Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Tessa woke to total silence. No wind. It took her a second to
understand why she was being halfway crushed by a warm weight against her back.
“Declan p>
“Mm.” He buried his face against her neck, gusting out a warm breath.
A not–unpleasant shiver rippled through her. She shifted away from him. “Declan. I think p>
His arm tightened around her, pulling their bodies flush together. Tessa gasped as she felt the hot, hard press of his erection.
“Uh, Declan. Wake up p>
His lips parted and his teeth pressed against the tender skin where
her shoulder met her neck. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he
sank his teeth into her skin.
“Declan!” She swung her elbow into his gut.
“Oof!” Declan jerked back. He seemed to wake up in an instant, jerking away from her so hard he rolled off the bunk. Unfortunately, they were still zipped into the same sleeping bag. She was dragged along with him, and they landed hard, cracking their heads together.
They both hissed in pain. The broad strength of Declan’s body surged against hers as they fought to find the zipper.
“Goddamn it,” Declan snarled. “Quit squirming against me p>
Chapter 41
“Quit getting in my way!” she shot back, slapping his big hand away from where it was blocking her reach. She finally caught the zipper tab and gave it a yank. Freed, she clambered back onto the bunk, away from the urgent press of Declan’s morning glory.
Declan remained on the floor, tangled in the sleeping bag, rubbing at his temple. Tessa pulled her parka on and zipped it up to her chin.
When they had the sleeping bag rolled up and her roadside emergency kit put back together, they pulled the cabin door open, only to find themselves facing a five–foot–tall snowdrift barring the doorway. They both grabbed handfuls of snow and bit into it, quenching a nearly painful thirst and subduing growling stomachs.
When they were ready, they had to dig their way out of the cabin. The snow was heavy and densely packed, leaving them both panting by the time they made it free. On the bright side, since they had no choice but to pee outside, all the deep drifts gave a lot of privacy.
Tessa nearly screamed as she cleaned herself up with a handful of
snow, and then joined Declan where he was digging out the
snowmobile.
The snowmobile started up without a problem, and Tessa was once
again wrapped around Declan like a koala on a tree. They plowed
through the dense snow, cresting and dipping, bobbing and weaving their way through the forest. The sky was clear and blue. The wind was gone. The ground and the trees were covered in a pristine blanket of snow. Everything about it was beautiful.
They emerged from the woods near Tessa’s truck. She only knew
where the road was because of her truck. And she only knew where
her truck was because of the bright red scarf she’d tied to the
antenna. The truck was covered in several feet of snow and buried
in a drift up to the hood.
“You tied the scarf there?” Declan asked. His tone was strange. So
carefully polite. It was like talking to a stranger.
Chapter 41
Tessa found herself responding with the same contrived civility.
“Yeah. I was hoping it would help somebody find me p>
“I couldn’t see it last night. But it was a good call. Anthony will be able to find your truck when he can get out here to tow it p>
“Glad it was a worthy sacrifice. I knitted that thing myself p>
Declan looked over at it again, contemplating it for a second.
They dug away the snow around the driver’s door until they could
finally swing it open. Tessa was kneeling on the driver’s seat,
reaching for her work bag when Declan suddenly grabbed her hips
and tossed her into the passenger seat.
“Hey p>
He jumped in behind her and pulled the door shut. “We’ve got a
visitor,” he said, panting a little.
The only window clear of snow was the driver’s side window. Tessa leaned towards Declan, peering out at the snow–covered trees on the other side of the road. Suddenly, a massive moose passed into view. It had crossed in front of the nose of the truck, making its way across the road. It was the biggest animal she’d ever seen in person, and it was close enough that she could look it in the eye.
“Oh my god,” she whispered. “Aren’t they insanely dangerous p>
“Yes p>
“Are we safe in the truck p>
“Probably. But don’t make any sudden movements, just in case p>
“Is that one female p>
Chapter 41
“No, that’s a bull. Moose shed their antlers in the winter p>
“Then how do you know it’s a bull p>
Declan hesitated. “I… got a look at the family jewels p>
Tessa grinned and pressed her hand over her mouth. Declan glanced at her, and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. They sat in silence, watching the Moose as it meandered across the road and then disappeared into the woods.
“We’ll sit for a couple minutes–let him put a little more distance
between us p>
While they waited, Tessa picked up her bag and started
double–checking it again for her phone. She’d already searched every possible nook and cranny. She knew it wasn’t in there. But she couldn’t help trying again.
Instead of her phone, she found something even more surprising. A string bracelet, elaborately braided from pink, blue, and purple thread. In the middle, lettered beads had been worked into the braid, spelling out HAGS. Tessa stared at it for a long time. Long enough that Declan noticed she’d gone as still as a statue.
“What’s wrong p>
“This… this was stolen. It’s been missing since-” Since she broke up with Alex and her box of mementos had disappeared with him.
Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.