Page 4 of His Wild Desire

"I'll just give you some privacy to change," I mumble, suddenly aware of how intimate this whole setup has become. Grabbing my tattered sweats, I head for the small bathroom, closing the sliding door.

I strip down to my boxers with efficient movements, all too aware of the faint rustle of clothing just a few feet away. It takes every ounce of willpower not to peek through the crack in the door.

Get a grip, Stone, I chastise myself. The last thing I need is to be ogling the poor woman like some kind of creep.

I tug on my sweats, then grab my balled-up sleep shirt, bracing myself. "You decent?"

"Well, that's subjective," her voice drifts back with a hint of amusement. "But I'm dressed... sort of."

I emerge from the bathroom to find her nestled on the couch in front of the fireplace, my oversized flannel drowning her frame. Her bare legs are tucked beneath her, the shirt hem riding up to reveal a glimpse of creamy thigh that does something unsettling to my pulse.

"Cozy?" I ask dryly, fighting to keep my gaze level.

She shrugs, her lips quirking. "I guess it has a rustic charm."

"Right." I clear my throat, pointedly avoiding the enticing picture she makes in my clothes. "Well, you take the bed. I'll bunk on the couch."

She frowns, glancing from the bed to me and back. "Are you sure? I can take the couch.”

"Don't worry about it." I wave off her concern, already grabbing the spare quilt from the cedar chest. "I spend half my nights camping under the stars anyway."

Tossing the quilt onto the couch, I move to scoop her up again, this time mindful not to jostle her tender ankle.

"Easy there, hoss," she mutters, looping an arm around my neck to brace herself as I carry her the few steps to the bed. "I'm starting to think you just like having me in your arms."

I snort at her audacity, gently depositing her on the mattress. "Don't flatter yourself, princess. I'm just being a gentleman."

She shoots me a sly smile over one shoulder, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, in that case, I'll be a lady and try not to snore."

I shake my head, unable to repress my grin as I stretch out on the lumpy sofa, pulling the quilt up as I settle in for the night. "Fat chance of that."

An expectant silence falls over the cabin, the faint crackle of the dying fire the only sound. I stare up at the knotty pine ceiling, acutely aware of the woman just a few feet away.

"Hey, Caleb?" Her voice drifts through the shadows, soft and hesitant.

Here we go. "Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Seems you just did," I drawl, unable to resist the urge to give her grief, even now.

A soft chuckle drifts back in response, quickly smothered. "Smartass."

My deep baritone rumbles out an amused huff. "Ask your question."

There's a pause, then—"Why were you all the way out here by yourself?"

The question hangs between us, more loaded than she probably realizes. I consider brushing it off and keeping her at arm's length like I have with everyone in my life since... well, since before I can remember.

"Isn't it obvious?" I deflect, aiming for nonchalance. "I don't have much use for company."

A beat passes before she speaks again, her voice softer this time. "But doesn't it get lonely?"

The word settles over me with surprising weight, like she's prodding at something deeper than just my isolated lifestyle. Loneliness isn’t a feeling I'm accustomed to acknowledging these days.

"You know what true loneliness is?" I find myself replying. "Feeling just as isolated in a crowd of people as you do out here by yourself."

I don't know what compels me to reveal that small truth, laying myself bare in an entirely uncharacteristic way. But something about this woman, this situation, has me dropping my guard before I can think better of it.

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