Page 195 of Tangled up in You

“I’ll come with you.” Ry jumps out over Quinn before I can argue. I’m all too aware of her standing close to me as the snow swirls around us. She has her arms wrapped around her body, and I’m practically itching to pull her into my side.

The door jingles as it opens, and we step into the motel, which is not much warmer than standing in the blizzard. But it is surprisingly neat and smells clean.

“Hi there.” A man says as he walks out of the office, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I’m really sorry, but we’re all sold out. The storm and all.”

“You have nothing? We can’t go any further,” Ry says sweetly and gives the elderly man a pout.

“Well, I have a small cabin out back, but it doesn’t have any heat.”

“Does it have a wood-burning stove or anything?” I step up to the counter, and he nods.

“Yeah, it sure does, and a generator to run the water and lights. But we don’t have much fuel, and it still gets chilly in there.”

“We’ll take it. How much?”

“Honestly, I can’t charge you for it. I wouldn’t feel right. If you can get back there, it’s yours.”

“Thank you, we’ll take it.”

“Alright then. Name’s Peter, and my wife is Ruby if you need anything. There is wood stacked up outside, and we have a vending machine with drinks and snacks. I’ll give you a couple flashlights, too,” he says, reaching under the counter and grabbing a set of keys and two flashlights that look more like lanterns. Handing the keys over to Ry, he smiles. “Are you two newlyweds?”

My mouth falls open, mind blank, but Ry comes to the rescue. “No, we’re in a band. The rest of us are still out in the van. Just passing through.”

“Oh…well…the cabin will be a tight fit for any more than four. There are two small beds, but that’s it.”

“It’s okay, we’ll make it work. Anything is better than sleeping in the van. Thank you Peter.” I follow Ry out and try to picture sleeping beside her all night. My cock stirs, and I quickly push the image aside.

It doesn’t take long for us to walk around and spot the cabin sitting at the back of the property. It’s not that far, but the snow is already getting deep and soaking our clothes.

“You guys get the stove going. I’ll take care of the genny,” Quinn says. I don’t doubt that Quinn can get it going as he walks away. He’s been working on engines longer than he’s been playing the guitar.

Peter isn’t kidding around when he says this spot is small. It’s a single room with two twin beds, a table that seats four, the very basics for a corner kitchen, and a bathroom that only fits one person.

“You okay?” I look down at Ry, who is bouncing on the balls of her feet, her teeth chattering so loudly that I can hear them.

“Yeah, totally fine.”

She’s lying. For as long as I’ve known her, she’s gotten cold easily. Unzipping my jacket, I prepare myself for a fight as I pull her into me and wrap it around us both. Instead, she hugs mywaist, and if I could freeze time, I would stand like this with her forever. No one watching, no second guessing, no guilt, or anything else getting in the way.

“Thank you.” The words are softly spoken, but I hear them and hold her tighter. Suddenly, the single overhead light flickers and turns on. The door opens a second later, letting in a gust of cold air.

“Fuck, it’s getting a lot worse out there.” Quinn stomps his feet, knocking snow off. “And there is only enough fuel out there for a few hours if we let it run steady. So, take quick showers and bathroom breaks. Then I’ll turn it back off.”

“Is there hot water?” Ry asks, her voice muffled against my chest.

“Not sure, but I think so. It looks like water comes from the motel, and the genny runs a pump.”

“The microwave works,” Finn says, stuffing his bag of fast food inside and closing the door.

Ry pulls back, and another little part of my resolve slips. With every touch, she peels back a little more, and I know that no matter how hard I fight it, I’m going to fall. I watch her tiptoe across the floor into the bathroom and then smirk as she cheers and sticks her head out with a big smile on her face.

“Yup, there is hot water. I’ll be five minutes.” Picking up her ridiculously small bag, I walk over and hand it to her. “Thanks.” Her fingers touch mine, and suddenly I want to push her into the standup shower and fuck her against the wall.

“You’re welcome.” She closes the door, and I turn around to see Quinn, Finn, and Koa all looking at me. “What the hell are you looking at?”

“Nothing.” They chime in unison. Fuckers.

“Fine, I’m showering next.”

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