Then I reach into the back behind her seat and grab the blanket I keep in here for the dogs. Doesn’t smell the best, but it beats losing toes to frostbite.
When I pull it free, I realize I’ve leaned into her personal space. She’s so tiny that I expect her to shrink back against the door. I saw the debate raging on her face when I pulled up and offered the ride. She desperately wanted it, but a lifetime of urban legends has trained her to be cautious.
Her gaze goes to my lips, and fuck me. It makes my heart skip a beat. You’re too damn hard to love. Don’t know why I bother. The words from my past come back to me, and I straighten, leaving her space.
I toss the blanket between us. “Take your shoes off. You’ll lose toes that way.”
“Uh, thanks,” she murmurs. But instead of worrying about herself, she takes the booties off her dog. She carefully dries each of his little paws, and Killer, the fierce protector, makes a noise of contentment.
I start the truck, continuing on the road to my cabin. She asked me to get her off this stupid mountain which I have every intention of doing. After the snowstorm.
She peels the wet slippers from her feet. Her skin is mottled from the cold, and she hisses as she dries them. “Thanks for the ride. Do you have a phone I could call my sister on? I don’t want her to worry.”
“Cell tower is down,” I grunt out.
“Oh, any idea when it’s going to be back up?” When she’s finished with her feet, she pulls a ponytail holder from her tiny candy-cane-shaped purse.
My cab fills with the scent of her shampoo. It’s something light and floral that makes it difficult for me to think clearly. “I reckon after the storm.”
“The executives would eat you up.”
I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean, so I keep quiet. She does too and we spend the next twenty minutes without speaking a word.
Finally, she’s the one to break the silence. “Not to complain, but I’d like to get off the mountain, and you seem to be taking me further into it.”
“Taking you to my cabin,” I answer and realize a split second too late that my answer is making her nervous.
“And that’s where you have a very nice and normal life?” She fiddles with her phone, no doubt desperately hoping a text or phone call goes through.
I try to think of something that would make her comfortable. She clearly loves animals. “Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo are there.”
She reaches for the door handle, and I don’t miss the subtle way she checks to see if it’s unlocked. “And these men are your friends?”
“They’re my dogs.” I glance at Killer who is resting on her lap. “You’re not the only one with a fierce attack dog who likes to hide behind jingly shoes.”
She glances at my face again, looking for something I can’t quite define. Maybe it’s reassurance she wants.
“Look, we’re not getting down the mountain in the snowstorm. Our best bet is going to be my cabin. It’s not much, but it will be a roof over your head for the night,” I explain.
I already know from the way she carries herself that this is not a woman who’s used to roughing it. She has far too much confidence and poise to be from the wrong side of the tracks. No, she’s from money and a lot of it if I had to guess.
“Wait, did you name your dogs after the turtle show?” She asks quietly.
“You know it?” The show and movies were popular when I was a kid, but she has to be ten years younger than me.
“Never pay full price for late pizza,” she answers with a grin.
Fuck, I’m going to marry her then we’re going to make babies together. As many babies as she’s willing to give me. I hope it’s a lot. I want little ones running around the place while their hot mama drives me crazy. It’s pretty much a done deal in my mind. At least, until she opens her mouth again.
“My boyfriend doesn’t get it. Well, ex-boyfriend. Maybe. It’s kind of a messed up story.”
I grunt because I do not want to hear it. Truth is, I don’t care if she’s with someone else. The bastard was too stupid to put a ring on her finger which means I’m going to steal her away. His tough luck for letting this adorable Christmas elf with her love of comic book characters slip through his fingers.
“Do you like pizza?” I ask, an idea already forming in my head.
“Only if it’s meat lovers with extra sausage,” she answers quickly.
“I’m Hunter,” I say, realizing we haven’t exchanged names yet. I told her I was taking her back to my cabin before I even told her my name. No wonder she freaked out.
