Page 47 of Cabin Fever Baby

“I should be, I damn near boiled myself.” She came up behind me and looped her arms around my middle, pressing her cheek into my back. “You’re so warm.”

“Oven has been working overtime.”

“And it smells like heaven.” She slipped around me, and I raised my arm to hug her into my side.

“With four boys, my mom taught us how to extend things like chicken and rice.”

“Same.” She leaned forward to sniff at the pan. “I think my mom made something like that a few times. We were all picky.”

“You too?”

“Me? No. I was the oldest girl; I was just lucky to eat with all the animals. I was usually cooking, to be honest. My mom worked from home, but she was always on the clock.”

“What did she do?”

She slid away from me. “Can I help?”

She definitely didn’t like to talk about her family much. I set the burner to simmer and covered it. “No, it just needs to simmer for a bit and the rice to cook.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

I caught her hand and dragged her back to me. “You don’t have to talk about your family, but is there a reason why you always change the subject?”

“I don’t.”

I arched a brow at her.

“Fine. I’m just…”

“Just…”

She twisted her hand free to slip around my waist. “Reality is coming fast enough, isn’t it?” She went onto her toes and nipped my lower lip.

“Ahh, but we aren’t doing the naked playtime, so we have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

“You made that rule, not me.” She tucked her fingers into the back of my sweats to pinch my ass. When I just stared her down, she sighed. “What do you want to know?”

“If it’s going to be a thing, never mind.” I moved to the sink to clean up my mess.

“No, it’s not.” She tugged me back.

I shut off the water. “I know this is temporary, Ocean. Painfully aware, in fact.” I gripped the edge of the sink.

This should be a dream come true. No strings sex with a bright, beautiful woman in a luxury cabin was about as perfect as it could get. Yet she was already under my skin. And maybe that was my problem, not hers.

She wrapped her arms around me again, pressing her forehead between my shoulder blades. “I’m just protective. I’ve had to be.”

I frowned. What did that mean?

I was about to ask when a FaceTime ring blared from her pocket. “Sorry.” She stepped back and pulled out her phone. “Kent?”

“Hey, kiddo.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m two years younger than you, jerk.”

“I’ll just let you talk,” I said quietly.

“Is someone there with you? Did one of the idiots make it?” The deep voice echoed as if the guy was in a big room.