Page 30 of SEAL by Fate

He didn’t listen but sat down in the chair closest to the fire depositing her in his lap. It took her a good three seconds to gain use of her voice. “What are you doing?”

“I’m warming you up. You’re blue. It wasn’t safe for you to be out in the weather wearing only a blanket and plastic bags as booties. Don’t you ever take your safety into consideration?”

“I was only out there for fifteen minutes. Maybe twenty.”

“Yeah, and believe it or not, that’s long enough for frostbite to settle in. You’re an ice cube.” He took her hands between his larger ones and rubbed them. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, it felt good to have him touching her. She immediately felt warmer, satisfied. “Are you mad at me?”

She lowered her gaze, but he placed his thumb on her chin and gently lifted her face. Their gazes met making her inner thighs tremble. “Not mad…just…” She sighed. “Well, I was worried. I really wasn’t sure you would come back. A person can spin many tales when they’re left alone in a snowstorm.”

“Didn’t I promise that I would?” His soft voice reached in and soothed her doubt.

“Yes, but I don’t know you.”

“Maybe not a lot, but this should prove that I can be trusted.”

She nodded. “I really didn’t go very far. I couldn’t just stay here and pace the floor. You went in search of that man you’re looking for, didn’t you?”

He reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “No. But, I did get this.” He reached in and took out her bag with medicine. “And your clothes are sitting by the door.”

“Thank you.” She took the bag from him.

“I did make a call.”

“Really? Your cell worked?” She was teetering between joy and sadness. Right now, having contact with the outside world meant soon she’d never see him again. They’d go their separate ways.

“No, but someone just happened along on a snow mobile. It was quite crazy that it happened, but I can’t complain. Anyway, I was able to contact my team.”

She circled her mind around his words. “You didn’t call a tow truck? The snow patrol?”

He laughed. “The snow patrol doesn’t make house calls, sweetheart.”

Stormy leaned in close, getting a whiff a woman’s perfume. “So, who was this hero who happened along in the snow?”

“Her name was Dory Shewalter and she lives on Whispering Mountain all year long in a cabin a few miles from here.”

“Hmm. Is that where you made the call?” She plucked a long blonde hair from his collar.

“I also fixed her pipes.”

Blinking, she scooted off his lap and stood before him, hands on her hips. “Let me get this straight. While I was worried sick for five hours you were with some snow queen in her cabin fixing her pipes?”

He chuckled “She did let me use her phone and gave me a ride back here.”

She wasn’t sure what was happening to her. Anger rushed through her as she tugged the blanket tighter around her shoulders. Taking her bag to the kitchen, she took her medicine, not looking at him, even though he was standing a few feet away.

“As cute as this blanket looks on you, you now have a change of clothes. I’ll get the fire started again. It’s cold in here.”

Reluctantly, she had to admit that taking the dog out in the snow was a bad idea, and instead of giving him a hard time, she needed to be grateful he had help getting back to the cabin. “Is your knee okay?”

“It’s not bad.”

Would he tell her otherwise? She doubted it. Gray wasn’t a man who seemed like he would complain.

In the bedroom, she dropped the blanket and dressed into a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. She was grateful she finally had something to wear besides a towel and blanket.

In the living room, she found Gray squatted beside Lola, petting her. Stormy stood staring for the longest time, admiring how gentle he was with the dog. Duncan hated animals. Another check against him and one in Gray’s favor.

Now she was keeping track of the pros and cons of each man? Grr.

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