I shrug, but I feel a quiet satisfaction at her reaction. “Lucky guess. Eat. You need the energy.”
She takes a bite and makes a soft sound of pleasure that goes straight to my cock. I turn back to the stove to hide my reaction, but I can’t stop thinking about it. The way her lips part. The little moan she made. I want to hear that sound again. I want to be the one who pulls it from her. I want her under me, around me, saying my name like that while I take her apart.
I control it. Barely. I make my own plate and sit across from her. We eat in comfortable silence for a while. She finishes her stack and looks up at me with a shy smile.
“That was really good. Thank you. I haven’t had homemade pancakes in a long time.”
I nod. “You’re welcome. You can have them anytime you want.”
After breakfast I help her clean up. She insists on drying the dishes even though I tell her to sit. She’s stubborn. I like that about her. When we’re done, I help her into a warm sweater and her boots.
“We’re going to the main lodge,” I say. “You need to tell Silas everything. He’s the sheriff here. He can help.”
She tenses a little but nods. “Okay. I’m ready.”
The walk to the lodge is slow. I stay right beside her, ready to catch her if she needs it. The mountain air is crisp, and the sun is bright on the snow. She moves better today. Stronger. When we reach the lodge, I open the door for her and guide her inside.
The main room is warm and busy. The usual crowd is there. Harlan stands near the fireplace, talking to Gavin. Kayley sits on the couch with baby Aidan on her lap. Harper is in the kitchenwith Poppi on her hip. Emma and Rhett are at the table. Chase and Fiona are arguing playfully about something. Hannah is curled up next to Silas. Daisy and Eli are looking at something on a tablet. Sadie and Thorne sit close together, Lily between them, the teenager laughing at something her sister said. Piper and Boyd are at the far end, talking quietly.
Everyone turns when we walk in. I keep my hand on Junie’s lower back, protective. I want them to know she’s with me. That she’s under my protection.
Silas stands first. “You must be Junie. Welcome to Haven 7. I’m Silas. This is my girlfriend, Hannah.”
The introductions go around the room. Harlan nods respectfully. Gavin and Kayley smile warmly. Harper offers her a hug. The children watch her with curious eyes. Everyone is kind. Welcoming. Junie relaxes a little, but I can feel the tension in her shoulders. She’s still scared. Still carrying the weight of whatever she’s running from.
Eli comes over and checks her leg. He nods approvingly. “You’re healing nicely. Keep resting it, but you’re doing great.”
Junie thanks him with a genuine smile. I like the way she lights up when she talks to the women. She fits here. I can see it already.
After the greetings, I guide her to a quiet corner with Silas, Gavin, and Harlan. I want her to tell them everything. She needs the full support of Haven 7 behind her. She sits carefully and begins. Her voice is steady but quiet as she tells them about her brother Caleb. About the trouble he got into. About the men chasing her. About why she was out in the storm alone.
I stay right beside her, my hand on her back. I listen to every word, filing it away. When she mentions the man, Viktor Lane, I feel my jaw tighten. We’ve already had a run-in with Viktor and his crew.
When she finishes, Silas nods. “We’ll look into it quietly. You’re safe here. No one will touch you.”
I feel her relax a fraction. Good. She needs to know she’s not alone anymore.
The rest of the day passes in a blur of introductions and quiet conversations. Junie meets everyone properly. She laughs with the women. She lets Aidan show her his toy trucks. She holds Poppi for a moment and smiles down at the baby with something soft in her eyes. I watch her the whole time. I can’t stop. She’s beautiful. Kind. Strong. The attraction I feel for her is intense. Every time she smiles, every time she looks at me, it hits me harder. I want her. I want to pull her close and kiss her until she forgets every bad thing that ever happened to her. I want to take her back to my cabin and show her exactly how much I want her. But I hold back. She’s still healing. Still scared. I’ll wait. I’ll be patient. But God, it’s hard. Literally.
Later that afternoon we head back to the cabin. The sun is setting, painting the snow in soft pinks and oranges. Junie walks beside me, her hand in mine. She’s quiet, but there’s a peace in her expression that wasn’t there before.
When we get inside, I lock the door and turn to her. She looks up at me with those big brown eyes, and I feel the pull again. Stronger than before. I want her. I want all of her. But I’ll wait until she’s ready.
For now, I just hold her. And that’s enough.
SIX
JUNIE
The cabin’s quiet except for the soft crackle of the dying fire. I lie awake in Wyatt’s bed, staring at the wooden beams on the ceiling, my body warm under the heavy quilt but my mind wide awake. It’s been hours since he helped me settle in for the night, and I still can’t stop thinking about how wrong it feels to take his bed while he sleeps in that old chair. He has been nothing but kind to me. He saved my life, carried me through the snow, fed me, and gave me his shirt to wear. And here I am, taking up his only comfortable place to sleep.
I shift carefully onto my side, mindful of the gash on my leg. The pain is better now, but it still pulls if I move too fast. The room is dark except for the faint orange glow from the hearth. I can just make out Wyatt’s silhouette in the chair. He’s too big for it. His shoulders are broad and his legs are long, and he looks cramped and uncomfortable. I feel a pang of guilt so sharp it makes my chest tight. He deserves better than this. He deserves his own bed.
I take a deep breath and speak before I can talk myself out of it. “Wyatt?”
He shifts immediately, like he wasn’t really sleeping. His voice is low and rough in the darkness. “Yeah?”
I bite my lip, suddenly nervous. “I feel bad about taking your bed. There’s plenty of room for both of us. You shouldn’t have to sleep in that chair. It looks terrible.”
