10. Eva

It had been a couple of days since the accident. While I was still nervous as hell about the possibility of Brent showing up with his loaded shotgun, the snowdrifts around the cabin reassured me it was highly unlikely.

Today was the first time blue sky had peeked through the trees. I stood on the covered porch, wrapped up in a thick blanket with a pair of over-sized boots on my feet, and inhaled the crisp air.

Everywhere smelled so fresh. There was no trace of pollution up here. Just the scent of pine needles and frost. All around, as far as the eye could see, I saw nothing but piles of pristine white, virgin snow and tall pine trees.

God, it was beautiful.

Where I came from, snow rarely stayed white for long. Usually, within a couple of hours, it was gray and dirty looking. Dad's old trailer hadn't been insulated properly, so snow meant freezing nights, shivering under a blanket, followed by uncomfortable days walking to and from school with wet feet and blue extremities.

I sure didn't miss that.

While I didn't have any real clothes here, other than the stuff I'd arrived in, the guys had been generous enough to give me some old sweat pants, sweaters, and other random items. I was definitely lacking in the underwear department, but I was making do with some pairs of boxers and fluffy socks.

It wasn't ideal, but since I didn't plan to go anywhere for the moment, their clothes were good enough. They were both far bigger than me, so their tees and hoodies swamped me, but that was OK. I was not trying to impress anyone.

Not that I could.

"Hey, sweetheart, are you warm enough out here?" Cole ducked out of the cabin to check on me. He'd been doing that a lot. It made me feel warm inside knowing he cared about whether I was too cold.

"Yeah." I smiled. "It's so pretty here. I can see footprints in the snow. What kind of animal made them?" The prints all around the cabin were large and dog-like. I frowned. Shit, were there wolves in this forest? I knew there were bears, and possibly the occasional mountain lion, but the thought of wolves roaming around made me shiver.

"Erm, maybe a wolf." I spun around in alarm.

"Really? Am I safe out here?" I wasn't keen on the idea of being eaten by a wolf. Although it was arguably no worse than being beaten to death by Brent.

"Yes, you're perfectly safe, Eva." The amusement in Cole's voice was clear. "I've made some cookies. Come in and grab one."

Oh my god, cookies! When was the last time I ate cookies?

I had a vague recollection of someone at work bringing in freshly baked cookies one time, but that was at least a year ago. Most of the women I worked with were too tired and jaded to care about making the workplace more hospitable, and our boss definitely gave no shits. We were lucky there was a kettle in the staffroom. Even milk sometimes.

Unable to resist the idea of cookies, I hurried back indoors. The minute I stepped foot in the kitchen, the scent of cocoa and vanilla hit me like a truck. Almost immediately, my stomach rumbled with appreciation. Cole pushed the baking tray in my direction.

"Take a couple."

I hesitated. Brent never let me eat nice things. He said he didn't want me to get fat.

"I made them for you," Cole said.

A desire to show my appreciation for Cole's efforts overrode any lingering fear of what Brent might say.

I grabbed a cookie from the tray. It was still warm and the moment it hit my tongue, I groaned with pleasure. Chocolate was my weakness. The few times I'd had chocolate as a child, I'd loved it. Far more than any stupid plastic toy the neighborhood church ladies gifted me at Christmas.

I was lucky that my father had no interest in chocolate or candy. His weakness was booze. As long as he had some, he left my meager treats alone.

The last heavenly mouthful of chocolate cookie went down. I looked up to see Cole staring at me with heat in his eyes. He stepped up close and reached out, rubbing the corner of my mouth with his thumb.

The pine and musk scent of him mingled with the cocoa and vanilla and something stirred deep inside.

"You had a smudge of chocolate," he said in a husky voice. I wanted to move back, put some space between us, but my feet stayed rooted to the floor.

"Have another cookie," he urged. The way his bulky frame towered over me should have been intimidating, but nothing about Cole scared me. Not like Brent did.

"I ought not to," I whispered.

"Why not?" He was so close I could feel the heat of his skin. Neither he nor Silas ever seemed to feel the cold, not that the cabin was cold. I'd seen both of them outside in little more than a tee and a pair of shorts. I guess they were a lot more warm-blooded than me.

God, he made me feel things I didn't want to feel.

"Too much sugar is bad for me," I said, not believing it for a moment, but not wanting to take more than my share of the cookies. After all, Cole had likely made them for him and Silas, not their unwanted guest.

"I made them for you, sweetheart." He grabbed a second cookie and held it up against my lips. "Open wide." My lips parted, and I took a small bite. It was so delicious, still warm. I couldn't help but groan with pleasure again as the sweet flavor burst on my tongue.

Cole's eyes turned from emerald green to pure gold. Once again, I wondered how that was possible, but all rational thought fled when he pressed me against the table with his hard, muscular body.

"Good girl," he rasped. Heat bloomed in my lower body, and his nostrils flared. He leaned in and for one heady moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. Then the back door flew open and Silas stepped in, his shirt bloody.

"Bro, I caught a—" Silas skidded to a halt, his eyes flicking between me and Cole. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I realized how it looked. Here I was, three days after forcing my way into their lives, flirting with one of them.

Jesus.What must they think of me!

I dropped the rest of the cookie on the table, pushed past Cole, and fled the kitchen with my face on fire.

No matter how hard I tried, sleep wouldn't come. The cabin was quiet. I'd gone to bed early, mostly because I was still embarrassed about what nearly happened in the kitchen with Cole.

I didn't know if Cole was flirting with me or just being nice. He probably felt sorry for me. No doubt I was the only 18-year-old who'd never been on a date or flirted with a guy she liked. It was sad how clueless I was.

My cheeks burned when I remembered the expression on Silas's face when he saw Cole and me together, Cole's hand on my waist. He'd looked almost angry, which made no sense.

Ugh, I was so confused.

After another hour of tossing and turning, I decided a hot drink might help me settle. I remembered seeing a box of chamomile tea in one of the kitchen cabinets. Since it was nearly 2 AM, Cole and Silas were probably asleep, so at least I wouldn't have to face them.

I crawled out of bed, thankful for the tee shirt Cole had lent me. It hung almost to mid-thigh and was warm enough to keep the chill away. My bedroom door opened with a soft click and I padded along the hall and into the kitchen. I didn't bother switching a light on. There was a full moon tonight and bright moonlight reflected off the snow outside, bathing the kitchen in a silvery glow.

The fire smoldered in the grate, casting enough heat out to warm the open-plan kitchen and living area. The tile floor in the kitchen was cold underfoot, however, and I silently wished I'd pulled some socks on before I left my bedroom.

While I waited for the kettle to boil, I hunted for the tea bags and then dropped one in a clean mug. Cole had left the cookies out on the counter, covered with some plastic wrap. Even though it was late, much too late to be eating anything, my stomach growled.

But as tempting as the idea of eating one was, I didn't dare. While Cole had offered me a cookie earlier, it didn't mean I had permission to eat another one. I'd learned the hard way not to take food that wasn't offered to me.

The sound of an alarm beeping startled me as I poured some hot water into my mug, and a few seconds later, the laundry room door clicked open.

My heart leaped in my chest as a tall, ripped and very naked guy covered in swirling black ink walked into the kitchen. When he saw me standing, frozen, he stopped dead.

"Who the fuck are you?"