I wake with a jump, reluctant to leave a dream where Dean is pulling up my dress as waves crash over us both. Wetness pools between my thighs and my nipples are hard. But I’m also soaked through. Raindrops drum against the tin roof of the storehouse. Moose is staring at me from the porch.
The dusty yard has turned into a puddle of mud. My shirt and shorts are stuck to me, and I rub my hands over my wet arms.
“Aren’t you cold, hot stuff?” Dean’s voice makes me jump.
“I fell asleep! I didn’t hear you arrive.” I move my leg carefully off the chair.
“You stayrightthere. Don’t move a muscle.” He strides towards me, his dark hair slicked to his head.
I ignore him and stand up, but my crutches start to slide in the mud.
“Shit!” I squawk.
Dean catches me before I can fall. His big body is warm against my cold skin. He pulls me up into his arms. My brain screams for me to be calm and collected, but my body betrays me. I stroke his jaw, angling my face up for a kiss.
With a groan, he crushes his lips down on mine as the rain pours over us. He’s kissing me hard, holding me tight against him and it’s perfect. The one guy in Snowflake I’d have sworn I’d never kiss is the one whose mouth fits mine like the right piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Whose body is made for mine; who makes my knees tremble and my core clench.
He breaks the kiss. “You’re cold, Goldie. Let’s get you inside.”
I nod, my body still humming from the intensity of his kiss. Dean carries me towards the cabin. The rain slams down,soaking us both. Heat radiates from Dean's huge body, warming my chilled skin and setting my core on fire. He opens the front door, Moose walking in front of us, and carries me inside.
Pushing my hair back from my face, I squint up at him. “Could you find my hair tie? It needs a wash and I don’t think it getting rained on will help.”
“I’ll wash it for you.”
I shake my head. “My sister will be back tomorrow, I’m sure–”
“Goldie. I want to. Let me help. I’m good at this stuff. Remember I’m an EMT. And a former champion linebacker.” He grins at me.
I start laughing. He’s standing in the middle of the living room, still holding me to his broad chest.
“And that qualifies you to wash my hair…how?”
“Well, I have strong fingers. And I’m medically trained. So you’re in safe hands.” He starts walking towards the bathroom.
“You know, you don’t have to carry me around everywhere.”
“I like it.” Dean stops. “Do younotlike it?”
Foolishly, I gaze into his eyes and he kisses me again. My head is scrambled to hell when he stops, taking me into the bathroom. He sets me down on the side of the bath, leaving the room to get a chair. He positions the chair by the sink, then takes off his T-shirt, folding it up so there’s a pillow of fabric under my neck.
I gawk shamelessly at his six-pack and muscular chest. “Do you get those muscles from being a firefighter?”
“I keep up my training at the gym. We’re required to pass fitness tests to work at the firehouse, but they’re not a challenge for me.” He picks up the shower attachment by the tap as I lean my head back over the sink. He wets my hair with the warm spray, then squeezes some shampoo into his hands and rubs it into my hair in small, wonderful circles.
Tingles run all over my body and I moan. “Wow. Do they teach you this in EMT school or are all ex-jocks this good at head massages?”
He looks smug. “I’ve never done this for someone else before.”
“It’s working…” The rhythmic, circular motions are sending me into a trance. He rinses off the shampoo and repeats the process with conditioner. Staring up at his muscles flexing as he massages me, I’m lost in how good this is. Once he’s rinsed the conditioner off, he dries my hair with a soft towel.
I can’t resist running my hands over those perfectly sculpted muscles. His skin is warm. I reach up and wrap my arms around the back of his neck and he lifts me, kissing me again. My shirt is wet from the shower spray.
“Can you help me with this?” I point down at the shirt.
“Taking off shirts is another of my special talents...”
“Is there anything youaren’tgood at?” I trail my fingers across the stubble on his cheeks.
