Snowed In

We took the stairs quickly, just in time for another load of firewood. Boone and Shane were barely visible in the gathering twilight, their bodies heaving as they dumped their bounty through the opening.

Even with the four of us, it took another twenty minutes to carry it all to the fireplace. There was just that much of it. Enough to keep us warm through the night, and probably the next day and night too.

The next day and night…

I couldn’t wrap my head around it — being stuck here even longer. Yet here we were, stockpiling wood when we should already be rescued. Preparing for the long haul, when we should all be back at the main lodge covered in blankets and eating hot soup…

Boone and Shane stomped into the room at last, every inch of their clothing caked with layers of snow. Thick, heavy snow too. The waterlogged type that always weighed a ton.

“You look like the trench scene on Hoth!” cried Jeremy, helping his friend out of his boots.

“The what?”

“Nevermind,” I jumped in, rolling my eyes Jeremy’s way. “Just get all this stuff off and go stand in front of the fire. You both need to get warm!”

They stripped, and everything was soaking wet. Head to toe, hat to socks, each layer they peeled off was cold and drenched.

Eventually I was staring at Boone, who peeled off his shirt and stood wearing nothing but his boxers. His broad, muscular back was all red with cold as he stepped away from the fire and through the archway.

“Wait,” I said, my eyes glued to his ass. “Where are you going?”

He kept walking and I kept watching, every perfectly sculpted muscle flowing smoothly beneath his skin.

“Fire’s gonna take too long to warm us up,” I heard him say. “I’m going swimming.”

Forty-One

MORGAN

I floated peacefully on my back, the swirling waters of the hot springs bubbling up around my bare body. Ears submerged, eyes closed, I focused on breathing slowly and rhythmically through my nose.

I heard nothing. Saw nothing…

Damn this is amazing.

It was amazing. In fact, better than amazing. I was naked and free. Totally unbound. Liberated even from gravity. Ensconced in warmth.

I could stay here.

It was an odd thought, but a pleasant one. Right now, at this moment at least, I didn’t have a single care in the world.

I could stay here forever…

SPLASH!

My nose wrinkled, my eyes screwing shut as I wiped a bunch of unwanted water from my face and mouth. Boone floated a few feet away, grinning like a Cheshire cat. His great muscular form bobbed gently in the still waters at the back of the dimly-lit cavern.

“That was dirty.”

He shrugged one massive shoulder. “Maybe.”

“Guess you’ve all warmed up, huh?”

He nodded deviously. “Let me show you how much.”

He dove, disappearing beneath the surface, and I screamed. Instantly I went into defense mode. I kicked and struggled to paddle away, only to feel his hands go to my legs. Ten long fingers closed over my thighs. He yanked me downward, pulling me under…

Bastard!