“GIRL, I’M telling you. You need to bring lots of clothes.” Yumika rolled her eyes for the second time since Stephanie arrived. Ever since Steph found out about her vacation with Cade, she had been overflowing with excitement, as if she were the one going on a trip. They still had a few hours left before she and Cade would leave. And Steph was there to give her an earful about what to bring and what not to bring. And to top it all off, she had even brought clothes as gifts for her.
“We’re only going for one week, not one month. I don’t need that many clothes. I’m trying to travel light, okay?” she said.
Steph bounced on her bed as she watched her fold her clothes and place them inside her pink luggage. The paper bags she brought were sitting beside her. “Do you know where you’re going?” she asked.
Mika shook her head. “Cade didn’t tell me.”
“Are you sure you’re not going abroad?”
“Nope. At least that’s what he told me when I asked for a clue,” she muttered. “He said one week wouldn’t be enough if we were going abroad. But next time, we’ll go to Europe. That’s what he promised.”
“Hmm, next time,” Steph drawled. She shot her best friend a look, trying not to smile.
“Stop giving me that look,” she said, which made her friend laugh.
“To be honest, I’m getting used to this. You and Cade. You as my sister-in-law.”
“Maybe you’re forgetting that this set-up will only last for one year, until he gets his inheritance,” she reminded her. Steph just shrugged and looked at her phone. She left her there for a moment and went to the bathroom to get the toiletries she planned to bring. When she returned, Steph was already standing, the paper bags hanging from her arm. She was beaming wildly as she stared at her phone.
“Got something interesting?” she couldn’t help but ask. Then Stephanie squealed.
“Andrew’s on his way to the Philippines!” she announced, dancing with excitement. Andrew was her long-time boyfriend who worked in Switzerland as a piano instructor at a well-known university. “That jerk! He didn’t even tell me! He was planning to surprise me! If Melissa hadn’t posted, I wouldn’t have found out.” She was referring to her boyfriend’s younger sister.
She laughed. “You two are the same. You both love surprises.”
“True!” she agreed tearfully. The excitement was obvious in her eyes. “Anyway, gotta go, sis! Love ya! Enjoy your trip, okay? And don’t bother calling me once you get there. I know very well that my brother will keep you safe.” She even winked. Before she could react, Steph had already left. She could still hear her laughter as she walked herself out. She could only shake her head.
A few seconds later, Cade’s head popped into her room. “I heard the lunatic already left,” he said, and she couldn’t help but laugh. Cade grinned in response. “Ready?” he asked.
She zipped her luggage shut and nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.”
IT WAS a three-hour drive—that was the only clue Cade had given her. Yumika simply stared out the window as they slowly moved farther away from the city. Every now and then, she could feel Cade glancing at her. She had caught him several times, but he would just smile as if it were nothing.
“Stop thinking too hard. I’m not going to murder you,” he joked, as if trying to ease the serious mood. He had remained tight-lipped about where they were really going.
“How did you know I was thinking?” she asked instead.
He laughed softly. “You get this cute little wrinkle on the bridge of your nose when you’re thinking too hard.”
She instinctively touched it. “No, I don’t,” she muttered defensively.
“Trust me, you’ll love the place,” he winked. The butterflies in her stomach instantly awakened in response. Awkwardly, Yumika turned on the radio. Soon, they were both enjoying the songs and even singing along together in a duet.
After three hours, and several serpentine roads later, they finally arrived. Yumika’s eyes roamed around. It looked like they were in a mountain resort. She looked at the large golden letters above the luxury log cabin in front of them. It read Chalet La Dolce.
“Wait. Are we seriously in a mountain resort, Cade?” she asked, unable to contain herself.
He looked pleased as he smiled. “You bet we are.”
“Oh my God!” She couldn’t contain her excitement.
After getting out of the car, she accompanied Cade inside the cabin so they could check in. She didn’t miss the eyes that immediately turned toward Cade as they entered. No surprise there. He exuded an air of wealth, confidence, and power. Not to mention his good looks. Both women and men couldn’t help but stare at him.
Yumika simply stood behind him while he spoke with the staff. Even though she wasn’t looking directly, she was listening. The female staff member had an overly sweet tone while talking to him.
“I’m actually here with my wife,” Cade replied when he was asked if he was alone. He looked back at her, placed his arm around her waist, and gently pulled her closer to him, as if introducing her to the staff. The woman smiled weakly, embarrassed, and resumed her work.
Yumika, however, was too stunned to react.
A few minutes later, they were riding the resort’s passenger cart. After three minutes, they reached their luxury two-storey cabin. What made the location even more beautiful was that there were no other cabins in sight. The luxury cabin stood proudly among the towering trees nearby. Yumika could only gasp in awe at the sight of it. Cade chuckled, clearly pleased.
When they got inside, she was even more amazed. Every piece of furniture was made of mahogany and fully varnished. The kitchen and dining area were combined, and there was also a mini bar. At the far end corner was the bathroom. Upstairs was the master bedroom. It had a large bathroom with both a bathtub and a shower room. There was also a mini living room and a balcony.
When Yumika realized there was only one bedroom, she looked at Cade. Their eyes met, and he immediately understood what she was thinking.
“I’m sorry,” he said with a grimace. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. The staff called me earlier while we were still at the house to inform me that they had mistakenly given our supposed room to another guest. As compensation for their mistake, they gave us this luxury cabin without asking for additional payment and with complimentary meals for the entire duration of our stay. I accepted it because I thought it was better than canceling our plans.”
She shook her head with a smile on her lips. “No, it’s fine, Cade. You’re right, it would be sad to cancel this vacation. Besides, the bed is big. Four people could actually fit in there.” She laughed nervously, then stopped when she realized what it might imply. “I-I mean, uh, I don’t have to sleep on the bed. I can sleep over there on the—”
“I would never allow you to sleep anywhere else, Mika,” he cut her off. “You will have the entire bed, okay?”
She bit her lower lip and thought for a moment. “What about you? Where will you sleep?”
“The sofa downstairs is big. It looks very comfy.”
“No, Cade, I insist. Sleep with me.” Her cheeks immediately flushed after she said it. “W-What I meant was, sleep on the bed with me.” She lowered her gaze, and a few strands of her hair fell loose.
“Do you want me to?” His voice came out low and slightly rough. Goosebumps rose along her arms.
“Y-Yes,” she confirmed, stuttering slightly. “Um, besides, the bed is big. It’s a king-sized bed.”
He lifted her face gently. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Mika.”
She shook her head. “I insist,” she said. “And to make you feel at ease, we’ll put some pillows between us.” Because of what she said, Cade smiled and eventually agreed.
“Okay, if you insist. But for now, I’m starting to get hungry. I’ll call for that complimentary dinner, and let’s see if I can ask for some pork or beef, or maybe some fish, too. What do you want? I’m in the mood to grill tonight.”
“Fish would be nice, Cade. But a little pork wouldn’t hurt either.” She smiled, and he smiled back.