Filthy Scrooge

“Yeah, no need for you to hike up there. You’re a crazy fucker, but even you know that’s too much snow.”

He shrugged. “Good enough.”

The snow started the minute we hit the winding road that lead to my place. Fat snowflakes swarmed the car and killed visibility. We slipped and inched our way up the hill. Kay slept on as if she was in her own damn bed. It was probably better that she was out. There was no way to turn around at this point. There was only forward.

When we rounded the shoulder, I held onto the oh, shit handle. Joe slammed into four-wheel-drive and we fishtailed a few feet before correcting. He jammed the wheel and we tapped the guardrail. It was enough to wake Kay.

She came out of sleep with a start, her huge blue eyes unfocused and confused.

“Miss Kane, we’re fine. Just a little snow and ice.”

“A little?” She pushed her wild hair out of her face. “Are you delusional? That’s a blizzard. When did this start?”

“Just after we landed, but don’t worry, Joe knows these roads better than Manhattan.”

“Grew up here, Miss Kane.”

“Both of you better be calling me Kay at this point.” She pulled her seatbelt over her shoulder and clicked it into place. “How long was I out? Why didn’t you wake me?”

I threw a smile over my shoulder. “You’ll be needing your sleep.”

She rolled her eyes at me before focusing her attention out the window as she nibbled on her lower lip. Her profile was lit up with the refracted light on the snowflakes and eerie sky. He eyes were shadowed with makeup and fatigue and her lipstick was long gone. She was still so fucking beautiful it hurt to look at her.

The trees were a canopy of white the deeper into the mountains we went. Icicles dripped from branches and the snow gave the night an eerie silence. Visibility was nonexistent and Joe took it slow. The fifteen-minute drive took more like forty with tension vibrating inside the car.

Everly Lane came into view. Joe slowed and punched the four-wheel-drive into gear again. We climbed the winding road to my sprawling two-story cabin. Post and beam style with a wraparound porch, it was the center of my universe. I was a city boy by trade, but my heart belonged to this house.

I took my SAT phone and tucked it into the bag at my feet before opening my door. “Thanks, man. I’ll see you on the twenty-sixth.”

“Will do.”

“Thanks, Joe,” she said softly.

“Wait there,” I said gruffly.

“I’m perfectly capable. I’ve walked on ice with heels.”

I swore as I slammed the door and gathered her bag and my larger one from the back. I met her on the driver’s side as she carefully picked her way to the walkway. A good four inches of snow had fallen during the ride. It completely buried her ridiculous boots. The fact that I’d been having fantasies of her wearing nothing but them was beside the point.

“Just couldn’t wait.”

“No. The faster we get in there, the faster—”

“I get you naked.”

Her gaze shot to mine. “I’ve got icicles for teeth and you want me naked?” she asked with a shiver.

“As soon as humanly possible.” We got to the huge stone steps that created my entryway. Her jaw dropped open followed by a squeak as I hauled her into my arms. “Let’s just make this easy, huh?”

“I’m too heavy!”

“Who do you think got you out of the plane and into the Rover?”

“Joe?”

“Nice.”

“What? You could—whoa.” Her fingers gripped my shoulders. “Well, I wasn’t exactly planning this little trip.”