Stranded by Noelle Stevens

didn’t even seem to care. What is that all about? He even seemed happy about it.
    Not sure what to make of Colton Drake, I sink onto the bed, my bra and panties still in my hands, and stare out the window. The sun is setting, and I stare at the darkening sky, replaying the fun I had with Drake when we played in the snow. I feel a warm glow starting as I picture the impossibly handsome man who isn’t embarrassed to show that he finds me desirable.
    A knock on my door draws me out of my reverie.
    “Dinner’s just about ready,” Drake says from the door.
    I jerk my head toward the sound. “Okay.” Making a quick decision, I drape the bra and panties across the chair, open the bedroom door, and head downstairs. Something smells good as I enter the kitchen and I see that Drake’s set the table.
    He stands in front of the counter putting a salad together. He’s wearing a pair of well-worn jeans with a button-up shirt that’s not tucked in, along with a pair of comfortable looking slippers.
    “Do you need any help?” I ask.
    “No, I’ve got it covered.” He turns to me with a smile. “You can clean up afterwards though.”
    His suggestion doesn’t annoy me this time. “Okay.” I stroll over to where he works. “What’d you make for dinner?”
    “I had some hamburger patties in the freezer so I threw them on the grill.” He looks at me with a question. “You’re not a vegetarian or anything, are you?”
    I laugh. “No. I definitely like my steak.”
    “Good.” He hands me the salad. “Put that on the table and I’ll get the burgers.”
    I do as he asks, then watch him through the kitchen window as he scoops four hamburger patties off of the grill and slides them onto a plate, then adds four toasted buns to the pile.
    A moment later he sets the plate on the table.
    “Mmm,” I say, the scent of barbecue reaching my nose.
    “Help yourself,” he says, motioning to the plate.
    I take a bun and place a burger on it, then add a piece of lettuce and a slice of tomato. He takes two burgers and squeezes out a large dollop of ketchup.
    We’re quiet as we eat, both lost in our own thoughts. 
    “I’ve liked having you here,” he says as he starts on his second burger.
    I smile, glad I haven’t been too much of a nuisance. After all, he came to the cabin to relax, not to take care of a stranger he picked up off the side of the road. “Well, I appreciate you not leaving me to freeze.”
    He frowns. “I hope you know I would never do that.”
    I quirk an eyebrow. “So yesterday when you acted like you were going to throw me out. You weren’t serious?”
    He laughs. “No, of course not.” He smiles. “But it was fun to see your reaction when you thought I was.”
    Not amused, I press my lips together. “Well, you scared me. I thought you were some kind of psycho.”
    Looking somewhat contrite, he says, “Sorry.”
    “Uh huh.” I take a bite of salad, not ready to completely forgive him just yet. We eat in silence for a while, then I ask, “How long were you planning on staying here?”
    “I usually just come for the weekend.”
    Today is Saturday, so I consider what this means. “Do you think we’ll be able to get a tow truck to pull my car out of the snow tomorrow?”
    He looks out the window. “Possibly. The snow seems to be tapering off.” He turns to me with a smile. “Just depends how busy they are, I guess.”
    “Is there a place nearby that we can call?” Reno is a couple of hours north of here—a little far for a tow truck to come.
    “Yeah. There’s a place in town I can call. But they only have the one tow truck.”
    I think about this and wonder how long I’m going to be stuck here. Though it’s been kind of fun to flirt with Colton Drake, I have plans. I want to get to Reno and get started on my life. 
    “Aren’t you hungry?” he asks, pointing to my half-eaten burger.
    I look at the food on my plate, and realize that my appetite has diminished. When I try to figure out