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Boone’s brow quirked. He peered down at his chest, and then he smirked.
Of course, he did.
The moment he peered down long enough to place a bookmark into his book, that freed me to get a grip. I took a step closer.
“This room is much warmer than that one,” I said by way of explanation. “You wear glasses?”
And sleep shirtless?
“Only to read by,” he said. “And yes, this place gets a little drafty. I don’t mind it, usually. I’m always hot when I sleep.”
I snorted. With this view, I doubted his schedule for hotness was limited to sleep alone.
“Boy, that sounded like a brag, didn’t it?” He pulled at his neck, displaying his impressive bicep.
I took another step, this one closer to the fire. The embers weren’t as full and flickering as before, but it was still warm.
“I wasn’t going to say it,” I said.
“Go ahead, say it.”
“Okay, you’re hot.”
He laughed and shook his head, setting the book on the end table. “That’s not what I meant. You were supposed to tell me I’m full of myself.”
“Are you full of yourself?” I hadn’t gotten that vibe. “Distant and closed-off, maybe. Rude at times. Grumpy. But not cocky.”
“Only when I’m trying to make myself sound better than I am.”
I rubbed my arms. Now that the shock of seeing him like this was cooling, I wished the fire was at full force as it’d been before I’d gone to bed.
“Sorry, I’m just—I’m not used to this muchcold. It never drops like this down where I’m from. It’s like, seeped into my bones, and I can’t seem to shake it. I’ve been freezing in there.”
Boone pressed his lips together. His forehead pinched in concentration. After several long moments, he resituated, lowered his feet to the floor, and reached for his shirt. Slipping it over his head, he then lifted the blanket from his lap.
“Come on over here,” he said.
I went rigid. “You mean sit with you?”
“Yes, I do. I’m about to brag about myself again, but I have heard somewhere that two bodies nestled together can create more heat side by side than one person alone.”
“I’ve heard that, too,” I hedged.
“Care to test the theory? It’s better than you shivering all night long. I’d never forgive myself if you lost toes on my watch.”
I chewed my lower lip. This was the last thing I’d expected from him, and it wasnotwhy I’d come out here. But I couldn’t deny how tempting his offer was.
Was this wise, getting so close to him?
Guess it was time to find out.
I took his offer. I tiptoed across the room, did an ungraceful pirouette, and nestled close to his side.
Boone placed the blanket over us both. Then, he draped his arm around my shoulder.
Were the planets realigning? The stars were, at least. Something in the atmosphere, in the molecules that made up the world and kept the earth in its place in the solar system shifted. The sensation sent off a swarm of butterflies in my stomach.
The man was an oven, a blaze all on his own. He smelled like cedar and musk, and his proximity warmed me instantly, making me want to sink into his side and nestle there.
