I feel like a stupid little girl, but it’s the truth. I did. So I nod.
Without another word, Ryder stands and strides across the room. He grabs his coat, shoves his feet in his boots, and is gone before I can stop him. The wooden door slams behind him as I sit, watching and wondering why I couldn’t have just kept my mouth shut.
Tears well up in my eyes, but I blink them away and pick up my writing.
It doesn’t matter if he’s upset. Not really. This isn’t forever. I need to remember that.
Even if I’m stupid enough to fall for the fantasy doesn’t mean he is too.
My reality is starkly different. I’m a small-time reporter whose rent check depends on this article.
Maybe it’s time to get some work done after all.
Ryder
A bath?She risked her life—and mine—for abath.
I should be pissed. Hell, I should be livid. Going out in that storm could have killed us both.
But it didn’t.
And more importantly, if Chloe hadn’t been so foolish, we wouldn’t be snowed-in right now. And I wasn’t complaining about that.
Quite the opposite.
The old door slammed shut behind me before I could stop it, but I didn’t have time to go back and do anything about it. I was on a mission and now that I had the idea in my head, I couldn’t wait to execute it for my girl.
No one was more surprised than I was to discover how much I was enjoying getting to know Chloe. And not just in bed. Although, all ourresearchtogether has been amazing.
Just thinking about sliding my dick inside her sweet, hot pussy has me hot and bothered again. I just spent over an hour chopping wood in the snowstorm in an effort to cool off and just like that, I was already overheated again.
I’ve spent my entire adult life avoiding any kind of relationship with a woman. But despite what my brothersthink, it’s not because I’m determined to be single my whole life. Truthfully, I’d never given a relationship any real thought because I’d never met a woman worth changing my ways for.
Until now.
Our whole lives, we were raised knowing our parents had experienced an instant love connection that was so strong it could never be broken or denied. On some level, I know I’ve been waiting for that. But with all the many women I’d been with, I’ve never felt anything remotely like that.
Is that what I was feeling with Chloe?
I stopped in the middle of the yard and inhaled the crisp, cold air deeply as the realization crashed through me.
Yes.
That’s exactly what I was feeling.
I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do about it. But I can start by showing Chloe how special I think she is.
The snow is still coming down hard, piling up on the already huge snow drifts all around the cabin. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I’m up for the challenge.
She’s worth it.
I grab the shovel, find the big mound of snow I’m looking for, and get to work to unearth Chloe’s surprise.
It takes me at least thirty minutes to get the snow off the cover of the old wood-fired bathtub. I make quick work of clearing out the tub and building a fire in the woodbox, before filling the tub with the clean snow I just removed.
Years ago, when Ma and Pop were first married and she was pregnant with my oldest brother, Maverick, my father built the wood-fired bathtub as a treat for Ma, who also loved to soak, even when they were up at the hunting cabin.
It took longer than I wanted, but I finally got everything ready and went in search of my girl.
