Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
I shook my head. “I can make up the sofa. It’s fine. You head off to bed. I’ve turned the heat pump to a warmer temperature. You should be good.”
She frowned. “I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“No.”
“Yes. I’m smaller and will fit on it better. I slept there my first night, and I was fine.” She tugged on the blanket. “Really. This is your house. You need to sleep in your bed.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
She smiled, looking mischievous. Then she slipped past me, diving onto the sofa and draping the blanket around her. “There. I’m settled. Night.”
I tilted my head. “I don’t think so.” Before she could react, I bent and lifted her into my arms. She gasped in shock, clutching at my neck, the blanket falling away. I chuckled and headed down the hall, liking how she felt. A warm, perfect weight in my arms, smelling sweet, even as she frowned at me.
“Put me down.”
I carried her to the bed and sat her on the mattress. “Your bed,” I instructed her. She began to scramble up, and I shook my head. “Stay there, please. I would feel terrible letting my lovely friend sleep on the sofa.”
“I’m not your…friend.”
“Yes, you are. The moment we had coffee together and you shared your sweets, you became such. Now, stay.”
I paused at the door, looking back. She was on her knees, staring at me, her hair falling over her shoulders, her long shirt almost hanging off her shoulder. She was incredibly sexy. “Sleep well.”
And I left before I did something stupid.
Like kiss her goodnight. Or stay.
Because, for the love of God, I wanted to.
I settled on the sofa, surmising quickly it was not going to be a good night. Even with the longer piece I had chosen, it was too small for me to stretch out. I made myself as comfortable as possible, trying not to think of the plush, thick, and big bed down the hall.
Autumn would barely fill a corner of it. I could sneak in and stretch out easily.
Except that would be wrong.
I shut my eyes and willed myself to sleep, eventually falling into a restless slumber.
A noise brought me out of my light sleep, and I sat up, unsure what woke me. The air felt cooler than it had when I lay down, and I heard Autumn in the hallway. Concerned, I got up and found her looking in the closet. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Oh, a bit cold,” she said.
I put out my hand, touching her arm. “Jesus, you’re freezing.”
She shivered. “There’s no heat.”
I became aware of how cold the cottage was. The fire kept the living area warm, but back here, the temperature had dropped. “Dammit,” I growled. “I just had that heat pump installed.”
Then I reached over her head and grabbed a thick blanket. “I’ll look at it in the daylight, but right now, we need to get you warm.”
I took her hand, pulling her to the living room. I pushed her down on the sofa, covering her with the blanket. She felt like ice. I rubbed her arms and feet, then stood. “Stay there.”
I added more logs to the fireplace, making sure it was roaring, needing the heat to fill the room and beyond. I went to the kitchen, flicking on the kettle. I dropped a tea bag into the cup, waiting for the water to boil. Drumming my fingers on the countertop, I fumed. I had bought a top-of-the-line heat pump and had it installed in the spring since the old one kept dying. Fat lot of good that had done me since this was the first real test of it and we had no heat.
The water boiled, and I poured it into the mug, adding a little sugar, then carrying it out to Autumn. I sat beside her, giving her the mug. “Drink this. It will help you warm up.”
“I’m much better now.”
I shook my head at her stubbornness. I could feel the cold of her skin through the blanket. “Drink.”
“Bossy much?” she muttered.
“Yes,” I replied. “Very bossy. Now, drink.” Satisfied she was doing as I told her, I pulled my own blanket over my legs. Even with the fire, I could feel the chill.
“I should add another fireplace in the bedroom,” I mused.
“Right now?” Autumn teased.
I chuckled. “Maybe in the morning.”
She shivered, and without thinking, I put my arm around her, pulling her close. She stiffened for a moment, then allowed herself to relax.
“Jesus, you’re still cold.”
“And you’re so warm,” she admitted.
I tucked her tighter, spreading my blanket over hers. She sighed, resting her head on my shoulder. I ran my hand up and down her arm, warming the skin. Neither of us spoke, the quiet around us nice. The fire crackled in the hearth, and outside, I could still hear the wind and snow. But inside, it was peaceful. And I was shocked to realize how much I liked her snuggled in beside me. The fragrance of her hair drifted up and filled my senses. It was light and citrusy. She fit well under my arm, and I was pleased when her shivers slowed down.