That’s all it takes. One second he’s holding himself back. The next, he’s kissing me again like restraint finally snapped clean in half.
His hand cups my waist, pulling me against the hard heat of his body while his mouth moves hungrily against mine.
The man kisses like he’s starving. Not rushed. Not careless. With intention. With care. Like he wants to memorize every sound I make. Every place that makes me shiver beneath him.
Every inch of my body.
Another gust of wind slams against the cabin hard enough to rattle the windows.
The fire suddenly spits violently.
Then smoke billows into the room.
“Oh my God?—”
Troy moves across the room with a flash.
“London. Get low.”
Adrenaline spikes through me immediately.
Smoke curls thick near the ceiling while Troy crouches beside the fireplace, adjusting something near the flue with quick, practiced movements.
I grab my phone off the table with shaking hands. “Should I call someone?”
“Swift Mountain Fire & Rescue won’t make it up here in this storm,” Troy says without even looking up. “Open that window two inches. No more.”
I obey instantly.
Cold air rushes into the cabin while Troy works fast beside the firebox, checking airflow and clearing the smoke.
Within minutes, the worst of it starts fading. My pulse is still racing.
Troy finally straightens, one hand braced against the mantle. “You okay?”
I stare at him. He frowns worriedly. “Are you okay?”
“That,” I say breathlessly. “You handled that like some kind of mountain survival expert crossed with a Navy SEAL.”
His jaw tightens slightly. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“It kind of felt like a big deal from where I was standing.”
His gaze flicks toward me.
“You move like someone trained for emergencies,” I say carefully.
Or, at the very least, someone who has to get themselves out of tough situations. Silence stretches between us.
He clears his throat. “People learn things.”
It’s not an explanation. Not even close. And that only makes me more curious. Who is this man?
Troy watches me through the fading smoke like he’s trying to decide how much of himself he’s willing to let me see.
SIX
TROY