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Her dog, Sadie, suddenly whimpered and pressed against her leg, nudging Jude with her snout. She bent down, patting the dog’s head and murmuring a soothing, “good girl,” while throwing me an apologetic glance.
“Damn,” she muttered under her breath, and before I knew what was happening, she was heading for the door.
I reached out and caught her arm, stopping her. “Hey, where are you going?”
“I need my bag from the car,” she said, an edge to her voice.
I laughed. “In this storm? Don't worry, no one's going to steal it.”
She pursed her lips, her cheeks flushed. “I’m diabetic. Sadie just signaled that I need to check my glucose levels, and my kit is in the bag outside.”
I glanced down at the dog, who had moved back to Jude's side, pressing against her leg. There was something about the loyalty and intelligence in Sadie’s eyes that struck a chord within me. I was truly in awe at how much this creature cared about her owner.
“That’s impressive,” I found myself saying. “Here, give me your keys. I’ll get it for you.”
She hesitated, looking me over as if trying to figure out whether or not I could be trusted. I raised an eyebrow and rolled my eyes. “Come on, I may be an asshole, but I'm not a complete dick.”
She snorted, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. “We’ll see about that.”
I couldn’t help but laugh again, a genuine, good ‘ol belly laugh, the kind I hadn’t had in a long time. She had this spirit that kept catching me off guard, and it was invigorating.
I stepped outside into the biting cold, and as I trudged through the snow to get her bag, I realized that there was an electrifying energy between us, like the static before a storm. It was tense, but not the hostile kind, something more primal and instinctive.
While I was out fetching her bag, my shoulders dusted with snow, our eyes met, and for a split second, I felt like we were the only two people in the world.
Chapter 4
Jude
As Tony stepped out into the frigid cold, I found myself observing him through the frosty windows of the cabin. His movements were fluid and confident, each stride filled with a sureness that stirred something deep within me. The sight of him—powerful, masculine, grappling with the unrelenting blizzard—was unnervingly attractive.
Snowflakes swirled around him, dusting his broad shoulders with a layer of white as he trudged through the snow-covered ground. His tall frame cut a strong silhouette against the monochrome landscape. The falling snow seemed to spotlight him, his body language radiating a raw energy.
His laughter earlier had been infectious, breaking through the layers of my annoyance and surprising me with its genuine warmth. His concern over my diabetes was a far cry from the arrogant, insensitive man he'd first appeared to be. It was disarming, to say the least, and it added a new layer of complexity to my feelings toward him.
Suddenly, I found myself contemplating the man beyond the cocky remarks and unabashed flirtations. Tony was undoubtedly a handsome man with a charisma that was as intriguing as it was infuriating. But it was his unanticipated moments of kindness that left me reeling.
There was also something about his accent that, when he spoke, sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. It was subtly husky, oozing a sexy charm that felt completely at odds with the man's abrasive demeanor, the tone of his words hinting at his Spanish heritage. I had to admit, it was more appealing than I wanted it to be.
My attention was drawn downward as Sadie whimpered again, pressing her furry body against my leg. I bent to stroke her head, offering soothing words of promise. "It's okay, girl. We're about to fix it," I murmured to her. My hands were slightly shaky, a telltale sign of my dropping blood sugar, so Sadie's warning was a welcome one.
Shaking off the unfamiliar surge of attraction, I shifted my gaze back to Sadie. But even as I tried to focus on my faithful service dog, my mind kept drifting back to the enigmatic man braving the snowstorm for my sake. As the realization dawned on me, I found myself wondering what else this unexpected night had in store.
Tony reappeared, his fingers crimson from the cold as he carried my bag. A sly grin spread across my face as I spotted his bare hands.
"Really, Tony?" I teased, crossing my arms over my chest. "Skipping out on gloves in this weather? Ever heard of frostbite?”
A smirk crossed his face, a spark dancing in his eyes as he extended the bag toward me. "And here I thought I was the rugged, mountain man type," he retorted, his tone dripping with playful sarcasm.
“Just saying, you might find it hard to be the whiz surgeon over at Pitt Medical with no fingers.”
“A man of my talents? I’d make do.” He flashed me another cocky grin.
I chuckled, accepting the bag, our fingers brushing in the exchange. An unexpected jolt of electricity coursed through me, the heat of his touch seeping into my skin, stirring something within me.
I quickly pulled my hand back. “Anyway…”
Tony flashed me a grin. He seemed to know exactly what was going on, what was happening in the air between us.
