I handed him my bag and then braced myself on the edge as I tried to step out. He took my hand and tried to guide me down the side to the running board, but I felt my feet give way. They were still cold, even with the time I spent in the heat. I went tumbling towards him and grimaced at the thought of hitting the cold ground below, but instead I felt straight into his arms.
Very, very strong—and great reflexes.
He caught me easily, one hand around the back of my neck and one hand firmly on my bottom. I looked in his eyes in shock and he laughed with a shake of his head. He sat me down on my feet and picked my bag up off the ground.
“Thank you. I’m sorry, I am a little out of it.” I held my hand to my head for a moment.
“No problem. Can you walk to the cabin?” He kept his grip on my arm.
“Yeah, I think I’m fine.” I nodded.
I followed him towards the door and he opened it, which cause a wave of heat to rush out towards me. The walk from the truck to the cabin was already giving me chills again, so I was happy to find a fire roaring inside. I walked to it immediately and held my hands out. He walked behind me and put his fingers on my coat. I let him take it from my shoulders and I rubbed my arms, trying to force the chill away.
Murders aren’t chivalrous—I don’t think.
“First things first, let’s use the radio and let everyone know you’re okay. There could still be some people out there searching for you and it would be nice if they could go home to their families.” He motioned me over to an old desk that had a rather ancient looking radio.
“Good idea, thanks.” I walked over.
I didn’t understand half of the lingo he used, but a few minutes later he had someone on the radio who said they had been in communication with my family and friends. I let them know I was safe and Shane gave them my location. They suggested I stay where I was since I was safe, at least until the storm was over. The roads had been closed and travel wasn’t recommended at all.
I could only imagine how worried everyone was. It made me feel sick to my stomach thinking about the repercussions of that wrong turn. The radio went quiet and I walked back to the fire. I was feeling a little better overall, but my toes ached and my joints were still a little sore from the cold. My ears were ringing as well.
I felt like I should be tired, but I just didn’t have the energy for sleep—it was a strange feeling. I sat down in the chair and started removing my shoes. They were not made for walking in the snow, and my heavier bag with actual winter wear was in the trunk. Shane poured both of us a glass of what smelled like whiskey when he handed one of them to me.
“You should probably drink this.” He motioned to the glass.
“Thank you.” I smiled and sipped it.
It was rough on my throat, but it felt good once it was in my stomach. I was never one to do shots or drink hard liquor but I appreciated the way it started to dispel the chill from the inside out. It was definitely stronger than the wine I had tried to use to keep me warm.
Chapter 4: Shane
I love snowstorms—snowstorms are amazing.
The blonde goddess was sitting in my cabin. She was sitting in the same damn chair I sat in hours before when I fantasized about her. Her body, even hidden behind her clothes, was so much better than my imagination.
Fuck me, she’s a damn angel.
I could tell she was younger than I imagined. I thought twenties when I saw her on the road, but she clearly hadn’t made it there yet. My fantasy didn’t do her justice and as I stared at her, I couldn’t help but want the reality that lingered in my thoughts when I envisioned her earlier in the evening. If my predictions were correct, we would have a few days before
travel was recommended.
I don’t even need that long.
There would be plenty of time for the things I wanted to do to her. I risked my own life to track her down and save her. She was alive because of me and that was going to require a little bit of payment. I was sure with her beauty, she was used to guys like me who wanted a little bit from her when they saw how gorgeous she was. It was probably the time I had spent alone without a woman’s touch, but there was something primal inside of me that was trying to get out. It was a piece of myself I had forgotten while I lived off the land and took care of my own needs.
Calm. Stay calm.
She had already finished her first drink and I certainly needed another so I took her glass and walked over to the bottle of whiskey. It was a damn good thing I decided to stock up. I poured two more generous glasses of whiskey and handed one to her. As I did, I realized her feet were practically frozen. They weren’t frostbitten but they were damn close.
“You need to soak in a warm bath.” I said as I looked at them.
“Is that safe? I read somewhere that it wasn’t a good idea after nearly freezing to death.” She looked up at me with her innocent eyes blinking, resonating with concern.
“You weren’t that far gone.” I put my hand on her shoulder for reassurance.
“It sure felt like it...” She held up her hands and compared them to her feet.