Page 6
I’m ripping the blankets away in an instant and jumping onto wobbly legs only to yelp. My bright pink underwear blink back at me, and I pause. “Why the fuck am I naked?” I hiss. My head whips around when my gaze lands on my phone resting on the coffee table and I snatch it up.
The screen powers on, and I flick to open my call app to dial 911. With my thumb hovering over the green button to call, my father’s disappointed voice filters through my mind. If I call the police, I’ll have to go home. And when I go home, my life is officially over.
One week. That’s all I have left. I can’t cut it short just because I’ve woken up half-naked in a stranger’s log cabin. Can I?
As my thoughts slice through my brain, a heavy thunk echoes beyond the walls. I flinch, juggling my phone before watching it clatter to the floor.
Christ, Blake. Get it together!
Another thunk echoes from outside, and I pull a blanket from the couch, wrapping it around my shoulders. Tiptoeing to the window, snow splatters against the glass, and I wipe at the condensation my breath makes as I peer into the raging storm. The daylight is barely bright enough to break through the clusters of snow and ice that tumble across the sky, yet amongst the murky world I glimpse broad, bulging shoulders.
His skin glistens with sweat, and his forearms strain as he slices the axe right through the thickest log I’ve ever seen.
Thunk!
I gulp as a shiver runs up my spine. Unable to tear my eyes away, I watch with my mouth hanging open as the man bends over to pick up another log, only showing off his perfectly sculpted ass hidden under blue jeans.
The wind tosses snow across the glass, obscuring my view of this gorgeous man. Shuffling to the door, I reach for the handle, turning it slowly and peeking through the gap. Frigid air hits my cheeks as I peer into the storm.
Thunk!
Long brown hair dances in the wind as it trails between the countless muscles along the man’s back. Even in the low light, his skin practically glows. My eyes drop to the curve of his waist and the faint dusting of hair that climbs up his spine.
“You’re letting the warmth out.”
His voice is thick and rich. Like a clap of thunder that shakes my core. But it’s a voice I’ve heard before.
Arden turns to peer over his shoulder, his hand swinging the axe leisurely at his side. “What did I just say, hiker?”
I’m frozen to my spot behind the crack in the doorway. My breath hitches as I watch the man from the climbing shop pick up the chunks of wood and carry them back to the porch. The snow still showers down around him, yet it’s like he simply doesn’t feel the cold. Stepping under the wooden awning, Arden places the axe at the doorway and looks down at me with warm, amber eyes.
“May I come in?” His lips curve into a tiny smirk, and I forget what breathing is.
His thick, meaty chest fills my view. Two enormous masses of muscle decorated with a thick layer of mountain-man hair. Blinking away from my staring contest with his pecs, I slide to the side and watch as Arden steps past me and shuts the door with his boot. The cabin grows quiet.
With the crackling of the fire, Arden silently stacks the chopped wood into a neat pile beside the hearth.
Finding my voice, I squeak out the most embarrassing question I’ve ever asked. “W-where are my clothes?”
Grumbling as he stands, he watches the fire, his gaze dancing with the flames. For a moment, I simply study him before opening my mouth to ask again.
“I’ll get you some.” Arden beats me to it. His tone has me tensing. It’s the same tone my father uses when he’s bothered. Like when a patient is difficult and asks more than a few questions about the surgery, or when the house cleaning lady has forgotten to dust the tops of the window ledges. But specifically when I fail to answer a question on my tests.
“Sorry,” I hear myself whisper as Arden passes me, the wooden floor creaking under his feet.
Expecting him to carry on, I’m shocked when he freezes. His eyes snap to mine and his brows furrow. Studying me closely, Arden sucks in a deep breath; his gaze drops to my lips where I chew on them.
“Follow me, hiker.”
He moves towards the back of the cabin, and I watch the way his bare shoulders sit tense beneath his ears. Something’s bothering him. Is it me?
Shuffling to catch up, the blanket catches on the corner of the couch, and it slips from my shoulders, falling to the floor in a heap. Gasping, my hands drop to cover my crotch despite wearing underwear.
Standing like a giant towering above me, Arden tilts his head. His eye catches mine, and I swear I can see a golden glow emanating from his iris. Rubbing his chest, I don’t miss the way he swallows before turning towards the hallway and stepping into the shadows.
“I told you to follow.” His voice vibrates through the cabin, and I frantically chase after him with my heart in my throat and my brain a slimy mess on the ground.
Clearly I have zero survival instinct if I’m happily following a man into the darkest part of his cabin in just a pair of bright pink underwear and my phone long forgotten on the floor of the living room.
