Chapter 12

By the time they made it to the front door, every part of Karen’s body was just about frozen.

She happily followed him inside when he shoved the door open, every molecule of her body rejoicing at the rush of warm air that greeted her.

“Thank you for helping me out, Bert.”

“It comes with the job,” he said. Then, in a softer voice, he added, “You’re welcome.”

Karen took out her phone and looked at the screen.

“Don’t bother. There is no signal up here. There is no power either. There is a blizzard going on outside and we can’t drive anywhere. That is the reality of the situation.”

The wind howled outside, the wood cabin creaking against the pressure as if to hammer home the point Bert had just made.

“So, you’re telling me that we are stuck here?”

“Pretty much. Just as my sisters planned it,” he said, under his breath.

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll make sure to buy them some flowers when we get back to Middleton,” Karen said, still shivering.

“Try chocolates best.”

A frown crested Bert’s lips as she removed one boot and started on the other. They were covered with snow and couldn’t be worn in the cottage, of course. It was why he’d removed his own on entering. But he still wore his coat, scarf, hat, and gloves.

While the cabin was still as cold, the floor was like a slab of ice, and he could see her socks were everyday type, not meant for cold weather or icy cottages.

“Here,” he slid his feet out of his slippers and pushed them toward her. “They’ll be too big but will keep you warm at least.”

She glanced up with surprise. “What about you?”

“I have two pairs of thermal socks on. I’ll be fine,” he muttered.

“Thank you for saving my life,” Karen said.

Bert blinked at those husky words. Then, Karen turned her body to face him and moved closer with slightly parted lips. He didn’t doubt it for a minute, what she had on mind.

His thoughts scattered, as Karen’s pink little tongue slid out to run over her lips, wetting them. He realized that he was swaying toward her in response like a moth drawn to a flame. Karen planted a big kiss on his lips.

Bert was hit by a rushing river of conflicted emotions. Giving his head a shake, Bert quickly stepped back and removed his hat and his jacket.

Karen smiled and announced, “You’re still a great kisser, Bert Thomas.”

He blinked at the words. “You, too, Karen Morris.”

“We used to drive up here to make love anytime we could,” she reminisced.

“We used to do that, but we are not those kids anymore, Karen.”

“True, we both are older and, hopefully, wiser.”

Bert moved to the fire and threw on another log, then took a minute to push the logs around until the fire was full strength. Satisfied by the heat pouring off of it, he glanced around the room and found Karen rubbing her hands together in front of the fireplace.

“Since we are both stuck here, why don’t we sit by the fire and drink some hot soup?”

“I love the sound of that,” she approved, sitting on the couch.

Bert disappeared into the kitchen area and came back a few minutes later, carrying two cups of chicken soup.

She smiled up at him, and said, “Thank you, it smells lovely.”

Karen had removed her jacket, and her scarf, as well as the bottoms of her ski suit, he noted as his gaze landed on her. She was now wearing a baby-blue sweater and a pair of what almost looked like leotards. The pants were thin and molded to her skin. She may as well have been nude, but as tightly as the cloth hugged her, there wasn’t a panty line to be seen. Damn, she had the shapeliest ass and legs he’d seen in a long time.