under the blanket and without any warning at all, covered her body with his. He closed himself around her like a thick coat of fur. “Put your hands on my chest. You’ll warm up quicker if nothing is exposed.”
Everything was exposed.
“You’re sure this is going to work?” she asked, hesitantly putting her cold-as-ice hands on him. Through his cool damp chest came warmth that was as much a relief as it was a surprise.
He was warmer than she’d thought he’d be.
Hadn’t he been out in the same rain and wind that she had? How could his body radiate so much more warmth?
“Chance, you didn’t answer me?”
“It’s working already,” he said rather harshly and then added, “your teeth aren’t chattering.”
He was unbearably close. Their breaths mingled and she drew the scent of fresh rain, earth and coffee into her nostrils. His smell wasn’t displeasing and Lizzie thought herself a silly fool for thinking of such a thing while he was lying atop her, trying to keep her warm.
Her palms pressed the skin of his chest and it reminded her of wildfire catching on a field of dry grass, those initial embers that started to flame slowly in the beginning before setting the entire prairie to blaze. That’s how Chance felt to her as those embers began to thaw her out, one body part at a time.
“Are you warming up, too?” she asked. Her legs were cold, but she wouldn’t complain that he hadn’t wrapped his legs around hers. Some things a girl just knew not to say.
“Getting there, Lizzie.”
“You feel warm to me.”
“That’s the point of it all.”
She felt the scattered hairs beneath her fingertips and wondered how it would feel to move her hands through them and feel the corded muscles underneath her palms. Only in her imaginings would she ever actually do it, but, oh, what an ease to her burgeoning curiosity it would be to put her hands on a man that way and have freedom enough to explore. It was a wicked thought and one she’d probably never see come to life but if she ever had the opportunity she’d want it to be with someone like Chance.
“So this is what it’s like,” she whispered, once Chance settled down. He seemed at an odd angle, as if he was holding back, trying not to crush her.
“Getting warm?”
She corrected him with a whisper. “Lying with a man.”
“Geesh, Lizzie. You’re not lying with me. This isn’t what it’s like at all.”
“Oh?” Her face was tucked into the hollow part of his neck, right where his throat met with his chest. Every time he spoke she felt the vibration as his throat worked to move the deep sound of his voice. “But isn’t this how it feels? Being so close we only need to whisper to be heard.”
“That part’s true.”
“And we’re sharing a blanket?”
“True again.”
“And we’re—”
“We’re nothing, Lizzie. Just keeping warm on a night you might have froze. That’s all.”
“I don’t feel quite as frozen anymore. But, oh, this blanket is itchy underneath. Feels like a batch of spiders pricking at my skin.” She shifted a little, wiggling her body to get more comfortable. The move brought her hips up to meet with his groin.
“Don’t do that,” he snapped, pulling away from her. His quick action yanked the blanket off both of them and a cold rush of air seeped in. She felt his absence immediately and the chill that sped up and down her body felt like ice flowing through her veins.
She stiffened and rested back against the wet woolen material. “Sorry, but I…the blanket is rough against my back.” She shivered. “It’s cold without you.”
Chance muttered an oath and a few seconds ticked by before he hooked the blanket over his shoulders again. He resumed his position, setting her hands back on his chest. She felt his heat instantly as he covered her. A heavy sigh pulled from his lungs. “Seems to me, you can either be warm or comfortable. Can’t have both. Not tonight.”
She could barely make out his
Everything was exposed.
“You’re sure this is going to work?” she asked, hesitantly putting her cold-as-ice hands on him. Through his cool damp chest came warmth that was as much a relief as it was a surprise.
He was warmer than she’d thought he’d be.
Hadn’t he been out in the same rain and wind that she had? How could his body radiate so much more warmth?
“Chance, you didn’t answer me?”
“It’s working already,” he said rather harshly and then added, “your teeth aren’t chattering.”
He was unbearably close. Their breaths mingled and she drew the scent of fresh rain, earth and coffee into her nostrils. His smell wasn’t displeasing and Lizzie thought herself a silly fool for thinking of such a thing while he was lying atop her, trying to keep her warm.
Her palms pressed the skin of his chest and it reminded her of wildfire catching on a field of dry grass, those initial embers that started to flame slowly in the beginning before setting the entire prairie to blaze. That’s how Chance felt to her as those embers began to thaw her out, one body part at a time.
“Are you warming up, too?” she asked. Her legs were cold, but she wouldn’t complain that he hadn’t wrapped his legs around hers. Some things a girl just knew not to say.
“Getting there, Lizzie.”
“You feel warm to me.”
“That’s the point of it all.”
She felt the scattered hairs beneath her fingertips and wondered how it would feel to move her hands through them and feel the corded muscles underneath her palms. Only in her imaginings would she ever actually do it, but, oh, what an ease to her burgeoning curiosity it would be to put her hands on a man that way and have freedom enough to explore. It was a wicked thought and one she’d probably never see come to life but if she ever had the opportunity she’d want it to be with someone like Chance.
“So this is what it’s like,” she whispered, once Chance settled down. He seemed at an odd angle, as if he was holding back, trying not to crush her.
“Getting warm?”
She corrected him with a whisper. “Lying with a man.”
“Geesh, Lizzie. You’re not lying with me. This isn’t what it’s like at all.”
“Oh?” Her face was tucked into the hollow part of his neck, right where his throat met with his chest. Every time he spoke she felt the vibration as his throat worked to move the deep sound of his voice. “But isn’t this how it feels? Being so close we only need to whisper to be heard.”
“That part’s true.”
“And we’re sharing a blanket?”
“True again.”
“And we’re—”
“We’re nothing, Lizzie. Just keeping warm on a night you might have froze. That’s all.”
“I don’t feel quite as frozen anymore. But, oh, this blanket is itchy underneath. Feels like a batch of spiders pricking at my skin.” She shifted a little, wiggling her body to get more comfortable. The move brought her hips up to meet with his groin.
“Don’t do that,” he snapped, pulling away from her. His quick action yanked the blanket off both of them and a cold rush of air seeped in. She felt his absence immediately and the chill that sped up and down her body felt like ice flowing through her veins.
She stiffened and rested back against the wet woolen material. “Sorry, but I…the blanket is rough against my back.” She shivered. “It’s cold without you.”
Chance muttered an oath and a few seconds ticked by before he hooked the blanket over his shoulders again. He resumed his position, setting her hands back on his chest. She felt his heat instantly as he covered her. A heavy sigh pulled from his lungs. “Seems to me, you can either be warm or comfortable. Can’t have both. Not tonight.”
She could barely make out his
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