Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 104185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
“Looks like the power’s out.”
He walked out into the rain and picked a rock from a flowerbed before returning to the porch. The underside of the rock was flat and had a lock on it, and he spun the dials to produce a house key.
“He shuts off the power in the winter?” I asked.
“Not usually.”
He had the door open a moment later, but when I moved to step inside, he put an arm out to stop me. Because he needed to go in first.
I nodded in understanding, and he disappeared into the dark house, leaving me shivering on the front porch. It wasn’t long, and yet a lifetime passed before he reappeared and gestured me into the entryway.
“Stay here,” he said. “I need to sweep the rest of the house.”
While I waited on him, I toed off my soggy shoes beside the doorway, then pulled off my drenched socks too, making my feet stick to the cold marble floor. I peeled off my jacket and hung it in the empty closet, where it dripped onto the stone.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief when he returned. “We’re good,” he said.
Even with all the windows, it was dark inside, and it grew dimmer as we moved deeper into the house. It was spacious with an open layout, and through the low light I could make out an elegant dining area to the right.
“Wow,” I said softly.
The place looked like it had been ripped from the pages of a luxury magazine. Nearby, leather couches sat opposite an enormous television beneath the vaulted ceiling.
People with an excess of money made me uneasy. My family had struggled mightily to get by and afford my dance lessons.
“What does Shawn do?”
“He runs a company. The kitchen’s through there.” He lit up the flashlight on his phone and used it to help guide me through the doorway.
It was even darker in here.
The light from his phone glinted off the stainless-steel doors on the fancy, commercial refrigerator that was twice the size of the one in my apartment. It lit up the long island and elegant cabinets. This kitchen had to be a chef’s dream.
Jason tugged one of the doors open and glanced at the ice compartment. “There’s some ice left. Power must be out because of the storm.”
We dug around in drawers until I found another flashlight, but I quickly began to recognize it wasn’t much warmer inside than it was out. My hands ached and my brain began to slow as my blood turned to slush.
My teeth chattered so loudly, Jason couldn’t miss it.
“There’s a fireplace in the primary bedroom,” he said.
Primary bedroom implied there was more than one. Well, that was good, right?
I followed him down the carpeted hall and into a room that was so large it made the high, king-sized bed centered on the back wall look small. Instead of stopping there, I went into the bathroom and pulled the glass door open to start the shower.
Maybe I could get under the hot water and—
“Pretty sure the water heater’s electric,” he announced from the bedroom.
I shut the water off and jerked a towel from the rack, using it to scrub my hair dry. The cold was setting in, deep into my bones, and I was starting to believe I might never be warm again. I shuffled on my bare feet back into the bedroom.
There were logs stacked in the firewood holder, and he already had several pieces of newspaper lit when he began adding them. Once he looked satisfied, he straightened and set his eyes on me.
I was dripping with water and shaking violently, a towel clenched in my white-knuckled hands.
Outside, the storm gathered strength. The pine trees battered against the window in the wind. There was another flash of lightning as Jason peeled his shirt off, tossing it into a wet heap near the fire.
Even in the firelight, the goosebumps on his skin could be seen clear across the room.
The rumble of thunder shook the windowpane.
Seeing him shirtless made my mouth dry, and my throat bobbed in a sticky swallow. He stared at me as if I should be doing something, but I couldn’t think what. All I was aware of was the numbness in my body and the shivering I couldn’t get under control.
He held my gaze as he made his approach, then guided me closer to the glowing fire in the fireplace. He took the towel from my hands, let it fall to the floor, and grasped the hem of my sweater.
Oh. I raised my arms, letting him strip off the soaked wool and add it to his pile of clothes. His action exposed the simple black camisole I had on underneath, and I folded my arms across my chest to hold in my warmth.
His hands worked to undo the button of his jeans and tug the zipper down.