“Damn, it’s cold,” I mumbled to myself, rubbing my arms and trying to ward off the chill.
“Why don’t you head back,” Chris offered.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ve just got to run upstairs for a minute. I won’t be long,” he promised.
“Can I give you a hand?”
Chris winked at me, and the butterflies lying dormant in my belly fluttered again. “I’ve got it.”
I stepped through the office doorway, the wave of warmth hitting me. I hadn’t realized how cold it was until the warmth stung the tips of my ears and my fingers. I buried my hands in my pockets and looked around.
The office was bare and bland. It was obvious that the place was for function only. Like Chris only spent the absolute minimum amount of time in there and would avoid it if he could. The desk in the corner was tidy. Two tub chairs were shoved against the wall, and a box of tissues were on the corner.Noelle slept on the slate gray couch, her legs taking the whole length of it.
I couldn’t figure out how we were going to make this work or for how long we’d be stuck, but exhaustion was slamming into me.
I yawned loudly.
“Why don’t you get into bed?”
I spun around to find Chris standing in the doorway staring at me.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
“You’re tired. Look, the storm isn’t going anywhere anytime soon so you might as well get some rest. Besides, I’m guessing Noelle will be up early tomorrow and you’ll need your energy.”
Chris wasn’t wrong. Noelle was normally an early riser, beating the sun up most days, something she must’ve inherited from her father because I definitely was not, but since it was Christmas morning, I was sure she’d be extra energetic.
“You’re probably right,” I conceded, hiding another yawn behind my hand. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Are you going to bed soon?”
“Yeah. I mean, might as well. It’s cold as a witch’s tit out here, and without power there’s not much I can do. Might as well call it a night.”
My stomach flipped.
Sleeping in Chris’s bed was one thing. Sharing a room with him was another entirely.
I made a quick trip to the bathroom before returning to the office. I was just about to scooch Noelle over so we could share the couch when Chris interrupted me.
“What are you doing?” he hissed under his breath.
“Getting into bed?”
“Sleep on the air mattress, Holly.”
“Chris …”
“Please.”
I gulped. Chris was hard enough to resist when he was hauling a tree up the icy stairs just to make my daughter smile, his pleading didn't make it any easier.
Straightening my shoulders, I tugged on the end of my pajama top wishing I had something sexier, something less motherly to wear. “Fine.”
“Great!” Chris conceded with a clap of his hands before realizing what he’d done and glancing down at Noelle who hadn’t moved. My daughter could sleep through a freight train racing through her bedroom.
