Page 8 of Adrian

“What the fuck…” I mutter to myself, squinting to see the monitor better. Something, or someone, is wandering this direction.

At first, I’m sure it has to be a bear or…I don’t know what the fuck kind of animal it is. But then I realize that’s not possible. It’s walking on two legs. It’s human. It’s damn difficult to make out the image with the storm raging as hard as it is.

The cameras didn’t alert me to the presence of a stranger. With the storm blowing tree limbs, heavy rain, and all sorts of debris around, I had to turn off the alerts in order to stay sane. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been watching the monitors from time to time.

Suddenly, I jump to my feet. Is that Blair? Surely not. But it could be. Now that I look closer, I believe it’s a woman. She’s covered in mud, so she looks more like a swamp creature, but I’d bet my last dollar it’s her.

I’m in my own home office instead of the main house tonight, and I don’t even bother to grab my coat as I run toward the door. It wouldn’t do any good anyway. I’m going to be as soaked and muddy as she is in ten seconds.

She’s already wandering into the clearing near the main house as I step outside and rush over to her. “Blair?” I shout, but she can’t hear me over the pouring rain and thunder.

I’m a strong man, but even I struggle to withstand the wind as I fight to get to her. And it’s definitely her. The gorgeous brown hair I saw earlier today is blowing all over the place. She has her arms crossed in front of her, protecting herself against the cold. She’s swaying like she’s two sheets to the wind, but that’s just the storm.

I can’t imagine how she managed to walk here from her place. It’s over half a mile away. She’s lucky a branch didn’t hit her on the head and kill her.

Heart racing at the thought, I’m upon her before she even sees me. I swoop her into my arms and turn around to hurry back to my cabin. The return is slightly easier because of the wind’s direction.

We’re both beyond drenched when I step inside and shut the door. She’s freezing. Her teeth are chattering, and her lips are tinged blue. There are black streaks on her face, a combination of mud and mascara.

“Adrian?”

“Yes, princess. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” I move toward the master bedroom and then through to the bathroom.

“S-sorry,” she manages to mutter. “S-so-so-stupid.”

Part of me agrees. Why the hell was she still up here when the storm started? But my frustration is born out of fear. My heart thumps hard because I’m freaking out about her safety. Is she hurt?

“Sh-sh-should have listened to you.”

That’s for sure, but it’s too late now.

I set her on her feet next to the tub, keeping one hand on her hip as I bend to turn on the water.

I’ve never seen anyone’s teeth chattering this hard. It’s not below freezing outside or anything, but it’s cold, and she’s not wearing enough clothes. In fact, she’s still dressed in the blouse I saw her in earlier. Why didn’t she put on a coat? Surely that stuffed SUV I saw had winter clothes in it.

“Are you injured, princess?” As the tub begins to fill, I sit on the edge and assess her from head to toe.

“M-mostly my pride,” she stammers.

I brush hair from her face so I can see her big brown eyes. They’re wide with fear. She’s not just cold. She’s scared out of her mind, which has caused her to nearly go into shock.

She’s so wobbly, I don’t know how she can remain standing. I realize some of the tracks running down her cheeks are tears. She sucks back sobs, trying not to cry as she holds up her hands. “I-I fell a few times.”

Her palms are scraped up but not bleeding.

“Elbows and knees, princess?”

“P-p-probably hamburger.”

I chuckle at her ability to almost joke about this. “Okay. Let’s get you in the tub. You need to warm up. We’re going to have to drain and refill the water a few times to get all this mud off you.”

She sways forward, but I realize it’s intentional when she leans into me and hugs me. “Th-thank you.”

I rub her back. “No need to thank me, Blair. I’m just glad you’re safe.” No sense asking questions or mentioning how insane it was for her to still be up the mountain when the storm started. She doesn’t need a lecture. She needs a bath, warm clothes, and a mug of hot cocoa.

Standing, I grab her hips and position her so she’s the one sitting on the edge of the tub. “Give me your foot, princess.”

She extends her leg, and I pull her ruined boot off before doing the same to the other. After grabbing her hands, I tug her back to her feet and cup her face with one palm. “I’m going to take your clothes off.” It truly doesn’t seem that she has the energy or dexterity to do so herself.