Daniel walked across the room and made up the cot, not giving me a single glance. It was strange seeing him in gray sweatpants and a tee. But not unpleasant. He filled out those pants to perfection.
“I’m sorry,” I said, hating the silence. “I shouldn’t have asked you that.”
He stilled, his shoulders squaring, before he went back to putting the blanket on the cot and sliding onto it. Like the night before, the cot made an ungodly creaking sound under his weight.
“We never got to celebrate your big win,” I said, propping my head up on my arm. “There’s still time to break out the wine and turn this night around.”
“You’ve had enough to drink.” He sighed and faced the window. “Turn off the light, please. I’m tired.”
I reached over and shut off the lamp, sending the room into darkness. Pale moonlight streamed in through the window and illuminated the snow in the trees. Even though I hated winter, I appreciated the beauty of it. My body didn’t appreciate it, though. I was so freaking cold. My feet were like blocks of ice, and I shuffled them under the sheets to create friction and give me some relief.
“Stop fidgeting,” Daniel mumbled.
“I can’t. My feet are so cold. I think my toes are gonna fall off.”
“Put some socks on.”
“But it’s dark,” I said. “And that would require me to leave these covers to search for them.”
“I guess you’ll have to freeze, then.”
I curled my body inward and drew my legs up, pulling the thick comforter up under my nose. And speaking of my nose, it was cold too. Like a damn little icicle. “Why is it so cold? Is the heater broken?”
“Yes.” Daniel shifted on the cot. “That’s what Ian told us last night. It’s why this room was available. It has trouble heating up sometimes.”
“How are you not cold?” I asked, staring at his back and wide shoulders. “Your blanket is way thinner than mine, and I’m dying over here.” He was also near the window, which probably had a draft.
“I’m fine.”
That’s when I saw him shake a little and tug his blanket up higher.
“No you’re not.” I sat up in bed and flipped on the lamp.
He turned his head, eyes squinting against the light. “What are you doing?”
I hopped out of bed, shuddering as the cold air hit my skin, and went over to the fireplace, squatting in front of it. “This works, right?”
“I believe so.” Daniel got off the cot and came over to help. A stack of firewood sat against the wall, and he grabbed a few logs and positioned them in the pit. He checked the vent to make sure it wasn’t closed before lighting the fire. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this.”
I grinned. “It’s why I’m your assistant.” As the wood caught the flame and the fire spread, I held out my hands. “Man, this feels nice. Can we sleep with it going?”
“It should be fine.” Daniel got to his feet and went back over to the cot. “You know, maybe you wouldn’t be so cold if you put on some clothes.”
“I have clothes on,” I said, motioning to my sweater.
“Add pants to it. You’re just in your boxers.” He laid his head down on the pillow and looked at me, his blue eyes sleepy. “And find your socks.”
“Look who’s fussing over who now,” I said, amused.
“I’m not fussing over you. It’s common sense.”
I went over to the drawer where I’d placed my clothes and pulled out a pair of socks and sleep pants. As I crawled back into bed—more snug now because of my warm toes—I found I wasn’t as tired anymore. “How does your girlfriend feel about you being stuck here?”
“My girlfriend?” Daniel asked.
“Yeah. The girl from the photo on your desk.” The center of my chest tightened a bit as I recalled his smile as he hugged the pretty black-haired chick. “You look so happy with her.”
He surprised me by laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“That’s my sister,” he said before chuckling again. “You really thought she was my girlfriend this whole time?”
“Well… yeah?” I smiled as hope blossomed in my belly. “So you’re not dating anyone?”
“No.” A pause, and then, “Wait. You thought I had a girlfriend, and yet, you still thought I had sex with Vivian Parks?”
My face heated. “I know. It was stupid.”
Daniel was quiet, and when I chanced a look in his direction, I found him staring at the crackling fire. Wide-awake just like me.
“What’s your sister’s name?” I asked, not ready to stop talking to him.
“Regina.” Maybe Daniel wasn’t ready to stop talking to me either. “She’s three years younger than me.”
“You’re a scary, overprotective big brother, aren’t you?”
He blessed me with another smile. Fuck if I didn’t want to see him smile more often. He was just too handsome when he let his guard down.
“When we were in high school, I threatened to beat up a boy in her class because he made her cry,” Daniel said. “I also told all my buddies not to even think about touching her or else I’d bash their heads in, because I knew what kind of pigs they were. So, yeah, I might’ve been a bit protective, sure.”
I snorted. “Wow, I didn’t take you for the violent type.”
“I never actually did any of it. The threat was enough.” He cracked another smile. “Do you have any siblings?”
“Nope. It’s just me.” No sense in telling him about my less than idealistic childhood. Better to keep things light. “Probably for the best. I prefer the spotlight.”
“You? I would’ve never guessed.”
I cocked my head at him. “Was that a joke, Mr. Sawyer?”
“You can call me Daniel if you want. At least when we’re not at the office.”
“Okay,” I said, hiding my smile with the blanket. “Cool.”
I finally turned off the bedside lamp, and the fire lit up the room in a golden glow. As the wood crackled and popped in the fireplace, I closed my eyes. The sound was enough to soothe my easily distracted mind. My body got heavy like it did when I was falling asleep.
“Reed?”
“Hmm?” I asked, fighting to stay awake.
“The night you accidentally texted me…” Daniel paused. “Are you still seeing the man you meant to send the text to?”
I cracked open my eyelids and focused on him. Why did he care? “Not really. He’s just a guy I occasionally see. It’s nothing serious.”
I waited for him to respond, but instead, he turned away from me and faced the window again, saying nothing. My eyes fell shut, and I drifted to sleep… only to be woken around three o’clock in the morning to the chattering of my teeth. The fire had gone out, and it was so cold that I felt miserable. Achy.
That’s when I looked at Daniel. He was curled up on the cot, his big body hanging off it, and the softest of whimpers left him as he shook.
Goddammit! I knew he was cold.
I didn’t even think about it. I threw the covers off me and rushed over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Chills covered his arms, and though he was fast asleep, his brow was scrunched as if he was in pain.