“Let’s go have a seat.” He manages to lead us to the couch, where he sits and pulls me into his lap, wrapping the blanket around both of us. “Tell me what happened.”
“By the time I reached town, the snow was falling hard. When I got here, I had to use the restroom, so I grabbed one small bag, my phone, and purse and made my way inside. The cabin was freezing, still is freezing.” I shiver. “Anyway, I couldn’t get the thermostat to work. So I thought I would make a fire, then call Aurora and Grant to see what I was doing wrong. All the firewood is covered in snow. I went outside to grab some anyway to bring it in and thaw out. By the time I was done, I was frozen to the bone. The only way I knew to warm up was a hot shower. The hot water ran out not long after I got in. So, I got out and came in search of my phone to call someone to come and help. That’s when I heard the door open, and well, you know the rest.”
“Shit,” he mumbles as he tightens his grip.
“What?” I try to sit up to look at him, but his hold on me is strong. I don’t fight him and keep my head resting on his shoulder.
“The thermostat isn’t broken. It’s locked.”
“Seriously?” I ask. “Why in the hell is it locked?”
“That’s my fault. Do you remember when me and my brothers came up here for the weekend back in September to go fishing?”
“Yeah. Aurora had to practically force Grant to go.”
“So did Sawyer and Layla.” He chuckles. “Anyway, it was cooler weather outside because of the wind, so we had to bundle up—nothing we’re not used to. When we got back to the cabin, we had a few beers, and Marshall was whining that he was hot. He still had on all of his layers and a few beers in him. He kept trying to mess with the thermostat to turn on the air, which me and the others agreed that we did not need, so I locked it.”
“You locked it?” This time when I try to sit up, he lets me. He has an apologetic frown on his face. “How did you lock it?”
“IT guy, remember?” He shrugs.
“So, it’s not broken?”
“No.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He holds the screen so that I can watch him. He taps a thermostat icon and turns up the heat. The furnace immediately kicks on. “We have it, so we can program it from anywhere. We do that so that we can maintain the temperature before we come up, and keep it high enough in the winter that the pipes don’t freeze, and also not cost us a fortune to heat it when there is no one staying here.”
“No one thought to turn it up since I was driving up early?”
“I’m sorry.”
“And the water heater?”
“Just a freak coincidence. I’ll take a look. I don’t know that we’ve ever replaced it. I’ll call Dad to verify. My guess is that it’s just broken and we’ll need to get someone here to install a new one. I didn’t bring my truck, or I could go pick one up and install it myself.”
“You know how to do that?”
“Yes.” His eyes are locked on mine as he lifts his hand and palms my cheek. “I’m so sorry, Aspen. I hate the thought of you here alone and freezing.”
“Speaking of alone, what are you doing here?”
“Mom wanted me to be here in case you needed help with anything. Well, not me specifically. Me or Marshall since she knew getting the others away from their wives would be impossible.”
“You drew the short stick?” I hate the thought of Conrad or Marshall, either one feeling as though they need to be here to babysit me. Despite the situation he walked in on, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.
“No. I volunteered.” Something passes in his eyes, something I can’t name, but it makes my insides all gooey and me very aware I’m still sitting on his lap in nothing but a towel with wet hair, and he’s shirtless with his tattoos that he keeps hidden behind those button-up shirts on display.
“I should, um, go get dressed.”
“Yeah. Let me go grab your bags. Where are your keys?”
“On the table by the door.” Pulling the cover away, I stand from his lap and instantly miss the heat of his body against mine. The room is warmer, but there’s still a chill in the air. I step back and watch as Conrad stands and slips back into his T-shirt and sweatshirt before grabbing my keys and stepping outside.
I can’t believe he saw me like this. Grabbing the blanket, I wrap myself back up in it so when he comes in with my bag, I’ll at least have all my skin covered, that is unless he’s a foot man, and I seriously doubt it.
I’ve barely got the blanket around me when the door pushes open, bringing Conrad, some snow, the cold air, and my bags. “It’s really coming down out there. My tracks are already covered.”
“I didn’t think it was supposed to snow,” I say lamely. Have I really resorted to talking to the sexy man in front of me about the weather? Pathetic.
“You know how it is this time of year. The weather is unpredictable. Which room are you staying in?” he asks.
“Oh, end of the hall, last door on the right.”
He grins. “I guess that means I finally got one of the Steele sisters into my bed.” He winks, and I almost choke at his words.
“That’s your room?” I try to think back to when we stayed here over the Fourth of July weekend, and that’s the room my parents stayed in.
“Yep,” he says, popping the p. The grin on his face grows wider.
“I-I can switch.”
“Nah, I like the thought of you sleeping in my bed.” His eyes roam over my body, and even though I’m covered with the blanket, I feel as if he can see right through it.
“You sure?”
“Positive. I’ll take this upstairs for you.”
“Thanks, Conrad.” He nods and walks around me to go upstairs. I follow after him, admiring the view of his ass in those jeans on the way up. I’m so distracted that I trip on the last step. I let out a screech, dropping the blanket and preparing myself for the impact that never comes. At least not with the floor. No, strong arms wrap around my naked body. Naked body! I dropped the towel when I dropped the blanket. His hands grip my bare waist.
“You all right?” His voice is husky, his grip tight.
“Y-Yes. I’m so sorry.” I pull away, and he lets me as I scramble to gather the blanket and haphazardly wrap it around me. My knees quiver as I take my bag from his hands, and move past him to my room, correction, his room, to get dressed.
As soon as the door is closed, I lean my back against it, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. My heart is racing like I just ran a marathon, or how I imagine it would feel to run a marathon. I’m not a runner. I pull in deep, even breaths to try to regulate my breathing. I need to get a grip. Conrad is just a man. He’s going to be my sister’s brother-in-law. So what if he saw me naked. It’s not like it’s something he’s not seen before.
Spying my bags on the bed, I move and pull out my clothes, quickly getting dressed. Once I’ve slid on some leggings and a sweatshirt, I sit to tug on my socks. That’s when I remember what he said—that he likes the thought of me sleeping in his bed. I would have chalked the statement up to teasing that the Riggins brothers are notorious for, but the look in his eyes and the huskiness of his voice tells me he wasn’t teasing.