11. Sienna #3
I wrap a scratchy, too-small towel around my body.
My teeth chatter as I stand, freezing cold, dripping on the floor, waiting for the light to come back on. But nothing happens.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
I tear open the door and find that the rest of the cabin has no power either.
I can’t say I’m surprised that the power is out. I’m in the middle of fucking nowhere.
I head out into the cold, wet towel wrapped around me, and march through the snow back to the main cabin.
I fly through the door and immediately feel three pairs of eyes land on me.
I’m not cold anymore, but I am still incredibly annoyed.
“Have you goons never seen a woman in a towel before?” I’m about to extend my arms in question, but I save myself from making a big mistake and flashing all three of them. “The power is out. I need your help. Now.”
That rattles them out of their trance.
Knox and Eli rush past me and march through the snow. I clutch the towel around my body and follow them.
When I get back to the cabin, I see the pair of them marching through the place, checking the electrical panel and other devices I don’t know how to work.
My breath catches as I see Knox enter the bathroom. My clothes are still in a pile on the floor, my pink lace panties at the top of the pile. He turns on the shower and tests the water. He switches the shower off with a grunt and reconvenes with Eli in the main room.
“The main fuse is blown,” Eli says to me. “It needs replacing, but the nearest Home Depot is on the other side of the valley.” He points to the window. Everything outside is white. “We don’t have anything to trip it back on with.”
I blink, waiting for them to elaborate. “Can you start speaking English?”
“You’ll need to move into our cabin,” says Knox.
They must be joking.
I take a step back. That’s not going to happen. There’s not enough room in there.
“What?” I ask, my heart racing. “I can’t.”
I’ll lose my shit if I’m living under the same roof as these guys. Personal space is a necessity. There’s no way I’m sharing a bathroom and doing god knows what else with these three.
“I can’t.”
“You can have my bed,” volunteers Knox.
He receives an angry look from Eli, like he was just about to make the same offer.
“Where will you stay then? You obviously can’t sleep out here,” Eli says.
“I’ll sleep on the couch,” says Knox.
I’m used to the princess treatment—people giving things up for me.
But I did not expect Knox to give up his bed.
For some reason, I feel like I owe him my life—which, now that I think about it, I probably do.
Maybe he’s not the monster I first thought he was.
Still, that doesn’t mean I should let my guard down completely.
“Why would you sleep on the couch?”
“Because you’re the guest.”
“And because you don’t want to put up with my snoring?” I raise a brow.
Crickets.
“You don’t snore… that much,” Eli offers.
“Okay, fine. I’ll pack up and be up there in a bit.”
“We’ll get your bags for you,” volunteers Knox.
“No. I’ve got them.”
Eli frowns, and I feel his eyes on me as I walk into the bathroom. I gather my clothes into a pile and dump them into my bag. Normally I would fold them neatly, but I’m in a rush. Eli is watching me, analyzing my every move.
And it’s making me nervous.
I generally don’t get nervous unless I’m watching myself in a movie for the first time.
“Don’t you have bread to make or something?”
When he doesn’t respond, I look up and find him only six inches away.
Holy shit. His brown eyes have got to be up there as the best I’ve ever seen.
I slowly stand back to full height, scared that my knees will buckle or that this tiny towel will drop, and I’ll reveal myself to him a second time.
I’m still standing, but now I’m wobbling a bit.
“Whoa, careful,” says Eli, grabbing my waist without thinking twice.
“Umm,” I mumble, trying not to overthink his touch. But it’s hard to do that when his hands are sending shivers throughout my whole body.
I stare at his hand. He needs to let go before the shivers get worse, but I fear my knees are too weak to hold me up. If he lets go, I fall, and this towel drops. I’m fucked either way.
“Hey.” Eli catches my chin in his hand, and my stomach drops.
I part my lips, needing more air.
“About yesterday.”
Oh, no. Please, no.
“Don’t be embarrassed about me walking in.” His eyes darken. “There’s no need to be. Trust me.”
I swallow thickly.
“I’d watch you finger yourself on repeat for the rest of my life, and it still wouldn’t be enough.”
Heat grows in my belly, dispersing out into the rest of my body. I'm dripping in sweat and still counting on Eli’s hand to keep me upright.
I’ve always been good at holding my own, even if it’s all pretend. I can fake my way through interviews, smile and make it look convincing. I’m an actress, which works in my favor in things like that.
But this is the first time I can’t act. I can’t do anything but lean into Eli’s hand and pray he doesn’t let go, or else I’ll go down. He has full control over me.
And for the first time ever, I think I like it.