I shut the door behind me and then wrap my arms around myself. It’s even colder inside the cabin than it was outside. My breaths come out in small puffs and hang in front of my face for a couple beats before disappearing.
“Talon said the bedrooms are upstairs,” Becks says, gesturing to the open staircase on the far end of the living room. “There are three. You can pick first.”
I nod, and a shiver racks my frame.
Becks frowns. “You look like you’re freezing.”
“Well, that’s funny, because I feel like I’m freezing too,” I say through chattering teeth.
He casts his gaze around the room, and spotting a thermostat, goes over and turns it on. I hear it kick on immediately, but then freezing air starts to circulate throughout the space.
“That may take a little while to warm up,” Becks says, stating the obvious. “I saw some stacked wood on the side of the cabin. I can make a fire. That will get this room heated up pretty quickly.”
I nod rather than answer because my jaw is so tightly clenched.
He comes over and rubs his hands up and down my arms, trying to warm me. It feels good, better than I’m willing to admit, but it’s not really working.
“How are you in a t-shirt right now?” I ask, the words coming out stilted.
“How many times do I have to tell you that I run hot before you believe me? You’re like a popsicle. I can hear your teeth chattering. Come here.” Wrapping his large arms around my back, he hauls me against him, plastering me against his chest.
I want to be indignant, but I’m too busy soaking up his warmth and breathing in a faceful of his delicious scent to drum it up. When he starts running a hand up and down my back, I have to bite back a sigh.
My muscles start to untense, and I melt into his embrace.
“Better?” he asks quietly, his deep voice sending a slight tremor skating down my spine.
“You’re still shivering,” he says, mistaking the reason, and holds me even tighter.
Without fully realizing what I’m doing, I press my face into Becks’ chest and take in a deep lungful of his addictive scent. Like a hit, it goes straight to my head, making my thoughts go a little fuzzy and sending warmth throughout my limbs.
I could live in his arms the rest of my life and die happy, my hazy mind thinks.
I don’t notice that Becks has gone still until he says, “Um, Haven. Are you sniffing me?”
Reality comes crashing back in, and I yank myself out of his arms.
“No!” I immediately deny. “I was definitely not sniffing you.”
Lies. I was so sniffing him. And I could die right now from having been caught.
Becks watches me squirm, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Okay, sure. Just checking. I never did get that shower after working out last night, so I probably smell like week-old socks or something.”
I hold in a snort. Like that would happen. Everything about him is annoyingly appealing. His man sweat probably smells like sugar cookies or something else I’d want to gobble up.
But I’d never admit that.
I cross my arms, feeling awkward and exposed. “Well, now that you mention it, there is a little bit of a ripe stench in the air. I’m sure a shower couldn’t hurt.”
Becks barks out a laugh. “Noted. A shower will be a priority after I get that fire started. In the meantime, if you’re not going to turn into an ice cube anymore, why don’t you pick out a room.”
Cold? That’s the last thing I am right now. I’m burning up. A dip in the snow is starting to look appealing, but with a quick nod, I flee, hearing Becks’ chuckles follow me.
Fifteen
BECKS
