Holiday Hideout (Polar Bear, Alaska)

I watch as he takes his things to the register. He laughs about something with Earl behind the counter, and I smile.

“Earl, charge him extra,” I joke, stepping up to the counter.

“I should get a discount for hanging out with this one.” Fender jabs a thumb in my direction.

I’ve known Earl since I was a little girl, and there’s no way he’d ever take Fender’s side in anything.

“She’s a heartbreaker, that one.” Earl chuckles. “You should watch out.”

My mouth drops. “Earl, how could you say such a thing? I’ve never broken a heart in my life.”

Fender winks, and warmth floods my veins. “Good to know, Earl.”

“If anyone breaks hearts around here, it’s him.” I point a finger at Fender.

Fender drops his head, grabbing the bags from the counter. “Thanks, Earl.”

He walks away from me, and I wish I could have stopped myself from sticking my foot in my mouth, figuratively.

The car ride is silent as I drive Fender back to the cabin he’s renting from Mr. Richter.

“I’m sorry for what I said back there,” I say when I can no longer suffer in silence a second longer. “I didn’t mean to be insensitive.”

He shrugs. “It’s cool. One day Trinity will see the truth.”

I would love to know the full story, but I won’t ask him.

“Well, if you’d like to dare me to keep my mouth shut…” I don’t finish my sentence because I wonder if I could ever keep my mouth shut for any period of time. I don’t talk a great deal, but when I do, my mouth runs away with random thoughts.

He laughs. “Now why would I do that?”

“I like to ramble, I guess.”

“I don’t mind your rambles.”

I blush because that means he noticed them. “Thank you.”

“What are you doing for dinner? It’s getting late, so you must be starving.”

“I don’t know. Nothing planned.” On cue, my stomach growls at the mention of food.

Fender grins. “Let me repay you for the trip to the store by cooking for you.”

“You can cook?”

“Yes, does that surprise you?”

I guess it does since Trinity sang about being his personal chef, but I won’t tell him that and fib. “No, not at all.”

“I worked in a kitchen before I became a movie star.”

“That’s so fascinating.” I blink. “Your kitchen didn’t even look like you had eaten in it.”

“I can clean up after myself too.”

I smile. “I guess you’re right. Sorry, I just assumed since you’re a famous movie star and all…” I don’t finish my thought because Daddy says not to judge people. And I judged Fender before I even got to know him.

Not that I know him now.

“Your brain must be busy at work.”

I snap back to reality. “Why do you say that?”

He points out the windshield. “You’ve slowed down to fifteen miles an hour, and you’re veering off the road.”

“Sorry. Dad says it’s not nice to judge people, and I guess I judged you a little.”

“I don’t mind.” He leans back in his seat as I step on the gas pedal. “Most people judge me. That's why I get all the death threats.”

Death threats?

Five

Fender

* * *

It’s cute the way Rachel stares at me while she drives. She peeks over at me beneath her lashes, every so often, the sparkle of her blue eyes competing with the light of the stars.

Whoa. Where did that come from? Alaska has frozen my brain. Have I mentioned how weird Alaska is? I haven’t seen the sun since I got here.

“So, you get death threats?” she asks as soon as she’s pulled into my driveway and turned off the engine.

“Yes, lots.” I step out of her Jeep into the frigid air.

“Wait,” she says, chasing after me. “Real people want to kill you?”

“Does that seem so hard to believe?”

She tilts her head at me. “But why would anyone hate you enough to end your life?”

Her innocence is a major turn on. “Trinity. I broke her heart, remember?”

“That’s no reason to kill you.”

“Look at your shirt.” I shrug, trying my best to get the key into the lock with these gigantic gloves making it impossible to accomplish. “It’s not going in.”

“That’s what she said,” Rachel murmurs, making me laugh and I drop the key.

I stoop to pick it up at the same time as Rachel, and our heads collide into each other.

“Ow,” she calls out, wobbling.

“I’m sorry. Let me look at your head.” We move inside the cabin. “I’ve got ice in the freezer.” I stride toward the kitchen, and she follows. “Or we’ve got pounds and pounds of snow outside.”

Rachel smiles up at me, holding her hand on her forehead. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

“Come here.”

She stops a few feet in front of me, dropping her hand, her big blue eyes gazing at me like I’m the Big Bad Wolf who might eat her. Yum. It takes all my willpower to not look at her pussy now that I’m thinking of my head between her thighs, feasting on her.