Chapter 35: Caught in the cabin
Merlina got into the car against every bone in her body. The moment the door shut, she was enveloped in the luxurious scent of leather, musk, and something unmistakably him. Clean, expensive, distracting.
Before she could reach for her seatbelt, Craig leaned in and strapped her in himself. His fingers brushed the side of her waist, light but lingering. His breath grazed her cheek, too close to her lips, and for a split second, the air inside the car tightened.
Her mind screamed at her to get out. This was a bad idea. A very bad idea.
Before she could change her mind, Craig zoomed off like he was a character in Fast and Furious. It felt like she was strapped into one of those rides you regret the moment they start, the kind with names like Devil’s Ride or Hell’s Loop.
"Where are we going?" Merlina asked, arms folded, trying to mask the nervous flutter in her chest.
Craig didn’t answer right away. His fingers drummed lazily on the steering wheel, eyes focused on the road ahead. "You’ll find out," he said, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
"That’s not comforting."
He glanced at her briefly, amused. "Relax. I’m not going to kidnap you. Not in front of witnesses, at least."
She rolled her eyes, but the tension in her shoulders eased a little. The silence in Craig’s car was thick, stretching between them like a dare.
It wasn’t until the car turned down a winding path, flanked by towering trees, that she started to wonder what exactly she’d agreed to.
But then the cabin came into view. Nestled beside a small, silver lake, it looked like something out of a dream—quiet, untouched, peaceful. The kind of place where everything felt suspended, like time had forgotten to pass.