Chapter 9 Push It #2
“I’ll sleep on the floor if you want. But my room is in the basement, which seems like the safest place with all these trees around us.”
“So you’re saying I was right about the trees.”
He tilts his head, squinting. “I’m saying we need to be careful.”
I laugh. How could I not? Sleeping in a bed with Duke—a very, very naked Duke—seems like the opposite of being careful.
But then the wind roars and everything inside me heaves, and I know I should go with him.
I’m shaking so hard my teeth chatter.
“Aw, Wheeler—”
“I’m okay.” I’m not okay. “Let’s go.”
We head out into the living room, where I try not to watch Duke peering through every window. He’s still holding his hand over his dick, but the rest of him is still very much naked. His ass cheeks hollow out on the sides when he strains to see through the dark windows.
It’s freezing.
It’s pitch-black. Glancing at the kitchen, I see the clock on the stove isn’t working.
“Aha.” He jabs a finger at the pane beside the kitchen table. “Big old branch is lying right there. That had to be it. Far as I can tell, the tree is still standing.”
“Think it took out the power or something?”
Duke heads for the staircase that leads to the basement. “Maybe. Whatever the case, I was wrong about the generator.”
“You were wrong about”—my teeth chatter—“a lot of things.”
“At least I can admit it. C’mon, let’s get you warm.”
“How are you not an icicle?” I follow him down the stairs, holding up the flashlight on my phone so we can see.
Really so I can see the freckles that dot Duke’s shoulders and neck. He’s got the cutest little farmer’s tan. Or would it be cowboy tan?
Either way, I dig it.
“I am.” He chuckles. “You had to have seen—well…”
No way that was his shrunk-in-the-cold dick.
No fucking way. If he’s that big when he’s cold—
My God, how big is he when he’s warm?
A bolt of lust hits me squarely in the clit. I squirm, grateful for the cover of darkness. I bet I’m bright red right now.
It’s colder in the basement, the chill slicing through my pajamas. My shivers become violent.
I follow Duke through a door to the right of the stairs. It opens up into a large room with—oh God—one bed.
Granted, it looks like it’s a king. But it’s still the only sleeping surface in the room. Not so much as a bench or sofa in sight.
I’m too cold to care, though. I moan a little, and Duke grabs my elbow and guides me underneath the mountain of covers on the bed.
“You’ll warm up in no time.” He tucks the duvet around my shoulders and arms, tugging it up so that it covers my nose. The man is literally tucking me in. “I’m gonna go grab some clothes and see if I can find extra blankets. I’ll be right there on the floor—”
“No.” My heart pounds as I bite out the word between chatters. “Sleep here. In bed. Right now. Must…stay warm. Body heat. Jacob the werewolf. He kept Bella warm because…hotter than Edward. Vampire.”
Duke chuckles. “I got no idea what you’re talking about—”
He’s cut off by a shiver that racks his entire body.
“Get the fuck in bed, Duke!”
“All right!” He’s still chuckling as he jogs around the mattress and dives underneath the covers. “I’ll use a pillow as underwear, I guess.”
“Ew, please don’t.”
“How can you sleep with clothes on?”
“How can you sleep without them?”
I realize the bed is warm.
Well, this side of the bed is warm. Did Duke tuck me into his side of the bed knowing the other side would be cold?
I shiver but for a different reason this time. Then a loud screech rends the air, like the wind is dragging metal furniture across the concrete patio outside.
I whimper. Then I’m immediately embarrassed by said whimper, because I’m better than that. Braver.
Except I can’t seem to find that bravery now, because I’m shaking like a leaf.
“Wheeler.”
“I’m okay.”
“You’re shaking so hard that the bed is shaking too. Can I—do you need—”
“Yeah.”
Danger danger danger.
My heart keeps pounding as I hear him shuffle closer. I know he’s naked. I also know he’s hot. Literally. And even though he’s hot in the proverbial sense too, that’s a risk I’m willing to take if it means calming my nervous system, which is currently on the fritz.
If he’s offering comfort, I’m gonna take him up on it. We all deserve comfort, right?
I wonder if Duke is going to play it safe. Maybe half-heartedly snuggle with me while keeping his pelvis a respectable distance from my backside.
Ha.
Ha ha ha.
I should’ve known he would definitely not do that. Instead, he hooks an arm around my middle with the clear intention of pulling me closer.
“Roll onto your side, Blue.”
The endearment. The feel of his hands on me.
I roll right the fuck over, and he immediately pulls me into the cradle of his very warm, very large, very hard body, my back to his front.
“The nickname is growing on me.” I don’t recognize my voice.
“Good.” He bends his legs, and I bend mine so we’re in an S shape, my ass settling into his lap like his dick isn’t right there.
I can feel him. He’s not hard or anything, but he is large, and my body lights up like a firecracker.
I nearly moan again when he flattens his palm over my stomach. His hand is huge, his hold on me shamelessly solid and confident. I feel his chest barreling out on an inhale against my back, his breath hot on my nape.
“This okay?” His voice is husky.
I feel myself melting into his heat. His touch. I feel safe here and yet somehow keyed up, wild.
I’m not my normal, often numb self, and I like that. A lot.
The wind gusts, throwing sleet against the windows. The howl it makes is loud enough to have me actually moaning.
“What’s goin’ on, Blue?” he asks softly. “This kinda shakin’—you’re not just cold, are you?”
My brain is short-circuiting. That has to be why I blurt, “My dad. He is—was—a screamer. He’s always had a bad temper. You’d never know when he was going to erupt, and when he did, the neighbors could hear it. Loud noises still freak me out.”
“Aw, Wheeler. No wonder you’re shaking. I wish you’d told me.”
“I don’t like talking about him. Or my parents in general. They’re going through this really nasty divorce that’s been—yeah, pretty awful.”
His arms tighten around me, cradling me against the warmth of his body. Doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to.
Being here—keeping me safe—is enough.
It’s more than enough, judging by the way my weight melts into his. He feels so big, so solid in his mellow silence.
My heart rate slows. At the same time, the hot liquid need between my thighs flares to renewed life. I squeeze my eyes shut.
What if I gave in? Just for tonight? What if I let myself have what I want for once and left nothing on the table? Maybe then I’d stop feeling so damn horny all the time.
Maybe then I’d finally be able to declutter my head, my emotions, and focus on my work. I feel like I’ve been distracted ever since Mom sat me down and told me she was leaving Dad.
His chest rises against my back again on a deep, unhurried inhale. Jesus Christ, is he not being burned alive by lust right now? How is he so…unbothered?
I hear him move his head on the pillow, and I nearly sigh when something smooth, then prickly, brushes over the nape of my neck.
His mouth. His stubble.
Both.
A lightning bold of need cracks down my middle.
“Sorry,” we both say at once.
His chuckle is deep, dark with sleep. “What the hell are you sorry for? I didn’t mean to get that close. Sorry.”
“Nothing. This. The fact that we’re stuck on the top of a mountain during the blizzard of the century.”
“Shit happens.”
I sigh. “Ain’t that the truth.”
My pillow smells like Duke, the juniper-scented aftershave or cologne he must wear.
The wind roars, making the house groan in protest. Everything inside me seizes. I’m shaking and I’m scared and I’m so turned on I might actually die if I don’t do something about it.
We might die anyway, judging by that wind and snow.
“This is ridiculous,” I bite out, stomach heaving as I turn around in Duke’s arms. I put a hand on his naked stomach. “We’ve been dancing around this from day one. Can we just—I don’t know, finally fool arou—”
But Duke is giving me what I ask for before I even finish the question, slanting his mouth over mine.