Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Austin
I could get through a few snowy days, right?
I’d keep busy while the weather was clear, puttering around outside, and maybe, if he was anything like my mom, he’d end up working all day, much as he’d told me he wouldn’t.
Then, we’d have one day under our belts without me trying to jump his bones, because much as there were many arguments in favor of whiling away the time doing each other …
favors, the reality was it was a very bad idea.
I’d just have to stay as far away from him as this amazing, beautiful, romantic cabin, with the breathtaking views, and minimal doors, would let me.
That’s what I’d been thinking about, staring out at the vista in front of me, but then he had to go and share with me again, about his desire to be alone.
He’d ignored me calling his ex-husband an asshole and tried to talk about work instead, but I wanted to know more.
“I’m guessing there’s at least some fun to be had up here during tourist season. A resort lodge or favorite bar. I bet the apps are hopping.”
“The apps?”
“Yeah, you know, Guys4Guys or …”
“Oh, I don’t … use those.”
He’d said I don’t use those, but what I heard was, I don’t do that. And to each his own—I wasn’t much of a hookup guy myself—but it did seem a lonely existence, and it made me glad my persistent mother had tracked him down, and that my parents had made an excuse for him to join us for Christmas.
“Well, if you ever decide you want to make a profile, I am happy to consult on that.”
Randall fumbled the mug in his hand, and I thought about what I’d said.
I was pretty sure we were both picturing the same thing, me helping him take intimate photos to be used on a hookup site.
Fuck, I was flirting with him even when I tried not to.
Time to dig myself out of a hole, and the best way to do that was to put distance between us.
I cleared my throat and took a sip of my coffee.
He did the same, and for a moment, from across the room, it felt like there was an electric charge between us.
Even at that distance, I thought I could feel his heat.
I forced myself not to think of it as desire, his or mine.
Yeah, it was time to get out of there. I cleared my damn throat again to make sure my voice didn’t come out sounding like a gravely Darth Vadar.
“I’ll go out and work on the firewood.” I think I may have failed at that a little, my voice sounding more like a naughty invitation than the proclamation of a household chore.
I definitely needed to get out of the one-room cabin.
I hightailed it to the bathroom to wash up from breakfast, walking past Randall as he cleaned up the kitchen to collect my things from the laundry room.
“I’ll just take my stuff upstairs, then,” I started as I came out of the room, but Randall wasn’t in the kitchen any longer.
“Up here.” He leaned over the balcony.
“Oh, hey. I’m up there, right?” I pointed up the stairs I stood in front of.
“Right.”
The loft opposite where Randall stood was completely separate and on the facing wall.
We could stand and look at each other over the living room below, but by the time I got up the stairs, Randall had slipped into the bathroom on his side.
My side was set up like an office, with book-lined shelves and a sleek desk with multiple computer screens and not a stitch of paper.
He’d opened up and made the sofa bed the night before, and I deposited my bag of now-clean clothes on top of it, fishing out jeans, a thermal shirt, and a sweatshirt as well as my double-insulated gloves and a knit cap.
Back downstairs, I found a snow shovel in the garage, grabbed the firewood carrying case that Randall had tucked in the laundry room, and slipped outside.
The snow had stopped, though we expected it to start up again, and the wind had calmed, though it hadn’t stopped completely, the tall trees surrounding Randall’s property swaying peacefully as they shed heavy snow from their white-tipped boughs.
I stood for a minute, taking it in. Leaning my chin on top of my hands on the shovel and thinking about the thick line of trees, the long driveway I couldn’t see from this side of the house, and the steep slope down the mountain that cut one side of the property off completely from access, unless maybe you were a rock climber.
Randall had found an isolated corner of New York to call home.
Cut off from family, away from his ex-husband and his life in London, even working remotely.
I felt like I was standing in the most beautiful winter-wonderland-themed closet, and I couldn’t help but wonder why a man my dad’s age, with so much going for him, would need to be in it.
His snow globe secret, I thought, not at all upset to be trapped inside it with him for a time.
The slider opened up behind me, and there Randall stood, covered from head to toe, from his heavy boots and snow pants to the scarf wrapped around his mouth and nose and the trapper hat secured under his chin.
Not even his eyes were visible behind chunky sunglasses, shaped similarly to the regular pair he wore inside. Even when I couldn’t see a single patch of skin, I was still drawn to him.
I couldn’t help but chuckle, ignoring my attraction.
“I’d tell you I have this covered and to go back inside, but that getup looks like it took work to put on, so we’re gonna put it to use.
” I held out the shovel with one hand and pointed with the other.
“That mound of snow hides the other stack of wood I dragged over last night. You unbury that, and I’ll go grab some more.
” He thought it through like he wanted to argue or come up with a better plan, but in the end, he nodded.
“You okay in those sneakers and jeans? I can grab another pair of boots for you. I might even …”
I waved him off as I walked away from him. “I don’t plan to be out here that long.”
I could hear him shoveling as I fought my way through at least a foot of snow, past all that comfortable-looking outdoor furniture that had turned to white banks and back to the neatly stacked, snow-dusted wood rack.
I loaded the carrier and turned to catch Randall watching me. God damn it, I was trying to be good, and his eyes were hidden and all, but it really felt like he was checking me out. Maybe I was mistaken; it’s not like his eyes were actually visible.
“Did you find the case of wood? I’ve got another one to add to it.” I hefted the bag and clutched it in two hands, making my uneven way to Randall.
“It’s here,” he said without taking his eyes off me. I stood in front of him and dropped my bundle.
“You have a really lovely setting here.”
“I’m looking forward to nicer weather so I can sit out here at night.”
“Fire up that fancy grill.”
“If we lose power, we may have to fire it up tonight.”
“Should I clean it off?” I said, turning around without waiting for an answer.
“No!” He grabbed my arm. “The way you’re dressed, you shouldn’t even be out here.”
“I’m fine,” I insisted. “I’ve attended HU for almost four years; this is like a spring day to me.
” I pointed upward. “We’ve even got some sun.
” He still had ahold of my hand, but I turned back toward him and grabbed the shovel.
We were face to fully covered face for a beat, then I yanked away the shovel, not realizing he’d been balancing on it, and we toppled into the soft cushion of snow.
I pushed the shovel away from us as we tumbled, and we landed, him on top of me.
His scarf had loosened, and his sunglasses dangled in front of my face as he braced his arms to keep from knocking into me.
It was all well and good that he’d managed to hoist up his upper half, but all that really did was shift his weight to the lower half of his body.
And despite the jeans and snow pants and jackets between us, I was enticingly aware of how our bodies aligned, our legs dovetailed, our groins pressed against each other’s thighs through layers of cotton and insulated material.
My arms were splayed out to my sides, but when his buckled, I instinctively wrapped mine around him, encouraging him to take his weight off them. He relaxed into me, his sunglasses going askew as his body lowered. I reached up and pulled them off.
“Austin,” he whispered.
I was trying to formulate a quip about how he really should have just let me clean the grill.
I opened my mouth, but before I could get a word out, I found myself nodding my head ever so slightly.
He was on me immediately, his cold chapped lips meeting mine.
My surprise faded quickly, and I tightened my arms around him as he tickled my lips with his tongue, and I opened for him, my head tipping back and sinking into the melting snow.
He was insistent and possessive as he moved his head above me, toying with my tongue in a surprisingly playful dance. It was my moan that had him jerking up with a hiss.
“I …” I shook my head “no” and cupped the back of his neck with the hand that wasn’t holding his sunglasses.
“No thinking,” I insisted as I pulled him back to me, kissing him while relaxing into the ground and opening myself to him again. My lips parted and my legs spread so that he could sink into me more. He gave in immediately, kissing back and pressing against me until I was moaning again.
He explored my mouth, and I ran my gloved hand up and down the surface of his jacket.
The wetness of the melting snow seeped into my jeans, but I ignored the cold, focusing on the man above me, his rocking hips and teasing mouth.
I could possibly have stayed there forever, but when I moved one leg to wrap around his, Randall pulled up again.
I held him tight, not ready for our interlude to end.