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Cade raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “You need more wood, and you need it fast. Let me help.”
There’s no point in arguing, not when he’s right. And despite my stubbornness, I can’t help but feel a tiny flicker of relief.“Fine,” I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel. “But I don’t need you to take care of me.”
He smirks, and damn if that doesn’t make my heart skip a beat. “Sure you don’t,” he says, turning to grab the axe. “But I’m gonna do it anyway.”
CADE
She’s here to escape, just like I was. But she doesn’t belong here, not yet at least. She’s got no idea what she’s doing, and it frustrates the hell out of me. But damn if it doesn’t also turn me on.
The way she looked at me when she talked about the city, about being underwhelmed by it all... it’s like she was talking about me too. Like she saw something in me that she understands.
Now, here I am, standing in front of her, my body reacting to her in ways I haven’t ever felt. Her curves, the way her breath catches when I get too close—it’s driving me crazy.
My cock’s been hard since I first saw her, and it’s taking everything I have not to drag her into my arms and show her just how warm I can make her.
But I can’t. I won’t. She’s here to find peace, and I’m not about to complicate that with whatever this is between us. Still, when she talks about being alone, about not knowing if she can handle it... fuck, I want to tell her she doesn’t have to be. That I could be there, that I could help her find what she’s looking for.
But I don’t. Instead, I focus on the task at hand, on the storm that’s coming. I know she’s not ready for it, not on her own. And the thought of her freezing out here, struggling through the night without help, twists something deep inside me. I can’t let that happen, even if it means getting closer to her than I should.
I grab the axe and swing it with ease. The log splits cleanly, and I glance over at her, watching as she stares at me with those wide eyes. She’s trying to be strong, trying to prove she can handle this, but I can see the doubt in her eyes. She’s scared, and I can’t blame her. But I won’t let her fail, not out here.
She tries to argue, tries to tell me she doesn’t need me, but I can hear the uncertainty in her voice. “Sure you don’t,” I say with a smirk, knowing damn well she does. “But I’m gonna do it anyway.”
I split another log, the sound echoing in the cold air. She watches me, and I can feel her eyes on me, feel the heat of her gaze as it travels over my body. My cock twitches, hardening even more, and I have to grit my teeth to keep from reaching out and pulling her against me. She’s too close, too damn tempting.
But I focus on the wood, on getting her what she needs to survive the night. Because that’s all this is—survival. It has to be. Even though every instinct in me is screaming to make it more, to take her inside and show her exactly what I’m capable of.
“Storm’s coming in fast,” I say again, more to remind myself than anything. “You’re gonna need all the help you can get.”
She nods, finally accepting what I’ve been saying all along. But there’s something in her eyes, something that tells me this isn’t over. Not by a long shot. She watches me, and I can feel the heat of her gaze as it travels over my body.
When the last log is split, I load them into a stack by her door, giving her what she’ll need to keep the fire going through the night. But I can’t stop thinking about what else she might need—what else I could give her if I let myself. The thought gnaws at me as I watch her from the corner of my eye, her breath fogging in the cold air, her lips parted as if she’s waiting for me to say something, to make a move.
But I don’t. I can’t. Not yet. Not until I know she’s ready, and maybe not even then.
“There,” I say, stepping back and wiping my hands on my jeans. “That should keep you warm.”
She looks at the stack of wood, then back at me, her expression unreadable. “Thank you,” she says softly, but there’s something more in her voice, something that makes my chest tighten.
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. If I do, I might say something I can’t take back, something that will change everything.
“I’ll see you around,” I say, turning to leave before I do something stupid, like pull her into my arms and kiss her until neither of us can breathe.
But as I walk away, I can feel her eyes on me, and it takes everything I have to keep moving, to put distance between us.
Because I know that if I turn around, if I let myself get any closer, I won’t be able to walk away again.
And I’m not sure either of us is ready for what comes next.
three
LENA
The wind howls outside,rattling the windows of the cabin with a force that makes me nervous. It’s been building up all afternoon, dark clouds rolling in and turning the sky an angry shade of gray. I glance at the stove, where I’m heating up a can of coup – wanting something warm and comforting.
The cabin feels colder than ever, the wind seeping through the old wood and sending shivers down my spine. I stir the soup on the stove, but my thoughts keep drifting to Cade. He’s been on my mind constantly since last night, since he helped me with my fire. My body still feels the echo of him so close to me, and I can’t stop imagining what it would be like to really let go with him, to let him take control the way he wants to.
A sudden gust of wind shakes the cabin so hard that I jump mid-stir-of-the-soup, spilling the broth all over the stove. “Shit!” I hiss, grabbing a towel to mop up the mess. But before I can do anything, there’s a loud crack outside, followed by an earth-shaking crash. The whole cabin shudders, and I whip around just in time to see the ceiling above me give way.
