“What if the snowstorm isn’t over?”
“Snowstorm or no, I must find my men,” I say. “If the weather is still like today, you’ll wait for me here.”
“Absolutely not!”
“All right.” I don’t argue because her objection plays into my hands. “Then be quiet, so we can sleep.”
She doesn’t make another sound after that, but her body tenses in my embrace. But less than ten minutes later, her muscles relax, and her slow, rhythmic breathing tells me she’s fallen asleep.
My erection requires a few more minutes to show signs of subsiding, after which I need another hour to make peace with the decision I made. Elise won’t be stroking, sucking, or fucking me. Not now, not ever. No matter how much she wants it or how much I want it.
A man must display self-control. A future ruler, even more so.
I find comfort in reminding myself she already gave me a gift that I’ll cherish. It’s the knowledge that despite my unsightliness, I can make a woman lust after me. I can make her come for me without faking it… provided she’s facing away.
* * *
A sharp soundwakes me up. I listen for a long, anxious moment, but there’s only silence and the howling of the wind outside. And then a dog barks.
That was it, that was the sound!
I leap out of bed and rush to the window. But I can’t see anything. I try to push the window sash up, but it’s stuck. It snowed so much during the night that a fresh, plump blanket of white has climbed up the sides of the cabin. It’s covered everything, filled every hole and nestled inside every crack. We’re snowed in.
I run to the door and tug it open. A blast of cold morning air hits me. Stepping back, I bump into Elise.
“Good morning!” Overexcited, I move to hug her, but I stop myself in time.
First, I’m covered in snow. Second, taking her in my arms now would send the wrong message.
She brushes the white powder off my chest and head, grinning. I smile back, enjoying her touch and her good mood.
When she’s done, she puts her arms around my neck. “Good morning!”
One last time. A farewell.
Even before my mind has issued a formal permission, my arms wrap around her and press her to my chest. I breathe in her hair, my eye closing. Her hands stroke the back of my neck. But, somehow, I regain control and release her.
“Let me get your coat,” I say. “You must be freezing.”
Without waiting for her reply, I bound to the bed and return with her down coat. “Put it on.”
She complies, eyeing the open door and the snowpack, some of which has tumbled in. “We’ll need a shovel to dig a way out.”
I look around the cabin, but there are no shovels in sight.
She darts to the kitchen area. “Let me see if I can find something here.”
The dog barks louder.
“Hey!” I call, hoping there’s a person near the dog. “Over here!”
The dog is barking hysterically now. A smallish dog, judging by his timbre. I can’t hear if his master responded, so I call out again.
Somebody answers. The snow muffles the actual words, but the implication is unequivocal. There’s a person on the other side.
Elise returns with two skillets, one of which she thrusts into my hands. “Couldn’t find a shovel, but these will do. Get digging.”
“You’re hot when you’re bossy,” I tease her.
