I hear her moving carefully in the darkness, then the sound of the cabinet opening. “I can’t see anything,” she says, her voice rising. “We’re going to freeze to death.”
I dig in my pocket, pull out my lighter, and flick it open. The small flame illuminates her face, her eyes wide with panic.
“No, we won’t,” I assure her, handing her the lighter. “We’ve got a fireplace.” I thumb over my shoulder toward the living room.
She peers around me, the lighter casting a glow as she spots the stone fireplace along the far wall of the living room. “Thank the gods.”
“I’ll go grab some wood,” I say, reaching for my jacket.
“Be careful,” she calls after me as I head for the door.
Outside, the snow is coming down hard, big fat flakes swirling in the beam of my flashlight. I trudge through what’s already accumulated, at least three inches, toward the woodshed at the edge of the property. My breath puffs out in front of me in white clouds as I grab an armful of split logs and head back to the house.
By the time I make it back inside, my face is numb, and my arms are aching from carrying the heavy load. “Son of a bitch,” I spit out, kicking off my boots by the door. “It’s colder than a witch’s titty out there.”
My eyes go to Pinky when she giggles. Glad she’s entertained by me freezing my balls off. I shiver.
“Is this okay?” I glance around at the lit candles in the room. The effect is... romantic as hell, actually.
“This is nice, baby,” I say, carrying the wood to the fireplace.
She smiles, the candlelight making her pink hair look almost golden. “I’m trying to seduce you.”
“You don’t gotta try hard, babygirl. I’m all yours.” I tease, setting the logs down before arranging them in the fireplace. As I work, I’m acutely aware of Pinky moving around behind me, putting away the last of our groceries by candlelight.
“Do you need any help?” she asks, coming to stand beside me as I crumple up some newspaper for kindling.
“I’ve got it.” I strike another match and touch it to the paper, watching as the flames catch and grow. “Used to do this all the time as a kid. Our heat was always going out.”
She kneels next to me, holding her hands out to the growing flames. “I’ve never had a real fireplace before. Only one of those electric ones.”
I snort. “Those aren’t fireplaces. They’re fancy space heaters.”
She laughs, and the sound warms me from the inside out. I’ve never wished I had a bearskin rug more than I do right now, watching her bathed in firelight, her face glowing from its warmth.
“There,” I say as the logs catch and the fire really gets going. “That should keep us from freezing our toes off.”
“It’s beautiful,” she says, staring into the flames.
I look at her profile, those delicate features, that perfect little nose, those pouty pink lips, and my chest tightens. “Yeah,” I agree, not talking about the fire at all. “Beautiful.”
She turns to face me and catches me staring at her. Suddenly, her eyes darken, and her tongue darts out to wet her lips.
“Aaron,” she whispers, and the sound of my real name on her lips goes straight to my dick.
I reach out and cup her face in my hand, my thumb brushing across her cheekbone. “C’mere, butterfly.”
She moves into my space, her small body fitting perfectly against mine as I pull her into my lap. She straddles me, her arms going around my neck, and I capture her mouth with mine.
The kiss starts slow, gentle, but quickly turns hungry as her soft moan vibrates against my lips. I slide my tongue into her mouth, tasting her, claiming her. My hands grip her hips, pressing her down onto my hardening cock.
“Fuck,” I growl when she grinds against me. “You feel so fucking good, baby.”
Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling just enough to send a jolt of pleasure and pain down my spine. I trail kisses along her jaw, down her neck, biting gently at the spot where her neck meets her shoulder.
She gasps, her head falling back, giving me better access. “Aaron, please.”
I slide my hands under her shirt, feeling the soft skin of her back. “Take this off,” I move my fingers under the fabric.
