Page 49 of Snow River

If possible, his eyes went even more dark and deep.“Good to know.”

“I’m surprised you don’t do the same.I bet you tend to get hot at night.”She blinked at him innocently.Playing with fire, she knew.

“I get quite hot at night.Can you handle that?I wouldn’t want you to get overheated.”

“I’m very adaptable.Very flexible.”Even though they were both keeping their tone light and teasing, her throat was tight and her nerves were thrumming.Her heart was doing crazy things in her chest.Her mind was going in all kinds of directions—what are you doing?Is this nuts?You were just in a kind-of accident, maybe you should just rest and not flirt up a storm with a man who’s basically sex in work boots?

They gazed at each other for a long silent moment saturated with meaning and intensity.

Are we doing this?Do you want to do this?I want it.Me too.Could be risky.I don’t care.Do you?

With a quick nod, as if he’d just won a debate with himself, he took her hand and they both stood up.He led her toward a closed door that she hoped, as her blood pounded through her veins, was his bedroom.

He pushed open the door.That was when things got strange.A blur of orange fur flew through the air as an enormous cat jumped down from an elaborate cat tree in the corner.The cat wore a snarl that made Lila shrink behind Bear.

“Jack,” scolded Bear.He bent to pick up the giant ball of fur.“Be nice.This is Lila.Lila, meet Jack Daniels.He came with the place.”

Lila gazed at the cat warily.She’d always been cautious around cats; their energy could be so powerful.She respected them and didn’t like to interfere in their lives.“Hello, Jack Daniels,” she said gravely.“Would it be okay if I came in and spent some time with Bear?”

Bear chuckled as the cat butted his head against his chin.“He doesn’t get to make that decision.He thinks it’s his house still.”

Lila thought that Jack Daniels was probably correct about that.One thing she knew about cats was that they responded well to flattery.“How did I not know such a glorious creature lived here with you?”She offered her hand for Jack Daniels to sniff.

“He doesn’t like the outdoors.He’s the most indoor cat that ever catted.And mostly he stays in his cat tree.”Bear stroked Jack’s head and scratched behind his ears.This was a side of Bear she hadn’t seen before, a soft, mushy side she found entirely endearing.“He won’t even leave to see the vet.I have to ask Doc Brody to make house calls.”

Lila smiled at the way Jack Daniels had the humans in his life dancing to his tune.That was cats for you.“Goldfish are much easier to get along with.I’m thinking we should keep Jack Daniels and Goldilocks far away from each other.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it.Jack is far too lazy to take a swipe at a fish.He’d have to get his paw wet to do that.He likes his ears scratched, in case you want to make friends with him.”He moved his hand to make room for hers.

Gingerly, she extended her hand, giving the cat the opportunity to object.“Does he generally like meeting new people?”

“I don’t know.”He shrugged his big shoulders.“I don’t invite a lot of people up here?”

“Not even women?”She couldn’t help asking the question.A reasonable one, since they were standing in his bedroom with the intention of diving into that king-size piece of temptation.

“You’re the first.”

“What?”She blinked up at Bear as she lightly stroked his cat’s head.A loud purr made the air between them vibrate.“I’m the first?”

“Not my first,” he added quickly.“The first to come up here to my bedroom.”

“Why?”she said softly, so surprised that she just blurted out the question.

“I’m a private person.I see a lot of people all day long at the bar.When I come up here, I like quiet.”

She glanced around his bedroom, at the soft gray-green paint on the walls and the thick wool rug that cushioned her feet.A single lamp with a geometric bamboo shade offered a warm illumination that didn’t quite make it to the deeper corners of the room.Everything in the room was simple and designed for comfort—so different from most of the rough-edged places she’d seen in Firelight Ridge.The cat tree was the most elaborate element, like a multilevel jungle gym with boxes to sleep in and rope-covered posts for scratching.

“You said Jack Daniels came with the place.Did you make that for him or was it here already?”

“I made it,” he admitted sheepishly.“I wanted him to like me.”

The sight of this huge, powerful man cradling that enormous, happily purring cat did something to her on a primal level.“I think it worked.”Her voice cracked with desire.

He gave her one look and set the cat down.“Go on, Jack.Get your dinner.”After shooing him out, he firmly closed the door.Her breath stopped as he came toward her.His presence made her dizzy.

“I think about you a lot,” he said bluntly.

“You do?”

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