Page 10 of Battle of Hearts

She straightened up after a few moments and dusted her hands on her pants. “Once the inventory’s done, we’ll need to figure out how we’re going to stay warm tonight,” she said. Her tone remained neutral, but it seemed as if any talk was a desperate attempt to avoid the obvious subject neither of them wanted to discuss. “Temperatures are going to drop even more, and with this storm, we can’t risk hypothermia.”

Mirren glanced at her with an unreadable expression. “We’ve got the sleeping bags,” she said. “And there’s enough fuel to keep the fire going for a while.”

Sawyer nodded and began to pace back and forth. They were well prepared, but she couldn’t rid herself of the slight worry she felt. There was no telling how bad the storm would get.

But no matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she had tried to think about rations, fuel, and heat, nothing could stop her from thinking about the small cabin and the fact that they were alone together. The storm outside had trapped them in more ways than one, and the very idea of being stranded with Mirren—of sharing this space, this intimacy—gnawed at her.

“There’s something else,” Sawyer said, her voice steady but quieter now. She stopped pacing and faced Mirren, knowing the next part of her plan would be even more uncomfortable than the silence between them. Part of her didn’t want to mention it, but she wouldn’t let her anxiety stop her from sharing something valuable. “It’s not ideal, but I’ve seen it work in extreme conditions. If the temperatures drop too low, we’re going to need to conserve body heat. The best way to do that is by sharing sleeping space. It’s proven to be more efficient if we zip our sleeping bags together…and sleep with minimal clothing.”

Mirren’s eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, Sawyer could see the shock mirrored in her gaze. And how could she not be shocked? They had just unexpectedlykissedafter a dayfull of tension, and now here Sawyer was, suggesting they sleep together.

But then Mirren looked away, a small nod following. “I know the science behind it,” she said, her voice soft, almost resigned. “It makes sense.”

Sawyer didn’t expect the woman to put up any sort of fight, but she was still surprised at how easily willing she was. She swallowed the lump in her throat, forcing herself to focus on the logistics of the situation rather than the implications.

This wasn’t about their kiss. It wasn’t about their attraction. This was survival, plain and simple.

“Right,” Sawyer said, her tone brusque as she stepped away. “We’ll do what we have to, to get through the night.”

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Nightfall came quickly and, to no surprise, the storm outside continued to rage with an even greater intensity as the wind howled through the cracks in the outpost. The temperature had dropped significantly, and despite the fire burning steadily in the stove, the cold was unrelenting to the point it seemed to seep into their bones.

Sawyer had zipped their sleeping bags together as planned. She kept her movements mechanical, keeping her mind focusing on the task at hand rather than the fact that in a few moments, she’d be lying beside Mirren skin to skin. She brought a few extra blankets from their compartments and tossed them onto the makeshift bag, an extra insurance they’d be as insulated as possible. Once she was done, she turned back to Mirren.

“It’s late. We should lie down before it gets any colder,” Sawyer said. When Mirren nodded, Sawyer carefully began to slide out of her gear. She shed her boots first, then her jackets,until she was left in nothing but her thermal underwear, her skin prickling against the cool air of the room.

Mirren hesitated for a moment, then quickly ducked her head, but Sawyer had noticed the heat rush to her cheeks before she had the chance to fully conceal it. She watched the woman’s hands as they fumbled with the zipper of her jacket as she shrugged it off. When she finished removing the rest of her gear, she peered up at Sawyer, the tension between them palpable, before she, too, stripped down to her thermals. Tension thickened the air, and the two women both tried their hardest to ignore it.

Sawyer climbed into the sleeping bag first, trying to ignore the rush of heat that surged through her as Mirren slid in beside her. The sleeping bag was small, their bodies pressed close together, and the intimacy of the moment was almost overwhelming. Sawyer could feel the warmth of Mirren’s skin against hers, the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, and it took everything in her not to focus on the way Mirren’s leg brushed against hers.

This is just survival, Sawyer reminded herself, her jaw clenching as she tried to keep her breathing steady. But it was hard—impossible, really—not to notice the way her body responded to Mirren’s proximity. The way her pulse quickened, her skin tingling with awareness of the woman beside her. The heated sensation that rushed to her crotch when Mirren’s ass brushed against her thigh.

Mirren shifted slightly, her shoulder pressing against Sawyer’s arm. “You okay?” Mirren asked softly, her voice barely a whisper in the dark.

Sawyer swallowed hard, nodding even though the answer was far more complicated than that. “Yeah,” she said, her voice hoarse. “I’m fine. Just…cold.” It couldn’t have been more of a lie. Sawyer was losing her mind. She couldn’t focus, couldn’t move.

Mirren let out a soft laugh, the sound so unexpected that it sent a shiver down Sawyer’s spine. “Me, too.”

For a moment, the tension between them seemed to ease, the sound of Mirren’s laugh breaking through the awkwardness. But then the silence settled again, and it was almost as if the weight of their earlier kiss crept back in as the air suddenly thickened around them.

Sawyer closed her eyes, willing herself to focus on the practicalities of the situation. This was about staying warm, about surviving the night. Nothing more. She steadied her breathing and readied herself for sleep, even though she knew, deep down, that any attempt of doing so would be entirely hopeless.

But as Mirren shifted beside her, her body brushing against Sawyer’s once again, it became clear that ignoring the attraction was far easier said than done.

The room was dark now, the fire reduced to embers in the stove, but the heat between them was unmistakable. Not just the warmth of their bodies pressed together. No, Sawyer couldfeelit—the pull, the magnetic force that seemed to draw her closer to Mirren, despite every logical reason to stay distant. With every second that passed, it was more and more impossible to resist.

Mirren turned slightly, her face now inches from Sawyer’s. “Sawyer,” she whispered, her breath warm against Sawyer’s cheek.

Sawyer’s eyes snapped open, her heart pounding in her chest as she found herself staring into Mirren’s blue eyes. So close. So intense. “Yeah?” she whispered back, her voice tight.

Mirren hesitated for a moment, her gaze flicking to Sawyer’s lips before returning to her eyes. “About earlier…”

Sawyer’s breath caught in her throat, the memory of their kiss flashing in her mind like a bolt of lightning. She didn’t knowwhat to say—didn’t know if she evencouldsay anything that would make sense in this moment.

But before she could find the words, Mirren closed the distance between them, her lips brushing against Sawyer’s once again.

This time, the kiss wasn’t born of desperation or surprise. It was deliberate, slow, a gentle exploration of the feelings that had been simmering between them since they’d met. It took Sawyer by complete shock, unable to move as their lips connected, eyes wide as she looked down at Mirren. It took her a few seconds for everything to sink in before she closed her eyes as well, then ducked her head to relax into the kiss. It was slow, sweet?—

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