She sat on the couch and waited for him to come out. What seemed like forever, in actuality, only took a few minutes.
“Have you finished?” Max asked in a deadly serious tone, which almost made her lose it again. When her lips twitched he glared, effectively cutting her off.
“I’m sorry, I know none of this is amusing, but I…this is just so…I don’t know what else to do,” she finally finished.
“I have enough to deal with, without having to deal with a hysterical woman, too,” he said in his most authoritative tone. His words angered her enough to stop any thought of laughter from erupting again.
“You have no right to speak to me like that, Max. I understand the situation is serious, so tell me, Mr. have-it-all-together, what’s going on?” she said. He turned and paced the small room. He didn’t have much space to do it.
“This must be some kind of freak storm. They know where we are, so it shouldn’t take them long to dig us out,” he said optimistically.
“Sounds like a great plan,” she said in all innocence. She knew she was getting under his skin, but he deserved it.
“Obviously, a generator is running. I’m going to try and figure out where it’s running from so we can conserve energy. I also need to check the stack on the wood stove to see if it’s safe to use, not that we have much wood in here. The good thing with the snow is that it works as insulation so the cabin won’t get too cold, even if we lose power. Why don’t you do a full check of supplies. I don’t think there’s a need to ration food, but we don’t want to be fools,” he said, immediately going into commander mode.
They both went to their tasks. He found the generator was stored in a cubby underneath a closet. It was large, and full, thankfully. If they used it moderately, they’d be okay for about a week. Cassie found at least a month’s supply of food in the house, and plenty of water. They would surely be rescued within a few days. Most likely by the end of the day. They had nothing to worry about.
“We’ll be fine. Plenty of fuel and food. We can’t use the fireplace. I can’t verify if the stack is clear,” Max said.
“I’m going to start some breakfast,” Cassie said to fill the silence. She wasn’t going to be so petty she wouldn’t prepare him a meal at the same time as her. They had to limit the amount of resources they used.
“Fine, I’m going to take a quick shower,” Max replied. He left her alone and she put together eggs, bacon and toast. She had to go through the fresh supplies before getting into too many of the canned goods, just in case it took them longer than she assumed to get rescued.
Cassie took her few minutes alone to figure out how she was going to act for the day. It would be next to impossible to avoid him in the small space. There were some good books she could read, but she was sure she wouldn’t be able to concentrate with him so close. She could stay mad the entire time, but that just made things miserable for her, and he most likely wouldn’t care. She decided to just pretend the other night hadn’t happened and get on with her day, make the best of a bad situation.
She’d been with him almost non-stop for a couple weeks. She’d just pretend they were back in his office. She could use the time to hopefully get some much wanted answers out of him and make real headway on her article.
He stepped from the bathroom as she was finishing their lunch. He wore a pair of skin-tight jeans, and an old sweatshirt, with the sleeves pushed to his elbows. He looked good, good enough she wouldn’t mind him on the menu. She shook her head to clear the unwanted thoughts, which caused him to give her another of his confused looks.
“Thanks for the food, it looks good,” he said as he sat across from her at the small table.
“It’s not like you could complain if you didn’t like it. We don’t exactly have take-out,” she replied.
“Cassie, we’re stuck here for who knows how long, can’t we just make the best out of the situation,” he said as if he were a parent scolding his child.
“You’re right. We may as well work on the interview. If I can get enough information, you’ll be rid of me sooner,” she said with a smile.
“What if I don’t want to be rid of you sooner?” he asked, his eyes turning seductive. She blinked, then looked at him again, trying to figure him out. No way was she sleeping with him again, it hadn’t turned out well the first time.
“What you think doesn’t matter much to me,” she said sweetly.
“Ah, then we’re at an impasse. I’ll tell you what, Cassie,” he paused, as he spoke her name seductively. “We’ll go back and forth with the questions. You ask one, then it’s my turn.”
Cassie didn’t like the turn in the situation. She didn’t know what he was playing at but if he thought she’d back down, then he’d be sadly mistaken.
“Fine, I’m an open book, Max,” she said. If she wanted to be a reporter, she needed to know how to act under pressure. Well, a situation didn’t get much more tense than it was at that moment.
“It must be nice there on your high horse. You detach yourself so well from the human race, so afraid of being hurt, so distrusting of everyone around you,” he mocked. She wanted to defend herself, but he was right. She’d been hurt so many times in her life that it was just easiest to assume the world was bad, that everyone was going to hurt her eventually. He’d hurt her last night, but was she guilt free? She hadn’t said anything to stop the love making. She’d ran for the bathroom afterward. She was responsible, too.
“I’m not a robot. I do have feelings, but I’m just careful who I let in,” she finally said.
“I’ll make a deal with you. We’re stuck here, in this cabin, for who knows how long. Let’s be honest with each other. I won’t hold back on the interview, and in turn, you be honest with me,” he said.
“Let me make some coffee,” she stalled. She got up from the table and took her time, trying to gather her thoughts. What she really wanted was for him to pull her into his arms again, take the choice away from her. She knew it was the chicken’s way out, but she couldn’t help herself. He made her feel things, he made her want what she shouldn’t want.
Max watched her nervous movements, unable to take his eyes from her. For some reason, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. It felt like more than just desire, but he couldn’t think that way. He decided he was going to have her, all of her, not just a piece. He’d figure the rest out later, but for the time being she couldn’t escape him, and when he put his full effort into something, he got what he wanted.
Max slowly stood and walked up behind her. His hand lifted to her hair, pushing it aside. He smiled as her body tensed. She didn’t say anything as his hand caressed the small of her nape. He leaned down and brushed his lips against the smooth column of her neck, and he felt powerful when he spotted the goosebumps popping up on her skin. She was so sensual, so responsive, it was a powerful boost to his ego.
“You smell so good. I love this spot right her, the spot you dab just a hint of your sweet perfume,” he whispered as he licked the small dent on the side of her neck. His lips moved over her shoulder as he brushed aside her blouse. For him barely touching her, it was unbelievably erotic. She could feel the dampness of arousal building within her body.
“I’m sorry about last night. I panicked. I don’t know why, I’ve just never felt such intense feelings with a woman, before you,” he continued seducing her with his words. His hands reached around the front of her, brushing over her over-sensitive breasts as he began unbuttoning her blouse slowly, each button exposing more of her skin to him.
His mouth traveled down her shoulder, then her arm as her shirt started sliding away. His hands pushed the fabric away, gently brushing over her quivering stomach, then moving upward to caress her lace covered breasts. Her nipples strained against the now rough fabric as his palms brushed the peaks. She gripped the counter, trying to keep herself from falling. His body pressed into hers, his arousal obvious, as he shifted his hips for a tighter fit against her. She knew she should protest, but she didn’t want to. Why should she stop something she wanted so badly?
Finally, he turned her in his arms, and the passion glazed expression in his eyes ended her internal protests. How could she resist the man when he so obviously wanted her? He lifted her in his arms, and made his way toward his bedroom. All thoughts of talking were long forgotten as he took his time loving her for the remainder of the afternoon.
Cassie woke up, surprised she’d fallen asleep. Of course, she normally didn’t spend an afternoon making love. She stretched her sore muscles and couldn’t stop the satisfied smile that came to her face. Max was a phenomenal lover. He’d touched her in places she didn’t even know were sensitive. She could feel her body start to ache, just from the thought of what he’d done to her.
She moved to get up, and his eyes opened a crack. He lazily looked at her from underneath his lashes. With just a look, the man could make her give him anything he ever wanted. How could he hold so much power over her? It was a bit frustrating, when she’d always guarded herself so well.
“You look even more stunning after hours of love-making,” he said while running his hand down her side, past the sensitive skin of her hip. She was fully conscious she was naked. He leaned in and softly kissed her when her stomach rumbled loudly, making them both aware she was hungry.
“I suppose we should get up,” he said with reluctance. She laughed, filled with joy. She refused to think about what would happen once they got out of the cabin. She was sure he’d go right back to the same standoffish man she knew so well. She just hoped she kept her heart intact in the meantime.
“That sounds perfect. I think it’s your turn to prepare dinner,” she said. She jumped from the bed, quickly racing from the room. Even though he now knew every square inch of her body, she was still self-conscious to stand before him in the nude. She didn’t know a single woman who didn’t have some sort of body issue they dealt with.
Cassie took her time in the shower, letting the hot water ease her aches away. She knew she should hurry, considering they were on a limited supply of power, but she couldn’t force herself to turn off the faucet. Finally, she climbed out, not bothering with make-up. She opened the door and her stomach growled loudly when she smelled whatever he was cooking.
“I figured we better go through as much of the fridge and freezer foods as possible, just in case we’re here longer than we think. I suppose if it lasted too long we could always just dig a hole in the snow outside our door and store it that way,” he said. She wouldn’t have thought about that, but it was a really good idea.
“That smells great,” she said, peaking over his shoulder. He had something boiling in a pot.
“It’s my secret recipe,” he said with a wink. She didn’t care what it was as long as it was done soon. He pulled fresh baked rolls out of the oven, and soon they sat down at the table. Neither of them spoke for several minutes.