I wandered further in, marveling at what I saw. The cabin was traditional in its construction, but modern in the sense of its basic amenities. The kitchen was warm, with slabbed oak countertops sporting a cute exposed edge. Dotted between them however were stainless steel appliances; all state of the art.
“Angel, you’re with me.”
A tap on my shoulder caused me to spin. I found Carter standing there, holding my bag.
“Angel, huh?”
He smiled, and extended a hand. “You’re the only woman who’s walked into The Refuge and ordered an angel shot. Or rather, the only one who did it correctly. So yeah. You’re Angel.”
I slipped my hand into his, without even thinking. It was warm, and strong, and a little bit rough. I definitely didn’t hate it.
“What do you mean, correctly?”
“Well, there was this brunette who thought it would be funny to try it out,” he frowned. “Maybe she saw it on the internet or something, but I wasn’t amused.”
“Damn. What did you do?”
“I made her a hideous concoction of about ten different ingredients, in the largest glass I had. Then I charged her thirty dollars.”
I cracked up, picturing the whole thing in my mind’s eye. I could even see the brunette’s face.
“Another woman ordered one on a dare from her stupid circle of friends,” Carter went on. “She had no idea what it was, though. So I let it slide.”
He led me to the bedroom at the end of the hall, which was bigger than all the other rooms we’d passed. Two frosted windows looked out over the beautiful snowcapped forest. A door on the third wall led into a small, but adorable bath. The bed was covered in navy blue linens, and at least eight or ten pillows. It looked large and comfortable.
“There,” he said with a chuckle, as he tossed my bag into the dead center of the mattress. “Let your fuckwad boyfriend find you all the way up here!”
I couldn’t help but laugh too. “Ex-boyfriend,” I corrected him. “Or rather, not even an ex. More like ancient history. Or maybe—”
“Whatever he is,” he said, giving my palm a gentle squeeze, “you’re safe from him here.”
Carter let go of my hand. Almost immediately, I missed the warmth of his touch.
“This is the master bedroom,” I balked. “I don’t need—”
“You’re a girl,” Carter smiled, pointing to the little bathroom. “You could use the privacy.”
“Iama girl,” I confirmed. “Still…”
“Besides, this was supposed to be Trevor’s room anyway, before he bailed,” Carter went on. “He took the master because he planned to bring his girlfriend, Sam. We dodged a bullet, too, because Sam would’ve killed the vibe.”
“Why?” I asked. “Because she’s a girl?”
“No, because she’s a total asshole.”
Sounds of unpacking floated in from the other room. Also, the distinct hiss of someone — Sawyer maybe —adding logs to the fire.
“Carter…”
“Yes?”
“I need to thank you,” I murmured softly. “Not just for rescuing me, but also for taking me here. For getting me out of harm’s way. I owe you one.”
His jaw tightened, as he shook his head slowly. “You don’t owe us a thing,” he whispered. “Got it?”
Maybe it was those liquid brown eyes that made me feel so warm and fuzzy, all of a sudden. That, or the way those thick biceps and triceps stood flexed, crisscrossing his deliciously broad chest.
“You sure it’s okay that I’m here?” I pressed. “I’m not killing the vibe?”
