April gripped my shirt and slipped her hands into my hair. She was no shy, wilting flower waiting for my mouth and tongue to take hers. She gave as good as she was getting.
By the time we broke apart, both gasping for air, I think she’d counted every one of my teeth and my tonsils with her tongue as her guide.
She blinked slowly as if waking from a long, languid nap, and damn if I didn’t want to see what she actually looked like waking up in my arms. “If your plan was to distract me from the fact that your dog is actually a bear and we’re about to be stuck in a snowstorm with only a chocolate candy bar, a half bottle of whiskey I found, and that tiny stove for heat, umm, it worked.”
“That was exactly my plan. How did you guess?” I hadn’t come up here with the intention to do anything but check that she was safe and prepared for the storm. “But also, we should probably at least shut the door so we don’t actually freeze to death.”
Neither of us moved. I didn’t want to let her go. It was like she had a spell on me, and I didn’t mind one bit.
Wait, what had she said about not having supplies? Damn. I knew she wasn’t prepared. I was going to murder Tex later for selling her this place and not making sure she didn’t die up here on the mountain. “No food or water?”
She smiled lazily, not concerned even a little bit. “Can one survive on kisses alone?”
Yes.
Dammit. No. But I was going to die trying.
No, no I wasn’t. We could kiss and hopefully do lots more from the warmth and safety of my cabin. “Get your coat on. We’ll hike back down to my place.”
She glanced out the door, then back at me, and out the door again. “Umm. I am wearing my coat.”
Shit. I glanced around the room to see if there was an old blanket lying around or something we could wrap her in. The wind chill was going to be brutal. No way I was letting her get frostbite. “I suppose those are the best shoes you have?”
“I guess I’m not very well prepared. I’ve never spent a lot of time anyplace that it snows. I didn’t know it would be quite so cold or happen so fast.” She gave me a chagrined smirk. “Well, there are some fuzzy slippers in my suitcase.”
This was about to be a fucking survival situation so I absolutely should not be imagining her in nothing but those slippers. Get your head in the game, Kingman. “If you’ve got flannel pjs in there too, we’ll take it. But we’ve got to move before the snow starts drifting. It’s not that far. Come on.”
“No chance we can drive? My rental has seat heaters, which are heaven on a tight back.”
“Can’t get there from here. No road between my place and yours. Just a trail. The visibility is going down quick, and we’d have to drive all the way down the mountain to get you anywhere else safe. I think a quick hike is our best bet.”
The kind of hike that would get icy and slippery and someone wearing heels could break an ankle. We’d just have to hold hands the whole way so I could make sure she stayed upright.
April made a face like what we were about to do was the worst idea ever, and she wasn’t entirely wrong. I zipped up her coat and expertly wrapped my scarf around her neck, ensuring every bit of exposed skin was covered.
I wanted to be able to savor that skin later, and I couldn’t do that if she got frostbite. It would be a damn shame if that soft spot in the small of her throat turned blue.
I slipped my own gloves onto her little hands, and had to keep myself from growling, irritated that she wasn’t already wrapped up in blankets, in front of the rolling fireplace, wearing nothing but a smile.
“Mrph mrr mss.” Her words were muffled through the scarf.
I pulled one inch of it down. “What?”
“Let’s do this.”
I gave her a quick nod and took her hand in mine, leading her and Bear out into the fucking blizzard.
The sharp gusts of snow stung our faces, swirling around us. April’s boots no sooner left the interior of her cabin than she was sinking into the soft folds of powder. A few steps past her car, and I couldn’t see her feet. It was a good fucking thing I’d walked this trail a billion times over the years.
Each and every step we took, she nearly toppled over. But she gripped my hand tight, and there was no way I was letting her veer off the path.
But then the wind picked up and every flake of snow that had accumulated on the mountain for the last ten years swirled around us. I could barely see two feet in front of my face. But I could see Bear’s big old wagging tail. He loved a good snowstorm, this was like his playground.
I squeezed April’s hand. It was hard to talk in this wind and she hadn’t said a word since we started walking. “We’re almost there. Just a few more minutes.”
She nodded, but her eyes were about as big around as my biceps. I hated that she was scared. I didn’t even know this woman, so I shouldn’t have a pounding behind my heart wanting to make everything right with the world for her.
Another hundred yards, and my cabin was finally in sight, its inviting light glowing through the snowflakes. I pointed and her tight shoulders went from up around her ears back to normal as she let some of her worry go. She pulled down the scarf and blew out a long steamy breath. “It’s so cute. Not what I’d expect for a big growly dude like you.”
