My eyes caught sight of the lights flashing in the loft. Of course, I thought it was odd, but I couldn’t stop Brooks. I didn’t want to stop him. But the lights kept blinking, and he continued holding me tight against him. I was on the verge of tearing myself from the sheets between us, just to touch his skin to mine.
A deafening boom broke our pulse, and both of us stared out into the loft between our rooms.
“Are you effing kidding me right now?” Brooks sighed. “Stay here. I’ll check it out. Did we lock all the doors?”
“I don’t remember,” I said as I sat upright in bed.
“Stay here,” he said again as he raced out to the loft.
I waited for what felt like twenty minutes for him to return.
“It looks like the power is out. The box must be near your property. I think that’s the loud boom we heard.”
“For real?”
“Yeah,” he acknowledged. “Good thing you have a wood fireplace, or you’d freeze.”
“Guess we’d better get that going. It will take a bit to warm this place up. Is the power out at the neighbors?”
“I’m sure he can fend for himself. He’s a big boy.”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
He left my bed and strode across the loft towards his room. I bolted from the bed and followed him. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to get some more wood, so we can keep that fire going.”
“I have some downstairs.”
“Yeah, but not enough to get us through until morning. Have you ever used your fireplace?”
“No,” I said. “This is the first.”
“All right. I’ll be right back.”
Once I heard the front door close, I headed back into my room and stared towards Easton’s cabin. I couldn’t tell if he had power. I wasn’t positive how many cabins were on the same box I was on. I was sure Easton’s would be since his place was so close to mine. Of course, it was two in the morning, and he would have the lights off.
I heard Brooks rustling with the fireplace downstairs and went to join him.
“I have to admit, Erika, I’ve never seen weather like this before. We’ve been in many snowstorms, but this one holds the trophy. It’s almost up to the roof of my truck.”
“No way.”
“Yeah,” he shrieked. “You might be stuck with me for a little over three days. I’m afraid of what it’s going to look like in another day or two if the snow is supposed to continue falling.”
“Well, no wonder people leave this area before the snow hits.”
I watched him place wood into the fireplace and light the fire. He sat back and stared at it for a while as I bundled up in the blanket on the couch.
“And that’s how you start a fireplace at two in the morning during a blizzard.”
I laughed at him as he stood and rubbed his hands to warm them.
“What?” He scowled as he stepped towards me.
I shrieked when he put his icy hands around my neck.
“Is that cold enough for you now?” he chuckled.
“Brooks, that’s freezing!” I wailed as I laughed.
“Let me warm up,” he ordered as he snatched the blanket from me, held me down on the couch, and lay on top of me.
Chapter Six
“Oh, shit!” I whispered as I sat up in bed.
“What?” Brooks said as he stretched out next to me in my bed.
“I was supposed to email Margo back last night, and I forgot. And now the power is out and...”
“There’s not a lot you can do. Unless your cell works. Call her. What time is it?”
“8:23.”
“I’m sure she’ll understand when she finds out we have no power and had no way to email her. C’mon.” He reached his arm out and drew me back into bed.
I snuggled up to him and closed my eyes. My body still trembled, sore and relaxed as I lay in his arms. There were few men out there who didn’t know what they were doing in bed, and I’d had my fair share of those men. Brooks was one of the few who did everything right.
“I love waking up with you,” he whispered as he kissed the top of my head.
“I love waking up with you,” I whispered back. “Thank you for starting the fire this morning.”
“No. Thank you,” he stressed. “I’ve been wanting you for so long. I had to stop myself from grabbing you the moment you opened the door when I first got here. And later that night when we talked and... ugh...” He took a deep breath. “All that built-up energy and frustration. At least I was about to release some of it. I still feel like I need you again.”
I grinned. “I’m down with that.”
“How about when we wake up?”
“How about after breakfast? You can sleep in. I’ll go down and make some breakfast. I need to get some more writing done, anyway.”
“Erika?”
“Yes?”
“The power’s out. What are you thinking of making for breakfast?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Erika?”
“Yes, Brooks.”
“The power’s out. How do you think you’re going to work on your book?”
“Well, Brooks, I’m going to write as long as the battery lasts. I charge it every night, so I’m hoping I have a few solid hours on it.”
“Okay.”
“You can stay here. I’ll wake you in a few hours.”
“Okay.”
I got out of bed, put on some leggings and a sweatshirt, and headed downstairs. I knew it was selfish of me, but I didn’t want him to leave. I knew he had to get back to Jaden, but I wanted my time with him too. We had a lot of time to make up for. Living here was so perfect for me, and I knew Brooks could never live here with me. He had shared custody of Jaden, and I’d never make him choose his son over me.
I was so far away from that town. Free from all the stress and the drama. Free to live my life and
