about the cold; she didn’t know how to explain that she wasn’t cold but excited, so she said nothing. Heinrey recalled Bird, fastened the leash, and led them inside. Navier stepped into the waiting elevator with Bird, his wagging tail brushing her dress softly. She pressed the button and noticed that Heinrey didn’t follow. He held out Bird’s leash.

“I think it’s best if I wait for you, alright? I’ll be right here.”

“Why aren’t you coming?” Navier asked, not taking the leash he offered.

“You said you couldn’t control— Didn’t want to go up—”

The elevator beeped, urging a decision. Navier grabbed Heinrey’s wrist and pulled him inside.

“I can’t control myself, and I don’t want to.”

***

Navier was on the bed, the silk of her dress pooled beneath her, a patch of green on the snowy expanse of the bedsheets. Heinrey, stripped down to his boxers, hovered over her, his fingers fumbling with the clasp of her dress. The fabric around Navier’s chest loosened and she felt the cold air on her breasts, so sensitive with arousal that the first gentle stroke of Heinrey’s hot tongue was more than she could bear. She needed to feel his skin against hers, but Heinrey’s attention was fully devoted to Navier’s breasts and he didn’t take the dress off.

He swept his hands over her body, touching provocatively, leaving no part of her body unexplored, the silk so thin and so tightly wrapped around Navier’s body that Heinrey could feel every dip and ridge. The sensation of silk on bare skin was delicious, hot bodies separated by a cool layer of fabric, silk soft like butter caressing the skin.

It was disorienting — to feel so beautiful and irresistible to a man who kept her in a constant state of arousal, a man so handsome and attractive, whose touch was glorious, who understood her body intimately, who worshipped her with devout intensity. Navier was trapped, pinned to the mattress under his body, engulfed under the weight of his desire, and this was her power: to provoke his desire. The appearance of surrender multiplied her passion. She wanted to give more of herself to Heinrey, test how far her powers could take him, show him that she, too, was consumed by lust.

Navier wrapped her legs around Heinrey and he yielded easily to her unspoken entreaty, rolling them over. She straddled him and her dress fell to her hips. She pulled it off and Heinrey’s hands immediately settled on her hips, fingering the thin strap of lace, her panties the only garment she still wore. They made eye contact, Heinrey gazing at her with unabashed greed, and she saw herself through his eyes: sitting upright, perky breasts on display, coy panties, a sight of carnal beauty. She brimmed with newfound sexuality, rushing from the depths of her body in a tumultuous stream.

The air was hot and thick with the promise of sex, the erotic sounds of heavy breathing and sheets rustling against skin, the thrilling closeness of their bodies. Navier leaned forward to kiss Heinrey and her nipples grazed his flushed chest. He groaned and raised his hips, urging Navier to prolong the moment, and she repeated the motion, kissing him lightly and rubbing her nipples against his skin, barely aware of her hands’ movements until she held Heinrey’s boxers. She tossed them aside. A surge of the lust flowing through her veins impelled Navier to trace her breasts lower, lower, lower, until they met Heinrey’s erection. She leaned back, mesmerized. All she wanted was to…  She licked her lips and bent down, tip of her tongue against tip—

“Navier!”

Heinrey’s body shook violently. He held Navier’s shoulders, slowing her down, but she didn’t stop, couldn’t stop, wanted more. Soon after, Heinrey shifted back to disengage, gently but firmly.

“Navier…” he said, panting heavily. “Navier, I can’t, I won’t last very long…”

“Didn’t you like it?” she asked, disappointed. It was the first time she wanted it, the first time she liked it, but perhaps she wasn’t good enough. 

“Too much.” Heinrey sighed. “But if you carry on I’ll be unable to resist.”

He pulled her up, exchanging their positions on the bed with expert coordination.

“That felt so good, Navier,” Heinrey whispered in her ear. “So good I wouldn’t last more than a minute in your mouth, and it’s still too soon. It’s my turn now.”

It didn’t seem fair to Navier, and now that she’d acquired a taste for Heinrey she wanted to give him more. But as he settled between her legs, she reflected that there was no reason why she couldn’t go down on him later, after she herself had an orgasm or two.

***

Minutes or hours had passed since Navier’s dress came off, she wasn’t sure, but she knew she’d been on the cusp of orgasm for an eternity. Heinrey moved in and out of her rhythmically, adjusting pace, position, and potency in response to her shifting needs and his body’s demand for release, keeping her on the brink, prolonging her pleasure and deferring his own.

He slowed to a cadence that was intimate and loving, positioned himself so he could kiss her and hold her. Between each kiss, he interspersed half-whispered confessions.

You feel so good, Navier … You are the most beautiful, the sexiest woman … I don’t want this night to end …

She felt her arousal rise every time she heard his deep voice.

You turn me on so much, Navier…

She moaned, sinking deeper into the sensations, too deep to say that she felt the same way about him, Heinrey’s kiss too decadent to stop…

I love you, Navier.

She heard the words without recognizing them; the tides of passion rising to a tempestuous climax, overwhelming her, sweeping her away in the most devastating orgasm of her life. She cried out and clung to Heinrey with shaky hands, she couldn’t feel her legs at all, the mattress beneath her seemed to vanish. The ripples of pleasure dissipated gradually, until she lay very still, breathing heavily, choking out the last few moans as her orgasm came to an end. She had tears in her eyes and sweat ran down her temples.

Heinrey collapsed on her, spent, the full weight of his body making it difficult for Navier to recover her breath, and she slowly understood that he’d also climaxed, but she didn’t know when or how. She stroked his hair gently, affectionately, a silent gesture of gratitude. He sighed with profound satisfaction. Their eyes met and they smiled at each other shyly. Then, many things happened at once — a loud bang penetrated the comfortable silence, a flash of light illuminated the dark room, and Bird barked. A crowd roared in the distance.

Navier propped herself up on her elbows, startled. “What happened?”

Heinrey was already out of bed, pulling on a bathrobe. “It’s midnight!” he said, and rushed out of the room.

Navier dashed out of bed to pull the curtains open. Then she slid under the sheets — it was cold without Heinrey’s body to warm her — and watched the showers of colorful sparks. Moments later, Heinrey entered the room with Bird in his arms. The dog whimpered and trembled with fright, but seemed to calm down when Heinrey deposited him on the bed next to Navier.

“Are you scared of fireworks, Bird?”

The room glowed red, then green, then blue, in quick succession. Heinrey and Navier tried to comfort Bird but the noise was relentless. Fortunately it didn’t last very long. After several minutes passed without any loud bangs, Bird hopped off the bed and curled up on a pillow that had fallen to the floor.

Heinrey and Navier looked at each other. He blushed, smiling apologetically. “I didn’t realize it was almost midnight. I’m sorry we missed the countdown.”

Navier took his hand. “It’s better this way. Poor Bird was so scared!”

“Happy new year, Navier.”

Her heart fluttered — she was reminded of Christmas Eve, when Heinrey’s voice strained with emotion when he wished her a merry Christmas. Only a week had passed since that night; yet here she was, lightheaded and unsteady, atop messy sheets, cheeks red, makeup smudged, emotions running wild.

I love you, Navier.

Did Heinrey truly say that? He’d said many things; some sweet, some thrilling, all of them exciting… but love. Did she misunderstand? And if so… did she misunderstand because that’s what she wanted to hear?…

She had to stop thinking because Heinrey was kissing her, so tenderly, so lovingly, that she became convinced that she wasn’t mistaken. When he pulled back, Navier studied his face: dazed smile, dimpled cheeks, kind eyes lit up with happiness. The possibility of love, a dreamy haze at first, began to acquire corporeality, not yet solid but real nonetheless, something she could hold onto. Her face felt warm.

“I almost forgot!” Heinrey said, breaking the spell. He left the bedroom and returned with the complimentary bottle of champagne and glasses, which he set on the nightstand, and started to remove the foil over the cork.

“Don’t you want to go back to the party?” Navier asked.

Heinrey shook his head. “Not at all. Do you?”

“No, but I thought… your friends…”

Heinrey popped the cork and poured generous portions into their champagne flutes.

“The only reason I wanted to go to the party was to kiss you at midnight, Navier,” he said, clinking her glass with his. “That’s all I wanted. And for my wish to come true.”

“Your wish?”

Her stomach swooped with excitement — suspecting, hoping, wishing…

“Yes. Though if I’m being honest, I made this wish on Christmas Eve.”

“What is it?”

Heinrey stroked Navier’s cheek with the back of his hand. “I wished that you and I will be together. You know, after our time at the cabin is up.”

Navier sipped on the champagne to mask her inner turmoil, the feelings bubbling within her, sharp and complex like the champagne trickling down her throat. She felt giddy and anxious, delighted and frightened, assured and incredulous. She wanted to lunge at Heinrey and cover him in kisses but she also wanted to bury herself under the sheets.

Heinrey seemed to interpret her silence as a bad sign.

“I know there’s a lot to figure out!” he said, speaking quickly. “Obstacles and logistics we have to think through, but I promise I’ll find a way to be with you. No matter what it takes.”

“Heinrey…” she said, taking his hand and smiling.

His agitation vanished, replaced by the earnest passion of a man in love.

“Navier, I’m… I lo-… I really like you. I have never felt this way before. I want to be with you.”

His heart thumped loudly while he waited, seemingly for an eternity, though it was less than a minute — Navier’s words stumbled out of her in a shy whisper.

“I want to be with you, too.”

Chapter Text

“Heinrey! Heinrey!”

Heinrey slowed down and looked around, searching for the source of the distressed call. He spotted a figure lying on the side of the ski piste and recognized Christa as he approached. Her leg was bent uncomfortably and she’d lost a ski, which Heinrey found jutting out of the snow a few yards uphill.

“Thank god I saw you coming!” Christa gasped. “I must have twisted something… I can barely move my ankle… I’m in so much pain!”

Though he sincerely wished to help Christa, Heinrey couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret — he was on his last run and eager to meet Navier. He shook off the disappointment and assessed the situation. He was alarmed by Christa’s ashen complexion; he needed to get her off the mountain right away.

“We’re not very far from the hotel,” he said. “Let me help you up.”

Christa clung to him and slowly stood, balancing on her right leg.

“Can you stand on your left leg?”

She carefully shifted her weight. She cried out in pain but stayed upright — a good sign. Heinrey explained that he’d help her ski down, supporting her so that she didn’t have to use her injured leg at all. He instructed her to wrap her arm around his shoulders while he held her around the waist. The hotel was a short distance away, down a gentle slope, but progress was slow and conversation minimal aside from Heinrey’s words of encouragement and Christa’s occasional whimpers.

They finally made it back and Heinrey signaled to one of the hotel’s attendants while he removed his skis. “We need help, my friend is injured.”

Christa squeezed his arm painfully.

“You’re not leaving me here, are you?”

Heinrey avoided her gaze. “No, of course not. But you need help and I can’t do it all on my own.”

The attendant unclipped Christa’s skis and helped Heinrey carry her indoors. While the attendant assisted Christa, Heinrey took off his coat and the heavy ski boots.

“Thank you, sir” Heinrey said, handing a few bills to the attendant. He sat next to Christa, who had been given an ice pack and slippers. “How are you feeling?”

“A bit better. Thanks so much for helping me. You’re really strong.” She remembered his hold around her waist with regret; she’d been in too much pain to enjoy the closeness.

“Do you need anything? More water? And which one of your friends do you want me to call?”

“Oh… they won’t be here for a while. They all just went back up.”

The pistes would be open for a few more hours. Heinrey had the impression that Christa’s friends weren’t the type to interrupt their plans to help each other. 

“But I’ll text them so they won’t worry,” Christa added. She pretended to shoot off a message while Heinrey glanced at his own phone. Something on the screen made him smile and blush, and Christa thought she saw the letter ‘N’ at the top of the screen.

“Do you want help getting up to your room?” Heinrey suggested.

“Sure,” Christa said, beaming.

“Let’s get going, then. I haven’t got much time.”

Her face fell. She’d assumed that Heinrey would spend the afternoon with her. On the way to the elevator, as she thought of ways to persuade him to stay, they passed the bar.

“Ow! I can’t go on anymore,” she cried, collapsing against Heinrey.

He looked around and spotted the bar. “Why don’t we sit down for a minute?”

The bar was decorated like an elegant winter chalet and they sat on a cozy sofa facing the fireplace. Heinrey was reminded of the cabin and grew excited to return with Navier. They had two more weeks together, only two weeks, but he was determined to disregard the uncertainties of the future and fully enjoy their time of isolation and intimacy… the carefree days, cozying up to her by the fire, spending long hours in bed… Which room would they sleep in? And… all alone in the cabin, with no one around for miles… Heinrey had noticed that Navier suppressed most of her moans on their first night together, but she was less successful on the second. As they grew more familiar with each other’s bodies Navier was becoming less shy and more relaxed, and when she was more relaxed he’d noticed that… and how would she…

Christa tapped Heinrey’s forearm and he almost jumped out of his seat. Flustered, he discreetly covered his lap with his coat and then accepted a glass of rosé from the bottle Christa had ordered while he wasn’t paying attention. He sighed, realizing he’d have to stay with her a lot longer than planned.

“To my savior,” she said, holding up her glass.

Heinrey took half a sip of the wine and set the glass down. It was too sweet for his taste and he didn’t even want to drink. He’d planned to return to his room and shower before Navier came back from the spa. But he couldn’t ditch Christa so he hid his impatience.

“So… how have you been?” he asked.

She told him about the man she’d been seeing who turned out to be a selfish prick. This turned into a long rant about the difficulties of dating. Heinrey’s mind wandered to Navier and he struggled to listen. He chastised himself for his rudeness and tuned in just as Christa expressed her new year’s wish to finally be with the man she’d been ‘dreaming about for years.’

She was awfully close to him, eyes full of longing, searching for a sign of recognition. Heinrey shifted in his seat and sipped his water, feeling uncomfortable. His phone lit up and he pounced on it.

It was a picture of a bathrobe and a bikini top lying on the cedar bench of a sauna. Navier had also written a caption: There’s no one else here.

Heinrey’s body heated up. The implicit invitation thrilled him. He imagined Navier’s naked body, hair up in a messy bun, loose strands of hair framing her lovely face, her perfect perky breasts and—

“You haven’t even finished your first glass of rosé! Come on, drink up, it’s on me!”

He checked himself and locked the phone.

“So… who was that who texted you?”

Christa switched tactics. It was useless to ignore that Heinrey was deeply infatuated with this woman. Instead of pretending not to notice, Christa had to confront it head on and make Heinrey realize that he was rushing into things with a woman he barely knew.

“Come on, you can tell me about her,” she insisted, playfully bumping her shoulder against his. “What’s her name again? Na… Nadine?… Nadia?”

“Navier,” Heinrey corrected her.

“She’s the one you were with last night? Blonde, pretty, looked bored?”

“Bored?” Heinrey said, frowning.

“You weren’t there when we talked,” Christa said casually, refilling both glasses. “She seemed distracted. A little rude, to be honest.”

“Oh?” Heinrey said. He wondered when this conversation happened; he’d stayed close to Navier most of the party, powerless against the gravitational pull she exerted on him. It must have been while he was upstairs fetching Bird. When Navier saw Sovieshu.

He shrugged. “She’s like me, not really into parties.”

Christa scoffed, flirtatiously grabbing Heinrey’s forearm. “Heinrey Laszlo not into parties? That’s a new one!”

Her laughter was long, loud, and insincere. Heinrey swirled the rosé. He’d never managed to shake off his reputation as a party boy, not that he tried very hard as he only ever saw these people at… parties. Once or twice a year, but that was apparently enough to preserve his unearned reputation.

“So what else do you like about this mystery woman? She wasn’t very friendly so I can’t quite see what you see.”

“Unless…” Christa widened her eyes with feigned understanding. “Things have been good in… you know…?”

She raised her eyebrows suggestively. Though the subject upset her, she consoled herself with the thought that an exclusively sexual connection between Heinrey and this woman would fizzle out before long.

Heinrey blushed and took a long swig of rosé, now lukewarm. He didn’t like Christa’s overly familiar tone. He tolerated such talk only from Elgy and McKenna, and he was too protective of Navier to allow even them to joke like that. And speaking of friends…

“Haven’t you heard from any of your friends?”

Christa looked at her phone.

“No,” she lied. “They must not have any cell reception.”

“I really do need to take a shower…” Heinrey said with an edge of impatience.

He was clearly desperate to get back to that woman so Christa decided to desist for the moment. She would stall him again in her bedroom. There was a lot more she could say to undermine Heinrey’s idealized version of Nadine.

“Yes, let’s go. But can you please help me up to my room?”

Heinrey hesitated. He had an inkling of what was happening, though he didn’t want to pursue the thought, nor give Christa an opportunity to confirm his suspicion. But he couldn’t leave an injured woman. Just then, Christa tried to stand on her own and wobbled dangerously. Heinrey rushed forward, arms extended, to catch her. She laughed merrily and resisted her body’s instinct to steady itself, prolonging the time she spent between Heinrey’s arms, enjoying his embrace, forgetting that it was nothing but a show of decency, devoid of any romance. The alcohol masked the pain of the twisted ankle and the mortifying situation she put herself in as friendly confidante to the man she loved. She stumbled and giggled all the way to the elevator.

Once inside, Christa pressed her forehead against Heinrey’s bicep and whined, “It really hurts.”

The elevator stopped on the second floor, where the spa was located. The doors opened and revealed Navier fresh out of the sauna, wearing a bathrobe and slippers, her face shiny and her cheeks pink. Christa said “oh!” and quickly drew back from Heinrey with a look of false innocence.

“Navier!” Heinrey said.

Heinrey was flustered and rambled on, explaining but making no sense, giving Navier no time to respond, and then the elevator stopped on Christa’s floor. Christa held her breath, fearing, expecting, dreading that Heinrey would drop his arm, but he exited the elevator with her and she smiled triumphantly. Victory gave her confidence, and she rested her head against Heinrey’s shoulder and shot Navier a glance: defiant, insolent, taunting. But Navier remained impassive.

A jealous outburst would have been more advantageous but Christa was satisfied. A rift had emerged between Heinrey and Nadine, and it was up to Christa to exploit it. She considered the possibilities: Nadine didn’t seem jealous, Nadine was too indifferent and unfeeling, and was Heinrey sure that Nadine saw him as anything more than a casual winter fling? It might not work right away, Heinrey might stay with Nadine, but Christa’s words would take root in his mind and gnaw at his insecurities over time. And then he’d leave Nadine, or she’d break up with him. Christa could wait.

They reached Christa’s room and she opened the door, but Heinrey froze at the threshold. Christa looked at him, puzzled, and he lowered his arm.

“The hotel keeps a medic on their staff, I’ll give them a call and have them check on you,” he said.

“You don’t have to! Why don’t you st—”

“It’s no problem. And Elgy just texted. He says that your friend, Marie, is downstairs changing out of her skis. She’ll be here in a minute.”

Christa was furious. How could Marie betray her like that, after she helped Christa come up with the plan?

“But why don’t you wait until she—”

“Bye Christa,” Heinrey interrupted. “Hope you feel better soon.”

***

Heinrey pounded the elevator button but Navier was in the bathroom when he entered their room. She’d sent him a text.

Can you take Bird out for a quick walk? I’ll be in the shower.

He cursed. He shouldn’t have allowed Christa to manipulate the situation like that. He no longer had any doubts about her intentions.

I believed she was a friend, he thought. I liked to talk to her about my brother.

Outside, while Bird sniffed the trees, Heinrey composed a text to explain things to Navier. But how could he explain the inexplicable? He wasn’t into Christa; he never was. She was a friend, a good friend, but nothing more. True, he’d suspected for a while that she might have feelings for him, but how was he to know that she’d sabotage his relationship with another woman? Especially after he told Christa that he thought Navier might be the—

How could I be so stupid?

Navier was all Heinrey could think about and nothing seemed more urgent than telling the world about the wonderful woman he’d fallen in love with. McKenna would make an adequate listener but he was far away; Elgy was too cynical to even consider. So when he sat on the chairlift with Christa and she asked why he seemed so happy, Heinrey couldn’t hold it in. It was also meant to draw a line, but that had been a mistake. Christa wouldn’t let him go without a fight and his well-intentioned attempt to let her down gently drove her to desperate measures.

He had valued his friendship with Christa and regretted that it came to such an end. But then Bird tugged on the leash and Heinrey forgot all about her. He turned back to the hotel, his mind focused on a single thought, the only thought that mattered: How will I fix things with Navier?

***

On the other side of the bathroom door, Navier smiled nervously as she put down the phone and listened for the door closing. When she was sure that Heinrey left with Bird, she lit a candle and set it on the countertop, opened the doors separating the bathtub from the bedroom, and began to fill the bathtub with hot water and generous quantities of bubble bath and aromatic salts.

She’d obsessed over it all morning and finally became convinced that it wasn’t a dream; he’d really said that. Then, she had to contemplate her own feelings, which were confused and delighted and flattered and panicked and amazed and agitated and overjoyed. She was constantly on the verge of laughter, her stomach was in knots, when Heinrey was nearby her body seemed to float.

When Navier dipped her fingers to test the temperature of the water she noticed something new: an ache, a longing. She realized with a flash of clarity that she missed Heinrey. The serenity and acceptance that followed such a momentous realization would have surprised her, but she was distracted by a buzz. It was a message from him.

Coming right back.

Navier’s heart flipped and she jumped into action, putting the final touches to enhance the romance of the atmosphere and then she undressed. As she stepped into the tub there was only one thought in her mind: Does Heinrey love me?

Chapter Text

The suite was dark aside from a dim ray of light.

“Navier?” Heinrey called.

“Heinrey?”

Both the light and Navier’s voice seemed to come from the bathroom.

“Come in!”

He hesitated though the door was ajar, inviting him in. They were about to have a serious talk but the bathroom hardly seemed like the place to—

“Heinrey?”

Bird, attracted by Navier’s voice, widened the gap in the door with his snout and snuck inside before Heinrey could react. He had no choice but to follow. Inside, Navier laughed as Bird desperately tried to lick her face, straining against the arm she held out to stop him.

“Bird! Out!”

The dog skulked away, ears lowered and tail between his legs, and Heinrey shut the door. Then he noticed the flickering flame of the candle on the counter, the pleasant scent of jasmine and roses, the foggy mirror, the tub filled to the rim with bubbles, and Navier.

Navier.

She was submerged up to her shoulders and clusters of bubbles adorned her hair like pearls. Her hair was up in a messy bun, her face shiny with sweat, her cheeks pink from the heat. Heinrey recalled the picture invoked by his imagination an hour ago, now a reality. His body began to react.

He crouched next to the tub. His hair was disheveled after skiing and Navier pushed it away from his eyes. They looked at one another.

She broke the silence, her voice shy. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

Another long silence followed. Navier was radiant with a sort of nervous energy, eagerly awaiting the moment when… but Heinrey was still and quiet like a statue and she raised her eyebrows.

“Aren’t you joining…”

Heinrey opened his eyes wide. “You want me to?”

“Yes, it’s why I asked,” she replied, the hint of a smirk on her lips.

“But… shouldn’t we talk about what just happened?”

Navier’s expression was blank. She tilted her head, questioning.

“… in the elevator?”

“Oh! Sure, that was Christa, right? Your old family friend? What happened to her?”

Heinrey blinked a few times, perplexed. There was no way Navier could have missed Christa’s scornful glance and possessive grasp on Heinrey’s arm. But her tone was calm and even. There was no anger, disappointment, or bitterness; only a slight trace of impatience, like she wanted to move on to the romantic bath.

“It’s lucky that you were there to help her. Will she have to go to the hospital?”

“She didn’t go to the hospital, right?”

“…Heinrey?”

Heinrey exhaled and unclenched his fists.

“I thought… I thought you’d be upset.”

“Upset? How come?”

Heinrey scrutinized the white tiles on the floor while he pondered how to explain. For a second he was tempted to ask Navier to forget all about it, but he wanted to be honest and yet… He didn’t know how to account for his suspicions, since Christa was cunning and only hinted and suggested. The best evidence of her true intentions were the insults and insinuations about Navier, but there was no sense in telling her such hurtful things. He looked at Navier with pleading eyes and assured her that he rejected Christa, he only cared for Navier, he was mortified in the elevator, he was just trying to help — and he continued like this for a few minutes, stumbling over his words, voice shaking with anger, repeating himself over and over…

Powerful emotions rushing forth in a chaotic, muddled, and unstoppable stream…

Finally, Heinrey caught himself describing his dismay in the elevator for the fourth time, and he realized he needed a moment to collect himself. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the tumultuous thoughts, striving to understand, forcing the waters to clear so he could distinguish the shapes underneath. When he resumed, his voice was steadier and his narration more articulate.

He’d been friends with Christa for as long as he remembered and they grieved together when his brother died. She was like family. So Heinrey naturally believed that she would be happy for him and welcome Navier — perhaps not warmly, but at least respectfully. Christa betrayed him instead and revealed that their friendship was nothing but a scheme, an illusion, and Heinrey’s feelings mattered so little that she was willing to sabotage his happiness for the chance that he would choose her over Navier.

Navier listened attentively and her heart ached at the mentions of Heinrey’s brother and the painful end of a valued friendship. She felt responsible for the latter, and her guilt was exacerbated by her own selfish relief; for Christa would have been a jealous, duplicitous, and determined rival. Navier lacked the strength to suffer through something like that again, although she had no reason to doubt Heinrey; she saw them before they saw her and noticed Heinrey’s grimace and physical discomfort, Christa’s manipulative tactics.

“So you’re really not upset?” Heinrey insisted.

The guilt didn’t belong to Navier. Nobody but Christa was responsible for the end of her friendship with Heinrey.

“I’m not upset, Heinrey.”

He grinned and Navier’s heart fluttered wildly; all thoughts of other women vanished. She clutched his shirt with impatience. “So… now that we’ve talked… aren’t you getting in? The water will get cold.”

Heinrey had forgotten that Navier was naked underneath the bubbles, but now it was all he could think about. He began to lift his shirt but paused, self-conscious. “I’m sweaty. I haven’t showered yet.”

“A bath should help with that, no?”

Heinrey shook his head. What the hell was wrong with him? This beautiful, sexy, naked woman who turned him on beyond reason asked him to join her in the bathtub and he was coming up with excuses? He must have lost his mind.

He stripped and entered the tub. The water was pleasantly warm but Heinrey didn’t notice; it could have been ice cold for all he cared. Navier leaned against him, her back against his chest, making no comment on the erection she most certainly noticed. He wrapped his arms around her and concentrated on the sensation of Navier’s wet skin against his, how it felt compared to every other time he’d touched her, especially last night, when he touched her over the silk dress. His hands moved slowly, upwards, until his fingers grazed the underside of Navier’s breasts. He paused, sly and teasing, and Navier drew a sharp breath and pressed her body against his, anticipating more, and Heinrey couldn’t resist the urge to give her breasts a firm squeeze.

However, instead of escalating, Navier clasped Heinrey’s hands.

“I heard something interesting last night,” she said.

“At the party?” Heinrey asked, distracted as he tried to untangle his fingers from Navier’s, wanting to play with her breasts some more.

“No. After.”

“Something I said? When?”

Navier hesitated. It was a straightforward question but she didn’t know what to say.

“…right before the fireworks.”

“There wasn’t much conversation before the fireworks,” Heinrey whispered, his voice deep and alluring. He’d regained full access to Navier’s breasts and he leaned forward, nibbling on her ear. She felt the pulsation of his erection and her breathing became more agitated.

“You… you said some things…”

“I remember fragments,” Heinrey said, chuckling lightly. “I remember saying that you’re beautiful and sexy… and that your breasts drive me insane…”

His words corresponded to another firm squeeze. Navier gasped.

“Was there something else?” he asked. He didn’t remember every word, but he did remember how she made him feel — intensely alive, focused solely on the present, all his senses and energies devoted to her… Just thinking about it aroused him enormously, and with Navier’s body against his he was barely capable of restraining himself.

“I didn’t make you uncomfortable, did I?”

“Oh, no!”

She decided to ask some other time. Or better yet, she’d wait for him to bring it up.

“No,” she repeated. “I wasn’t uncomfortable.”

“Good. Because there’s so many things I want to say to you.”

Heinrey’s lips grazed her neck and Navier closed her eyes and tilted her head, losing herself in the caress of his tongue, her arousal catching up to his. She had a vision of their dripping, naked bodies intertwined on the bed, oblivious to the wet sheets. Heinrey’s hands were still occupied with Navier’s breasts, and when she took his left hand he resisted, unwilling to part with her breasts at first, but she was insistent and began to guide his hand down, down, down, until Heinrey understood her intentions and let himself be drawn, left hand between her legs, right hand on her breasts…

***

The sheets were damp and Navier was starting to shiver. The sex had been hot but too messy, and now she was cold. Perhaps in the summer...

Heinrey kissed her cheek and pulled the blankets over Navier’s body.

“I’m going to take a quick shower. Let’s grab dinner after?”

In the bathroom, Heinrey put out the candle and drained the tub, then he hopped in the shower. He was almost done when the memory struck like lightning. After a momentary daze, Heinrey jumped to action. He tied a towel around his hips and stumbled into the bedroom, where he momentarily forgot his purpose at the sight of Navier rubbing lotion on her legs. She looked at him with a greedy smile, eyes lingering on his muscled chest, a hand unconsciously reaching for the belt of her bathrobe, but then she noticed Heinrey’s serious expression.

“I meant what I said, Navier,” he declared.

She tried to feign confusion but refused to meet his eyes. A deep blush betrayed full comprehension. He sat next to her on the bed and took her hand.

“I’m sorry that I said it like that. It wasn’t the right moment, but I lost my head because making love to you feels so… it feels right, you know? And what I feel for you is real, and strong. But the last thing I want is to pressure you. Things have moved really fast, but you said you wanted to take it slow, and now I’m… I’m rushing you again…”

A knot formed in Navier’s throat. Her lower lip trembled and her eyes stung; she would burst out laughing or burst into tears at any moment, and she wasn’t sure which it would be.

“But I also don’t want you to think that I only said it in the heat of the moment. It’s real. I truly mean it. I love you, Navier.”

She neither cried nor laughed.

“Heinrey…”

“You don’t have to say anything. I know it’s too soon. I have no expectations, Navier. You believe me, right?”

Navier nodded and Heinrey smiled. Love was reflected in his eyes and written on his lips.

***

“Girlie!”

A wave of nausea roiled in Navier’s stomach. She could have recognized that voice anywhere — the affected high-pitch, the excessive, overflowing excitement, the despised word ‘girlie’. She tugged lightly on Bird’s leash and walked away, pretending not to hear but—

“Girlie!”

Rashta caught up to Navier and grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn around.

“I wanted to talk to you, girlie! I never see you anymore,” Rashta said, pouting. As if she cared. Navier supposed that Rashta was disappointed because she couldn’t rub her relationship with Sovieshu in her face. Sovieshu was manipulative and deceitful; Rashta would never find out how many times he begged Navier for another chance.

“What a cute puppy you have! It must have been a comfort when you became single.”

Rashta said this as she reached forward to stroke Bird’s head, but the dog recoiled from her hand. Navier repressed the urge to laugh and reached down herself. Bird naturally allowed her to pet him and wagged his tail. She’d give him lots of treats later; he deserved them.

“I saw you’re with a new man,” Rashta continued, unfazed by the dog’s rejection. “I’m so happy for you!”

“Thank you,” Navier muttered through clenched teeth. She was desperate to get away but Rashta wouldn’t let her go without a fight. It was better to wait than cause a scene.

“He’s very handsome! You’re lucky I didn’t see him first,” Rashta said, smiling coyly, titillating with excitement as she waited for Navier’s reaction.

“That hasn’t stopped you before,” Navier said, impassive.

“Oh, I was just joking!”

Rashta looked around conspiratorially and lowered her voice to a whisper. “But… I hear he’s a big playboy, girlie.”

“Don’t call me that. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Oops! But I just want to be your friend! That’s why I’m warning you! He’s very handsome so you’ll have to be careful. Other women will try to steal him from you.”

“Thank you for your concern, but I don’t want your friendship or your advice. Save them for Sovieshu’s next girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend? What are you talking about?”

“You know, when he cheats on you. You can be friends with her.”

“How can you say something like that—”

Bird suddenly pulled away with a whine. A moment later, Heinrey’s voice reached them.

“Navier! I’m ready!”

Armed with an excuse to leave, Navier cheerfully said, “Bye girlie!”

Then she hurried away before Rashta could recover from the shock.

“Ugh! Not you too?” Heinrey said when Navier and Bird reached him.

“What do you mean?”

“That woman! I can’t believe she was bothering you, too. I told her to stay away from Bird. I’ve never met anyone so rude and obnoxious.”

“Oh! Don’t worry. Bird gave her a piece of his mind.”

“Did you, buddy? Well done!”

“He’s a good boy,” Navier said, laughing. “He earned lots of treats.”

They reached the car, already packed and ready to go. Heinrey opened the door for Navier.

“Why are you smiling?” he asked.

“No reason,” Navier said, not wanting to reveal who Rashta really was. It was enough that Heinrey wasn’t fooled by her feigned sweetness.

“Come on,” Heinrey insisted as he pulled out of the parking lot. “You can tell me. Please?”

Navier pinched his cheek. “I’m just excited to go back to our cabin, Heinrey.”