Page 34 of Because You Loved Me

There was no mistaking the intention in his voice or the seriousness in his gaze.

“Fine.” She took the jacket from him, and he backed away. For whatever reason, Asher felt he needed to be noble. But he truly didn’t understand where she was coming from in this situation. Either way, it didn’t matter. She quite clearly wasn’t going to get what she wanted.

And if she wasn’t going to get it, that meant he wasn’t. And she had every intention of showing him exactly what he was missing.

Noa took her time putting the heavy jacket on. She pretended to drop it, and bent over slowly, putting her ass on full display as she retrieved it. Self-satisfaction flowed through her when he groaned.Good.Slowly, arm by arm, she slipped it over her shoulders and, leaving it unbuttoned, turned toward him.

“Happy?”

He ran a hand roughly over his face. “Not even one fucking bit.”

* * *

Asher was wired tighter than a set of guitar strings that were set to snap with the slightest wrong move. He needed to put as much distance as possible between himself and Noa. Just breathing the same air as her was turning out to be an excruciating test of will, and he wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to hold out.

He’d left her in the living room by the fire to stay warm while he went to investigate the rest of the house.

The cabin was old and needed some TLC, but just like the living room that was ready to go with firewood, the rest of the house proved to be equally clean andprepared.

The kitchen was tucked into the back of the house with a table and chairs and well-stocked cabinets that held cooking supplies and a complete set of dishes.

There were some non-perishable groceries in the cupboards, and when Asher checked the expiration dates on a few cans, he was surprised to see that everything was current.

The freezer even held a section of frozen foods, which turned out to be a good thing considering his plan to stop at the grocery store before heading out to the cabin had been thwarted by his unexpected passenger.

There was basic electricity in the cabin, but so far, the only source of heat he’d been able to find was coming from the fireplace in the living room.

Just beyond the kitchen was a door that led to the bathroom. Indoor plumbing was also a welcome discovery.

He moved through another closed door and found a mostly empty room. There was a desk pushed up against a large window, a big trunk against another wall, and an overstuffed easy chair in the corner. Maybe it was used as an office of some kind?

Asher had so many questions about the cabin and although Noa’s presence had been somewhat of a welcome distraction, he hadn’t forgotten about his current situation. However, any further questions were going to have to wait for the light of day. It wasn’t even very late, and he was exhausted.

The last door led to the bedroom. A double bed, neatly made with a plaid comforter, sat in the middle of the small room. There was a dresser, an empty wardrobe, and two small bedside tables. That was it.

One bed.

One. Small. Bed.

“Shit.” It was going to be a long night, with his six-two frame folded onto that tiny sofa. He blew out a breath. He might as well get started and try to get some sleep.

He turned to return to the main room and ran directly into Noa.

Instinctively, he reached up and grabbed her by the arms to keep her at a distance, but it was too late. His body had already reacted to her touch, as slight as it was. His dick hardened, and he sucked in a breath.

“What are you?—”

“Is this the bedroom?”

She slipped past him, rubbing her breasts against his back as she moved.

He hadn’t figured her for a tease; then again, he hadn’t figured himself as the type to turn down the sexiest woman alive, who was clearly as into him as he was into her.

“There’s only one bed,” he said when she moved into the room. “I’ll take the couch.”

She turned, her hands on her hips. Her eyes flashed with mischief. “You’re going to sleep on the couch?” She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be stupid.”

Asher shook his head. What would bestupidwould be laying only inches away from her with the expectation that keeping his hands to himself wouldn’t be torture.

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