Page 99 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
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Waking up for a second morning in the cabin was as perfect as the first.
There was nothing better than coming to in JJ’s arms. For a moment, Dahlia lay still, absorbing the feel of his heat wrapped around her. It was so intimate even though they’d done nothing more than kiss. And even with kissing, they stopped before it could get too heated.
She knew why she’d put the brakes on anything physical, and she suspected it was the same for JJ. A kiss here and there, the occasional holding of hands, and yes, even cuddling for warmth—they were just this side of some invisible line that neither wanted to cross.
Or… She shifted slightly to stare up at the wood beams on the ceiling. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to cross that line. It was just that once past that line, things would get complicated.
And this time in the cabin was anything but complicated. It had all been so simple. So easy.
As her mind woke from the fog of sleep, another realization struck.
It was also… over.
She didn’t even have to look out the window to know the storm had passed. The incessant howling wind had ceased, and the silence in its wake was deafening.
She shifted away from JJ with subtle movements in the hopes that he’d stay asleep. She wasn’t entirely ready to face the day yet and all that would come with it.
Coffee would help. And yet…
She found herself lying there for far too long, unwilling to stay in JJ’s arms—that would prolong the torture of having to leave—but not quite ready to get out of bed either.
Stuck in limbo, she thought as a wave of emotions made her lips quiver. Caught in an untenable situation, she couldn’t stay, but she dreaded leaving.
Her fingers itched to reach out and touch JJ’s beard. For a man so burly and gruff, he was awfully adorable when asleep. He looked younger. Softer. The hard edges of all his years of searching and working melted away when he was relaxed like this.
She rolled onto her side, giving up the pretense that she was doing anything other than gawking at JJ.
But she had to take the opportunity while she could, right? There were no more mornings waking up in each other’s arms to look forward to.
She swallowed hard, her insides sinking as reality settled over her.
This was it.Time’s up.
After one more lingering look, she forced herself upright and then off the bed. She went about making a pot of coffee as quietly as possible, and while it brewed, she moved to the window to confirm what she’d already guessed.
The storm was over. Outside, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the snow glimmered in the early morning light.
It was beautiful, really.
Beautiful and so freakin’ sad.
Dahlia’s head fell against the window with a thud as she drew in a deep breath and told herself to pull it together. She’d known it couldn’t last.
With another deep inhale, she walked away from the window and poured herself a mug of coffee. She was in the bathroom, brushing her teeth and packing up her toiletries, when she heard JJ stir.
“The sun is shining, sunshine,” he called in a gravelly morning voice that made her insides quiver. It was almost as good as that low, husky voice he used at night when he was tired and nearly asleep.
She paused in the middle of packing up her toiletry case, a stab of pain rendering her temporarily frozen. She quickly tamped down that sensation, but her fingers wouldn’t stop shaking as she tried to shove her toothbrush away.
She’d meant it when she’d said she’d never been interested in fairy tales. She’d never believed in magical happy endings, and one snowstorm didn’t change that.
She met her gaze in the mirror before picking up her toiletry bag, bracing herself with a smile, and heading out to face the inevitable.
“Morning,” she said.
He was already up and pouring himself a mug. Leaning against the kitchen counter, he had an adorably disheveled look about him. As she took him in, his gaze raked over her, doing the same.
