Page 54 of Saved By the Boss

Tawny’s grin widens, and I instantly regret saying anything. “All day?” she teases. “He really must have made an impression on you.”

“It’s not like that,” I say quickly, though my cheeks flush deeper at the lie. “He was just, I don’t know. Different.”

“Different how?”

I pause, trying to find the right words. “There’s something really mysterious about him. He’s been through something, that much is clear.”

Tawny leans against the counter, her grin turning mischievous. “And by mysterious, you mean hot.”

I groan, burying my face in my hands. “You’re impossible.”

“And you love me for it,” she says with a laugh. “He is hot, though! Anyone with eyes can see that. Today was the most I’veever heard him talk. You’re right, he is pretty mysterious. Maybe you’re just the girl to peel back his layers.”

Her eyebrows wiggle suggestively and I roll my eyes, picking up a straw and throwing it at her. She deftly ducks away and turns to the kitchen, putting in my order.

With nothing much else to do, she sits down next to be at the counter, poking me for more information about my runaway thoughts.

“So, were you like imagining him naked all day, or what?”

“Tawny,” I hiss, looking back to the couple to make sure they haven’t overhead. “It’s not like that. It’s mostly anxiety imagining this perfect stranger helping me for no reason.”

She rolls her eyes now, always so put off by my aversion to any help.

“He may not be from here, but he’s been here long enough to pick up on the way of things. Though, I have to admit, I’m a little jealous that you’re the first person he’s deigned to offer help to.”

“That’s because I’m too helpless to function,” I complain, resting my head in my hands on the counter and feeling pathetic.

Tawny nudges me gently, her grin returning. “Come on. If the storm comes early, maybe you’ll get snowed in with him. And then the storm won’t be the only thing coming.” She winks lasciviously, her grin turning wicked.

I groan again, this time louder. “You’re the worst.”

“And yet, you love me,” she says with a laugh. “Want some pie? It’ll make you feel better.”

“Fine,” I say, shaking my head. “But only because you’re going to pay for it.”

“Deal,” she says, already grabbing a plate. “And while you eat, you can tell me all about your plans to seduce the mountain man.”

I laugh despite myself, the sound cutting through the weight in my chest. For the first time all day, I feel like I can breathe again.

6

Declan

The wind is absolutely biting by the time I make it out to the driveway to start weather-proofing my cabin. Snow swirls in lazy flurries as dusk settles over the mountains. My cabin stands as a lone silhouette against the darkening sky, smoke curling from the chimney with a quiet promise of warmth. I try to finish my tasks as quickly as possible, all the better to get back inside in front of the fire.

Winterizing the cabin is a process I’ve gotten used to over the years, though it always feels like a race against time. Even now, with the storm still a day or two out, I can feel the tension crackling in the air, the winds changing and the clouds mounting. It spooks me a bit, making me double- and triple-check that every window is securely insulated, and that the sidewalk is properly salted.

I get started on weatherstripping the doors, a simple enough task if not a little tedious. It’s all dull work, but it beats sitting around with nothing but my thoughts for company. When I’m satisfied that all the cracks and open spaces in my house are sufficiently filled, I set to work chopping a few more pieces ofwood and throwing them in my truck. I already have plenty, but I’m worried about the girl at the hardware store.

By the time I’m finished, my shoulders ache, and I settle into my chair in front of the fire, relishing the warmth as I feel like I’m defrosting. Feeling moves back to my extremities, and I sigh contentedly as my thoughts drift back to Jade. I stop myself abruptly, though, not liking the path my thoughts are leading me down. I haven’t even thought about another woman since Cassidy, and I don’t know why my mind and my dick have suddenly decided that Jade is the person I should focus on.

I grab another beer from the fridge and sink back into the old armchair by the fire, letting the warmth continue to seep into my bones. The snow outside is falling harder now, tapping against the windows like tiny fingers. I close my eyes, the steady rhythm and exhaustion from my work lulling me into a restless sleep.

She’s there, standing in the cabin, her dark hair loose around her shoulders, her eyes softer than I remember them being. There’s no fear in her gaze now, no caution. Just warmth. She steps closer, her lips parting to say something, but the words don’t come. Instead, she reaches out, her fingers brushing against my chest, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

I reach for her without thinking, my hands settling on her waist, pulling her closer. Her breath is warm against my neck, her fingers tangling in my hair. There’s something electric about the way she looks at me, like I’m the only thing in the world that matters. And then her lips are on mine, soft and insistent, and every thought I’ve ever had about keeping my distance vanishes.

She undresses me nimbly, her fingers easily unclasping every button and pulling down every zipper. I sit under her, completely bare, gulping slightly as I wait in anticipation ofwhatever she’s going to do next.

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