Snowed In With You

Chapter Five

Sara

I was dripping on the hardwood floors of the entryway by the time I made it inside, the snow melting as the central heating thawed my frozen fingers and toes.

Fletcher dropped the bags inside the doorway and we took in the sprawling mass of the lodge in mutual awestruck silence.

‘Were they expecting more people or something?’ Fletcher said and I couldn’t help but agree, it was massive for just the four of us.

‘Well, I guess it’s good that we have so much space, right?’ That way we can stay out of each other’s way.

Fletcher looked at me like he’d heard the thought, his posture stiffening again and his voice losing its easy rhythm when he said, ‘Ah, yeah, definitely.’

The silence was thick and awkward and I scooped up my duffel from the floor without looking at him.

‘Okay, well, I’m going to have a look around and find a room.

See you... later?’

I glanced up and Fletcher nodded, he was facing the direction of the lounge, his jaw tight and arms crossed.

I hesitated, things didn’t need to be this way.

But as he turned to look at me I remembered how I’d felt when I’d woken up in bed the morning after Rob’s wedding.

My head had been pounding with a hangover but I’d been smiling until I’d rolled over to find an empty bed and a sheet of paper that looked like it had been ripped from a hotel guide next to me.

Nausea had risen up and tears had filled my eyes and standing here looking at Fletcher now, I didn’t know if I could bear to see his face for another moment.

So I turned away without another word and headed up the dark wood stairs, running my hand over the bannister as I walked, and claimed one of the large bedrooms just off from the main landing.

There was a cushy green armchair and small side table tucked in one corner of the balcony that overlooked the lounge and I peered over it, jumping when I found Fletcher gazing up.

I stalked off to my room with a grumble.

Yes, he was hot and yes very briefly he’d made me feel things I hadn’t ever experienced before, but all of that had been ruined the second he’d snuck out the door.

I threw my duffel down onto the bed and growled when it bounced off again, hitting the floor with a thump that had Fletcher calling up.

‘I’m fine,’ I called back and he fell silent.

God, please tell me Rob would be here soon.

I pulled out my phone and grimaced, I barely had one bar of signal – this place was pretty but not well connected.

Though maybe that was supposed to be part of the appeal? The tiny red notification in the corner of the screen told me I had a voicemail so I hit loudspeaker and then play as I unpacked a few things and froze a few seconds later as Rob’s voice sounded out.

‘Hey, I’m guessing you’re on the road now and the signal might be spotty.

Just wanted to let you know our flight has been delayed a little, there’s apparently a snow storm coming in and we’re waiting to find out if we can fly through it.

I’ll keep you posted, but have fun in the meanwhile and we’ll see you soon.’

The message ended there and I felt my pyjamas slip out of my hands and hit the bed.

Could this trip get any worse? First I had to carpool with Fletcher of all people, and then my brother’s flight was delayed and now I had to spend even longer alone with him? Tears unexpectedly thickened my throat and I took a few deep breaths.

There was no need to be so dramatic, people hooked up and left early in the morning all the time, I was just one of many.

I guess it hurt more because I knew Fletch, I trusted him and he had thrown that back in my face and spat on it for good measure.

A light shiver shook me as I sent Rob a quick message to say we’d arrived and then put my phone on charge.

Maybe I should try out that sauna he’d mentioned.

I was still absolutely freezing and my hair was now leaking icy water down my back, so I stripped off and tied it back, slipped on my old bikini top and bottoms and felt grateful I’d remembered to pack them even if it had been awkward for Fletch to point them out on the floor.

Luckily, things were looking fairly tidy downstairs too.

There was a whole row of fresh and fluffy white towels inside the mirrored, fitted wardrobe so I grabbed one and wrapped it around myself before heading back down the stairs and following a second set that took me to a basement level that smelled like water and wood.

I pulled open the heavy door to the sauna room and hung my towel on a row of hooks away from the shower – first rule of sauna etiquette, always rinse off before and after.

I tipped my head up under the hot water and gave a sigh of relief.

My hair plastered itself to my skull under the deluge and I felt my shoulders relax until an odd prickle on the back of my neck had my eyes flying open instinctively.

It was then that I noticed the other towel hanging up and the steam curling slightly underneath the doorway to the sauna.

Fuck. Fletcher.

There was no way he hadn’t seen me, if I left now it would look like I was avoiding him – which I was, of course, but he didn’t need to know that.

It would be rude.

Plus, it’s not like I could pretend I’d randomly run down here for a quick shower, in my bathing suit, when I had a perfectly nice en-suite upstairs.

Damn it.

I knew what I was going to have to do now and I hated myself for it.

I took one step towards the sauna and then another, sighing out a curse and then rushing forward all at once, careful not to embarrass myself further by slipping on the wet, cream-tiled floor.

The door was glass and hot to the touch.

I could see Fletch inside, sat on one level of the circular wooden benches with a towel wrapped around his waist.

He raised a brow as I walked into the dry heat, ‘Great minds, huh.

Good thing you remembered your bottoms in the end, otherwise you’d be winging it like me.’

Oh God.

Was he naked? Was that what he meant? That he’d forgotten or didn’t know to pack swimming trunks? I was glad I could blame the rising colour in my cheeks on the stifling temperature in the sauna but there was a gleam in his eye that told me he knew anyway.

‘Yeah, good thing,’ I laughed awkwardly and took a seat on one of the higher benches, letting my toes rest on the one just below.

Fletcher stood abruptly and I jumped in alarm, his towel slid slightly and my heart palpitated, unsure whether I wanted it to fall completely or help him pull it up.

I stayed frozen and he easily tugged the towel up like he hadn’t just almost flashed me.

He picked up a weirdly long spoon and plunged it into a bucket, adding more water to the heated circle stone in the middle of the room.

It hissed and steam instantly billowed out, the water droplets on my skin quickly evaporated only for sweat to replace them.

I licked my lips, they felt like they were burning, but the heat was nice, if a little suffocating at first.

I released a long sigh and leaned back on the bench, deciding to close my eyes and pretend Fletcher wasn’t there with me.

‘So,’ he said and I tried not to wince, there went that plan.

‘What time do you think Rob and Tanya will get here?’

I opened my eyes and blinked a couple of times against the heat, my mouth felt thick, like the heat had made its way behind my lips to rub itself against my tongue.

‘Oh, Rob left me a message and said that their flight has been delayed because there’s a storm rolling in.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yeah.’

This was the worst.

I wished I could be more like those people who let bygones be bygones, or better (worse?) one of those people who didn’t care that they were just a quick fix and would happily do it again to pass the time.

But I couldn’t.

I needed that connection, that spark, to go deeper than just physical attraction and I’d thought Fletch and I’d had that.

The heat didn’t seem quite so comfortable with my maudlin thoughts bringing me down.

Most women would be thrilled to have alone time with a guy like Fletcher – and in a way, I was.

At least this way, we could get the bulk of our awkwardness out of the way before my brother got here.

This was just… practice.

I stood slowly, not wanting to fall over as the heat started to make me a little woozy.

I didn’t know what it was about him, but I seemed to be ten-times as clumsy when Fletcher was around.

He stood too, turning a dial near the door as we walked out to stop the heat.

We moved towards the showers and I hesitated, this felt intimate even though we would have our own shower heads and would be firmly separate.

The rush of cold air that hit me as we left pebbled my skin and my nipples hardened, I quickly crossed my arms over my chest and only let go to turn on the warm shower.

When I looked up Fletcher seemed amused, ‘You know that’s nothing I haven’t seen before right? Plus, you know, it’s just basic anatomy.’

‘Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean you get to see it again.’

The sound of the water overtook our conversation and I turned away from him in relief until he opened his stupid mouth again.

‘It could mean that.’ My heart stopped, surely he hadn’t just said that? ‘If you wanted it to.’

I turned off the water, deciding I’d finish my shower upstairs after all.

I let my anger show on my face as I walked over and wrapped myself in my towel, ‘I don’t know what sort of person you think I am, but I definitely have more self-respect than to let you screw me and walk out again.

Need to practice your calligraphy? Or were you thinking about mixing it up this time with a balloon arch or paper mache to signal your shame?’ Fletcher’s face was white as I ranted but I didn’t feel bad.

Not at all.

‘So no, I don’t want it to happen again.’

‘Okay,’ he said, his voice faint and eyes wide.

His lashes were wet and there was soap in his hair but I held onto my anger all the way up the stairs until I reached my ensuite and finally allowed the tears to sneak free.