Page 9 of Winter's Thaw

“Not sure that’s a verb, but I’ll allow it.”

He couldn’t help smiling at her snark. “You’re really very annoying, aren’t you?”

“I try.”

“Such effort. I’m impressed.”

“You should be.” She pushed her empty bowl toward him and sighed. “Thanks for the soup.”

He looked from the bowl to her. “You expect me to do the dishes?”

“But of course. A man’s job is never done.” She clasped her hands behind her head. “I’m planning our next move. You keep looking pretty and clean up, will ya, sweetcakes?”

He scowled but grabbed the bowl.

She had saved his butt and they both knew it.

She snickered, and he glanced over his shoulder to see her quickly looking away from his ass.

Pleased she liked the look of him, he slowly did the dishes, doing his best to ignore the icy water over his hands, stinging a few scrapes he’d gotten. When finished, he dried off and turned to face her.

“Okay, boss. What’s the plan?”

“Boss? Oh, I like that!”

“Laura.”

“G-man.”

He winced.

“G-money? Ger-Bear?” She smirked.

“You’re not so old I can’t put you over my knee and spank you.” Her flush caused him to smile. “Or would you like that?”

Chapter Nine

“Shut up.” Laura’s cheeks turned a deeper pink. “Now, here’s the plan. We keep a low profile, wait out the storm, then head for the relay station a few miles west of here. There’s a radio as well as provisions there, but we’ll have to hurry to get contact before the raptors set out for us again. If I were Roberta, I’d attack the moment the storm lights.”

“Yeah. I would too.” Gerald sighed and took a seat in the large stuffed chair near the couch. “Would you mind adding a few logs to the fire?”

“Sure.”

He watched her work, taken with the shape of her and that thick, dark hair hanging down her back. “You sure you didn’t get a haircut?” He normally saw her with it up in a bun or ponytail, and often under a hat.

“No. What’s your fixation with my hair?” She turned to face him.

He kept his attention above her neckline, though it wasn’t easy. Laura had a full figure, and as he surreptitiously studied her, the word that came to mind to describe her was lush.

“Hello?” She narrowed her gaze on him.

He swallowed. Keep it together, man. “I just thought it looked…pretty.”

She blinked. “My hair? It has knots in it from our tumble yesterday.”

He shrugged, knowing he needed to change the subject from his fixation on the stubborn woman. “What do we do until help arrives?”

“You mean, until the storm settles and we leave on our own two or four feet?”

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