Page 28 of Trapped in the Christmas Cabin

Whathe saw shocked him.

18

KELLI

Kelligasped at what she saw—the couch was shrinking.

Itwas getting smaller and smaller right under her.Alreadyit was only half as big as it had been before and any minute it would be a third as big.

Hastily, she got off the rapidly shrinking cushions and jumped away.

“Hey?Whatin theSevenHellsis happening?”Klausgrowled.

“Idon’t know.”Kellishook her head.Butthen she remembered another thing on theMaximumRomancechecklist.Hadn’tit said something about “only one bed?”Shewas almost sure it had.Maybethe cabin had heardKlaussaying he would sleep on the couch and decided to remove it from the equation.

“Look, there it goes,”Klaussaid, just as the couch shrank away to nothing and disappeared completely.“Whythe fuck would this fucked-up cabin take the couch away?”

“Er,Ithink it’s trying to make us sleep together,”Kellisaid.“Imean notsleeptogether, sleep together.Justsleep in the same bed.”

“Huh.Tryingthe same tricks it pulled in the shower, you think?”he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Idon’t know.”Kellishook her head.“ButIdoknow it’s a trope in romance books where the man and woman wind up snowed in and there’s only one bed so they have to share it.”

“Thelist!”he exclaimed, snapping his fingers.“Thismust be what ‘forced proximity’ means.”

Kellinodded.

“Ithink you’re right.”Shecleared her throat.“Thebed really is plenty big enough to share without, uh, touching if you don’t want to.”

Shefelt like she had to add the last part about him not wanting to touch.Fora moment there on the couch, it had seemed like they were about to fall into bed together and do more than just sleep.ButthenKlaushad suddenly gotten cold and distant—she didn’t know what to make of that.Itwas almost like he couldn’t decide if he liked her or not.Eitherway,Kelliwasn’t going to push it.

Rightnow he seemed to be deliberating.Shewatched as he ran a hand through his hair and puffed out an impatient sigh.

“Iguess you’re right—the bed’s big enough to share,” he said at last.“Aslong as they don’t shrink away to nothing while we’re in it.”

“Idon’t think they’ll do that,”Kellisaid thoughtfully.“Ithink they want us to sleep in the same bed together—not on the floor.”

“Okay.”Hesighed.“Well, should we go to bed then?”

Ashe spoke, his eyes ran up and down her body for a long moment, givingKellia tingle.Shecould almostfeelhis gaze like a touch and he smelled sogood.She’dreally enjoyed cuddling with her bigProtectoron the couch.Shejust wished she knew what was going on with him and why he was so hot and cold.

“Sure,” she said and made herself yawn.“I’mtired—it’s been a long day.”

“Let’sget some sleep and hope that the snow melts by the morning so we can get the fuck out of here,”Klaussaid.

Togetherthey headed for the bedroom.

19

KLAUS

Thewarm glow of the firelight turnedKelli’sskin golden as she took off the lacy black robe that went with her silky black negligee.Shepushed her hair over one shoulder and slipped under the covers of the huge bed, shivering a little.

Klaustried not to watch her in the dim light as he got in on the other side.Thebed was so big, there was a vast distance between them.Gods, he wished he could roll over and take her in his arms…but that was out of the question, he told himself sternly.Hecouldn’tbreak his vow.

Sohe just laid there with his back turned to the curvy littleElite, trying not to think about how incredibly sexy she looked in that short little nightdress the cabin had provided for her to wear.Hewas still half-hard from watching the human porn and having her cuddled up beside him.Hewished he could pull her to him and…

Stopit, stop thinking like that!he lectured himself.Youcan’t just?—

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