Page 14 of His to Unwrap

Twenty agonizing minutes later, I find her on the side of the road with the right front wheel in some sort of ditch where the edge of the road has washed away. They’re all but invisible when there’s snow on the ground. I park behind her car and get out to check on her.

Madison has her forehead on the steering wheel. She opens her eyes when I get to her door.

“Are you okay?” I ask as soon as she opens it.

“Been better.”

Yeah, I get that.

“Hold tight. Let me check the damage and see if we can get you out.” She nods but doesn’t answer. It doesn’t take long to seethe car’s not going anywhere until we can get a tow truck in. The frame is bent at an angle too close to the wheel.

I stride back around to the driver’s side and open her door. “Looks like you’re coming with me, angel.”

Madison sighs and gets out of the car. She locks it, then silently follows me to the truck. Cooper is half on the console between the seats, tail wagging. “At least someone’s happy to see me,” she mutters.

Fuck. I can’t let her keep thinking that. It’s making us both miserable.

I snag her around the waist as she walks by and haul her up against my chest. “He’s not the only one,” I murmur, then cover her lips with mine.

Chapter Eight

Madison

Ezra backs me upagainst his truck and kisses the hell out of me. If I weren’t so irritated with him, I’d find it hot. But I am upset, so after a minute or… maybe three, I push him back enough to break the kiss. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to kick me off your property, rescue me like I’m a damsel in distress, then kiss me like—”

“Like this?” Ezra teases his lips over mine. My mouth opens for him automatically but he doesn’t press for a deeper kiss.

“Like that.”

He cups my neck from the front, his hand a loose embrace, and uses his thumb to tilt my chin up so I look him in the eyes. “I didn’t kick you out, though it probably seemed that way. I’m sorry I was such an asshole.”

“Why were you?”

With his free hand, he brushes at the snow falling on my cheeks. It’s tender. Affectionate. “I was worried you’d be stuck in this. The last report said it could last a couple days. I didn’t want you stranded on the mountain with nowhere to go for help. I thought you’d make it back to town in time.”

He was worried about me? That’s why he wanted me to go so quickly? “I didn’t know.” About the storm or his concern.

“Once again I’m keeping you out in the cold. Get in the truck, let’s get you warmed up.”

He walks me around to the passenger side and opens the door for me. His dog is there as soon as I sit, climbing into my lap. He has to weigh at least sixty pounds. “Oof. I got news for you buddy. You are not a lap dog.”

“Coop! In the back!” Ezra growls when he gets in the truck.

The dog turns around on my lap and plants his butt, pressing his head against mine, while staring straight at Ezra in clear defiance.

Ezra swears. “Sorry. I’ll put him in the back.” He reaches for his door handle.

“Don’t worry about it. He’s good right here.” I wrap my arms around the dog and hug him. He’s nice and warm, thawing me out. I didn’t realize how cold I was until I was no longer kissing Ezra. “His name is Coop?”

“Cooper.” He starts the truck. “I can try to get you back to town.”

“If you do, won’t the roads be worse when you return?”

“Doesn’t matter. I need to be here in case there are any problems.”

“Then we’ll have to go back to your cabin.”

He glances at me. “You want to come home with me?”

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