Wow, that silence? Absolutely brutal. She all but burrowed into him, shaking so hard she probably rattled his bones, her ear glued to his chest like she could anchor herself to his heartbeat.
"They're gonna come in," she hissed, panic threading through the words, barely more than a breath.
"Not yet," he shot back, voice smooth and steady, but underneath? Pure steel. Arm cinched tighter around her, like he could keep the whole world out if he just held on hard enough. "If we keep our mouths shut, they'll hang back."
Yeah, good luck with that. Being this close, quiet wasn't even in the cards. Every breath he took shivered right through her. Chest to chest, heat rolling off him, the blanket between them basically pointless.
Her lips skimmed his collarbone, and she whispered, "And if they don't back off?"
"Then I fight," he said—like it was the most obvious thing in the world. His eyes locked onto hers, dark and burning, even in the half-light.
Time just… stretched. No words, just heartbeats crashing together, her breath tangled with his, the threat outside sharpening everything until it was almost too much.
She shifted, maybe to put some space between them—nah, not happening. His hand slid to her hip, keeping her right where he wanted. Not rough, just… unmovable. "Stay," he breathed, and that was it.
Her heart just about did a backflip. "I… wasn't running," she managed, voice all shaky.
He almost smiled—almost. It flickered and vanished. His thumb traced slow circles on her side, like he didn't even realize he was doing it, and yeah, that sent a whole avalanche of sparks racing through her.
Then—outside. Footsteps. A scrape against the wall. Her blood ran cold.
She flinched, face pressed against his neck, hiding. His other hand came up, fingers in her hair, his lips at her temple. "I've got you," he murmured.
Those three words? She was toast. Fear and want tangled up, impossible to tell apart. She turned her head, mouth barely missing his jaw, so close it hurt.
For a second, the world stopped. The storm, the danger, everything else just… faded.
He leaned in, lips almost brushing hers, and then—nope. He pulled back, forehead to hers, breathing like he'd just run a marathon.
"Not here," he muttered, voice all gravel and heat. "Not like this."
She balled her fists in his shirt, desperate. "Then when?" she whispered.
No answer. Didn't matter anyway, because that's when it all went to hell—a window shattered at the back of the cabin, and just like that, the moment was gone.