Cabin Heat: A New Adult and College Romance (The Billionaire Romance Redemption Series Book 1) (11 page)

ABBY opened her eyes slowly. She blinked a few times to get used to the light in her room. She couldn’t believe she was able to go back to sleep after Andrew dried her off in the shower and took her back to her guest room. He had the presence of mind to return her to her room before any of the others came down to look for her.

Or was it something else
? She was not sure, but also wasn’t worried about it. After their incredible sexual encounter, she didn’t care if he turned into Shrek by day if she could experience more nights like that. In any case, she had taken the opportunity to get some extra winks.

“God, did that really happen?” she whispered, half smiling, half bug-eyed.

As Abby looked at the time, she saw it was already past noon. Through her door, she heard muffled sounds of her friends. It sounded like everyone was up and about. She jackknifed into a seated position and tried to get her bearings. Andrew was right about taking her back to her room. The clothes Ruth had washed for her was folded neatly on the chair closest to the door.

Abby smiled, wondering what Ruth might have thought, had she not been sleeping soundly in the room when she placed the clothes there. Not that it mattered. Abby was single. And they were all adults. Still, she liked not having to answer to anyone or explain her actions. She slept with the good Samaritan—and maybe he was the man of her dreams—and it was nobody’s business.

Oh, and how thrilling an encounter it was. She had never felt a man do such wondrous things to her body and mind. Her heart could stop just from his touch. Above all, she loved how much he freed her from any prior boundaries she may have had with lovemaking.
Or maybe he’s the one
?

Abby let out a teenage-sounding, lovesick sigh at the thought, then stood up to get dressed. She pondered whether to have another shower, but thought better of it. Her fingers were still pruned up from the last one, which would probably go on her record for most exhilarating, longest, and wildest shower. Ever.

She wiggled her ankle around, testing to see how it felt. She had a greater range of motion, and a lot less pain.
There was no pain at all when I was with Andrew,
she thought, and let out a giggle. Every time she remembered the smoldering sex they had just had, she felt her stomach clench. And when she imagined his face and emotion-filled gaze, her heart tightened to the point where she could barely breathe.

His body. Oh his beautiful body. His smile. His eyes. His deep, growling moans when he came. The way he called her name. His ability to be both rough and tender at the same time.

The one thing that, by far, stood out as the most memorable was when he allowed her to kiss his scar. She saw his fear and shock, and it only made her want him more. Sweet Jesus, she could just wrap him in her arms all over again. He didn’t need words. His eyes told her the entire grief-stricken story, line by line, beat by beat. And the single tear that rolled down his face; it possessed her soul, and would for all eternity.

Abby took a step and looked down at the ankle. Surprisingly, there was a lot less pain. She could almost put all her weight on the sore ankle.
Kama Sutra therapy
, she thought, beaming like never before.

“Phew,” she said aloud, and sulked a little that Andrew wouldn’t need to carry her around.
But damn. No more Man Fridays.

She got dressed and felt good about being able to walk around on her own, even though there was a clear limp. She was on the mend and knew it would be fine in a couple more days. As she opened the door, she saw Andrew walking down the hall to head back to his room or office. There were so many doors after Abby’s room—entertainment room, gym, library, another, more elegant sitting room—she couldn’t tell. She didn’t care. She was just so happy to see him.

“Good morning,” she greeted him cheerfully.

He turned and winked at her. Every part of her wanted to grab him by the shirt collar and pull him into her room, but she took his lead.

“Good morning. Had a good sleep?”

“Yes, thanks,” she answered. “Really good, and the day is half gone. I didn’t realize I was so tired.”

“It’s understandable.”

He was such a tease, because his eyes said something different. Clearly, he was being mindful of the other guests she could hear milling about in the living room.

“And how’s your ankle?”

By then, Abby was in stitches. Try as she might, she couldn’t play along with his antics anymore. And she didn’t care who could hear or see them. She grabbed the loose fabric of his woodsy plaid shirt and pulled him down so she could plant a long kiss on his lips. She saw his eyes widen as they kissed. It was as if he hadn’t expected her to make such a public display.

She must have broken down any remaining hesitation he had because soon, his massive hands gripped her waist. He pulled from the kiss and picked her up—again. He stepped forward and in two strides, he had taken her back into her room.

“What would you think if I asked you to take me now, Andrew?” she purred in his ears before he lowered her to the ground.

“
Mmm
. God, Abby,” he groaned. “I would think you’re the wildest sex kitten that ever graced my presence.”

“Well, maybe we should wait until this evening,” she admitted, letting logic get the better of her.

“I was thinking the same thing,” he agreed, bending to kiss her hair. “For the sake of your friends.”

“You’re right,” she said, and planted one more kiss at the spot on his chest where her lips met him in height.

“We’d better get out there so no one comes looking for you again. Feel like something to eat?”

“Gosh, yes! I can probably prepare something on my own now. Want to show me around the kitchen?”

“Sure, but your friends have already made lunch. After you.” He held the door open for her.

They walked to the living room, and it seemed that no one was the wiser about their mind-blowing escapade.

* * *

ANDREW wanted to let Abby have her time with her friends. As much as he preferred to ravage her breathtaking body, he could wait. He was a patient man, if nothing else. As she greeted them and made light conversation, he took the opportunity when it presented itself and left the room. Small talk in a group had never been his kind of thing.

He unlocked the front door and had to give it a forceful push to open it. It was a matter of moving aside the snow that had fallen on the porch.

He turned back to get his boots and rifle in the closet so he could check things out. The snow had definitely stopped, and the weather felt surprisingly mild. He looked out to the tree line, their tops and branches all bowed down from the weight of the snowfall as though worshipping Mother Nature.
Like I worshipped Abby last night
. The sky was a brilliant blue, as though there had never been a raging blizzard.

He made a quick assessment of how much snow had fallen. By the looks of the porch and guesthouse door in the distance, it could have been anywhere between four to five feet. He hoped his plowing service would get freed up to come dig him out. They were a private service, but it was unlikely they would come before the roads were done.

He would have to get the men inside to help him clear enough so they could get to the firewood. It meant manually shoveling from the side door to the shed so he could pull out the snow blower. That would be enough to clear a path from the shed to the porch steps. Maybe the able-bodied ladies could help too.

He went back inside and took off his boots off, intending to warm up some food for Abby before he got started on the outdoor job. Thankfully, she had made her way to the kitchen with Trina, who had served her lunch. When Trina looked over at him, she blushed. Andrew wondered whether she knew more about him and Abby than they were aware. Women could be so intuitive. Some of them, anyway.

“Hey.” Abby called to him, seeming to be on her best behavior in the company of her friend. “How’s it looking out there?”

“It’s dangerously beautiful. We probably got five feet of snow, but it’s so peaceful.”

“That’s what happens when Mother Nature puts the world on notice that she’s still in charge,” Trina commented. “All anyone and anything can do is pay her their respects and wait it out, right?”

“Exactly,” Andrew answered and nodded politely. “So where are Rob and John? I’m going to need them to help get the firewood.”

“I think they went to your gym to work out,” Trina answered. “Want me to get them?”

“Please,” he answered. “They’ll get enough of a workout outside. Can you tell them to check the closet outside the gym for winter boots? There should be a few that will fit. There are mittens and gloves on a shelf in there too.”

“Sure,” she smiled and left.

As she got past the kitchen doorway, Andrew made a beeline for Abby. He had to kiss her. It was becoming like breathing. He just couldn’t be in the same room without all his senses buzzing.

“Enjoying the meal?” he asked, bending to kissing her hair as she ate.

“Yes!” she answered with zeal. “I could probably eat a twelve-course meal right now.”

“I could probably eat you right now,” he whispered in her ear.

“
Mmm
,” she moaned her weak rebuttal and turned her head to meet his welcoming lips.

Andrew stood up quickly when he heard someone walking into the room. Rob and John entered, dressed in their winter coats, boots, and gloves.

“Ah, good timing, gentlemen,” Andrew announced and moved toward the hallway to the front door.

He looked back at her and raised his eyebrows.

“See you later, Abby.”

* * *

ABBY saw Trina walk back into the kitchen with her jaw dropped and her mouth wide open.

“What’s the matter, Trina?” she asked.

“You guys did the nasty!” she said with a muffled squealed.

“I’m not saying a word,” Abby answered tersely. “We’re all adults and I don’t need to explain my actions to anyone here.”

“Relax, girl, I’m happy for you!” she squealed again, this time so loud that anyone still in the house must have heard. Trina did a little jig on the spot and shook her hips, while her hand wound around like she was twirling a wand.

“You’re incorrigible,” Abby commented, then burst out laughing.

“This time, I didn’t need to check your face,” Trina said when she stopped her sex dance. “It was his. That man is so into you, no one in this house can ignore it.”

“Is it that obvious?” Abby asked.

“As clear as day, girlfriend. But who cares? As you said, none of our business. I’m still so happy for you.”

Abby was tempted to share how she felt with Trina, but decided to let her do all the talking. She stood up and placed her dirty dishes in the dishwasher. It was full, and already had a dishwashing pod inside, so she started it.

“Let’s go to the living room,” she called to Trina. “Please don’t…”

“Yeah, yeah, you know my lips are sealed,” she answered as they walked to the living room. “Especially not with Barb. She’s been acting like such a twat this morning. She’s already picked a fight with me, and she’s out there now, probably bullying Ruth.”

“Hey,” Ruth said as they walked in. She was standing at the window. “Think they might plow the roads to get to us out soon?”

“Andrew mentioned to John it may be in a couple days,” Trina answered.

“God, what in the hell am I going to do here for two more days!” Barb shrieked from the fireplace. She stormed out the room and they could hear her bound up the stairs. A door slammed upstairs shortly after.

“Sore loser,” Ruth said and turned toward them.

“Hey, ladies,” Trina tried to change the subject. “I checked and the landline phones work this morning.”

“Oh, good,” Abby replied with relief. “My cell phone is dead and I haven’t called my dad since we left Sparks. He’s probably so worried. I’ll go call him from the guest room and will be back in a minute.”

She limped back to her room and walked over to sit at the chair beside the window. The phone was on a table in that corner of the room. She dialed the number and it picked up on the fourth ring.

“Hi, Dad,” she said calmly, not wanting to add any more worry to what he probably had stored up for two days.

“Abby honey,” he answered. “I’m so glad to hear from you, love. Did you make it okay to Truckee? When I didn’t hear from you I assumed you might have gotten all the way back to school.”

“No, Dad,” she said, noticing he was not as wound up as she had expected him to be. She wondered why, but parked the thought to let him know about the SUV. “I’m fine, though, Dad. We had to take another route to pick up one of Rob’s friends. I ended up getting into an accident. I crashed the SUV that night. And it got stuck. We had to find shelter and a local took us in. We’re down at Lake Tahoe.”

“Accident? Wait, honey. Are you okay?”

“Everyone is okay, Dad,” she answered. “I just have a sprained ankle, and it wasn’t from the accident. But the car is not okay. We’re going to have to call the insurance company. I think it’s totaled.”