CHAPTER ONE

Jennika

F resh out of the bath , wrapped up in my favorite fluffy bathrobe and wearing bunny-eared slippers, I bounce into the kitchenette, humming Jingle Bells as I go. My long, chestnut brown hair sits piled up on my head in a messy bun, and I’m ready to wind down with some snacks and a Hallmark Christmas movie.

With a contented sigh, I pull a pint of Ben I’m going to drink straight from the bottle!

Sitting down on the comfy couch of my rented cabin, I reach for the remote, get comfy and start browsing channels. When I find what I’m after, I hit ‘play’ and get to opening my festive goodies. Popping the top on my wine, I give it a second to de-fizz before taking a generous swig. The bubble tickles my nose and I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment, with a shake of my head and a laugh as I put the bottle back down on the coffee table.

“Mm, not bad at all.” The title credits begin to roll, and I dig into my ice cream. The decadent flavors explode across my tongue and I’m in heaven. The mouth-watering combination of coconut, chocolate fudge, shortbread, and caramel has me moaning around the silver spoon and wiggling my ass in satisfaction. “God, that is good!” Just as the opening scene is set, three mighty bangs on the cabin door make me jump and almost drop my tub.

Licking my lips and setting it down on the table, I check the tie on my robe, before standing up to answer the door. “Hello?” I ask as I pull it open. My breath hitches in my throat and I swallow hard when I find a behemoth of a man standing on my stoop. Dressed in a red and black tartan shirt, a brown leather jacket trimmed with fur, and a pair of well-worn jeans, he’s got at least a head and a half on me, and he’s built like a man honed by years of hard physical labor.

“Ah, can I help you?”

The stranger smiles through his salt-and-pepper beard and removes his black beanie. “I’m sorry to intrude,” he says, “but I’ve broken down a mile or so back up the road. I can’t get any cell service with the storm setting in.”

My heart races and I tuck an errant strand of hair behind my ear as nerves kick in. I know where this is going. But what choice do I have? I can’t let the man freeze to death in his truck on Christmas Eve! No one deserves that. “Please, come in,” I say, stepping aside and opening the door wide despite the adrenalin racing through my veins and lending strength to my anxiety. “A blizzard is on its way, and you can’t stay out there.”

The stranded man enters my home for the holidays and waits by the door until I close it. “Thank you,” he says. “My truck is a reliable old girl, but she might be reaching the end of her days.”

“It’s no trouble. Anyone would do the same,” I respond, twisting my fingers in front of me and chewing on my inner lip. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Just water would be great,” he says. “I’m Dane, by the way. I work up the mountain at the mill. I drive by this little cabin every day but have never seen inside it.”

I smile nervously and fetch him some water, returning to pass him the glass. Our fingers brush and I almost forget how to breathe. “I’m Jennika,” I manage to say. “I’ve just rented it out for the Christmas holidays. I was an only child and with my parents gone, I don’t have any family. So, I came out here to treat myself and enjoy my time off. You have to splurge sometimes, you know?”

Dane nods and sips his water. “Being without family on Christmas is pretty rough,” he says. “I’ve got a brother and usually visit him, but it looks like I won’t be making it this time.”

“I’m sorry your plans have fallen apart,” I say as I move to clear up my ice cream and my bottle of wine. “I was just going to kick back with a sappy movie.”

The lumberjack glances at the TV and smirks. “ Hallmark romance, huh? Aren’t you a little old for that?” he asks as he looks me over, his steel-blue eyes drinking me in from head to toe.

I push the lid back on my comfort food, returning the ice cream to the freezer and put the wine in the fridge. “I just like a happily ever after,” I admit, folding my arms over my chest defensively.

“But that sappy sweet stuff? That’s not real. Love is messy, it’s rough and raw.”

Swallowing the lump developing in my throat, I cough to clear it, smiling apologetically. “There’s nothing wrong with sweet,” I counter as I move to walk past the couch. “If you’ll excuse me a minute, I’m just going to get changed, then I’ll find some bedding for you. Make yourself comfortable.”

Dane’s strong hand is on my wrist in the next heartbeat, his grip firm as he pulls my arm away from my chest. “Don’t get changed on my account,” he says.

My heart races, panic fills me, and a million thoughts whirl through my head like the blizzard howling outside. Holy shit. What do I do? My innermost instincts warn me to tear my arm away and bolt for my handbag and my pepper spray. But another part of me, the biggest part, freezes, caught by indecision. If I escalate the situation, it could get violent... and I’d be stranded, trapped with a man capable of God-only-knows what.

But if I don’t react to protect myself, what other option is there?

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