Page 53

“You’re notthatmuch taller than me.”
“Whatever makes you feel better.”
The cool hair hit my neck and I shivered again. “I can’t get warm.”
“Sweater off,” Alden said, seriousness in his tone. “Pants too.”
The order would have been sexy if it hadn’t been for the fact that I was freezing. “I’ll go to Amma’s room.”
“It’s ten degrees colder in there.”
My pride shivered too. “Fine. Then turn around.”
He threw me a new set of clothes and did as I asked. I made quick work of changing. I threw on my extra leggings and a T-shirt. I wished I had another sweater, but Nick had packed the bag, and I was pretty sure he simply shoved things in just like he had the night he picked me up.
“I’m done,” I said. “Now throw me into the fire like a log.”
“Not happening. Nick would kill me.”
I huddled close to the furnace, almost touching it. I heard shuffling, and I turned, only to see Alden shirtless.
“Oh my God,” I said, jerking my eyes away before I could stare, but the memory of tanned skin stuck out in my mind.
It hit me that I hadn’t seen him shirtless, even when we slept together.
“What?” he asked.
My eyes trailed his tanned, toned skin. “Nothing, sorry.”
Even after all of these years, I was still attracted to him. That flash of skin was all it took to make me want him.
I stared at the stove as if it had personally offended me.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
Not emotionally, but physically ... “Yes.”
And then another shiver hit me.
“You’re lying.”
“How about we talk about the real issues, like why you’re shirtless?”
“My clothes got wet.”
“Amma might have some of her ex’s stuff.”
“I’ll look in a few minutes. I’m more worried about if you’re still cold.”
Fuck.He can’t be shirtless and then care about me too. It was too much.
“I’m not.”
“We could share heat again.”
My mouth went dry. I played it as cool as possible, but our first instance of sharing heat was almost too much to handle. I’d forgotten why I hated him the second more than an inch of his body touched mine.
And this time there would be far more of us touching.