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He shrugged and slid his hands in his pockets. Living in Colorado, he spent the winter skiing and snowboarding. In the summer, he went hiking and swimming. All that physical activity had given him a lean, muscled physique - wide in the shoulders and narrow in the hips - that made me fantasize about sliding my hands under his shirt until I found his smooth, warm skin…
I bit the inside of my cheek, focusing on the sting of it. I had to stop thinking like that or else my brain would short circuit.
“Parents are spending the month in Hawaii for their second honeymoon,” Theo replied. “I really think they just don’t want to deal with the snow and cold. They’re having a lot of fun bragging to me about how amazing the beach is right now when I tell them it’s going to snow this weekend.”
“Theo is practically family anyway,” Chase said. “So I thought he would feel right at home with us.”
Theo began to nudge through my stack of books with one fingertip. A flush of panic washed over me and I scooped them up, cradled safely against my chest.
“Those are mine.”
The corner of Theo’s mouth tipped up in a crooked little smile and his eyes danced with amusement.
“I guess I know what you’re going to be doing during your holiday vacation.”
Chase snorted. “Reading smutty novels by the light of the Christmas tree. Again.”
I tried to swat him but he chortled and skirted out of reach.
“Seriously, sis, don’t you get tired of drooling over fictional men?” Chase asked.
The heat of a blush stole up my cheeks. I dropped my gaze, desperately searching for a distraction.
“Oh, look, it’s closing time. I’ll lock up and meet you outside.”
Chase chuckled. “Smooth change of subject there, little sister.”
Before I could protest, Theo scooped up my duffel bag from the floor and swung it over his shoulder.
“Let’s go, Chase. Haley, we’ll be waiting for you at the curb.”
When they were gone, I blew out a breath of relief. There was no way I could get out of this. I would just have to make myself as scarce as possible once we reached the cabin. After turning off the lights and locking the library, I stepped outside. The first few flakes of snow were beginning to fall, swirling through the air and glowing in the light of the street lamps.
Theo’s dark green Ford truck idled at the curb. I stifled a groan. We were really going to drive three hours, in the snow, crammed into the cab of his truck. Shoulder to shoulder. Hip to hip. And I knew I would be in the middle because I was Chase’s younger sister - barely five feet tall and a shy little wallflower.
That meant I would be sitting right beside Theo for the entire drive.
“Damn it,” I grumbled.
Chase climbed out of the truck, huddled against the cold, and held the door open. He gestured for me to get inside. Bracing myself, I settled into the middle seat, my books nestled on my lap. I tried desperately not to think about the firm muscle of Theo’s thigh pressed against mine, or the way his bicep strained against the black, skin-tight thermal shirt he wore.
Chase squeezed into his seat, purposefully jostling me.
“Isn’t this cozy?” he asked.
I shot him a dirty look. He simply grinned in return.
“Everyone buckled in?” Theo asked, glancing at Chase and me.
I nodded. Maybe one day I would be able to unglue my tongue from where it was stuck to the roof of my mouth. But it certainly wasn’t happening right now.
“Haley could read to us and make the drive go faster,” Chase said, reaching for one of my books.
I shouldered his hand aside.
“If you wanted a book of your own, you should have thought to pick one up. These are for my personal - and private - enjoyment.”
“Don’t touch the woman’s romance novels, Chase,” Theo piped up. “She might be small and quiet, but I bet if you piss her off, she has a mean bite.”
