Chapter 5

5

LAUREL

M y heart raced as I gaped at the snow-covered person on my doorstep. Between the hard thud on the door and his beard being covered by clumps of white flakes, it took me a moment to realize I was staring at Hayden.

Pressing my palm against my chest, I gasped, “Holy crap.”

“Sorry.” He shook off most of the snow with a grin. “Probably should’ve done that before I knocked so I didn’t freak you the fuck out.”

“Yeah, I have to admit I wondered for a second there if you had a yeti roaming the mountain who saw the smoke from my chimney.” Shaking my head, I laughed over how ridiculous that sounded out loud. Then I stepped to the side and urged, “Get in here before a foot of snow blows into my cabin.”

“Thanks.”

Shutting the door behind him, I took his coat, hat, and gloves to hang them on the rack with mine while he stepped out of his boots. “Want a mug of hot chocolate? I found a stash in the kitchen cabinet. It’s amazing.”

“I’d love some.” As he followed me into the kitchen, he added, “Raven is addicted to hot cocoa, along with all things Christmas. So I’m not surprised there’s a stash in the cabins.”

“Raven?” I echoed, my brows drawing together as my stomach clenched at the fondness in his voice.

“Yeah, she owns the inn and lodge.” He jerked his chin toward the snowman utensil crock on the counter. “And the reason you see stuff like that all over the place.”

“I see,” I murmured as I grabbed two packets of hot chocolate. I’d already had one, but I felt like I could use another sweet pick-me-up with the direction this conversation was headed.

“She’s always been into Christmas, which I guess isn’t a surprise considering we grew up in a town where the holiday season lasts pretty much every day of the year,” he explained. “Luckily, her husband is a good sport about living surrounded by snowmen galore. Caleb isn’t from around here, so I’d get it if he balked at her decorating preferences. But he fell head over heels in love for the woman, so she could probably put just about anything on their walls, and he’d be cool with it.”

The tension eased from my body, and I ducked my head to hide my satisfied grin at hearing that his childhood friend was happily married. I’d never experienced jealousy before, but I was self-aware enough to realize that was exactly what I felt. And over a guy I barely knew. Except Hayden wasn’t just any man…he was the first to ever spark a romantic interest in me.

Growing up the way I did hadn’t made it very easy to date since I was moved around between foster homes. It was easier not to think about boys that way than to get disappointed. Then I was focused on earning enough to buy my van. After that, all my time and effort went into the build-out and growing my social media platform.

Once that was all done, I started to travel most of the time. When you’re never in one place for more than a few days, there really isn’t time to connect with anyone. But here in this cabin, it felt as though the world outside had stopped. I was in a bubble with Hayden—just the two of us. And I desperately wanted to explore my attraction to him.

“I’ve never really done the whole decorate for Christmas thing, except for putting up some garland and twinkle lights in the van, which my followers love.” I gestured toward the snowman mugs I was using for our hot chocolate. “And I bring out a couple of holiday mugs since I do a lot of morning posts while I’m enjoying a scenic view with a mug of tea.”

“Once the worst of the storm passes, you’ll definitely have plenty of snow for a backdrop,” he murmured, moving to stand next to me so he could dump the packets into the mugs before I added hot water and stirred.

Once the hot chocolate was ready, we went into the living room and got comfortable on the couch. Setting my drink on the end table next to me, I turned to Hayden. “How much snow do you think we’ll get?”

“Up here on the mountain?” He raked his fingers through his thick hair. “Could be anywhere from just another foot to five more. Storms like these can be unpredictable.”

“Whoa,” I breathed, my eyes going wide.

Twisting around, he placed his hot chocolate on the other end table. “They can also be lucky as hell. Remember how I mentioned that Caleb isn’t from Winter Falls?”

I nodded, my cheeks heating a little as I thought about how I wouldn’t forget something like that since I’d been so relieved to hear Raven was married. “Uh-huh.”

“The last time we had a blizzard that was this bad was when they met.” He shook his head with a deep chuckle. “And not just them. There were a hell of a lot of weddings in Winter Falls during the months after that storm.”

“I guess that makes sense.” I bit my bottom lip before adding, “In Florida, there’s this thing called the ‘hurricane baby’ phenomenon after we get hit by a big one. Close quarters and all that.”

“Speaking of close quarters, I need to ask you for a favor. It’s a pretty big one,” he warned.

I couldn’t imagine what kind of help this capable man would need from me, but after everything he’d done for me, I was more than willing to lend a hand. “Whatever you need.”

“Be careful what you offer, baby.” He scooted closer and took one of my hands in his, interlacing our fingers. “It’s already hard as fuck to resist the invitation I see in your pretty green eyes.”

I probably should have been embarrassed that my attraction to him was so obvious, but I was only relieved—and incredibly turned on—by the fact that he was feeling it too. “Then maybe you should just give in to it.”

His other hand went up to cup my cheek. “You want me to kiss those sweet lips, baby?”

“Yes,” I panted, my body tingling in anticipation of my first real kiss.

Hayden’s brown eyes turned molten as he dipped his head. His palm slid to the back of my head, holding me in place while his lips brushed against mine. At first, it was just the softest of touches. But then he let out a deep groan, and his tongue stroked against the seam of my lips. When they parted on a gasp, he took full advantage, his tongue stroking the cavern of my mouth.

It was a good thing I was sitting because each velvety stroke left me weaker in the knees. I was breathless when he finally ended the kiss, tucking me against his side so we were cuddled together. It took a little while for the sensual fog to lift, and then I remembered what we’d been talking about before his mouth claimed mine. “What was the favor you needed?”

“The road down the mountain closed sooner than I expected, so I’m stuck up here until the blizzard passes.” He flashed me a crooked grin. “There aren’t any additional rooms or cabins available. Raven is already trying to figure out where to put extra people who were skiing but didn’t have overnight accommodations. So I’m stuck without anywhere to go.”

I didn’t even need to think about my answer. “Of course, you can stay. I’m not going to kick you out into a blizzard when I wouldn’t even have this cabin if it weren’t for you.”

“I really appreciate it.”

I snuggled against his side with a soft laugh. “Seriously, no thanks are needed. As far as I’m concerned, this place is more yours than it is mine since you’re the one who pulled strings to get it.”

“That may be the case, but I’m not going to kick you out of your bed.” He patted the cushion on his other side. “I can bunk on the couch.”

I appreciated his offer, but after that kiss, I was more interested in taking our cuddling from the couch to the bed.