Chapter 3
Chapter Three
“Oh.” Liana chuckled. She smiled and shook her head. That explained the bossiness of Eddie. She was used to being the big bad bear. What animal would dare go up against a bear?
When they were in college, Terri had shared stories of how stubborn and bullheaded her kind could be. Terri was the complete opposite. She was the quiet pushover of their friend group. Liana and Terri had stayed the best of friends even after graduating.
Liana began hobbling over to the couch. Eddie appeared at her side and took her hand to help guide her. The wrappings around her ankle did help. The pain was still there, but at least she could walk without the fear of falling directly on her face.
She eased down on the couch and breathed a sigh of relief. The cabin windows shuddered, and a heavy thunk of snow slid off the roof. Liana jumped.
“This seems to be the storm of all storms.” Liana sighed. Maybe she should have tried to turn her car around and gone back to the airport to get a hotel room.
But if she had, she wouldn’t have met Eddie.
“Hopefully, it should blow over by tomorrow.” Eddie walked over to the window and peered out of it. A second later, the lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then everything went dark.
Liana gasped at the shock of being thrown into the darkness. The cabin grew eerily quiet while the wind continued to howl. A heartbeat later, a dull rumble sounded from somewhere outside. The emergency electricity hummed to life. A dim, golden glow appeared from the kitchen and hall.
Just enough to see shapes, but not enough for Liana to feel completely safe.
“The backup generator,” Eddie explained. Apparently, she’d been through this before. She walked back to Liana casually. “It will only power the necessary items. Heat, fridge, and some of the lights. Nothing extra.”
Liana swallowed hard. The reality of what was happening settled in. She was thankful she had been found. Winters in Montana could be extremely dangerous.
“So mainly candles and the fire?”
“Yeah. The heat the generator provides will basically keep the pipes from freezing, but it won’t warm the entire cabin.
” She walked over to the cedar chest that was behind the couch.
“We will need plenty of blankets. The storm’s probably going to get worse, and the temperatures will drop even more. We should keep warm near the hearth.”
Liana eyed the thick rug and sighed. She had imagined when she’d arrived to Lurton that she would have a nice comfortable mattress to sleep on, but it looked like the floor in a cabin in the middle of nowhere was where she’d be laying her head for now.
Liana glanced at Eddie as she spread the thick quilts on the floor, layering them like she’d done this a hundred times.
She probably has.
Liana got up from the couch. She needed to help and do something. She couldn’t just sit here while Eddie did everything. The moment she stood, her ankle throbbed. She winced. Eddie immediately arrived at her side, her hand hovering near Liana’s waist.
Liana blinked and stared up into her amber eyes. The firelight played with the hints of gold that were reflecting in her gaze.
“I’m okay,” Liana murmured. She inhaled deeply as the pain slightly lessened. The tight wrappings did help.
“You should sit,” Eddie said firmly.
“I can help.” Liana motioned to the other blankets that were abandoned in Eddie’s rush to get to her side.
“Sit.” Her voice dropped slightly.
Something inside Liana wanted to obey. Liana’s cheeks warmed slightly; she felt herself complying with the command. She lowered herself back down on the couch. Eddie draped a blanket around Liana’s shoulders. Her touch was just a whisper, but it sent an electric jolt through Liana.
The storm continued to shriek. Liana’s imagination grew wild. She imaged wolves out there howling with the wind. She stared out the window, and a tremor rippled through her. Had that been what she’d almost hit? Would they try to attack them once the storm was over?
“You’re safe here. It’s okay.” Somehow, Eddie must have picked up on her nervousness. Her hands settled on Liana’s shoulders.
Even through the blanket, Liana felt the warmth of her hands radiating through its thickness.
“Are you hungry?” Eddie asked.
Liana blinked. She hadn’t thought of food since she had arrived at the cabin. She thought of her half-eaten sandwich that had been left in her car. She shook her head. There was no way she could eat right now.
“I’m not really hungry,” she said.
“Well, if you change your mind, there’s plenty in the kitchen,” Eddie said. She returned to her task of creating them a little nest on the floor before the fireplace.
Liana bit her lip and watched Eddie work. She tried to slow down her racing heart rate. She didn’t want to think of sleeping next to Eddie, but she knew for survival they needed to share heat in order to stay warm.
That was one thing she’d learned from all of the survival shows she loved.
“Come.” Eddie stood and motioned for her.
Liana stood again, this time slowly. Her ankle throbbed, but it was tolerable in the short walk to the bedding.
Eddie helped her settle down and covered her with the thick blankets.
She added another log to the fire before she joined Liana.
She came to lie next to her, close enough where their shoulders brushed.
She brought the blankets over the both of them.
The fire crackled while the storm continued on.
Here in the dim light and circle of warmth, Liana relaxed. She did feel safe. She glanced over at Eddie who was gazing into the flames. She sighed and rolled over onto her side to face the hearth. She watched the light flicker. The wood splintered and broke into two, the fire consuming it.
“Thank you,” Liana murmured.
“For what?”
“For saving me,” Liana whispered.
“There’s no need to thank me,” Eddie said after a pause. “Try to sleep. I’ll keep the fire fed.”
“But what about you? You’re going to need to rest, too.” Liana glanced over her shoulder at the bear shifter.
Eddie met her gaze with her lips curled up in the corner. “I’ll be fine. Sleep.”
Liana wanted to argue, but the warmth of the blankets and the scent of the woodsmoke settled in around her. Fatigue made itself at home inside her, and she couldn’t fight it. Liana relaxed and allowed sleep to claim her.
Liana sighed and inhaled deeply. She frowned for a moment, unsure where the hell she was. She was cozy, warm, and a large body that radiated a ton of heat was pressed against her. She inhaled again, and this time she took in a scent that wasn’t her own.
She definitely wasn’t at home.
There’d be no one sharing a bed with her.
Then it all came back to her. The accident. Trapped in her car. The mountains of snow.
Eddie.
Liana opened her eyes and found herself in the circle of Eddie’s arms with her head resting on Eddie’s shoulder. She stiffened, unsure when she’d made her way into Eddie’s warm embrace. Not that she was complaining. It did feel good, but she wasn’t even sure this was appropriate.
Did Eddie have someone? Was she mated? In a relationship?
Body heat will help with survival. Those words echoed in her head. Maybe she could play this off when Eddie woke up. Currently, the bear shifter was resting with her eyes closed, which gave Liana a chance to really study her.
She was gorgeous with her long dark eyelashes, and her thick hair was pulled back from her face in a ponytail. Liana would love to see what it would look like spread along her silk pillows. Those amber eyes of hers made Liana’s core clench. Thankfully, she couldn’t see them since Eddie was asleep.
Liana’s breath caught in her throat at the thought of Eddie’s physical form.
She was pressed close to her and could feel every curve, every firm muscle the woman possessed.
It was unfair how shifters didn’t even have to try to be fit.
Liana had to work out constantly to keep her form, and if she ate like a bear shifter, she’d been round like a clock.
Liana snuggled closer to her. She wasn’t going to feel any type of shame.
It was the first time in a long while that she’d woken up in the arms of a beautiful woman.
She was going to take full advantage of this.
Even if it was for one night. Liana thought back to her last relationship, and it had been a few years.
She had been celibate because every girl in her past had been either jealous or deranged in the head.
She’d never been involved with a shifter before.
And why would you be now? Liana sighed. She was sure Eddie wasn’t interested in someone like her. Someone who’d almost died because of her carelessness. She should have paid attention to the weather reports. Stayed at a hotel until the storm blew over then traveled to Lurton.
Lesson has been learned.
Eddie shifted slightly, her arm sliding down Liana’s back. Liana bit back a moan when her hand came to rest on the small curve of her back. A few inches farther and Eddie’s hand would be on her ass. Eddie breathed deeply, and her breasts pressed against Liana’s.
“Are you warm enough?” Eddie’s voice rumbled beneath her ribs.
That sound she’d heard before that resembled a purr vibrated from Eddie’s chest. Liana glanced up and was met with the heated amber gaze of her bear shifter.
“Um, yeah. Thank you.” Liana licked her lips.
Eddie’s gaze dropped to her lips. The heat in her eyes flared even more. Butterflies filled Liana’s stomach. She didn’t know how long they had slept or how long she had been in Eddie’s arms.
“No problem. I noticed you shivering again, so I thought to bring you closer to me,” Eddie said.
Ah. She was helping her as she’d slept.
Well, that makes sense.
“You just know how to take care of me, don’t you?” Liana joked. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead down to put her face back in the crook of Eddie’s neck. She wasn’t going to lie, she didn’t want to move from this spot.
“Yeah, I do. If you’d let me,” Eddie said.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Liana gasped. Her head flew back so she could see Eddie’s face.
The woman stared at her with an expression that Liana couldn’t read.
“You are injured. Allow me to help you,” Eddie said softly. Her hand came up to gently cup Liana’s face.
Liana leaned into the callused palm. This was someone who worked with her hands. Liana immediately fantasized what it would feel like to have those hands running along her bare thighs. A shiver rippled through her.
Eddie’s eyebrows rose. “Still cold?”
“No.” She was far from cold. If anything, she was starting to overheat being this close to Eddie. She looked away from her. “I just don’t want to feel helpless. You have done plenty for me. The least I can do is help out around here to pay you back.”
“You don’t ever have to pay me back,” Eddie snapped. She narrowed her eyes on Liana.
Her expression of anger took Liana’s breath away.
Eddie tightened her hold on Liana’s face. “You were trapped, injured, and in danger. Any decent person would have—or at least should have—helped.”
“But still. It’s just in my nature to—”
“To be stubborn?” Eddie’s expression softened. Her thumb softly caressed Liana’s face.
The move could be felt all the way down to Liana’s core. Her breaths came swiftly as she focused on the swipes of her thumb.
“Determined. Helpful,” Liana retorted, her eyes fluttering shut.
This woman was doing things to her that made her body come alive. What was this between them? Was Eddie feeling it, or was this all one-sided because it had been a long time since Liana had felt the touch of another in such an intimate way?
“Hmmm…” Eddie murmured. Her thumb paused its movement.
Liana opened her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. Eddie lowered her head and paused when their lips were millimeters from each other. Liana parted her lips slightly. Eddie groaned and closed the distance between them.
Her lips were firm yet soft. Liana’s opened to welcome Eddie’s bold tongue that swept inside her mouth. Liana lifted her arms to wrap them around Eddie’s neck. Unable to resist, she tugged Eddie to her. She didn’t want the woman to pull away—not yet.
The kiss was heated and possessive. Eddie wasted no time in dominating it.
She held on to Liana’s head while her tongue plundered.
Liana wasn’t shy in meeting her in the kiss.
She returned it with such a fire that it left both of them breathless when they drew apart.
They stared at each other for a moment before Eddie spoke.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“Please don’t apologize. I mean, unless you have a mate or something,” Liana breathed.
“What? I don’t have a mate,” Eddie replied.
“Then why are you apologizing?” Liana’s fingers played with the small amount of hair that had escaped Eddie’s ponytail at the base of her neck.
There was conflict in Eddie’s amber gaze. She glanced down at Liana and blew out a deep breath. “Because I don’t want you thinking I am taking advantage of you.”