188 A Suitor’s Claim and a Friend’s Suspicion
188 A Suitor’s Claim and a Friend’s Suspicion
She flopped down beside me, pouring herself more wine. “So,” she said, studying me over the rim of her glass. “Want to tell me what’s got you so distracted?”
“I’m not distracted,” I protested automatically.
“Must have been some talk to have you looking like this.” She narrowed her eyes. “What exactly did he say?”
Yet I couldn’t ignore the warm flutter in my stomach. Sebastian Sinclair–powerful, enigmatic, practically royalty in business circles–was jealous over me.
Greetings were exchanged as I shed my coat and boots. The interior was surprisingly luxurious for a campsite–heated floors, comfortable seating, and a small but well–equipped kitchenette.
Before I could respond, he added, “I’m not a patient man, Hazel. Not when it comes to you. Remember that.”
Heat rushed to my face. “Your claim?”
“Glamping.” Madison corrected with a grin. “All the Instagram appeal, none of the back pain.”
Inside my house, I paced the living room, phone clutched in my hand. I should be offended by his possessiveness. Instead, I found myself crafting and deleting texts to let him know I’d arrived home safely.
“That’s not how-
## Hazel’s POV
“I know that logically, but-”
For the first time all evening, my mind drifted back to Sebastian’s words. I’d made my intentions clear. I was first to stake my claim. Not a patient man.
“Liar.” Vera tucked her legs under her, settling in. “I know all your faces. This isn’t your work face. This is your ‘man troubles‘ face.”
“Yes?” My fingers tightened around the phone.
188 A Suitor’s Claim and a Friend’s Suspicion
“See?” She pointed accusingly. “Totally distracted. Spill.”
“That’s exactly how it works.” His words were velvet–wrapped steel. “You owe me that much consideration, at least.”
I glanced at the offending fabric–a garish pattern that indeed deserved criticism. “They’re not that bad.”
“Oh my god.” Vera’s eyes widened. “It’s Sebastian Sinclair, isn’t it?”
“Almost turned around twice,” I admitted, stepping into the warmth of the glass house.
“Please.” She rolled her eyes. “You’ve been here almost an hour and haven’t once commented on the hideous curtains or offered to redecorate.”
My breath caught. “Sebastian, I-
As the door closed behind the giggling group, blissful quiet descended. I sipped my wine, watching snowflakes dance against the glass ceiling. The fire crackled soothingly.
“Stay here then. We won’t be long,” Vera said, already pulling her boots back on. “The others are desperate for snow selfies.”
“Ladies, this is Hazel, my best friend and the reason I have any fashion sense at all,” Vera announced.
My phone buzzed with a message from Vera.
“You absolutely do. It’s the same face you had when Alistair forgot your birthday three years in a row.” She leaned closer. “Except this looks different somehow. Less annoyed, more… flustered.”
I sighed, staring into my wine. “It’s nothing. Just work stress.”
Why did his possessiveness excite rather than repel me? After Alistair’s betrayal, I’d sworn to never let anyone have that kind of power over me again.
“I don’t like it,” he continued, cutting through my protest with gentle firmness. “I’ve made my intentions clear. I was first to stake my claim.”
“You made it!” She pulled me into a tight hug, taking the bag of supplies from my hands. “I was worried the roads would be too bad.”
188 A Suitor’s Claim and a Friend’s Suspicion
Inside, three other women lounged on plush cushions around a central fire pit. I recognized them from Vera’s regular social circle–Madison, a pediatrician with curly red hair; Ella, a dance instructor with a pixie cut; and Sophia, a soft–spoken librarian.
Relief washed over me. Exactly what I needed–distance from my confused feelings and Sebastian’s increasingly bold advances.
“And yet you’re blushing.” She nudged me with her elbow. “You like it.”
The thought of going back into the cold made me shudder. “I just got warm.”
Her words hit like a physical blow. Love? No. Not possible. Not so soon. Not after everything.
Yet here I was, smiling into my wine glass like a schoolgirl with her first crush.
“Vera!” I hissed, glancing toward the door. “Nothing happened. We just talked.”
“Snowman achievement unlocked!” Madison announced triumphantly, showing us photos on her phone.
Vera’s eyebrows shot up. “Staked his claim? What is this, the 1800s?”
“Yes.” No hesitation, no apology in his voice. “I made my feelings known first. It’s only fair you give me priority.”
“You absolutely do. Your entire face lights up when you talk about him.”
I started my car, trying to focus on driving through the increasingly heavy snow rather than replaying his words. Failed miserably. By the time I pulled into my driveway, my cheeks still burned.
I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “This is insane. After everything with Alistair, I swore I wouldn’t-”
Two hours later, I pulled into Silver Pine campsite, the snow now falling gently around me. The forest looked magical–tall pines draped in white, the ground a pristine blanket that crunched beneath my boots.
“That’s what scares me,” I admitted quietly. “He’s so… intense. So certain.”
“I know, right? It’s ridiculous.” But even as I said it, I couldn’t hide my smile.
“I don’t have a ‘man troubles‘ face,” I scoffed.
188 A Suitor’s Claim and a Friend’s Suspicion
The conversation turned to their snowy creation, giving me a temporary reprieve from Vera’s inquisition. But as the others chatted animatedly, Vera leaned close to me, her voice dropping to a whisper.
The glass houses stood in a clearing–modern bubbles of warmth glowing against the darkening evening sky. I spotted Vera waving frantically from the doorway of the largest one.
My silence was answer enough.
I took a long sip of wine before answering. “He said he was jealous when I talked about other men. Said he’d… staked his claim on me.”
“Wait,” Sebastian’s voice stopped me just as I was about to end our call.
“Hey.” Vera’s voice softened as she pulled my hands away. “Sebastian isn’t Alistair. Not even close.”
Vera handed me a glass of mulled wine. “We were about to head out to build a snowman. Want to join?”
“What happened?” She grabbed my arm. “Did he kiss you? Did you kiss him? Are you sleeping with him?”
Heat crept up my neck. “It’s not-”
I texted back: “On my way. Need me to bring anything besides marshmallows?”
Her reply came instantly: “Just yourself and maybe some wine if you have it!”
“Hazel.” His tone dropped lower, intimate in a way that made my skin tingle. “When you talk about other men with such admiration, it makes me jealous.”
But as I opened my mouth to deny it, I found I couldn’t form the words.
The door opened again, letting in laughter and a gust of snow–laden air as the other women returned, cheeks rosy from the cold.
“I do not.”
Vera refilled our glasses. “After years of Alistair’s wishy–washy bullshit, a man who knows what he wants sounds like exactly what you need.”
The call ended, leaving me staring at my phone in disbelief. My heart hammered
188 A Suitor’s Claim and a Friend’s Suspicion
against my ribs. Who did he think he was? Priority? Claim? The audacity was breathtaking.
“First snow
now of the season! Me and the girls rented glass houses at Silver Pine campsite. Come join! Bring marshmallows!!”
“Why do I feel like you have the air of a young woman in love again?”
The door burst open, letting in a blast of cold air and Vera’s laughter. “Changed my mind. Too damn cold,” she announced, kicking off her boots. “The others are still determined to build the perfect snowman.”
“These are hardly camping conditions,” I remarked, sinking onto a cushion near the
fire.
“No buts. Alistair was weak. Selfish. Easily manipulated.” She counted off his flaws on her fingers. “Sebastian Sinclair is none of those things.”
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