Page 25 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

As I heat milk for hot chocolate on my single burner, my mind drifts to the empty house waiting for me back in Whispering Grove. Memories of parents long gone and the endless wanderlust that's driven me since losing them. The mountains filled that void for a while—the constant movement, the solitude, the simple purpose of keeping others safe while they explored the wilderness.

But lately... fuck, lately, it's not enough. I want more than empty rooms and silent mornings. Want someone to share stories with, to build something permanent with.

My thoughts travel to Ruby and how quickly she captivated me. Her beauty, how easily we click, how I want to steal her away from the world and get to know everything about her. The thought follows me up the stairs as I balance the hot chocolate and a plate of granola, dried berries, and the last shortbread cookies from my secret stash.

The door creaks when I nudge it open with my shoulder. Ruby stirs at the sound, and I'm caught again by how right she looks in the bed.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," I say. "You know what the difference is between a good morning and a bad morning?"

She peeks out from under the blanket. "What?"

"About 100 degrees." I grin as she groans and pulls the blanket over her head.

"Too early for jokes," she mumbles, but I can hear the smile in her voice.

When she emerges again, reality crashes back in. Awareness floods her gaze—where she is, what happened last night—realizing most likely that she's naked. I kept it all professional last night, though who am I fucking kidding? Hard to be completely detached when faced with cream-colored skin, curves that have my cock throbbing, full breasts calling to me…

Fuck!

"You're safe," I tell her, setting down the breakfast offerings on the bedside table.

She sighs heavily, pulling the blanket tighter to her neck. "I can't believe they did that to me."

"Don't worry." My tone drops lower, a growl threading through it. "I'll be taking care of them."

"You don't need to protect me," she protests, then tugs at the blanket. A blush spreads across her cheeks as she tries to cover herself more.

And fuck if my brain isn't helpfully supplying every detail from last night. The smoothness of her hips as I peeled off her wet jeans. The strip of blonde hair at the apex of her thighs. The small snowflake tattoo just above her right breast that I definitely shouldn't have noticed. But the images are inked on my brain, and I can't forget them.

I clear my throat. "I brought you breakfast. And your clothes are dry; I put them by the heater." I nod toward the pile of neatly folded clothes. "There's a bathroom through there." My chin lifts across the room at the white door.

She's looking at me with a mix of gratitude and confusion that makes my chest tight. A small smile plays at the corners of her mouth. Those lips are tempting, torture…

"I'll let you get dressed," I say, backing toward the door before I tell her how gorgeous she looks and climb under the blanket with her.

"I mean, you already saw me naked." She smirks, and her attempt at humor is adorable, especially with that blush staining her cheeks.

"And it was beautiful." The words slip out before I can stop them, low and rough with honesty. I shut the door quickly, leaning back against it while my heart pounds.

Smooth. Real fucking smooth.

I can hear her moving around inside - soft footsteps, the rustle of clothing, a quiet humming that makes me want to curl up and purr. Last night shouldn't have happened the way it did, but having her here, in my space, feels right in a way I can't explain.

"You can come back in," she calls, and I'm through the door embarrassingly fast.

She's perched on the edge of the bed now, fully dressed but still looking deliciously rumpled. Her sock-covered feet are tucked under her as she cradles the hot chocolate, and something inside me actually aches at how fucking adorable she is. Her hair's been somewhat tamed, but there's still a stubborn piece curling around her ear that my fingers itch to touch.

"Is this like a secret bedroom?" she asks, glancing around the area that's definitely nicer than the main cabin downstairs.

I sink down onto the bed beside her. "It's for instructors to get away from the chaos sometimes. Everyone needs an escape."

"Especially when you have stalkers in your group."

The reminder of what Kym and Mia did makes my hands clench.

Ruby takes another sip of her drink, and a tiny smile curves her lips as she savors it.

"This is amazing, by the way," she says, then peers at the plate. "Where did you get all these goodies in the middle of nowhere?"

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