“Damn,” I breathe, taking in our surroundings.
The shack is small, with a dirt floor and a single table with a lantern. A few tools and odds and ends are stacked in the corner, and a single blanket is folded on the floor.
“Yeah, not the Four Seasons, but it’ll do.” Colby shrugs. “We’ve got a few of these spread throughout the property. We use them for storage, or sometimes, if we have to camp out.”
“Makes sense.”
“It’ll be a good thirty minutes before the worst is over. Maybe an hour,” Colby says, sitting down on the blanket and leaning against the wall.
“Great.” I sit down too, tucking my knees into my chest.
“I wouldn’t have dragged you out here if I’d known there was a storm coming. Should’ve checked the radar before we left.”
“It’s fine. Nothing we can do about it now.”
I stare down at my hands, wishing there was something, anything, to distract me from the fact that Colby and I are alone in a tiny shed during a thunderstorm. The rain beats down on the tin roof, the wind whistles outside, and lightning flashes overhead, lighting up the shack and revealing his handsome face.
I don’t dare look at him. He’s too close. And the storm outside has nothing on the one brewing inside me.
“You wanna play twenty questions or something?” Colby asks.
“Pass.”
“Then how about we play the quiet game. The first one to talk loses.”
I glare at him. “We’re not six.”
“Fine. Have it your way.”
Colby leans his head against the wall and stares straight ahead. I watch him for a few seconds, admiring the lines of his face and the stubble along his jaw. His hair is wet from the rain and hanging in loose waves across his forehead. He’s gorgeous, and he doesn’t even have to try.
I wish I could read his mind. What is he thinking? Does he regret bringing me out here? Or does he want to kiss me again as much as I want him to kiss me?
Stop it. You’re letting your guard down.
I look away. There’s no point in trying to read his thoughts. Even if he wants me, it doesn’t change anything. He’s still Colby Burke, and I’m still the girl who’s had her heart shattered one too many times.
We sit in silence, listening to the rain and thunder. The storm is still raging outside, and there’s no sign of it slowing anytime soon. I’m shivering, but there’s no firewood in here, and there’s no way in hell I’m going out there to find some.
“Damn, you’re cold. You’re shivering,” Colby says, looking over at me.
“I’m fine.”
He scoffs. “You’re not fine. You’re shivering. Come here.”
Colby grabs my hand and tugs, and the next thing I know, he’s pulling me into his lap.
“What the hell, Colby?”
“Relax, River. You’re freezing. My body heat will warm you up faster than any of the bullshit arguments you’re about to throw at me.”
I want to argue, but damn, he’s warm. Despite myself, I sink against his chest and sigh.
“See? Isn’t that better?”
“Shut up.”
Colby laughs, and his chest vibrates against my back. His arms tighten around me, and my stomach flutters.
