Enthralled by Her

  Chelsea M. Cameron

  Contents

  Get a Free Book and Stories!

  About Enthralled by Her

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Reading List

  About the Author

  Also by Chelsea M. Cameron

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  About Enthralled by Her

  Things might be going well enough, but I couldn’t see much to look forward to. Sure, I somehow had a thriving business repairing and rebinding books, and my parents had gifted me their vacation house after my apartment was turned into a co-op. Still, there wasn’t a whole lot of action and excitement in little Arrowbridge, Maine, but I was making the best of it, like I always did. Just me and my guinea pigs, Gomez and Morticia, taking on the world.

  Then a tree falls in my yard, barely missing the house and my car. My kind neighbor recommends a local arborist, but when Shae Wentworth shows up, I don’t quite know what to make of her. Not only is she physically intimidating, with her ripped arms from her wood-chopping hobby, she’s surprisingly well-read and funny, once she opens up a little. I’m addicted to spending time with her, and it’s unsettling, to say the least. Shae has somehow unlocked something I thought I buried deep down, but I’m at a point where I can no longer ignore the way I feel.

  One night, after a few too many glasses of wine at book club, she gives me a ride and I make her a wild proposition: teach me how to date women. For some reason, she agrees, and I’ve got myself an incredibly sexy sapphic dating tutor.

  There’s just the small problem of me completely falling for her and wishing Shae was my girlfriend instead.

  Chapter One

  “I am a strong, capable, independent woman,” I said to myself as I searched online for how to reset a garbage disposal. It wasn’t my fault that the house needed some updates. “Some” might have been a bit of an understatement. This place had been our vacation home for years when I was growing up, but no one had really done any upkeep in years. Decades, probably. My parents, bless them, were the kind of people who didn’t see the reason in fixing anything unless it was well and truly broken, and not a second before.

  Now I was dealing with the consequences of those actions.

  It could have been worse. So much worse. When the apartment that I’d loved in Massachusetts had been converted into a co-op that I couldn’t hope to afford, they’d offered to let me stay here in Arrowbridge, Maine, as long as I needed while I figured out my next steps.

  “Success!” I yelled when I’d reset the garbage disposal and turned it back on to find it humming away happily. I took a quick video of it working and sent it to my sister, Zelda. Technically she was my stepsister, but since we were only two years apart in age and our parents had gotten together when we were young, we couldn’t have been closer than if we’d been genetically related. Besides, love was what made a family and our parents had lavished it on both of us.

  Hey, when you’re done with that, can you come and unclog my shower drain? Zelda responded to the video.

  You’re on your own, my sister I replied. Gross. Besides, she was miles and miles away out in Western Massachusetts. No way I was driving all the way there for a clogged drain, no matter how much I missed her.

  Happy with my success, I gulped down some water and flopped on the couch, which led to the air filling with dust and me having a coughing fit.

  “Fuck,” I said when I could breathe again. This place needed a lot of work before it was going to be habitable, and I was the only one here to do it.

  Twin screeching sounds got me up from the couch as I headed to the corner I’d reserved for the guinea pig habitat, which was next to the small dining room that I was slowly turning into my office. There was also a half bath and a large kitchen on the first floor, with another bathroom and the two bedrooms on the second. The house had been cramped with four of us, but after squeezing into tiny apartments that I could barely afford, it felt almost palatial.

  My two black guinea pigs, Gomez and Morticia Addams, were still a little disgruntled with me for having to ride in the car to get here, but I was going to bribe them with treats and toys and fresh Maine grass until they loved me again.

  “Hello babies, yes, I hear you,” I said as I leaned down to pet them. I’d adopted them as a bonded pair when I went to look at potential kittens and hadn’t been able to resist them. Due to their coloring and the fact that they adored each other so much, I could only give them the names of one of my favorite romantic couples.

  “Don’t worry. I’m going to get your pen set up in the yard,” I told them as they sniffed my fingers for treats, even testing to make sure I wasn’t made of carrot. I went to the kitchen and came back with some baby carrots for them to munch on instead. After giving them some outside time, I drove to the grocery store to pick up a few things.

  At least I had plenty of furniture I loved from my apartment, so I didn’t feel too badly about getting rid of some of the old furniture. Sure, some of it had nostalgia attached, but so many items were beyond saving that it didn’t hurt too much to haul them to the yard and then call someone to take them to the dump.

  Once I got the house livable again, I started settling into my new (temporary?) home. I’d been pleased to see that my next-door neighbor, Lacey, was friendly and appeared to be handy, especially when my car wouldn’t start the other day and she showed up with jumper cables and had my car humming in no time. I’d also met her girlfriend, Gwen, when I’d taken over some thank you macarons that I’d made in a fit of late-night energy. I still hadn’t perfected my recipe, but when I’d sent Zelda a picture of them, she declared them “good enough” so I’d taken them over. Both Lacey and Gwen seemed pleased with the gift, so I hoped that bribing them could potentially lead to a friendship. My work led me to cling to my isolationist tendencies, but I was doing my best to break out of them, with the support and bullying from my parents and my sister.

  At least I’d already discovered my favorite place in Arrowbridge: Mainely Books Bookshop. I’d been thrilled when I discovered that Arrowbridge now had a bookstore, and it was run by some seriously cool people. The first time I’d gone in, I’d been helped by the nicest bookseller who told me her name was Joy. I confessed I was new to town and she not only gave me excellent book recommendations, but she practically offered to give me a tour of the town, including what to order at Nick’s Pizza, and she also invited me to come to the book club the store ran once a month if I wanted to meet more book-minded people.

  I turned down the book club offer for now, but maybe once I’d settled in? When I told Zelda about my bookstore visit, along with showing her my pretty new paperbacks, she chastised me for not telling Joy about my business, Leaf & Hollow.

  That was the perfect opportunity to launch your business locally! Honestly, Lele, I don’t even know what to do with you anymore she admonished me via message.

  It was true that I hadn’t said anything to Joy. I’d planned to, when I’d found out that there was a bookshop in Arrowbridge. And then I’d completely lost my nerve. In spite of running a successful book repair and book design company which included rebinding and creating custom sprayed edges, I still had a hard time feeling confident about my business.

  Being self-employed had never been my intention, but after I’d randomly found a video on book binding after one of my beloved books had fallen apart a few years ago, I’d hurled myself headfirst into learning everything I could and then expanding my talents to include digital cover design and the sprayed edges which were so popular with collectors these days. It was one of the only impulsive things I’d ever done, and I still didn’t know what kind of delusional confidence had led me to quit my fairly stable job working in IT for a hospital. Zelda had supported me wholeheartedly, but she would have encouraged me to follow through on just about any idea I was passionate about. Good or bad.

  Still musing on the direction my life had gone in, I arrived back at the house just as raindrops started to patter on my windshield. I ran to get the groceries inside. I shut the door just as a boom of thunder made me jump.

  “Fuck,” I said, shaking and trying to get my heart rate to calm down. The sweet piggies immediately started calling out for me, so I rushed to their room to reassure them. They ran around, partially terrified of the storm, but also happy to see me because it meant that they would get cuddles and food.

  “It’s okay my babies,” I said, keeping my voice light and cheerful as another round of thunder nearly shook the house. The storm had come on so fast and I wish I’d paid more attention to the weather. After running around the house to make sure the windows were closed, I’d drawn some water and pulled out some candles, just in case. The power here could be finicky, as I remembered, so I didn
’t want to be caught unprepared.

  Once the house was set, I tended to the pigs and gave them some fresh hay along with their food and water. They also got some alfalfa treats because I couldn’t resist their adorable little faces. They had a cozy little house with blankets in it that they could both hide in if they got scared.

  “At least you have someone to cuddle with,” I said as a flash of lightning lit up the yard.

  Doing my best to ignore it, I went to the kitchen and made myself a quick meal of some instant rice, shredded pieces from a rotisserie chicken, and a bag of frozen veggies that I zapped in the microwave.

  To comfort myself while I waited out the storm, I tucked myself in bed under the quilt my grandmother had made me after I’d graduated from college and read one of my favorite books. There was almost nothing that couldn’t be cured or solved by ignoring everything and reading. At least in my opinion. The storm raged outside as I lost myself in another world, where there would always be a happy ending, no matter what. Sure, I loved a riveting non-fiction book, but my true book love was romance, and it always would be.

  The couple in my book were just about to abandon all reason and fall into bed together, but a loud bang, followed by a crash that shook the entire house was somewhat of a distraction.

  I screamed and closed my eyes, waiting for the whole house to fall in around me. When it didn’t, I opened my eyes cautiously. Something big had fallen and since I was here alone, it was my job to investigate. And check on the guinea pigs.

  Cautiously, I walked down the stairs. First, I checked the pigs, who were quiet and trembling as they huddled together in their little house.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s going to be over soon,” I said in a soothing voice as they blinked at me.

  The house was unharmed, but when I looked out the window, I saw what had been the tree that my stepdad had hung a tire on for me and my sister to use when we were kids was now laying horizontal in the driveway right next to my car. It was too dark to see if my car had been damaged and I didn’t fancy being struck by lightning, so I’d have to wait until the storm calmed down to check. Perfect. A car repair on top of everything else was just what I needed. Sure, my car was old and had a lot of miles on it, but it was mine and we had been through a lot together. And having to buy a new one in a state I’d just moved to? No thank you.

  Taking a deep breath, I did my best not to panic and went back upstairs. My first instinct was to call my parents. Or my sister. When it came to a crisis, my first instinct was to panic and then freeze as my brain went blank and I tried to figure out what the fuck to do. My family was always ready to sit me down and talk through options and help me figure out a plan. As kind as they were about it, the fact that they even had to do that made me feel like a child. Like I couldn’t do anything on my own without their help.

  One of the reasons I’d agreed to move here was to try and grab some independence for myself. Sure, the house technically belonged to my parents, but I was responsible for taking care of it. If I called them now, they’d jump in with suggestions and Dad would say he was going to get in the car and come take care of it for me, or Zelda would be searching the internet and making phone calls on my behalf. They only did it because they loved me, but I let them do it.

  All the lights flickered and then went out. Fuck.

  It was time for me to handle this shit on my own.

  I ended up falling into a restless sleep and waking up early in the morning due to the stress. The first thing I did was throw on a robe and go out to see the damage.

  “Shit,” I said when I saw that the tree had barely missed not only my car, but the house as well. That was something to be grateful for.

  “Okay, I can handle this.” Right now, there was no immediate danger. The power had come back on sometime during the night, which was also a blessing.

  I searched what to do about the tree online and it seemed that since the tree hadn’t fallen on power lines, or in the road, the homeowner was responsible.

  I needed a tree expert.

  Later in the day, after I’d had some breakfast and had done some work, I walked over to Lacey’s house and knocked on the door. I didn’t have macarons this time, but I hoped that she wouldn’t hold that against me.

  “Hi, looks like you survived the storm,” I said as she opened the door and gave me a smile.

  “We did,” she said, her girlfriend Gwen coming up beside her. Visually, Lacey and Gwen were an unlikely couple. Lacey constantly wore a backwards cap and cargo pants, whereas Gwen looked like a fashion influencer who almost exclusively wore pink. Every single detail of her outfit was always perfect, her hair was done, her makeup was flawless. She was so beautiful she didn’t even look real. Something about her polished presentation made me forget how to speak for a few seconds.

  “Saw that you have a tree down,” Lacey said as Gwen leaned into her. They were the kind of couple that seemed to be drawn together as if they didn’t even know they were doing it. Sweet.

  “Yeah, I was hoping maybe you might know someone local that could help me deal with it? I’ve never used a chainsaw before.”

  Lacey invited me in, which I wanted to decline, but she insisted. Gwen said she’d make some tea, and I couldn’t find it in myself to say no to her.

  I sat on the white couch and looked around the place. It was decorated so beautifully that I couldn’t help but stare.

  “Your home is lovely,” I said as Lacey sat down next to me, propping one ankle on her knee as Gwen filled the kettle.

  “Thank you, but all the credit goes to Gwen. She did everything,” she said, her face full of pride as she glanced over at Gwen, who gave Lacey a heated look.

  “Anything would have made it better,” Gwen said as she brought over a tray of cups and tea and then the water. “This place looked like all the life had been sucked out of it.”

  She had a hint of a southern accent and I wondered where she was from originally.

  I selected a bag of chamomile tea, since I was still stressed about the storm and the fallen tree.

  “I’ll take your word for it, but it looks great now.” There was also honey for the tea, which I added liberally.

  Lacey spoke again as she added a bag of peppermint tea to her cup. “But back to the point. Yes, you can hire someone for the tree. I hired this woman, Shae, to take down a tree at my grandfather’s house when we were getting ready to put it on the market. She was excellent. She’s an arborist, so she’s fully insured. Knows her shit,” Lacey said.

  “Oh, right, she was good. Professional and quick,” Gwen added.

  I let out a breath of relief. I didn’t know these two, but if they’d already hired this Shae and been happy, then that was as good an endorsement as any.

  “What’s her name?” I asked as I typed Shae into my phone.

  “Shae…” Lacey said, snapping her fingers as if she was trying to remember.

  “Wentworth?” Gwen said. “I think it was Wentworth.”

  I tried that and she came right up. Her website was surprisingly professional, so I bookmarked it and figured that I’d call her later today. She was probably busy with other clients from the storm, but hopefully she could come soon.

  I sipped my tea, starting to feel a little bit better. “Thank you so much, that’s a huge help.”

  “That’s what neighbors are for,” Lacey said, and Gwen gave her a surprised look. Lacey gave her a subtle glare in response.

  They had a whole conversation with their eyes that I tried to ignore as I finished my tea. My parents were like that. Sometimes they didn’t even need to speak and had whole silent arguments.

  “Are you here now by yourself?” Lacey asked as we sat in companionable silence. For some reason I didn’t feel that awkward with them.

  “Yeah, it wasn’t really my plan, but my apartment went co-op and, well, here I am,” I said.

  “What a nightmare,” Gwen said. “Well, if you need any help, this one is pretty handy.” She leaned against Lacey.

  “Are you volunteering my services, princess?” Lacey said, her voice softening on the endearment. They were almost too much.