AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So, somewhere between two and ten?”
Giving him a side glance, I shackle the grin threatening to break free. “I don’t know. I should probably talk about it with their future dad.”
Devin keeps his gaze on the water, stoic mask in place. “He wants somewhere between two and ten.”
I nudge his ribs. “Are you saying you want to be my baby daddy, Mr. Big Shot Baseball Player?”
There’s a beat before he peers down at me. “You really need to ask that? I want to be your everything, Dimples.”
When he leans in to kiss my cheek, I turn my head, meeting his lips, and a shiver works its way up my spine.
“Are you cold?”
“What? In this balmy twenty-three-degree weather? Not a chance.”
His devious smile flips my stomach as he chucks my chin. “The sun’ll be setting soon anyway. First one to the cabin gets the bathtub!”
Devin takes off running, his athlete’s legs carrying him into the forest before I’ve left the shore. Yes, I exercise: pilates, ab work, even light weights, but I don’t run. Cardio is not something I find joy in.
When I lose track of him in the shadowed forest, I curse my lack of stamina-building workouts. I’ve been busy with work and maybe a little mopey since I ended things with Benito after Thanksgiving. Why self-care isn’t the first thing on a woman’s mind when they’re having man issues is beyond me. Instead of binging romance flicks and eating junk, we should be out keeping our bodies as strong as our will.
“Dev?” I shout into the trees, finding no trace of him. “I know you did not just leave me alone in the Alaskan woods.”
The snap of a branch to my left has me jumping. What deadly animals prey in the woods in Alaska? Bears? Wolves? Another crunch in the otherwise silent forest has my heart racing.
“Devin Hawthorne, you are not funny.” I search the snow for his boot tracks. There’s the trail we made walking to the beach and a sloppier, scattered path Devin must have created running from me on his way back.
Checking over my shoulder for wild animals, I hurry, muttering with each step. “You better be popping champagne and slicing strawberries while running my bath if you’re hoping to get lucky tonight, Hotshot.” I look overhead. Not a patch of sky peeks through the dense foliage. “Leaving me to be eaten by a polar bear or grizzly, how—”
Shades of brown and black flash, jumping out from behind a tree with a graveled roar, and I fall on my rear. Screaming, I scramble back as Devin—Devin—charges forward.
“Nov? Baby, you okay?” He stands over me, laughing. LAUGHING!
“Jackass!” I swipe a handful of snow and chuck it at his face. “You know I hate being scared.”
“I’m sorry, I forgot. I—”
“You forgot?” I push to my feet. “You remembered my favorite popcorn in Chicago and which days I wore candied apple body spray, but my terror, you forget?” I stalk past him with a shoulder check.
“Hey, c’mon, Spitfire.”
“Don’t use that sexy tone with me, Devin. I’m mad at you.” I keep stomping into the forest. “There’s snow down my pants.”
“We should go back to the cabin then.” His chuckle has my teeth gritting.
“What do you think I’m doing!”
Another measured laugh. “Going the wrong way.”
“Screw yo—” My feet stop. “I’m not—”
“Going the wrong way?” Devin appears close to my backside. “Yeah, you are.”
Inching his arm across my front, his glove-free hand finds my icy cheek and steers my face toward his. “I’m sorry for scaring you.” His lips skirt over my jaw and chin, then meet my mouth. “Did you really think I would leave you alone in the woods?” He nibbles my bottom lip.
I’m so cold, I don’t think before twisting in his arm and yanking his jacket zipper down, shoving my arms inside. Moaning as his body heat escapes, I bury my face in his neck. How is he this toasty?
Devin dips, his hands grasping my thighs and picking me up, and I hoist my legs as high around his waist as I can. My clumsy fingers, clad in thick gloves, grapple for purchase in his sweatshirt when he starts walking.
