Page 8 of Next to You

This was a perilous, dangerous, freezing-cold situation, but my inner perv had come out anyway. My hair hung in my face, along with the scarf. Thankfully, it was still loosely wrapped because it was nice, and I’d hate for it to end up on the ground, especially since I had been trying to figure out a way to steal it to keep as a memento whenever we got to safety.

Wow, he was strong. It was almost effortless for him to lift me. His muscles flexed against my torso as he walked. Andamazingly, he was warm, while I shook like a leaf inside his coat with my teeth chattering and nose running. I didn’t even have it in me to care what I looked like. All I wanted was to be warm again.

“Thank you!” I shouted against his back.

I felt him nod against my waist. God, the side of my butt was right against his head and not how I used to picture it. Damn, back in high school, I used to dream of being close to him—being in his arms, sitting on his lap, and being pressed up against him. But it was never quite like this.

I quit watching his ass and switched to watching his sensible winter boots trudging across the snow-covered ground while silently vowing to repay him somehow.

Good lord, I owed him so much more than just a few freaking tacos.

“We’re almost there,” he yelled and shifted me higher. “I see it now.”

“Thank god,” I mumbled, grabbing onto his belt loops to keep myself steady.

His arm tightened around the back of my thighs as he picked up his pace, and shamefully, I shivered from more than the cold as his big hand gripped the side of my leg below my hip to keep me steady.

There was no doubt in my mind that this relentless, lingering crush I still had on him would humiliate me by the time this was over. I was going to die from exposure or embarrassment. Which one would feel worse as it happened, I did not yet know.

I knew I couldn’t keep my feelings hidden for however long we were stuck together out here. My face was like an open book on a good day. Add the fact that I was freezing my ass off in wet clothes and scared out of my mind to the vast array of emotions I was currently experiencing, and he’d know my entire life storyby the time we were able to go home. I mean, if we didn’t freeze to death in all this damn freaking snow, that was.

“We’re here.” The words were muffled against my body, but I heard them.

Carefully, he set me down. I tried not to pass out as I slid down the front of his hard body, my nipples hardening as they dragged down his chest.

Holy crap, this was amazing. Could a person be hot and freeze their ass off at the same time? Someone should come out and study that phenomenon, I would be the perfect test subject because I know my cheeks were in flames right now.

He cleared his throat. “So, we’re here,” he said in a deep rumble.

I looked up, disoriented, as I took in the charming, covered porch of the cutest log cabin I’d ever seen.

It was A-frame and built with rough-hewn logs. Pine and fir trees surrounded it, their branches heavy with snow and sparkling in the beam of Spencer’s flashlight. Two heavy wooden rocking chairs sat on one end of the porch with a sturdy table between them. Sitting out here on a nice day would be so peaceful, maybe with a cup of coffee and a good book.

I turned to see the moonlight breaking through the canopy of trees, bathing everything in a silvery glow. I was freezing and all out of sorts, like I was waking up from a dream.

“Wow,” I muttered. “This place is adorable. Like a fairytale cabin. Are there three bears inside? Please tell me there’s porridge. I’m starving, and I think the tacos are smashed.”

His smiling eyes met mine. “God, I hope not. But one time, when we were kids, Charlotte and I discovered a bunch of bats up in the loft. That was not fun. Let’s get inside.” He pulled his keys from his front pocket and unlocked the door.

I shivered, suddenly realizing precisely how cold I was as I stepped inside. “I’m a Lucy cube. I think I’m frozen solid.” My bones ached from the cold.

“No worries. This place has a huge fireplace. We’re going to be fine. There are also forks, plates, and everything else we’ll need for the tacos. No worries.”

I shut the door behind me, frowning in disappointment when he flicked the light switch, but nothing happened. “Damn, the power is out. What are we going to do?”

He flicked on a lantern that was on a hook by the door. “Always be prepared. That’s what my dad always says. And don’t worry, there are plenty of batteries.”

“I love it here already. Thank god we made it.” I was so grateful to be here that I was ready to sink down to my knees and kiss the floor.

“My hands are like ice.” He blew on them as his eyes drifted around the room, taking stock of what was here.

“Let me help.” I attempted to wrap my hands around his, but they were huge.

“Thanks.”

I let him go, taking a step back to look around.

The bottom level was a wide-open space. A kitchen was straight ahead on the far side of the cabin, a staircase to the right, and a fireplace to the left. Two large windows flanked the front door, and a comfy-looking couch sat on one side of the massive stone fireplace, with two chairs on the other. The walls and floors were, of course, wooden. Nothing but pine and whatever else kind of wood as far as the eye could see. It was adorable.

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