Page 7 of Forbidden Passions

But as she said it, her eyes told a different story. They said she did care, and that she saw through my gruffness to something I’d rather keep hidden. They said this storm had brought more than rain to my doorstep.

It had brought her.

And with her, the uncomfortable possibility that my carefully constructed isolation might not be as impenetrable as I’d thought. Or as necessary.

She was inside now. Inside my home. Inside my head. And I knew, deep in my bones, that once the storm cleared… she wouldn’t be easy to forget.

CHAPTER THREE

Callie

This wasn’t how I’d pictured my week going—curled up in a storm-wrapped cabin wearing a stranger’s shirt and pretending I wasn’t watching his every move. But here I was, swimming in a t-shirt that smelled of fresh air and something warm and male that made my girlie parts get all tingly.

Just like my reluctant host as he moved around his kitchen.

Gabriel Holt was not happy about my presence. That much was crystal clear. But bring on the mountain man fantasies; the man was a sight to behold even—or maybe especially—when he was brooding.

There was a barely leashed wildness about him. Like the storm outside had walked inside and taken the shape of a man. Solid. Silent. Ready to snap.

I sipped my tea, using the mug to hide my face as I watched him. He moved with the efficient grace of a predator, no wasted motion, completely aware of his surroundings. Military precision. The dog tags I’d glimpsed confirmed what his bearing suggested. This man had seen combat, had probably commanded others, had definitely been through hell.

And something inside me—some deep, aching curiosity—wanted to know what he’d seen, what had broken him, and what it would take to piece him back together.

“The rain’s not letting up,” I said, just to break the silence.

Gabriel grunted, barely glancing at the window. “It won’t. Not for a while.”

“You know, in most cultures, hosting someone includes actual conversation,” I pointed out, scratching Max behind the ears as he lounged beside me.

Those storm-gray eyes flicked to mine. “I’m not most people.”

“Clearly.” I couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips. “Let me guess. You also don’t like small talk, social media, or people who take too long ordering coffee.”

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Is there a point to this analysis?”

“Just trying to figure out who I’m trapped with.” I stretched my legs out, noticing how his gaze dropped to my bare feet before snapping back up. “Since we’re going to be roomies for the foreseeable future.”

“We’re not roomies,” he said, the word sounding ridiculous in his deep voice. “You’re a temporary inconvenience due to weather conditions.”

I pressed a hand to my chest in mock offense. “Wow. And here I thought we were having a moment.”

Was that the ghost of a smile? It disappeared so quickly I couldn’t be sure.

“The storm should pass by tomorrow afternoon,” he said. “Maybe the next day.”

“And until then?”

“Until then, we stay out of each other’s way as much as possible.”

I laughed. “In this tiny cabin? How exactly do you propose we do that?”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed slightly, and I realized I’d used the word propose right after mentioning the bed situation. Hismind had gone exactly where mine had, judging by the slight darkening of his eyes.

Good. At least I wasn’t the only one struggling with this attraction.

Max chose that moment to trot over to Gabriel, nudging his hand. Traitor.

“He likes you. Which is weird because he’s usually skittish around men,” I said, watching as Gabriel automatically reached down to scratch Max’s ears. Large, capable hands with calluses that spoke of hard work. I swallowed, my mind wandering to the places his presence had stirred up inside me.

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