“You would have known that if you answered my phone calls. Or checked my emails.”
“Oh,” was all I could mutter in reply.
“And I had something to give you. For Christmas.”
I wasn’t sure what to think, so I said nothing.
He got up from the floor and offered me his hand, which was warm and delicious against my frigid skin.
“Scarlett, you’re freezing.”
“The power is out so I guess the heat is off too,” I explained, matter of factly.
He led me into the family room by the light of his flashlight. He shined it over the fireplace. With a flip of a switch, the gas fireplace illuminated the room.
Gas, why didn’t I think of that?
We could see each other much better now. His eyes moved over my body, his old sweater just covering my hips. I could feel the cashmere fall over my curves…and I was aware that the soft material didn’t hide what the cold air did to my breasts, or more specifically, my nipples. No doubt he could see that too.
He picked up a throw blanket from the couch and draped it around me, his warm breath on my hair. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me—and for a moment, I thought he would—but he moved away.
“You should sleep down here, where it’s warm,” he suggested, before moving toward the foyer.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to sleep in my room over the garage. It’s late. My earlier flight was cancelled due to the ice storm…I’m sorry I scared you like this. I didn’t mean to.”
“But it’s so cold, Dev. There’s plenty of space here…you can have the other couch.”
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“I would feel better if you were in the house. I don’t like being here alone. Especially after realizing I can’t swing a bat very hard.”
I was being honest. I didn’t think I could sleep alone in that house again after such a scare.
He smiled. “As you wish.”
Dev took off his black, down filled jacket and sat down next to me on the couch. The heat from the fire started to do its job and I was feeling much better. He inspected his ribs where I wacked him.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I moved over to him. “Here, let me see.”
I tugged at his black sweater politely, awkwardly. He saved me the trouble and pulled it off entirely exposing his chest…his beautiful chest. He was lean and muscular, with just a moderate trace of dark hair which trailed off below his bellybutton. The light from the fire danced over the hills and valleys of his well-crafted pecs and solid six-pack. I remembered with amusement what his chest used to like as a gangly 13-year-old at the pool. How times change. I lightly touched the reddened area over the left side of his ribcage.
“Does that hurt?” I looked up at him. He covered my hand with his and moved it up his chest to his heart.
“No, it feels amazing.”
That feeling in my stomach again.
He let my hand go abruptly.
“I’m sorry, Scarlett. We should…go to sleep. It’s after two.”
What could I say to him? That I wanted him to do more—much more? I could feel the sparks between us: enticing and dangerous. We had hardly said two words to each other in person while growing up, and now… and now things were so different . I moved to the other side of the large sofa and pulled the blanket over me. He put his sweater back on and moved to the other couch.
Now that I was warm and secure, I felt myself drifting off into a restful slumber.
“Dev…” I whispered, half asleep.
“Yes?”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” His voice started to fade. Before succumbing to sleep, he spoke again.
“Scarlett?”
“Yes?”
“My sweater looks nice on you.”
I smiled to myself. I wouldn’t be alone this Christmas. I decided I would worry about Shyra tomorrow. Tonight Dev was with me.
***
When I got up the next morning, he was gone.
The electricity seemed to be back on, so I ran upstairs and took a long shower. The hot water felt heavenly against my body
“Oh,” was all I could mutter in reply.
“And I had something to give you. For Christmas.”
I wasn’t sure what to think, so I said nothing.
He got up from the floor and offered me his hand, which was warm and delicious against my frigid skin.
“Scarlett, you’re freezing.”
“The power is out so I guess the heat is off too,” I explained, matter of factly.
He led me into the family room by the light of his flashlight. He shined it over the fireplace. With a flip of a switch, the gas fireplace illuminated the room.
Gas, why didn’t I think of that?
We could see each other much better now. His eyes moved over my body, his old sweater just covering my hips. I could feel the cashmere fall over my curves…and I was aware that the soft material didn’t hide what the cold air did to my breasts, or more specifically, my nipples. No doubt he could see that too.
He picked up a throw blanket from the couch and draped it around me, his warm breath on my hair. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me—and for a moment, I thought he would—but he moved away.
“You should sleep down here, where it’s warm,” he suggested, before moving toward the foyer.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to sleep in my room over the garage. It’s late. My earlier flight was cancelled due to the ice storm…I’m sorry I scared you like this. I didn’t mean to.”
“But it’s so cold, Dev. There’s plenty of space here…you can have the other couch.”
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“I would feel better if you were in the house. I don’t like being here alone. Especially after realizing I can’t swing a bat very hard.”
I was being honest. I didn’t think I could sleep alone in that house again after such a scare.
He smiled. “As you wish.”
Dev took off his black, down filled jacket and sat down next to me on the couch. The heat from the fire started to do its job and I was feeling much better. He inspected his ribs where I wacked him.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I moved over to him. “Here, let me see.”
I tugged at his black sweater politely, awkwardly. He saved me the trouble and pulled it off entirely exposing his chest…his beautiful chest. He was lean and muscular, with just a moderate trace of dark hair which trailed off below his bellybutton. The light from the fire danced over the hills and valleys of his well-crafted pecs and solid six-pack. I remembered with amusement what his chest used to like as a gangly 13-year-old at the pool. How times change. I lightly touched the reddened area over the left side of his ribcage.
“Does that hurt?” I looked up at him. He covered my hand with his and moved it up his chest to his heart.
“No, it feels amazing.”
That feeling in my stomach again.
He let my hand go abruptly.
“I’m sorry, Scarlett. We should…go to sleep. It’s after two.”
What could I say to him? That I wanted him to do more—much more? I could feel the sparks between us: enticing and dangerous. We had hardly said two words to each other in person while growing up, and now… and now things were so different . I moved to the other side of the large sofa and pulled the blanket over me. He put his sweater back on and moved to the other couch.
Now that I was warm and secure, I felt myself drifting off into a restful slumber.
“Dev…” I whispered, half asleep.
“Yes?”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” His voice started to fade. Before succumbing to sleep, he spoke again.
“Scarlett?”
“Yes?”
“My sweater looks nice on you.”
I smiled to myself. I wouldn’t be alone this Christmas. I decided I would worry about Shyra tomorrow. Tonight Dev was with me.
***
When I got up the next morning, he was gone.
The electricity seemed to be back on, so I ran upstairs and took a long shower. The hot water felt heavenly against my body
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