He glanced down at McKenna.Her face rested on his chest, her hand was thrown over his shoulder, and her leg was hiked onto his thigh.
They’d fallen in bed, exhausted, as soon as they’d gotten home from the Watsons’.Every protective instinct made him want to touch her rosy cheek, inspect her now-thawed fingers and toes, and kiss her just to ensure he wasn’t dreaming that she was alive.
She needed sleep.He’d give it to her if it killed him.
He gently scooted out from under her weight and lowered her to the pillow.She shimmied under the covers but didn’t wake.He padded to the kitchen.A wall of heat hit him, and he turned to the fireplace.The flames had gone out—probably hours ago.Judging by the height of the sun, it was close to noon.But it still shouldn’t be so damn warm in the cabin.He stopped at the thermostat.The heat was running.
Hallelujah.They had power.
He went to the coffee maker and started the machine before turning his attention to the fridge.The power had been out for over twenty-four hours.Anything that needed to stay cold would be spoiled.The only things they might be able to eat were still-cold items in the freezer.
He opened the freezer drawer and pulled out vegan sausage.Cold, but not frozen.The fruit bowl on the counter held brown-dotted bananas and the gluten-free bread and peanut butter Trevor had delivered.He pulled out the frying pan and dumped in the whole package of sausage.
The coffee machine beeped.He pulled a mug down from the cupboard and filled it.
“Mmm.Is that for me?”
He grinned and turned around.McKenna stood in the kitchen, her arm resting on the back of a chair.Black plaid pajama pants hung around her waist and a white long-sleeved shirt outlined the definition of her slender arms and clung to her breasts.Her nipples poked through the fabric.The sight blazed a line of fire to his cock.
She stepped forward and reached for the mug.He held it in the air out of reach.
She frowned.“Haven’t you heard you should never withhold coffee from a witch?It’s an old wives’ tale.”
He tilted his head.“Nope.Haven’t heard that one.Ever hear the saying sex is better than coffee?”
She guffawed.“I’ll tell you that after you give me my caffeine.”
He swept his palm around her ribcage and slid his thumb beneath the swell of her breast.Fuck, he wanted her.The top three buttons of her shirt were undone.Not enough to expose her hard nubs, but enough for him to catch a glimpse of her creamy breasts.The pad of his thumb twitched, wanting to run over the tight bud, but he refrained.
Her breath vacuumed the air around them.Her cheeks flushed pink, and her full bottom lip begged to be bitten.
“We need to have a conversation first.”He kept the coffee mug raised.
One slender eyebrow flinched.“About?”
“You.Me.This whole one-nighter bullshit.”
Amusement softened her features, and she succumbed to a smile.“Why is it bullshit?”
“Because it was bullshit when we made the agreement and it’s even more so now that we’ve...been together.”The words “made love” almost slipped out, but he caught them before he made a total ass of himself.He wasn’t above expressing emotions; he’d be the first one to make a move any day of the week.But Christ.If McKenna had reservations, he didn’t want to scare her off.
As she surveyed him, her tongue wet that blasted bottom lip, tormenting him to no fucking end.
“Do you agree?”The old Jaxon, the financial planner from Boston, would have been humiliated by the plea in his voice.Only that Jaxon was long gone.After Raf, he didn’t live life bottled anymore.He took what he wanted, but he sure as shit wanted—no, needed—McKenna to want him back.
Just as bad.
Her eyes, those beautiful indigo waters, lifted to his.She pressed her hand to his cheek.Her thumb dragged over his beard then lifted to touch his lips.
“It is bullshit.I know we agreed not to make promises, but I like being with you.I like having you here.We don’t have to make it complicated.But for the record, I don’t want to live in town.I need to be in the backcountry, and I’d love it if you’d stay here.”
Warmth spread through him.He didn’t give a rat’s ass about his rented basement suite in the center of Whistlemore.He’d write his notice today and forego the remainder of the month’s rent.He pulled her closer, still keeping the coffee out of reach.
“You’re not just saying that because I hold the cup of your mental function, are you?”
A laugh rolled out of her lips, and she bobbed her eyebrows.“You’ll have to wait and see.”
He dipped his head and caught her lips in his.She rose onto her toes and moved her hand from his cheek to the back of his neck.She stroked his tongue with hers.Lust made his arm weak, and he brought the mug down.
