Page 59 of Cabin Fever Baby

I wanted to go back inside and forget that the storm was over. I wanted to keep our little snow globe life for as long as we could.

My eyes prickled, but I nodded. “Yeah. I can definitely do that.”

Frowning, he stomped off the snow before climbing the stairs to me. “What’s wrong?”

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

He stopped a few stairs down from me so we were eye to eye. “C’mon, Angel, don’t lie to me.”

“What do you want me to say? I don’t want to face reality yet, okay?”

His lips quirked up at one corner, his beard currently dotted with snow crystals. “Yes, that’s what I want you to say.”

I rushed down the stairs, and he backed up to meet me. “I wish it was still snowing. I want my family here, but I don’t want you to go.” I poked him in the chest.

He grabbed my hand, pressing it to his jacket. “I don’t want to go.” He tugged off his glove with his teeth, then he shoved it into his pocket before he cupped my face. “I don’t have to go. My folks aren’t expecting me until tonight, anyway.”

The sun seemed even shinier as my eyes filled. “It’s not fair to take you from your family, either.”

He lowered his mouth to mine, his lips cold. Even his icy beard hair made my breath stall.

I went up on my toes to get closer, and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

The kiss wasn’t sweet. It was as desperate as I felt, and the sob caught me off guard.

He slowed the kiss and touched his forehead to mine. “I don’t need to go yet.”

“It’s not fair.”

He unzipped his coat and pulled me in tight. The spicy cedar scent of him wrapped me up as completely as his arms. “I know, Angel. I know.”

I wasn’t sure how long we stood like that. Long enough that my feet were cold inside my boots and my back was getting stiff.

But he didn’t let go.

Didn’t do anything other than hold me tight.

Finally, he urged me back up the stairs and we went inside. He unzipped me and unwound the scarf before kneeling in front of me to take off my boots.

My stupid eyes wouldn’t stop filling. I was being an absolute brat and didn’t deserve any of this tending.

Pissed off at myself and the situation, I reached for him. I dragged his thermal over his head and attacked his chest, my nails digging into his skin.

“Make me forget,” I said desperately.

He crouched a little to scoop me up, wrapping my legs around him as he strode into the living room.

I shuddered—some from Hudson and some from staying outside in the cold for so long. He grabbed the quilt off the couch on his way by and set me in the chair by the fireplace.

He spread it out in front of the fire and pulled me down to him. Our lips and hands were frenzied as we pulled at clothes, both of us locked in on the urgency of time running out.

Firelight and sun vying for dominance on his golden skin as he stretched out over me. We rolled to one edge of the quilt and back to the other as sighs stuttered into groans.

His clever fingers pushed me quick and ruthlessly over the edge. His name was a scream as he raced down my body to replace his fingers with his mouth.

“Again,” he said on a growl. “Come for me again, Angel.”

I arched up, reaching an impossible pinnacle so fast that my body could barely catch up.