‘Exactly.’
‘It’s the middle of the night—’
‘Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. But it’s only…’ He lifted his hand, checked his watch. ‘It’s only twelve-thirty.’
Only twelve-thirty? Her spirits dropped like a stone sinking into a pond, but she kept her tone perky.
‘All the more reason for me to stay put.’
Nick sighed. ‘Okay,’ he said, ‘if you’re going to be stubborn…’
Holly shrieked as he scooped her into his arms, blankets and all. ‘Nick! What on earth are you doing?’
‘If Mohammed won’t come to the mountain…’ He grunted as he rearranged her in his arms. ‘Just hang on tight. I don’t want to trip over these blankets.’
What choice was there? Holly put her arms around his neck and hung on as he headed for the stairs.
‘Really,’ she said, ‘Nick, this is silly.’
Except, it wasn’t. It was wonderful, just like the dreams she’d been having. She was in Nick’s arms, where she belonged.
Where she’d once belonged.
She shuddered, and Nick drew her closer. ‘Cold?’
‘Yes,’ she said. What else could she say? Not the truth, that she was engulfed in sensation, almost painfully aware of Nick’s masculine scent. The sexy rub of his unshaven jaw against her cheek. The strength of his embrace, and how good it felt to lie, secure, within it.
Her heart was beating like a drum.
‘Here we go,’ he said, as he carried her into the living room…and she saw the flames, leaping on the hearth.
‘Oh, Nick!’ Her voice rang with delight. ‘You built a fire. But how?’
He gave a wicked chuckle as he sank to the floor before the fireplace and settled her in his lap.
‘Well, I was going to tear the sofa apart with my bare hands and feed it to the flames—and then I remembered something.’
Holly knew she ought to move. It was wrong to be here, snug in her ex-husband’s arms. But being snug—being warm—was what this was all about, wasn’t it? Finding warmth, against the deadly cold of the cabin?
‘What did you remember?’ she asked.
‘Where we found the firewood the last time we were here. It was in the shed, remember?’
‘No.’ She frowned. ‘No, I don’t—Oh. Of course! How could I have forgotten? The wood-shed, out behind the garage.’
‘That’s the place.’ He leaned back against the sofa, so that her head lay against his shoulder. ‘Do I get a merit badge for this one or not?’
Holly laughed. ‘My Eagle Scout,’ she said softly.
‘Feels good, doesn’t it?’
‘Wonderful,’ she murmured, shutting her eyes and burrowing even closer.
They sat without talking, soothed by the warmth of the fire. Nick dipped his head and inhaled the fragrance of Holly’s hair. Her skin. She smelled like a morning meadow, fresh and new and touched with the scent of wildflowers. And she felt—she felt wonderful, here in his arms.
The feel of her was new, and yet it wasn’t. How could it be? Every inch of her body was imprinted on his. He remembered each curve, each sweet line. He knew what would happen if he kissed her throat, where it lay bare. If he breathed against her skin. If he raised her sweatshirt and bit gently at the straining flesh of her breast.
His body turned rock-hard. It was sudden and unexpected, and so unnerving that he shot to his feet while Holly gasped and clung to his neck. He deposited her on the sofa, swung away, grabbed for the poker and stabbed blindly at the burning logs.
‘Okay,’ he said briskly, ‘here’s the plan. We’ll spread a couple of blankets on the floor, in front of the fire. Then we’ll dump the rest of them over us. That ought to keep us warm enough so we can be sure of waking up in the morning with fingers and toes still attached.’
When it was safe to turn around and face her, he saw that her face was flushed with color. Her eyes were dark, almost the color of the night crowding in at the windows. Had she felt the pressure of his arousal? Or was she wary of spending the night lying so close to him?
‘It’s the only sensible thing to do,’ he said softly.
She nodded. ‘Yes. I agree.’
‘Good.’
She cleared her throat and forced a little smile to her lips. ‘It’s certainly better than turning into an advertisement for the wonders of cryogenics.’ Her smile broadened, and she touched a finger to the tip of her nose. ‘Or for freezer burn. I do still have a nose, don’t I?’
Nick grinned. ‘Definitely.’
‘Good. For a while there, I was pretty sure I was going to lose it.’