“I like it out here,” he says.
I look down at the dead rabbits in his hand and cringe. “Why?”
“Go take a shower,” he says. “I’m getting cold just looking at you.”
I don’t think I’ll ever understand why someone would choose this over a tropical beach and I’m not about to freeze to death while trying to, so I head inside.
I can feel Cyrus’ body behind me as I walk up the stairs. I’m tingling all over as we walk into his cabin. This man keeps making me all light-headed and fluttery whenever those heated brown eyes are on me.
I’d pay to see him in a suit with a fresh shave and haircut. He probably looks so sexy. He’d definitely be named New York’s most eligible bachelor if he ever got himself to a barber and decided to ditch this whole Grizzly Adams obsession.
I’m shocked when I walk inside. It’s nice and not nearly as murder-cabiny as I thought it would be. He’s got nice comfortable furniture in front of a huge stone fireplace and a fully outfitted kitchen while still keeping a warm comforting cabin feel throughout the place. I like it. I could stay here.
Especially considering there’s electricity from the solar panels I saw on the roof.
You will be staying here, I remind myself. With him. Just the two of you. With no one around for miles.
A warm shiver ripples through me at the thought.
He shows me to the bathroom and my head is darting around, looking into every room we pass for human bones, chained-up city girls, Dexter-like plastic wallpaper. It all seems to be normal. Relief fills my body as we get to the bathroom and he lets me walk inside alone.
“Help yourself to the shampoo and soap,” he says. “There are clean towels on the shelf. I’ll bring you some warm clothes while yours dries.”
“Thank you,” I say as I look at him, this time really looking at him.
I look deep into his warm brown eyes and feel a craving that I’ve never felt before. There’s a new part of me making itself known and she wants to grab his collar, yank him close, pull his mouth to mine, and strip him bare.
Warmth begins swirling through me and settling between my legs. Maybe it’s his strong manly body, or the thought of getting naked in this sexy stranger’s house, or maybe I am a beard lover after all, but whatever it is, it’s getting me going in a strong way.
“If you need anything,” he says in a low raspy voice that sends a jolt of heat to my lady bits. “You let me know. I’m taking care of you now, Mia. I’ll give you anything you need.”
Those sexy eyes drift down to my mouth and then he looks me over slowly one last time before taking the door handle and closing the door.
“Holy man meat,” I say as my body shivers with desire.
The door opens. “Did you say something?”
My cheeks burn red as I whip my head from side to side. “Nope. I was just… singing. Holy man meat! Holy man meat! Do you know that song?”
He shakes his head and then looks me over once more before closing the door.
I drop my head in embarrassment, cheeks burning, feeling like a complete and total idiot. What were you singing you hopeless fool?
I take a deep breath, shake it off, and head into the shower for the best, hottest, most amazing shower of my life.
Cyrus is cooking a stew when I finally get out of the shower and walk back into the main living area of the cabin. I know it’s the rabbits he’s cooking and they smell delicious, but I’m glad I didn’t have to see any of the preparation part. I like my meat packaged and prepared like in the grocery aisle, so I can pretend it wasn’t a cute little animal frolicking around the forest before I eat it.
He’s chopping a carrot but stops when he notices me walk in. I notice his mouth drop open, but he quickly recovers with a hard swallow.
I made sure to dry my hair and make it nice and fluffy for him. He seems to approve.
“How are the clothes?” he asks as he turns back to his carrot. He’s trying to act all natural and cool, but I can tell he’s shaken a little. His shoulders are tight as he tries to keep his eyes on the carrot and not on me.
“They’re big but comfortable,” I say as I look down at the flannel shirt he gave me. I had to roll the sleeves at least a dozen times to get them up to my elbows. It’s so big that I’m wearing it as a dress. He gave me jogging pants as well, but I could pull them up to my forehead. There’s no way I could wear them, so I left them folded on the sink.