Page 35 of Tempted To Be Mine

I had never had a lumberjack fantasy, but I could definitely understand the appeal. The masculine energy would bleed through the pages of the magazines these pictures would appear. The models looked like they’d wandered out of a fairy tale, ethereal and untouchable.

On one particularly powerful swing, I heard a distinct ripping sound.

Jeremy paused mid-motion. A seam had split right across the shoulder blade, the fabric gaping open to reveal the white shirt underneath.

“Wardrobe!”

An assistant rushed forward with a replacement jacket, identical to the first. Jeremy shrugged out of the damaged one and into the new one, barely missing a beat before he was back in position.

They had a whole rack of replacements, I noticed. Smart.

The shooting day stretched on forever. Or maybe it just felt that way because the cold was slowly draining every ounce of energy from my body. I didn’t know how the models were doing it. Robots. That was the only explanation. They didn’t have feelings. Or nerves.

The production team had set up propane heaters around the perimeter of the site, their blue flames fighting valiantly against the Arctic air. I positioned myself as close to one as I could get without actually climbing inside it. The heat helped, but it was like trying to warm an entire house with a single candle.

I watched Jeremy between setups, impressed by how unruffled he looked. His breath fogged the air but he seemed unbothered. How did he do it? The man was basically wearing tissue paper and he looked warmer than I felt in my seventeen layers.

An assistant was doing her level best to keep him from becoming a popsicle. She rushed up between shots with a heated blanket, wrapping it around Jeremy’s shoulders like a cape. Steam rose from the fabric. I felt a pang of intense jealousy. I wanted a heated blanket. I wanted someone to wrap me in something that made me emit steam.

Bernadette flitted around the set like a hummingbird, checking on everyone, making sure no one was showing signs of hypothermia. She pressed the back of her hand to foreheads, asked pointed questions about feeling in fingers and toes. She took her role as safety coordinator seriously. I appreciated her vigilance, even if it highlighted just how dangerous this whole situation could be.

By the time Sebastian finally called wrap, the sun was sinking fast. I was surprised by how quickly it went from beautiful daylight to twilight. We headed back to the lodge in the dark. Thank God we were in vans because I did not want to be out there with whatever lived in the forest.

I sat in the back, my body aching with cold in a way I’d never experienced before. It wasn’t just uncomfortable. It was bone deep, a chill that had settled into my marrow and refused to leave. I felt like I’d never be warm again.

Jeremy dropped into the seat beside me, finally looking a little tired around the edges. “Hell of a day.”

“You looked great out there.”

“Thanks.” He bumped his shoulder against mine. “You look frozen.”

“I am frozen. I have no idea how my lips are moving.”

He smiled, completely unbothered. “Dinner’s going to be good tonight. Warm you right up.”

I shook my head. “I think I’m going to skip dinner. Just lie down for a while.”

“Skip dinner? Lucy, you have to eat.”

“I’ll eat tomorrow. Right now I just need to be horizontal and not cold.”

He looked concerned, which made me feel good. “You sure?”

“Positive. I just need to thaw out. There are several blankets in my cabin. I’m going to nest under all of them.”

The van pulled up to the lodge. I practically stumbled out and made my way to my cabin on legs that felt like frozen tree trunks. My fingers fumbled with the key. Finally, the door swung open and I fell inside, slamming it shut behind me.

Heat. Beautiful, glorious heat.

I stripped off my outer layers, letting them fall where they may. All of it was shed like a snake’s skin as I made my way toward the bathroom. I thought about taking a hot shower, but I didn’t want to be naked.

I changed into my fleece-lined pajamas and cranked up the heat in the cabin. I’d pay extra for the electricity if they complained. Then I remembered the big fluffy socks I bought on a whim. I pulled them on over my other socks.

Slowly, feeling began to return to my extremities. First my toes, tingling with that painful pins-and-needles sensation that meant blood was flowing again. Then my fingers. My ears felt like they were on fire.

I collapsed onto the bed, pulling the down comforter up to my chin. The drowsiness hit almost immediately, my body shutting down now that it was finally safe and warm. My eyes grew heavy. My muscles relaxed. I was halfway to sleep when I heard a knock on the door.

I groaned. Maybe if I ignored it, whoever it was would go away.