8
Paige
Our feet crunched beneath the snow-covered lawn and in the blue moonlight. Wisps of snow fell to his ridiculously long eyelashes. I mean, seriously. What man had eyelashes that long and luxurious? He hoisted his duffle bag higher on his shoulder and grunted as a gust of wind whipped the snow around ourfaces.
I gasped and put my arm up to shield my face against the blizzard-like winds. Taylor stepped in front of me, gently wrapping an arm around my waist to block the wind. “Maybe this was a bad idea,” he said, tilting his chin to the inn, now behindus.
His hands gripped my waist tighter as another gust of wind blew against our bodies. “It’s not much further,” I said, pointing ahead to my cottage at the edge of thelake.
His ice cold hand found mine and clutched it. Turning around to face the snow whipping our faces, he said with determination, “Alright. Let’s just get there fast,then.”
I dipped my face behind his broad shoulders and let him guide us through the snow, even though I’d made this trip more times than I could count from the inn to my house: in snow, in rain, in just about every weather condition you could imagine. But it was kind of nice to have someone here with me this time. Someone to keep me warm, block the wind, and hold myhand.
“Jesus,” he grunted. “So much for that couple of inches they predicted,huh?”
Already, the snow was up beyond the calves of my boots. If I had to guess, we’d already gotten six inches in only a couplehours.
We made it to the front door of my house beneath the shelter of the porch, I tossed my hood off as Taylor did the same, pulling his phone out and checking it. “I think the listing said I’m supposed to go around to the sideentrance.”
“Normally, you would, but not tonight,” I said,smiling.
“Why nottonight?”
I put in the code to my electronic lock and heard the deadbolt crank open. “Because this is my house. MyAirbnb.”
He glanced between the Airbnb map in his hand and my smirking face. I couldn’t help it. The moment was too priceless. “Son of a bitch,” he murmured. “You’re P. Doglover?” he asked, reading my avatar name. I knew it was a bit antiquated, not wanting to have my legal name as the property owner, but when I first started my little Airbnb business, I wasn’t sure how safe it would be. The Craigslist Killer had been a thing just a few years earlier, so I chose to disguise my identity, just incase.
He held up my avatar picture, an image of my dog, Maisey. “Please tell me this dog isyours.”
From the other side of my front door, there was a deep bark and the sound of nails scratching at the frame. I grinned. “She’s mine. She’s a handful, but she’s my handful and I love her.” I shivered and pushed the door open. “Enough chatting out here in the freezing cold. Come onin.”
Immediately, I was greeted by Maisey, jumping onto her hind legs to kiss my cheek. Until she saw Taylor—then I might as well be chopped liver. No, wait. She loves chopped liver. I might as well be a kale salad toher.
She charged Taylor, circling his feet and jumping up on her hind legs ingreeting.
“Maiseydown. Off!” My scolding did nothing. She continued prancing around our feet until finally she charged into the snow and did her business out in theyard.
Taylor looked flustered. “Is she okay out there? Will she runaway?”
“She never runs away. She’ll come bounding back in in a minute when she gets too cold. Only this time, she’ll get snowy paw prints all over your cashmeresweater.”
His lips turned up into a smile briefly, but he regarded me with dark, dilated eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me? That this was yourplace?”
He dropped the duffle bag to the floor and took a few steps in mydirection.
I shrugged and moved to the doorway, whistling out into the silent, snowy night for Maisey to come home while kicking off my boots. “It’s dangerous out right now. I was afraid that if you knew it was my Airbnb, you would try to drive somewhereelse.”
I heard the rustle of Maisey running back and then in a blur of yellow fur, she bounded inside, charging once more forTaylor.
“Sorry.” I rolled my eyes and after shutting the door behind her, tugged on her collar. “She’s not exactly the most well-traineddog.”
“Nah, she’s sweet,” Taylor said, petting her and leaned down, offering his cheek for the receiving end of some slobbery kisses. “And you were probably right. I was pissed back there and not thinking all that clearly.” He sighed and looked around. “I’m glad I’m not staying back there, though. Too many familiar faces. Too manymemories.”
I nodded, knowing how he felt. I lived that everyday.
“And here… we’ll have privacy.” His voice deepened into a low, sexy rasp and his gaze swept over my body in a way that had me clenching between mylegs.
“Well, why don’t I show you to your part of the house.” I cleared my throat and walked down the hall. God, I was nervous. Why was I so nervous? He had made it pretty clear back at the inn that he wanted to spend the night with me. But… was that all I wanted? There was nothing wrong with that, of course. And I couldn’t exactly expect Taylor Williams to fall madly in love with me and settle down in the town he despised.But you could move to Boston…a little voice inside of mesaid.
