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Bea
A cool draft wafts over my face. I open my eyes a splintered crack, avoiding the light filtering in through the living room shades. I move to stretch my arms, but I’m snuggly cocooned in a multi-layered blanket burrito.Alone.
Last night was not a dream. My body aches in too many wonderfully delicious areas to not be real. Even so, panic flits through me in Roman’s absence. I wrestle free of the endless layers of fabric and quickly pull on my sweatpants and shirt. I scan the room, but the only proof Roman was here is his scraped-up cherry-red motorcycle helmet and the lingering scent of last night.
“Roman,” I call out, tempering the panic in my voice.
I haul ass down the hallway and grab a fresh pair of winter socks, then hobble back to the living room as I pull them on in a rush. I slip into my snow boots without taking the time to tie the laces and shrug into my coat.
The icy air hits me hard and fast, choking breath from my lungs. Sun glints off the pristine white snow, glistening and temporarily blinding me. I drag the unbuttoned coat panels across my chest and flip the collar up to offer some protection from the cold. Ankle-deep snow covers the porch and steps, and snow drifts skirt the cabin’s outer walls.
Snow covers the gravel drive and surrounding areas in varying depths without a solitary print. Roman couldn’t have hiked to the road. The unease in my gut unravels, and a sigh of relief settles inside me.
Roman could have made a getaway anytime during the night, whether by foot or taking Laurel to pick up his bike. He isn’t the kind of man to allow anything to get in the way of what he wants. Hopefully, I’m on his long-term wanted list, but I can’t let myself dawdle with the idea. I asked him for one night. If that’s all he gives me, I’ll have to learn to be satisfied.
Satisfaction is a far cry from happiness.
I follow the edge of the cabin, brushing past Laurel. I swipe across her snow-covered hood, vowing to clear a spot in the garage for her before the next snowfall. She’s got too much sentimental value in her to endure the elements.
Roman comes into view as I reach the far side of the house. He tucks his head into his shoulder with an armload of firewood pressed against his chest. Ever the chivalrous, dutiful man. He’s changed a lot since we were kids. Back in the day, a snow like this would elicit impromptu snowball fights followed by a round of Grandma’s hot chocolate.
I dip my hand into the snow and fist it into a ball. I pull my coat around my body a little tighter and plow ahead through the snow, even though I’m unsuitably dressed for the whimsy I have in mind.
“You about done yet?” I yell, grinning at the fine specimen of a man I hope will linger around a little longer.
A lifetime if I’m lucky.
Roman’s head juts up, flashing me a grin as pearly white as the fresh snow. I take a few steps in the calf-deep snow. My pants legs sag under the soggy, cold wetness seeping into the fabric. The worn elastic waistband slips, no match for the pull of the heavy, wet cotton. I tug at it through the coat with my free hand.
“I reckon.” He flashes me a wicked, sexy smile that steals my heart for the thousandth time. “Soon as I get some wood in the house.”
“That so?” I stop in my tracks, feeling flirtatious. “Seems to me there was plenty of wood to go around last night.”
Roman shakes his head and chuckles. “There was no lack of begging for more, as I recall.”
“What can I say? I’m a sucker for hot mechanics who rev my engine.” My hand cramps around the frozen snowball.
Our paths meet at the back porch. Roman props the shovel against the railing and drops the logs on the steps. He unzips his jacket and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me into his warm chest. I gaze up at him in adoration.
“You’re a little underdressed for this kind of weather.” His lips brush across my forehead.
“I don’t mind.” I close my eyes and breathe in the clean air and pine, soaking in the elements. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?” he mumbles against my ear.
“The silence.” I arch my neck, lifting my face to the sky. “Stand still and listen. It’s the beginning of a new chapter.”
Roman’s body tenses as he tightens his grip on me. His fingers dig into my hip possessively, just as they did numerous times in the night.
“It cleanses the soul.” His voice rumbles, shaking my core.
I shiver for more reasons than the cold. The man’s a testament to the past, living off the memories he’s soaked into his psyche.My family’s memories. Memories that will forever tie us together.
My body is defenseless against him. He could use and abuse me seven ways to Sunday, and my body would eagerly comply. But he’s a gentle giant with nary a wayward bone in his body where I’m concerned. I drop the snowball, no longer interested in getting a playful rise out of him. I’m hot and bothered, needy and greedy for him.
My eyes flutter open. Roman stares down at me with a fire blazing in his eyes. The heat between us is so intense, the cold seeping into my bones becomes afterthought. Roman’s lips crush into mine, bruising and filled with purpose. His tongue dips deep, swirling around mine with a voracious hunger that matches my own. I arch into him, suffocating the space between us.
His cock grows thick and heavy as it knocks against my tummy. I claw at his buckle and button, needing him more than I need air. His gloved fingers lock around my hands, holding me at bay. I beg for more in the kiss, pushing against him so hard we tumble to the ground.
