Her Forever Hero (Unexpected Heroes #3)(44)

“I didn’t know a storm was coming,” she said, turning just a little so she could snuggle more deeply into his warmth.

“The clouds were as black as they come, Grace. You know better!” he thundered.

“Stop yelling,” she said, but her voice was so weak, it didn’t hold much authority. “I thought it was just going to rain. I’ve gotten wet before.”

“Even if it had been rain, you could have gotten pneumonia at the very least.”

“I’m a Montana girl. I’m tough. It just started snowing so hard, and I lost the road, and then I couldn’t find my way forward or back. It was so cold, and then it wasn’t cold anymore, and then . . . I just remember something warm, and that’s all I remember.”

“You remember warmth because you were suffering from hypothermia, you stubborn little fool.”

At least he’d stopped yelling.

“I made a mistake. You don’t need to be such a jerk,” she told him, a flash of anger whipping through her.

He was quiet for a moment. She guessed he didn’t like being on the receiving end of a sharp tongue. Well, too dang bad for him. She might be craving his warmth at the moment, but she certainly wasn’t going to be berated for making a small mistake. Okay, a big mistake, but it was over and she was now safe.

“Dammit, Grace, I was scared to death.”

“Do I still have all my fingers and toes?” she asked in an attempt to make a joke. She wiggled all of her digits to make sure she did, in fact, have them.

“I don’t find you amusing,” he said, but he was much calmer as he ran his fingers slowly up and down her arms. “And, yes, you have all your body parts.”

“I’m sorry, Cam. I knew I was in trouble when it began coming down so quickly, but I couldn’t find my phone and I couldn’t get out of it.” Her voice was now choked with tears that she didn’t want to give in to. She was afraid that if she did, she might never stop.

“I shouldn’t have yelled, Grace. I was just so damn terrified,” he said as he pulled her more tightly to him and kissed the side of her forehead.

The soothing action was making her eyes drift shut again. She was still so very tired.

“I just want to sleep,” she told him, turning slightly, laying her head against his warm chest as he caressed the side of her face.

“That’s because your body was working so hard to keep you alive. It’s probably the equivalent of running a marathon,” he whispered.

“I’ve always thought people who run marathons are fools. Why in the world would you punish yourself like that? I find it much more enjoyable to sit with a glass of wine and watch an episode of Scandal.” She couldn’t quite get out a laugh.

“I’ll stick with the whiskey. My gut is still tied in knots.”

“I’m naked,” she pointed out. Should she be mortified that she wasn’t more embarrassed about it?

“Yes, you are,” he said with a laugh.

“Don’t you think it’s pretty bad to take advantage of a sick, knocked-out girl?”

“I needed to get you warm, Grace,” he said with a sigh. “So I stripped us both—your clothes were soaked anyway—and held you for a good hour under about a dozen blankets. I think I sweated off ten pounds, but you eventually stopped shivering. Then I changed the bedding around you and washed off before coming back in here.”

“That’s kinda nasty,” she said with an attempt at a giggle. It sounded more like a dying frog.

“I kept you alive,” he reminded her.

“Thank you, Cam,” she said, her laughter gone. “I mean it—thank you. I don’t want to imagine what might have happened if you hadn’t shown up.”

“I could never let anything happen to you, Grace. You realize that, right?”

He moved from behind her, and she wanted to moan her displeasure, but he pulled her so she was lying back down, then crawled in with her, holding her tightly.

“You’ve always been a hero,” she told him, curled up against his chest, enjoying the warmth of his arm across her back.

“I’m certainly no hero, and I will be the first to tell you that I’m not having heroic thoughts with you lying here naked in my arms,” he said with a strained voice. “But right now I need you to close your eyes and get more rest.”

Grace did exactly as he asked and shut her eyes, his scent and warmth carrying her off into a blissful slumber.





Out of bed at last.

Grace dressed in her warmest pajamas, threw a blanket around her shoulders, and slowly made her way down the staircase. Cam was nowhere to be found, so she wandered out to his sunroom, where she was entranced by the winter wonderland before her.

Snow covered the land, the buildings, the trees, and mountains. It made everything look so fresh, so clean. In the heated sunporch, she could gaze at the beauty while staying nice and warm in her small cocoon. Why didn’t the sight of snow make her afraid now? The human mind was sure hard to figure out.

“Is it safe to come sit with you, or are you still grouchy because I woke you and made you drink that tomato soup?” Cam asked as he joined her.

“Yes, I’m still a little steamed about that. You’ll have to take your chances.”