A Very Beary Christmas by Abbie Zanders

Author:Abbie Zanders [Zanders, Abbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abbie Zanders
Published: 2017-12-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Chloe

I was both relieved and anxious as Sam led me away from the main lodge and toward a small log cabin tucked away in the woods. Relieved because, while everyone had been very friendly and welcoming, it was a bit daunting. I was far more comfortable hanging back in the shadows than being the center of attention. And anxious because I was going to be alone with Sam again.

Being alone with Sam was complicated. On the one hand, I felt a soul deep peace whenever I was around him. I felt lighter. Safer. Happier. On the other hand, being close to him made my body light up in ways that were hard to ignore when it was just the two of us. I felt tingly. Achy. I had this nearly overwhelming compulsion to bury my face in his neck and drape my body over his, to feel his heat seep into my skin and warm me from the inside out.

It was definitely not a friendly, family, G-rated kind of feeling.

Was he feeling the same way? I didn’t know. I was good at sensing danger or picking up on things like anger and rage, but I was not good at gauging normal, everyday, non-violent vibes. However, sometimes when I caught him looking at me, I could have sworn I saw heat and hunger in his golden-brown gaze, but then he would blink and it would be gone. Outwardly, he had been affectionate, holding my hand or touching the small of my back, but that didn’t prove anything. His whole family was a huggy bunch.

At my place, battling the flu had kept a damper on these more-than-friendly stirrings, and on the ride here, the constant banter and beautiful vistas had provided enough of a distraction to keep these things to myself. Alone out here in Sam’s private space, out of sight and earshot of the main lodge, how was I ever going to pull this off without making a fool of myself, or worse, making things terribly awkward between us and possibly losing him as a friend?

“What’s wrong, Chloe?” Sam looked down at me with concern in his eyes, and I realized I had stopped just outside his door.

“Maybe it would be better if I stayed up at the lodge,” I offered.

A low noise, something like a growl, reverberated in the air around us. “You’re safe here with me.”

“Yes,” I murmured, “but you might not be safe with me.”

He tilted his head slightly and his eyes glowed. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” I forced a smile and stepped in, appreciating the rustic, masculine space. Done in dark greens and browns, it was simple and comfortable. Perfectly Sam. I liked it. I especially liked that a fire was already blazing in the stone hearth, meaning someone must have come in and readied the place when Sam called ahead to say he was bringing me.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” he warned when I began removing my gloves.

“Why not? I thought you told your mother I needed to rest.

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