Shelter Me: A Frazier Falls Novel

by Collins, Kelly

  All I could do was steer to the edge of a sidewalk as it coughed and sputtered to a stop. I looked through the flurry of snow and saw nothing recognizable. The houses were unfamiliar, though off in the distance, I could see the forest.

  I pulled my phone from my bag to find out where I was. If I had to, I could haul the perishable food I’d bought on foot, though I shuddered at the thought.

  My bad luck turned worse when I saw the battery had died.

  “When the hell did the battery die?” I cursed, my mood growing darker as the snow got deeper. I threw my phone onto the passenger seat and twisted my keys in the ignition, hoping against hope that I would be able to start it up again. The engine made a half-hearted attempt to turn over before dying once more.

  I slammed the back of my head against my seat, frustrated beyond measure. What was I supposed to do now?

  Glancing outside, I noticed a house with its lights on. Maybe one of the residents would know how to fix my car. Or if I was lucky, would be willing to drive me to my mom’s house. It was worth a try.

  Steeling myself against the frigid air, I opened the door and rushed up the front path of the house, pausing to take a breath before ringing the doorbell.

  For a few moments, nothing happened, and I wondered if the people inside were going to ignore me, but then I heard the thud of footsteps and the sound of the front door being unlocked.

  “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry,” I began immediately as soon as the person opened the door a crack, “but my car broke down and—Eli?”

  Eli looked surprised by the sight of me on his doorstep in the middle of a snowstorm.

  “Emily?” He stared at me in confusion, as if he couldn’t believe I was there. “Are you okay? What were you saying—your car broke down?”

  I nodded. “My phone’s dead, so I had no way to ask for help or find out where I was. I figured there was no harm in trying the closest house to beg for assistance.”

  He looked over my shoulder at my car and frowned. “What were you doing out, anyway?”

  “I went over to the next town to buy food.”

  “Indian Springs? That was reckless.”

  In hindsight, he was right, but another day of fried potatoes would have killed me outright. “I know, but I was desperate. Wilkes’ stock is … not enough.”

  “You’re telling me.” He looked past me into the storm. “Any clue what’s wrong with the car?”

  I shook my head. “Not the slightest.”

  He glanced back inside his house before cursing. “All my tools are at the office. Pax needed the truck to help Lucy, and I don’t think my car would be safe in this weather.”

  “Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. I shuffled my feet. “I guess I could try the next house over.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” he cut in, waving the notion away. “Let’s grab your groceries and put them away in my kitchen. You can stay here until the weather lets up, then I’ll drive you back.”

  “Are you sure?”

  His features softened with a smile. “Positive.”

  The two of us hauled the bags out of my car and into Eli’s house, where he directed me to his kitchen. It was modern with granite countertops, and a six-burner stove with a stainless-steel finish.

  I whistled in appreciation. “Nice kitchen, Eli.”

  “Thanks. Wish I could use it more right now, but I lack ingredients. I’ve been living on frozen pizzas.”

  I gasped in horror as we put the perishable things away. “That’s unacceptable. You’re going to get sick if you eat like that.” I listed off a list of health issues that ranged from vitamin deficiency to obesity.

  He laughed as he tossed a can of tomatoes into the air, catching it before it hit the countertop. “Maybe, but what else can I do? Starve?”

  I glanced at the groceries strewn across his kitchen counter. “Maybe we could make dinner together? It doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere for a while.”

  Eli’s eyes lit up. “I’d love that.”

  I flushed from the intensity of his enthusiasm. “Would an Irish stew be okay? I’ve been dying to make one ever since I got to Frazier Falls”

  “That sounds amazing. Do you have all the ingredients? I know a pretty great biscuit recipe.”

  I searched through the bags until I located the fresh produce. I had carrots and red potatoes and onions and fresh thyme. “I do. Do you mind if I use your phone to call my mom? She’ll be getting worried.”

  “Of course not. The landline is down the hall, and there are a couple phone chargers in the drawer below it. You can see if one of those fits your cell.”

  He was back to rescuing me, sheltering me, saving me. He seemed to do that a lot. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  After assuring my mom that I was okay and telling her that there were leftovers in the fridge for her to heat up, I removed my shoes and jacket and left them by the front door, before sneaking around to find a bathroom. When I did, I used the mirror to inspect my reflection and tried to fix my hair. I risked rummaging through Eli’s medicine cabinet and found a comb. I gave myself a quick brush-through before fluffing it up.

  Content with the fact that I looked the best I could, given the circumstances, I wandered back to Eli’s kitchen, with my heart hammering too quickly inside my chest.

  The air already smelled delicious with hints of onion and spices.

  He glanced up at me from the chopping board, where he was cutting up fresh carrots into bite-sized chunks. A suspicious look danced across his face. “That took a while.”

  I smiled bashfully. “I may have used your bathroom and your comb.”

  “I was wondering how your hair suddenly looked flawless.” He waved me over. “Can you take over cutting the vegetables? I’ll prep the lamb.”

  “Of course.”

  The next thirty minutes were filled with the sounds and smells of a kitchen in use. My stomach growled louder with every passing minute. The stew promised to be the tastiest meal I’d had in a month. I knew it would be worth the wait.

  When Eli brought out a bag of flour and chopped butter into small pieces, throwing them into a bowl with salt and spices, I was curious.

  “What are you making?”

  “The biscuits. They’re great with stew but also with white gravy and scrambled eggs for breakfast.”

  “Okay, color me impressed. I didn’t know you went so far with your cooking.”

  He laughed. “I like to cook.”

  “Me too.”

  “What a happy coincidence.”

  Once the first batch was cooked, I couldn’t help but steal one and slather it with butter and a drizzle of the honey Eli kept on the counter.

  “There won’t be any left for our plates at this rate,” he complained, but he was grinning at me standing there with puffy, food-filled cheeks.

  “These are so good. Ridiculously good, Eli. Where did you learn to make them?” I asked around a mouthful of food.

  He shrugged. “My mom made them every weekend. I paid attention because there’s nothing as satisfying as a biscuit straight out of the oven.”

  “That’s a lot of effort to go to for yourself.”

  “Nah, my brothers like it when I cook them too. I usually make a massive batch in one shot for them to devour.”

  I snuck around behind him to reach the fridge; our bodies barely brushing against each other as I did. Eli stiffened immediately, and I saw his hand twitch in my direction, but then he relaxed and let it fall to his side.

  Disappointment seized me. Suppressing a sigh, I rummaged through the refrigerator, looking for something wet. “Do you have anything to drink that isn’t beer? Preferably alcoholic.”

  My breath hitched when Eli leaned over me in order to reach a well-hidden bottle of white wine.

  “Will this do?” he asked, his voice a soft murmur against my ear.

  My face heated like it was on fire, and I suddenly became acutely aware that I had lost my
ability to speak. I nodded, not trusting my voice one bit. My heart hammered like a drum. It was strong and loud enough that I was sure Eli could hear its cadence.

  When he snaked his arm around my waist, I gasped in surprise, but all he did was pull me away from the refrigerator in order to close it.

  “No point in wasting the central heating by letting all that cold air out.”

  I turned around to look at him closely. By the pulse of the vein on his forehead, I could tell his heart was beating as quickly as mine.

  “Are you nervous?” I bit out, keeping my eyes locked on his.

  The creases deepened as he smiled. “Yes. Though not as nervous as you, it seems.”

  I let out a shaky laugh. “This is ridiculous. I feel like I’m sixteen again.”

  “I feel much the same way. Except sixteen-year-old me didn’t know how to cook.” He pulled away from me to check on the stew, which was bubbling away on the stove. “I think that’s done.”

  He leaned back in, his face mere millimeters away from my own. I found myself holding my breath, hoping he’d kiss me.

  “How about we pick this up after dinner, Flanagan?”

  It was a brazen request I wholeheartedly wanted to explore. I brushed the fingers of my left hand against the side of Eli’s jeans as I moved away to locate two wine glasses. I glanced back at him over my shoulder and smirked.

  “Sounds like dessert to me.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Eli

  The stew Emily and I made was one of the most satisfying meals I’d had in a long time. We didn’t bother sitting at my dining room table. Instead, we curled up on the sofa to eat while half-watching an action film that was forgotten once it was finished.

  We worked our way through the bottle of wine I’d found in the fridge. By the time we were full, we were also pleasantly tipsy.

  My house hadn’t experienced this much excitement since I’d moved in, and all we’d done was cook and eat dinner. I thought of the incredibly sexually charged moment Emily and I had shared in the kitchen as I stole a glance of her beside me. It sent a quiver down my spine, leaving me pleasantly aroused.

  Below my stomach, my insides coiled and unraveled when Emily ran a hand through her fiery red hair. I wanted nothing more than to run my own hands through it. To sweep it away from her face and pin her down with it. I wanted to wrench open the buttons of her oversized flannel shirt, to—

  “Eli?”

  Emily looked at me with a quizzical expression.

  I laughed slightly. “Sorry. What’s up?”

  “What are you thinking about?”

  I paused, moving away from the sofa in order to prod at the fire I’d built. It needed more fuel, but I didn’t have it in me to leave the warm confines of my house to get wood from the shed.

  I gave Emily a mischievous smile as I sat back down beside her, then took a long drink of wine.

  “I’m not entirely sure it’s safe for polite conversation,” I replied. A wickedly sexy thought made me smile.

  Emily’s eyes widened. “Now, I need to know.”

  I paused for a moment, considering what to say. I put down my glass and cocked my head to one side.

  “Put your wine down, and I’ll show you.”

  Emily’s face flushed scarlet as she indulged my request, leaning over to the coffee table to delicately put down her glass before sitting with her back straight and her hands folded neatly in her lap.

  I laughed. “What’s with the overly serious posture?”

  “Give me a break. I’m nervous. It’s been a long time since I’ve indulged in this type of dessert.” Emily scowled good-naturedly. “It feels like I can hardly hear anything over the sound of my own bloody heart.”

  “Let’s start with a nibble.”

  My heart was pounding, too. So hard, it was almost painful.

  I knew there was only one way to relieve that ache.

  I closed the distance between us, gently stroking the side of her face with the back of my hand. She glanced down for half a second before her eyes flitted back to mine. She shifted closer, sliding a tentative hand over the top of my knee and halfway down my thigh. The action threatened to undo me completely.

  Instead, I forced myself to keep hold of my composure. I wasn’t a teen on his first date.

  I slid my hand from Emily’s cheek into her hair, lost in the silky softness of it.

  She leaned into my touch, humming as I threaded my fingers through her tresses to pull her against my lips for a kiss.

  What I wasn’t expecting was for Emily to push me down onto the sofa as soon as our lips touched. Or climb on top of me to deepen the kiss as the entire length of her body moved against me.

  I needed no other sign than that to carry on. My hands roved up and down Emily’s body, sliding underneath her shirt to feel the heat of her skin against my fingertips. One of her legs settled between my thighs to torture me as I rushed to undo her buttons.

  She ran her hands through my hair, moaning against my lips as my tongue entered her mouth, and my hands tugged her shirt free.

  Squirming beneath her, I managed to remove my T-shirt. With the fabric thrown to the side, Emily’s hands moved across my chest, snaking their way up, then down to my belt, making quick work of the buckle as I fumbled slightly with the clasp of her bra.

  With a deft hand, she reached back and undid the clasp herself.

  “Out of practice, Cooper?” she mused in a low murmur.

  “Yes,” I replied breathlessly. “Sit up, Emily.”

  She did so with a small smile on her face, allowing me to revel in the sight of her, topless and straddling me, in the dim light of the living room. The glowing embers of my dying fire reflected in her hair and eyes and painted shadows across her skin.

  I ran my hands up her stomach and across her breasts, thumbs lingering on her nipples until she sucked in a breath.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I whispered.

  She looked down at me with heavy-lidded eyes.

  “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  I tore my eyes away from her to glance at the fire. It was getting down to a few red, angry embers. If I didn’t tend to it soon, it would die, but there was somewhere else we could go that would be plenty warm, and altogether more comfortable than the sofa for what we were about to do. I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder as I stood, eliciting a shout of surprise.

  “What are you—put me down, Eli!” she half-laughed and half-complained.

  I shook my head as I made my way for the stairs, taking the opportunity to caress her ass in the process.

  “Nope.”

  “I have two legs. I can use them.”

  “Sure, you can use them. In bed.”

  “That was filthy.”

  “Do you have a problem with that?”

  There was a pause.

  “Absolutely not.”

  I grinned as we reached my bedroom. I kicked the door open and dropped Emily unceremoniously onto my bed, not even bothering to turn the light on. As quickly as I could, I removed my jeans and underwear to a low, appreciative whistle from Emily.

  “That’s … a lot,” she admitted, eyes firmly on my length. I only grew harder in response to the comment.

  “Are you sure you can handle me, Flanagan? Maybe a little too much, too soon?” I murmured as I crawled on top of her, sliding my hands underneath the waistband of her leggings in order to pull them down.

  She flung her arms around my neck.

  “It would seem I have quite an appetite tonight.”

  * * *

  I woke to a dark room, the whooshing of another person’s gentle breathing the only sound breaking the silence. Outside the frosty window, in the dead of night, everything was quiet. I rolled over to check the time on my phone; it was past four in the morning. One glance to my left brought a smile to my face.

  Emily was sleeping soundly, hands around the top of the duvet to bring it up to her chin. She looked content and co
mfortable.

  Once I adjusted to the dark, I left the bed and wandered over to my bathroom to grab a glass of water, pouring one for Emily, too. No doubt she’d want one when she woke up. I downed the icy cold liquid, then poured another.

  When I returned, she was watching me, eyes glinting in the dark.

  “Sorry.” I handed her a glass of water, which she took with an appreciative smile. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “It’s okay.” She yawned. “I think it was the running water that woke me up. Clearly, unconscious me knew I was thirsty.”

  I returned to my side of the bed, sliding under the covers and lying on my side to look at her.

  “You okay?” I asked, a little nervous.

  She raised an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

  “Um … I don’t know,” I admitted. “You don’t regret this or anything, do you?”

  “Should I?”

  “I hope not.”

  “Then, I sure as hell don’t.”

  I laughed quietly. “And you’re not … hurt? Everything still working okay?”

  Emily smiled mischievously as she rolled over, climbing on top of me in the process.

  “I don’t know. Why don’t we find out?”

  She kissed me, long and hard, before pulling away to watch me carefully with her green eyes. They were almost glowing in the dark, making her look ethereal, like something out of a dream.

  “You’re definitely a real person, right?” I asked before I could stop myself. “This isn’t some long, drawn-out winter fever dream I’m having, is it?”

  Emily laughed softly as she kissed the tip of my nose.

  “If this is a dream, let’s not wake up from it for a while.” Her hand snaked down my chest and stomach, lingering on the edge of my hipbone.

  I wrapped my arms around her waist as I lifted up to kiss her. I felt like Emily was a human timer, and the countdown to zero, and her departure were coming all too soon.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Emily