Page 16 of Sullivan

“Four.”

She ran down the hall, slamming the bedroom door. Which had no lock on it. I chuckled as I stood and stretched. “Three,” I called, tearing off my shirt.

I wasn’t going to need it.

My sweats followed. “Two!”

I opened the door, wearing only my boxers, a smile, and the hard-on I couldn’t control around her. I was constantly needing to be inside her. She was like my own Viagra.

She was easy to find, huddling under the covers as if I wouldn’t spot her instantly. I threw back the blankets and grinned down at her.

“One.”

AUTUMN

I woke, wrapped in Sully. The man was huge and took up a great deal of the massive bed in the room. And had an affinity, it seemed, for draping himself around me.

And I loved it. I felt safe, cared for.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to go back to sleeping alone. I shifted a little, rolling so I faced him. In slumber, he looked peaceful. Still hot as hell, but without the intensity that clung to him like a shadow. I could only imagine him in the corporate world, dressed in a sharp suit, staring his clients down so they would listen.

I knew I couldn’t resist his stare.

I peered past him to the window. The snow had finally stopped, the wind blowing itself out in the night. We’d spent all our time in bed, talking, eating makeshift meals in the kitchen. Drinking wine or, for him, whiskey. We sat on the sofa and played card games. Laughed. Talked more. I knew about his upbringing, and he admitted his hurt over the woman who had tried to trick him.

I confessed to being heartbroken at the news of never having kids. I admitted how scared I had been when Alan started stalking me. How alone I felt.

Somehow our confessions seemed easier in the confines of the cottage, the storm outside a protective barrier as we shared our secrets.

The bed was warm and cozy, Sully his own furnace. The air was still chilly, but the heater worked well, making it at least livable. I returned my gaze to him, finding his eyes open, studying me.

“Hi,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “What has you thinking so hard?”

“Nothing. The storm is over, I think.”

“It calmed down around four.”

“Do you think trains will run today?”

He shook his head. “Not until tomorrow at the earliest. Limited service, but I think they’ll start.” He traced a finger down my cheek. “Anxious to get away from me, Autumn?”

“No.”

A smile split his face. “Good.”

“I need to let Bonnie know I’m okay. Check on my aunt if I can.”

“We’ll walk to the village later. We can get cell signals. Even my booster didn’t work with the storm.”

“I know. I had tried using my cell earlier but got no signal. I wasn’t really worried at that point, but I didn’t know how long the storm was going to rage on for.”

“I don’t think anyone did.”

“Okay, so we’ll walk to the village and check in with people who might be worried.”

“Aye. I think Bonnie leaves a set of warm boots in the cupboard you can use. I doubt the runners I saw when I got here will do much to keep your feet from freezing.”

“Sounds good.”