6. Spencer

Chapter 6

Spencer

I woke to light shining through the window, and at some point as we slept, Lucy had draped herself across my chest as if she were always meant to be right here. Not one inch of her sweet little body was not touching me. So much for holding hands—she had her legs wrapped around mine, her full breasts were flattened against my chest, and her arm was bent, with her hand in my hair. I vaguely remember her running her fingers through it while she slept, but I couldn’t be sure since I was most likely at least half asleep when it happened. Or maybe this was a dream, and I hadn’t really woken up yet.

Slamming my eyes shut, I fought against getting hard, thankful that, by some miracle, I hadn’t woken up that way. She was warm and soft, and I had no idea how to get her off me when every part of my being wanted to pull her even closer, to get lost in her and forget we were stuck here in an uncertain situation.

I glanced out the window and saw nothing but white. Snow covered the trees, and the sky glowed brightly from its reflection. It was almost as beautiful as Lucy.

Shit. We would probably be stuck here for a while. But would that really be such a bad thing?

I watched her sleep, trying to convince myself I wasn't a creep for staring. But where else could I look when she filled my entire field of vision? Not to mention how gorgeous she looked while asleep had occupied every single one of my thoughts. Her already beautiful features had softened. I was fascinated by the delicate bridge of her nose and the shadow her lashes cast on her high cheekbones. Her lips were full and pink, and I found myself wishing I could lean in and kiss her awake.

Carefully, I removed my hands from her back, clenching them into fists at my sides. I wanted her bad. To be fair, I had always wanted her, and that was the problem. But the timing had never been right. Now, it seemed we had nothing but time.

There was a hitch in her breath as she stirred in her sleep. Was she waking up?

I had no idea what time it was, but it felt early.

“Spencer?” Her soft murmur interrupted my conflicting thoughts, and I tried to gather my wits.

“Good morning.”

“Oh God. I’m sorr— Gah! I won’t say it.” She rolled away and pulled the covers over her head. “You really are like a space heater. Obviously, I couldn’t resist. Where are my manners? Good Morning. This is not at all awkward. Oh my god.”

“Everything is okay. You’re right. I am warm and completely irresistible,” I teased. “And didn’t we talk about not being awkward with each other last night?”

She rolled to face me, and a sheepish smile slid across her face as she lowered the covers. “Yeah, I can’t help it though. I’m a mess.”

“You’re not a mess. You kept me warm last night, just like a little blanket. Seriously though, how are you feeling?”

She met my eyes with a clear-eyed gaze. She looked better. The tinge of panic I’d kept seeing last night was gone. “So much better now that I’ve gotten some sleep. I haven’t had much in the last few weeks.”

“I’m glad.” I took her in. Studying her face to make sure she wasn’t trying to put up a brave front while wondering if it was okay to ask her why she hadn’t been able to sleep.

But I kept getting stuck on how pretty she was in the morning light. Her hair was adorably tangled, a mass of light brown waves the color of butterscotch. I wanted to sink my hands in it, bury my face in it. I wanted too much, too soon, and didn’t know where to put these out-of-control feelings.

“I was all over you. I was kidding when I said I’d be on you like a barnacle, but, um, I, well, is that okay? Like, do you have a girlfriend? I haven’t heard about you dating anyone in the town lore, but I haven’t been out and about as much at all. I’ve been on a tight deadline until a couple of days ago.”

“Ahh, I know all about deadlines from Charlotte. So you’ve been mainlining coffee and wearing nothing but pajamas? Is that why you haven’t been sleeping?” My sister, Charlotte, was an author of murder mysteries, and Lucy wrote and illustrated children’s books. Larry the Llama was almost as famous as Pete the Cat.

“Something like that. I finally showered and changed the day before yesterday. And then I wasted my first free day on that stupid-ass, Skip McFadden.”

“At least there were tacos,” I joked. “And no. I don’t have a girlfriend.”

She looked me dead in the eye. “There was one unexpected silver lining to this whole debacle, and it was not the tacos, Spencer. It’s you.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn't say anything because the urge to grab her and kiss the hell out of her overwhelmed me and I thought it best to just keep quiet.

“Anyway.” She coughed lightly, breaking the mood we’d stumbled into. “I would commit murder for a cup of coffee right now.”

“You won’t need to. We have a French press, a fire, running water, and coffee. There’s even powdered coffee creamer or Yoo-hoo if you prefer that.”

“Are you serious right now? I was mourning the loss of my morning shower, but coffee would make anything almost better.”

“You could take a cold shower, or we could heat some water for sponge baths.”

Her face lit up, and I grinned widely at her.

“Is there food here?”

“I checked last night when you were in the bathroom. There’s plenty of food in the freezer, the pantry is stocked, and the stove is gas, so we can cook whatever we want. We'd be okay if we had to stay here for a month. My dad went all out last time he shopped for this place.”

“So, you’re telling me we’re not going to starve to death. And I won’t go into caffeine withdrawal?”

“Nope, there are three kinds of coffee. Tea too. And some Oreos that I’m considering having for breakfast.”

“Oreos are my favorite, especially with high-quality black coffee.” She sat up and looked out the window. “Holy crap, Spencer! Have you looked outside yet?”

“Yeah, it definitely snowed all night.”

“We’re in the middle of a snowpocalypse. This hasn’t happened in a few years.”

“Yeah, and now I have two reasons to knock Skip McFadden around whenever I see him,” I muttered.

“Two?” She appeared confused for a moment, but then her face turned bright red, and she smiled. "I don’t know what it says about me, but I love the idea that you’re willing to knock him around for me.”

“I’m pretty sure I’d do anything for you.” Damn, did that count as flirting?

“After yesterday, the feeling is mutual.” Her blush intensified, and she dipped her head to look at me from behind the fall of her hair. She was so fucking beautiful it almost hurt to look at her.

The mood was back.

“Stay put. I'm going to add a log to the fire and start the coffee.” I quickly got up and headed to the fireplace.

I wasn’t ready for the mood, and it wasn’t right to pursue her here, anyway. We were stuck together, and putting that kind of pressure on her would be wrong. I knew this last night, but it got buried beneath my rabid attraction to her.

I placed another log in the fire and moved to the kitchen.

It was too early to put my feelings on the line. She had said to trust my instincts, but what if they were wrong?

“I’ll make lunch today,” she offered. “I love cooking.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal.”

“How long do we have before the food in the freezer goes bad?”

“We keep a cup of frozen water in there with a dime on top just in case the power goes out when no one is around. The dime was still on top last night, so we should be safe for the next few days as long as we keep the door closed as much as possible. We can always pack it with snow if needed to make it last longer.”

“Would it be stupid to drink our coffee outside on the porch? I know it will be cold. But it’s gorgeous out there.”

I turned and saw her standing in front of the window, fingertips pressed against the glass. She was short, but her legs appeared long, maybe because her waist was so tiny, like a little hourglass.

She had soft curves, full, lush breasts and an ass that came straight out of a fantasy. And although I couldn’t see it right now with her back turned, she had a dimple when she smiled. For years, that dimple drove me crazy, especially because it appeared when she smiled, and I always loved it more than I should when she smiled at me.

“No, we have a portable fire pit and plenty of winter clothes. Sometimes, I come up here alone to think. I always sit on the porch with my coffee.”

She crossed the room to stand at the counter, watching me gather the coffee supplies. “It was the first thing I thought of when I saw those rocking chairs last night. It’s so peaceful here.”

I could see her here with me, somewhere in the future. Rocking in the chairs my dad built, drinking coffee, at peace, happy together…

I gritted my teeth and reminded myself that we were in an extreme circumstance. Our emotions, including our attraction to each other, were running high, and the worst thing I could do was act on them now, no matter what she said about trusting my instincts. I couldn’t trust my instincts right now, and that alone should be enough to hold me back.

“This is my favorite place,” I told her as I scooped coffee into the French press and deliberately kept my eyes on the task at hand instead of her sweetly smiling face.

She was unlike any woman I’d ever known. When we were kids, I knew she was an open book—she would say anything that popped into her head, and it was usually spot-on, witty, and hilarious. She was well-liked, sweet, and kind to everyone, and it seemed like she hadn’t grown out of that. There was no artifice to her.

With Lucy, what you see is what you get. I found it as amazing now as I did back then. I was finally old enough to fully appreciate it this time. Now, I wouldn’t get hung up on my own insecurities and let her get away.

I was good enough for her. Things like getting good grades and what crowd you hung around with were meaningless in the real world. Spending time with her here made me realize we weren’t quite so opposite anymore. The more we talked, the more I believed I could have a chance with her.

“I can see why. I’m already in love with the place. Thank you for sharing it with me.” She was luminous. Gorgeous. I could get lost in her eyes. The kindness and sincerity that radiated from her stunned me almost into silence.

“Of course.” I blinked, refocusing my gaze as I tried to think of something to say. Taking part in this conversation would be a good idea. But, damn, she was doing my head in with her early morning cuteness. “How do you take your coffee?” I managed to ask.

“I like it black if it’s good.”

“Me too.” The similarities between us were stacking up one by one, almost as if this were meant to happen. Yeah, this was only how we took our coffee, but I couldn’t help but smile.

“How strong do you want it?”

“Spencer, I want it to show up on a drug test.”

Unable to fight it, I burst out laughing. “Are you the perfect woman?”

She was. At least I was beginning to believe she could be perfect for me.

“Of course I am! Don’t you know that by now?” Her mouth quirked with humor. She was smiling, bantering as if she hadn’t had a traumatic night, and, most importantly, she was relaxed. The contrast was like night and day, and I was relieved. “So, how should we spend the day? Given how it looks outside, it seems we won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”

“No, it’s pretty packed in. I’m just hoping I don’t have to dig my way to the shed to grab more wood for the fire.”

“I’ll help you if you do,” she sweetly offered. “I swear I won’t start a snowball fight, and I’m definitely not crossing my fingers behind my back.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better. I was worried about you last night.”

“After my dad left, my normal, everyday anxiety went into overdrive, and I would get panic attacks. It hasn’t happened in a long time, years, in fact. Last night was overwhelming. I was exhausted and overstimulated, and it was just too much. I’m sorr—” She bit her lip before finishing the apology.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m glad I could be there for you.”

“Me too. You pulled me through it, and I appreciate it. I owe you a taco dinner. Me. You. Taco Time. As soon as we get out of here.”

“Are you asking me out?” I winked at her. “I accept.”

“Yeah, maybe I am. Is that okay?”

“Trust your instincts, Lucy.” I turned her previous words back on her, hoping she’d be the one to take the lead. As long as we couldn’t leave, being the one to make the first move felt wrong to me.

"Ahh, you are a clever man.” Her glance was bemused as she regarded me with open curiosity.

“I try.” I poured her coffee and then slid the steaming mug across the counter. “Taste this.”

After blowing on it, she took a careful sip and then tilted her head back with a sigh. “It’s perfect.” She grinned at me. “Aside from how we got here, it almost feels like a vacation now. Is it weird to think that way?”

“Nope. I always try to make the best of things. Let’s change into warm clothes and go outside. We can check our phones and figure out what to do next.”

“Sounds like a solid plan. I hope you don’t mind sharing your Oreos with me.”

“What’s mine is yours.”