“Thanks for the shirt,” I said, slapping my thighs with the palms of my hands. “It’s better than wearing that quilt.”

“It definitely is.”

His deeper tenor and slower cadence twisted my core and returned my nipples to their hardened state from the earlier cool air.

“You’re making me self-conscious. What are you thinking?”

Van walked around me, all the way around, the entire time keeping his eyes on me. “I think it’s better if I don’t say.”

“What?”

His smile grew. “I’m thinking that if I ever plan an abduction in the middle of a blizzard, I need to remember a flannel shirt because on you, it’s sexy as hell.”

I lifted my hands to my cheeks, feeling the growing heat.

Van took a step toward me. “Come on, Julia, there has to be a man in your life who tells you how damn sexy you are.”

Swallowing, I turned away, avoiding the subject, and began to open the crate of nectarines.

As I tugged on a plastic cord holding the lid in place, Van’s hand came over mine.

The electricity from before returned.

When I looked up, Van held a pocket knife in his other hand. “Step back so you don’t get cut.”

Without speaking, I did as he said. The plastic snapped as the blade sliced through it. The muscles in his arms bulged as he lifted the lid and placed it under the counter. Turning, he held out a nectarine. “Dinner.”

I took the golden and red fruit from him, careful that we didn’t touch again. “Thank you.”

Retrieving our mugs, I added more coffee to each one and took them to the hearth. Even with the roaring fire, the air farther away was chilled. Basking in the warmth, I settled on the blankets and rugs where I’d awakened. After taking off his boots and leaving them by the door, Van joined me on the blanket.

With our legs crossed, we both stared into the flames. Every once in a while, our knees would touch as we both ate our nectarines and drank our coffee. As the fire warmed me outside, the coffee and his incidental touches warmed me inside.

4. Julia

Julia

My teeth chattered as I opened the door to the outhouse and sheepishly smiled up at Van. The snow blew around us as he tucked me under his arm, and we hurried back to the cabin. Once inside, I shivered as I shrugged off my down-filled coat and looked down at the ridiculous waders.

“Thank you for going out there with me.”

“What good is it to hold a beautiful woman captive if I let her freeze to death?”

“Or if she’s eaten by wolves.” I had been ready to venture outside to the outhouse by myself until I heard the howl of a wolf. There weren’t many literal wolves to deal with in the Chicago suburbs.