Page 26 of His One True Wish

Once again, we slipped into silence. It wasn’t comfortable; I barely knew him. “So, this is what you do? In the winter, you just sit here in the snow.”

“Yep, I just sit here in the snow.”

“I didn’t mean that to sound rude.”

“It’s fine,” he said, a half-smile crossing his face. “I stay pretty busy most of the year, and I like the cold, which is why I planned to be here through the winter.”

I rubbed my eyes, the heat from the fire and the weight of the two blankets were making it hard for me to think coherently.

“You ready to climb into bed?” Axl asked.

“You know you don’t need to give up the bedroom,” I said. “I slept many a night out on this couch, and I think Cam is pretty fond of me.”

“She does like you, which is a compliment.” He stood up. “I insist you take the bed. I just changed the sheets.”

“Okay, that’s very nice of you.” I stood up, legs wobbly. I wrapped myself in one of the blue blankets. “You mind if I take this blanket with me?”

“Be my guest.” He nodded down the hall. “I am guessing you can get yourself settled then?”

“Yes,” I said. “I know the room well.”

He stood staring at me beside the fire.

“I know this is an awkward situation, but thanks again for your help tonight,” I said.

“It’s no problem,” he said, hands sliding deep into his pockets. “You want me to wake you up tomorrow?”

“Yes, please,” I said. “Seven a.m.?”

“Seven a.m.,” he said. “I’ll see you with bells on.”

“With bells on.” I wrapped my arms around my body and walked down the hall to the bedroom. I couldn’t wait to crawl into bed and sleep. I just hoped that the naked and glorious body of Axl Grey didn’t show up in my dreams.

CHAPTER 9

AXL

As Billie walked down the hall, I put my hands deep in my pockets and forced myself to stare at the fire. I wanted to watch her sweet ass sway. Damn. I had a throbbing hard-on. I needed to get myself the fuck together. I stood next to the fire still focusing on the dancing flames until I heard the bedroom door click shut. Cam sighed behind me.

“Yep, it’s time for bed, girl,” I said, taking a seat on the couch. Billie was in my bedroom. It was the right thing to do. The sheets on the bed were fresh, and I’d put out a couple of extra blankets for her. She’d be cozy. I wondered for a moment if she was getting ready for bed back there. What would she wear when she slept? A tee-shirt? Nothing at all? How about the fact this was none of my goddamn business?

I sank back into the couch and watched the snow falling over the back field. I didn’t need a weather app to know it was coming down hard, the heaviest I’d seen in Smoke River. Mason would have a good line on whether the roads were clear down the mountain. It was going to blow through and then clear, at least that’s what I kept telling myself.

As a pilot, I was used to waiting out the weather because therewas nothing to be done about it. When there was a break in the snowfall, I’d get digging and make sure Billie could get into town.

I pulled an ottoman over and stretched my feet out as I watched the fire. Cam was now totally relaxed taking half the couch. I felt wired and figured my pulse was probably all jacked up from that damn Red Bull. Billie’s arrival messed up my circadian rhythms, too. I should have been in bed hours ago. I thought for a moment about that big bed in the back room and the touch of clean sheets against her naked skin.

My dick throbbed. Fuck me, there was something so sweet and sexy about her. I got up, stoked the fire, and rearranged the couch cushions so I had a pillow on the end. I stripped down to my briefs and nudged Cam to the side. If I bent my knees, there was enough room for us both and I liked the feeling of Cam sleeping beside me.

Cam sighed and jumped off the couch, opting to sleep in front of the fire.

“Fine. Be that way,” I muttered, disappointed, but grateful for more room.

Eyes wide open, I focused on watching the snow fall through the slatted shutters. There was something about Billie that made me feel an emotion I couldn’t name. Outside, I caught a glimpse of a star through the clouds and knew if Billie was sitting beside me, she’d make a wish.

I wasn’t going to wish on anything, but I did wonder what it would feel like to run my hands across her bare skin. Billie sparkled like one of those glittering stars outside. What was going on with me? I didn’t compare women to stars. Billie arrived and I felt all turned around, like she showed up and enclosed the cabin in a glass snow globe, trapping us both inside. At first glance, the cabin looked the same, but I sensed that everything had changed.

I needed to sleep. There was a chance that the power might go out on account of the storm. It happened often enough out here, but with the fire blazing, I kicked one leg out from under my blanket. No joke, I was running hot.

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