Chapter 4

Four

SOREN

A fter ending my call with Caleb, I stomped on the doormat to shake the snow off my boots. It was so thick and heavy that it had soaked through my jeans seconds after I landed on it.

I was fucking freezing, so I stripped out of everything and left it on the floor when I padded to the primary bedroom and into the en suite bathroom. After turning on the hot water, I grabbed a couple of pain relievers from the medicine cabinet and swallowed them with a sip of water from the sink.

Steam filled the space a few minutes later, and I sighed as I stepped under the hot spray in the large, walk-in shower stall. The cabins were built with the athletes in mind. They often needed a hot or cold shower or a soak, which was why there was also a very large tub.

My muscles were already aching from the fall, so the heat helped loosen them.

I wasn’t experiencing any nausea, dizziness, or change in vision, just a very minimal headache, so even if I had a concussion, it was minor, so I wasn’t worried about it.

The cabins were equipped with tankless water heaters, which meant I could stay in the hot shower indefinitely if I wanted to. But my stomach rumbled after about thirty minutes, and I remembered I hadn’t eaten dinner.

Stepping out of the frosted glass enclosure, I took a towel off the warming rack and wrapped it around my waist. I didn’t bother getting dressed before making my way to the kitchen since I was still drying.

I’d started a fire in the living room before calling my sister, so even though it was basically embers when I left the bedroom, it was still toasty warm in the house. However, the cold seeped into your bones, so I was craving a warm drink.

The coffee maker was on the counter next to the fridge, so I flipped it on before hunting for something to eat. I had just thrown the fixings for vegetable soup in a pot on the stove when I heard a thump outside and the creak of the porch as if something had bumped into it.

I walked toward the front door and heard what sounded like feet stomping up the steps. What the fuck?

As I stalked to the entrance, someone cursed loud enough to be heard over the wind. It sounded like a woman.

A second later, just as I reached for the knob, someone banged on the door.

I yanked it open, ready to yell at whoever was stupid enough to be out in this shit and bothering me, but the cold burst of air reminded me I was wearing nothing but a towel.

“Dammit!” I bellowed, grabbing the person’s coat and yanking them inside before slamming the door shut. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Do you know how fucking dangerous it is to be out in that storm? Do you have a death wish?”

“Do you?” a female voice snapped back as the stranger removed the goggles on her face.

Ice-blue eyes glared at me when the barrier was gone, and I blinked in shock when a bolt of lust streaked through me, stirring my dick to life. Luckily, the towel I had draped around my hips was thick and on the heavy side, hiding my aroused state.

She unwound her scarf from her neck as she explained, “Caleb sent me to check on your concussion.”

“I don’t have a concussion,” I grunted.

She toed off her boots and gave me a droll look. “Exactly.”

I raised an eyebrow and folded my arms over my chest, trying to keep my eyes off her rosy lips. “Exactly what?”

“That’s exactly what someone with a concussion would say.”

My lips twitched until she pulled her hat off her head, and silky, wavy black hair tumbled down her back. My hands itched to feel the soft tresses, so I clenched them into fists, determined to stop these ridiculous thoughts.

“Glancing out the window next to the door, I frowned, my brow furrowing. “Caleb sent you out in this weather?” Fury sparked in my chest. “What the hell is the matter with him?”

“Relax, Thor. I’m the resident medic, and he knows I can get anywhere around here without getting lost. The worst of the storm isn’t supposed to hit for at least another hour. So let me take a look-see at your bump, and I’ll be on my way.”

“Are you kidding me? I can’t—Thor?”

“Yeah.” She smiled, and my whole body tingled. “You have the sexy Viking vibe going on. Tall, big muscles, blond hair.”

I rolled my eyes to hide my reaction to her calling me sexy. She smiled even bigger, and I cleared my throat before telling her, “My name is Soren.”

The woman laughed merrily, her eyes sparkling. “No shit? You actually have a Scandinavian name?”

“Norwegian.”

“So you are a Viking!”

I ignored her comment and moved on to more important things. “Now you know who I am. Perhaps you’d like to reciprocate?”

“Oh! Right, sorry. I’m Cammie Ashley.” She removed her gloves and walked to the table, setting everything down before unzipping her coat. “Like I said, Caleb asked me to come check on your head.”

“You’re his sister-in-law?” I probably should’ve guessed since she looked so much like Raven.

“Yup.” She removed her parka and draped it over a chair, leaving her in ski pants and a tight thermal shirt, which left little to the imagination. Though she wasn’t short, she was probably a little less than a foot shorter than my six-foot-five-inch frame. She had a slender, athletic build, but holy shit…her breasts were perfect. Full, round, and definitely more than a handful. Her nipples poked through her bra and shirt, making my mouth water. Cammie was sexy as hell, and my body took full notice, my cock hardening to steel and my core burning with desire. I couldn’t ever remember feeling so drawn to a woman. Or wanting her so damn bad.

The idea of one night with her briefly flitted through my mind, then I shook it off, reminding myself that she was Caleb’s sister-in-law. It wasn’t possible because we’d be working together on the medical areas and equipment in the new facility. I still had a lot of time before wrapping up and leaving town.

Somehow, I knew that one night wouldn’t be enough with Cammie, and if we continued the affair, she’d likely come to expect more from me than I could ever give her.

If she was anything like her sister, she wanted a husband, kids, and a happily ever after.

Besides that, from what Caleb had told me, Cammie was adventurous, free-spirited, and a little wild. Although she was completely tied to her roots.

Even with an apartment in the town where my parents and sister lived, I didn’t really have any roots. I never stayed anywhere for very long. But it was always on to the next job, not gallivanting around the world on a whim. And honestly, I was too pragmatic to fall victim to love. I’d seen the destruction that came from so-called “love” too many times to be able to feel it.

We were complete opposites, and if I gave in to this attraction, I would only risk losing the friendships I had built with the people in Winter Falls.

Cammie ran a hand through her hair, using her fingers to work out a few tangles as she talked. “So…um, why don’t you go put on some clothes, then come sit here so I can check you out…” Her cheeks blossomed red, and she corrected herself, “I mean, check your injury.”

I smiled wickedly at her slipup but didn’t comment, choosing to go dress rather than engage in banter that would only make me want her more.

In the bedroom, I pulled on a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, then padded back out into the front room. A few items were sitting on the table, and she was bent over, digging through a bag I hadn’t noticed before. She must have dropped it when I yanked her inside.

Her ski pants stretched over a sexy, heart-shaped ass, and I nearly groaned at the sight. Damn, she was fucking gorgeous.

I needed to get this over with and send her on her way before I did something monumentally stupid. Like kiss her.

She straightened and set something else on the table before she noticed me standing a few feet away. “You must be much warmer,” she teased. “Have a seat.”

I did as she asked while looking everywhere but at her.

A second later, my whole body shuddered when Cammie’s fingers delved into my hair.

She yanked her hand back, then set it on my shoulder. “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you? I should have been more gentle.”

“No,” I croaked, then cleared my throat. “No. You didn’t hurt me. I just…um, your hand was a little cold, and I wasn’t expecting it.”

Cammie giggled and rubbed her hands together. “You’d think they’d teach us in school to warm up our hands first. Instead, we focused on having atrocious bedside manner.”

This time, I couldn’t hold back a laugh. She was as adorable as she was sexy. “I can’t comment on your”—I raised my eyes to her face and smirked even though I knew better—“bedside manner.”