Tessa
I waketo the soft hiss of dying embers and a slight chill in the air. The fire’s burning low, painting the cabin in shades of gold and shadow.
For a second, I don’t remember where I am.
Then it hits me.
Nathan.
Last night.
This morning.
The sound of his steady heartbeat under my cheek now.
My breath catches as the memories rush back—his hands, his voice, the way he consumed me. I should feel guilty, maybe even scared, but all I feel is…loveand a stillness I’ve been craving. Like the world finally stopped spinning long enough for me to breathe.
He’s stretched out beside me, the blanket he brought from his bed at some point half falling from his hips. I make note of the soft dusting of gray at his temples, the curve of his jaw where I pressed my lips hours ago.
I should look away. I don’t.
He’speacefullike this, which feels impossible for a man who seems to carry the weight of the whole town on his shoulders.
I reach out without thinking, brushing my fingers lightly across his arm. His skin is warm, his fingers rough from work. He makes a low sound in his sleep and shifts, reaching for me.
Warmth settles in my chest.
“Morning,” he says, voice rough from sleep.
My stomach flips. “Hey. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
He studies me for a long moment, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Not a bad way to wake up.”
Heat floods my cheeks. “So… about last night.”
Nathan sits up slowly and stretches before tending to the fire, adding a few more logs and bringing it back to life before slipping back underneath the blanket beside me. “Yeah. About that.”
I can’t look at him. I don’t regret a thing—but I also don’t know what comes next and I’m afraid to find out. “You probably think it was a mistake.”
He shakes his head. “No. I don’t think it was a mistake. I think it was the realist thing I’ve ever experienced.”
His words undo me. It’s not just what he’s saying, but the way he’s saying it—like a promise he’s too afraid to break.
I lock eyes with him, my heart pounding. “What happens now?”
Nathan pulls me in closer and kisses my forehead. “Now? I’ll make us some coffee, check the weather report and touch base with DPS on the status of the roads and plows. Depending on what they say, I’ll dig your car out when the plows come through. And then we both try to remember that the world exists outside this cabin.”
“Right,” I whisper. But neither of us moves.
Nathan draws tiny circles over my hip. “Are you sore this morning? The power’s back on, so you should have hot water if you want to soak in the tub. It might help.”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I tell him, smoothing my fingers through his messy hair.
He smiles faintly, eyes half-lidded. “You say that now, but wait until you stand up.”
I laugh under my breath, the sound small in the morning quiet. “You saying you broke me, Chief?”
“Pretty sure you did the breaking, Pope. As usual,” he winks.
