breathing pattern told him that she was awake too, and he wanted ask what she was thinking about.
No, that was lame. He should get rid of the dog and kiss Tess, properly this time. No, he said he could control himself. There was that damn indecisiveness when it came to her again.
He rolled on his side so he could watch her. Her breathing eventually became even and deep. It took him a while, but he finally got back there too.
When Lukas woke the next morning, he felt a soft hand on his cheek. He placed his own on top of hers and opened his eyes. It took him a moment, but he realized her hand wasn’t there on purpose. She was fast asleep and sprawled across the entire bed.
When he moved her hand, she rolled on her side so that she was facing him. Her shirt had crawled up, revealing her stomach. He resisted the urge to touch her skin. She was perfect in every possible way—thin, but not overly so. Her stomach pooched out a little bit, and he loved that. She wasn’t the type to obsess over her body.
Stacey was model thin, and if she ever found even a small amount of fat where she didn’t think there should be any, he heard about it for a week.
Tess wouldn’t be that way. It was refreshing.
He could stare at her all day long, but he was afraid of what she’d think if she woke up to him staring.
He slid out of bed and found some warm clothes. He’d take a shower then get the fire going in the living room. It was two-sided and would also heat the kitchen.
The bathroom was freezing, but the hot water heater was gas, so he didn’t stay cold for long. When he came out of the bathroom, he found Tess wrapped in blanket, looking out the window.
She turned to him. “Where’s my house?”
“What do you mean?”
“You should be able to see my house from your window, right?”
He nodded. He watched her lights go off most nights.
“I can’t find it.”
The snow was still coming down, but it wasn’t blowing as hard.
He pointed. “There you can see the roof. It blends in because it’s white.”
Tess squinted. “That means the rest of the house is covered by snow.”
“Yep.”
“When will it melt?”
Lukas shrugged. “A month, maybe two. But it will take about a week to gain access to everyone’s house.”
“But all my stuff. I can’t impose on you that long.”
“We should be able to get you into your house in a few days. But only if it stops snowing now. If it keeps coming down, then who knows. But you aren’t imposing. It’ll be nice to have the company.”
She nodded and looked out of the window. “Does it snow like this often?”
“Maybe once every few years. It’s the lake effect. Sometimes it melts fast, but now it’s too cold for it to go anywhere. You can shower if you want. The water is hot. I’m going to go start the fire in the living room.”
“Okay. Thank you for rescuing me last night. I know I wasn’t grateful when I saw the sleeping arrangement, but you were a gentleman.”
He should’ve kept his mouth shut, but he couldn’t help himself. “I know I was, but you couldn’t keep your hands off me.”
Tess flushed pink. “What are you talking about?”
“When I woke up this morning, you were touching me.”
He left it deliberately open to interpretation.
“No way.” She brought her hand to her mouth and seemed to fumble for words for a second. He grinned.
“Yes way.”
Tess looked at him for a second. “I don’t believe you. If it were true, I’d remember.”
“Do you always remember everything you do while you are sleeping?”
A frown appeared on her beautiful face. “Never mind, it’s not important.” She turned away and dug through her overnight bag. He must’ve hit a nerve.
Lukas touched her on the shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m messing with you. I found your hand on my cheek. I actually found it awfully sweet.”
He didn’t wait for her response before he left the room, Dio on his heels.
T ess wished she hadn’t reacted so sensitively. She
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