Still nothing.
The cabin is older, and the locks on the doors are the ones that use those little keys that are above every doorframe. Reaching overhead, I come up empty, but find one a few seconds later above the door to my room. Hastily, I shove it in the lock and wiggle it around until the knob turns.
“Damon?” I call again, still getting no response as I race toward the bathroom door.
Thankfully, this one isn’t locked. Turning the knob, I push the door open, ready to tear him a new asshole.
I’m about to utter the phrasewhat the fuckfor what feels like the thousandth time on this trip, but the sentence dies on my tongue when I find Damon sitting on the floor of the tile shower, still in his boxers, while the water rains down on him. His knees are pulled into his chest, and his forehead is resting on them.
I rip the glass door open, shut the water off, and step inside. My fingers land on his icy skin, and I’m convinced he’s lost it because the shower water isn’t even warm. Maybe he’s having a psychotic break or something.
“You’re fucking freezing, dude. What? The ambient air temp wasn’t enough to satisfy whatever this is? You decided an ice shower was the better route for stopping your heart? Come on, we’re getting out.”
I’m a big guy, and the shower is a tight fit for me by myself. Trying to get Damon out of here is awkward, and he’s not being much help, so finally, I yank his arm to pull him toward me, grip him by the torso, and haul him to his feet. Afraid he’s going to go wet-noodle on me, I bend down and pick him up.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispers.
“For scaring the shit out of me just now? Yeah, you should be sorry.”
He shakes his head but stays quiet. We’re going to talk about that kiss, but not until he’s in dry clothes and his body temperature is normal again.
I set him on his feet at the end of the bed in his room.
“Can you stand on your own, or are you going to be an asshole and fall down?” I gripe.
He says nothing, so I take that to mean he’ll remain standing. I grab a towel and dig around his dresser until I find dry boxers before I start drying him off. Once his hair has stopped dripping, and his torso and arms are mostly dry, I drop to my kneesto start on his legs, but I quickly realize I won’t make much progress while his saturated boxers remain in place.
I drop the towel, hook my fingers in his waistband, trying to get them off so I can dress him and treat him like the fucking baby he’s being, when suddenly, he’s brought back to life. He clamps down on my wrists with more force than he’s ever used on me before.
In fact, it kind of hurts.
“Don’t,” he says in a pained whisper.
I can’t tell whether he’s pissed or grossed out, or thinks something weird is going on that isn’t actually going on at all.
“Fuck you, Damon. I’ve seen your dick as much as I’ve seen my own over the years. I’m just trying to get you out of these wet clothes. So, either help me or shut the fuck up.”
“I-I’m s-sorry,” he says again, which explains nothing. And now his fucking lips are turning blue, and his teeth are chattering.
Oh, fuck this.
Damon and Taylor have black belts in jiu-jitsu, but I’m bigger, and right now, I have to hope that’s enough because I roll my wrists to break his hold, rip his boxers down, and push him backward onto the bed so I can slide them off his ankles before replacing them with dry ones.
I must move faster than his brain is processing what’s happening because I complete my mission without getting clocked in the face—or put in a rear-naked choke.
Once I’ve finished drying his legs, I move him to his bed and pull the covers over him. I remember very little from my time as a Boy Scout, but Idoremember that body heat is one of the best ways to warm a person up.
Ripping my T-shirt over my head, I shed my pants next.Fuck, this is going to be cold.
“What are you doing?!” Damon screeches.
“Oh, so youdorealize I’m in the room with you,” I say sarcastically before climbing into the sheets next to him.
“Of c-c-course I d-do! Now g-get out!” he stammers through chattering teeth.
“No!” I yell back. “You’re fucking freezing to death, you’re shutting me out, and ten minutes ago your tongue was in my mouth! I’m not going anywhere until you’re not at risk of hypothermiaandyou start talking! Enough is fucking enough, Damon.”
I pull him into me so it’s easier to share my body heat, and I try like hell not to shudder when his cold skin hits mine.
