Snowed In With You

Chapter Nine

Sara

I froze, blinking in the sudden dark.

The water on my body was rapidly cooling and I shivered as I reached half-blindly for where my towel hung on the heated rack.

I could see only by the glow of the snow outside coming in from the large window and once the bath water had finished draining and silence overtook the room, all I could hear was the howl of the wind.

It seemed that the snowstorm was finally out in full-force.

The silence sank into me and I stood still for a moment as I waited.

Normally these places had back-up generators that would automatically kick-in during a power outage, but after another five minutes passed and I stood dripping onto the floor I decided that if there were generators here, they weren’t coming on.

The lodge looked different in the dark, chairs and tables making unfamiliar shapes that had my heart leaping into my throat as I walked back to my room to get dressed.

The wind made the lodge creak and I jumped, spinning around as I reached my door to check the space behind me.

Empty.

Duh.

What were you expecting? A serial killer? God, I needed to watch less of those documentaries.

I slipped inside my room and immediately stopped, breath held as I tried not to make a sound.

There was someone standing in my room.

Too tall to be Fletcher, an arm moved and I cried out, running backwards and tripping over my feet.

I lost hold of my towel at some point in the tangle of my own legs and then Fletch was there.

‘Sara? Are you okay?’ He pulled me to my feet and I clung to him with my arms around his neck.

He inhaled sharply, ‘You’re wet.’

‘I–My towel fell–’

He quickly stooped to pick up with me still attached to his side like a limpet, spotting the bright white on the wooden floors easily and wrapping me in it securely.

Maybe later I would feel embarrassed to have been found sprawled naked on the floor in front of Fletcher, but right now I had bigger problems – someone was in our lodge.

Fletcher opened his mouth but I pressed my hand over it, my pulse beating a frantic rhythm as I lowered it again and whispered, ‘There’s someone in my room.

Do you think they cut the power?’

It was too dark for me to make out the expression on Fletch’s face but I felt his muscles tense underneath his shirt as he grasped my hands and pulled me away from him.

His steps were silent as he moved towards my door and peeked around the edge of the door frame while I stayed out of sight around the corner.

Fletcher rushed into the room and I gasped.

Then his laughter reached me, billowing out so fiercely that I felt heat instinctively rise in me as I ran over to him.

‘What is it?’

‘Oh, nothing, you’re just possibly the most adorable person I’ve ever met,’ he said and then mimicked me in a high falsetto, ‘Do you think they cut the power?’ before breaking out into laughter again.

I moved closer and cursed when I realised why he was laughing so hard, I couldn’t help but join in.

A robe was clasped in his fist by the hood, ripped off of the hooks in the corner where it had hung.

‘Wow, okay.

I’m an idiot, let’s agree to never tell anyone about this? Deal?’

Fletcher was laughing too hard to answer me, wiping tears from his eyes as he bent double and that same stirring filled me.

Suddenly I was very, very aware of my own nakedness and his proximity.

His laughter died away as if he too had just had the same thought and I coughed lightly in the silence.

‘Well, um, thanks for the ‘rescue’ I guess,’ I said and Fletcher chuckled once more, the sound reverberating deeply and setting the hair on my arms on end.

‘My pleasure,’ he said and I knew if I could see him right now he would likely be smirking.

‘Why don’t you get dressed and come downstairs? I’ve found some candles so I’ll be able to keep an eye out for any other sleepwear trying to ‘break in’.’

I laughed and rolled my eyes, ‘I’m never going to live this down am I?’

‘Probably not,’ he agreed.

‘Luckily I have a few persuasive tricks up my sleeve to help you forget.’ The words were out of my damn mouth before I could think them through, his surprise was almost tangible in the air between us and I could hear the smile in his voice when he replied.

‘I look forward to it.’

The room felt colder as soon as Fletcher left and I hurried to drop my towel and pull on the complimentary robe before digging around in my duffel for some underwear and socks.

Oh God.

My hands dug deeper into the bag as I rummaged, trying not to panic.

I pulled out a pair of thick socks and tried to cast my mind back – had I actually packed any panties? I’d been so concerned about the swimsuit that I wasn’t sure I’d remembered to bring any.

I stared down at the shadowy form of my bag in horror.

Had I self-sabotaged or was this a sign? First I got snowed-in with the guy I was trying not to sleep with and then I discovered I didn’t pack any underwear? Like, none at all? Maybe once it was daylight I’d be able to find them in the bag.

The dark was starting to creep me out again so I hurried into a pair of soft and comfy PJ pants and an oversized tee before tying up my mostly dried hair into a messy bun.

There.

Easy, scruffy, clearly not seductive.

Except for the fact that you’re currently commando.

???

Sara emerged from upstairs a few minutes later, her hair was still slightly damp and the red strands curled towards her temple in sweet ringlets that I wanted to tug.

She’d found a blanket from somewhere and had it draped around her shoulders as she sat down near me on the couch, peering shyly upwards and darting her eyes away quickly.

‘I take it you made it down the stairs without any further attacks?’ I teased and she turned a light shade of pink that only made her more alluring in the candlelight.

‘Yes, thank you,’ she gave a small, embarrassed laugh.

‘Do me a favour and don’t tell Rob.

He’ll only try and bring it up at the most awkward moments to embarrass me.’

I grinned at her and felt a curl of anticipation at the way the colour in her cheeks deepened and her gaze fell to my mouth.

I licked my lips slowly, deliberately and her head jerked up as she looked around the room.

I let out a low laugh, ‘I make no promises and favours won’t come cheap.

I’ve already rescued you once tonight.’

She raised a cocky eyebrow, ‘From a robe.’

‘Yes, well, you didn’t know that at the time, now, did you?’

‘True,’ she laughed lightly and something inside me relaxed at the sound.

I hadn’t been sure if saying what I had last night would do more harm than good, but things between us definitely seemed… better.

‘When do you think the power will be back on? I was surprised the generators didn’t automatically kick-in.’

I shrugged, ‘I’ve not been in a snowstorm before so I don’t know how the generators work, but a fancy place like this must have them, especially out in the middle of nowhere.

This AirBnB is wild, I don’t know how Rob and Tanya found this place.’

‘It’s just like Rob to pick something obscure, force me to come and then not show up himself.’

I raised an eyebrow, ‘Pretty sure he didn’t schedule the snowstorm, sweetheart.’

‘He would have if he thought it would annoy me.’

I laughed loudly, ‘Times like this I’m glad I’m an only child.

Anyway, I’ll go down to the basement level tomorrow when there’s daylight again and take a look, I’m sure we can just flip a switch or something and they’ll turn on.’

‘And if they don’t?’

She looked worried, one lip pulled in between her teeth.

I couldn’t resist.

I leaned in and brushed that bottom lip with my thumb, exhaling roughly as she let it go for me to stroke the full length.

‘They will, but even so, we have candles and food – I didn’t really buy anything perishable aside from milk, which I’m pretty sure we can put outside to keep cold.’ I grinned at her and her mouth popped closed as she gave a light nod.

‘so what do you want to do tonight?’ The question felt loaded and I could tell from her big pupils that she agreed.

I wanted to know where her thoughts had gone but before I could say anything she sat up straighter, pushing down whatever it was she was feeling.

‘How about a movie?’

‘...The power’s out.’

‘My laptop is charged and I had a couple things downloaded.’

I considered it, movie in the dark, snuggled up to Sara… ‘Okay, sounds good.’

She leaped off the couch and hurried up the stairs to grab the laptop and I took a few moments to settle myself.

We were going to take this slow, the way we should have done originally.

I liked her too much to want to mess this up again.

I readjusted myself in my pants and built up the fire in the fireplace a little more as I waited for her to get back with the movie.

Sara padded down the stairs and then hesitated looking at me, ‘Where should I put it?’ I wanted to groan, was everything out of this woman’s mouth a euphemism?

‘I’ll bring over one of the chairs and we can put it in front of us.’ I moved the chair over and could feel Sara’s eyes on my back as I placed the laptop on it and then settled back onto the couch with her.

‘So what movies have you got?’

She blushed a little, ‘Erm, Love, Actually and…’

I raised an eyebrow, ‘And?’

‘Indiana Jones.

The first one.’

I gave a startled laugh, ‘Those are absolute polar opposites.’

‘I wasn’t sure what mood I’d be in!’ She said defensively and I laughed again, hitting play on Love, Actually and then wished I’d picked something else when Martin Freeman and Joanna Page came onto screen awkwardly fucking.

We both studiously looked only at the screen but my attention quickly wandered as I breathed in Sara’s fruity smell and felt the warmth from her hand close to mine.

My eyes found hers and her lips parted, caught on an exhale that I wanted to feel on my mouth as she moaned.

I leaned a little closer, just a fraction of an inch, enough to feel it when her breathing hitched and see it when her thighs pressed together.

She wanted me.

Sara pushed up and out of her seat, closing the laptop lid abruptly and I raised an eyebrow at her.

‘Let’s… do something else,’ she suggested and I grinned, liking where her head was at.

Until she picked up a pack of cards I’d left lying on the side, I’d found them discarded in a drawer in the kitchen and hadn’t put them back yet.

She wanted me.

But she didn’t quite trust me. Not yet.