Chapter 4: Snowed in

The storm peaked just after midnight.

Wind battered the estate with violent persistence, rattling the windows until the glass trembled in its frames. Snow screamed across the grounds, piling high against the walls as though trying to bury the house whole.

Elena lay awake beneath the covers, heart racing.

She hadn’t changed out of her nightgown, though the silk dress from the night before lay discarded over a chair like evidence she didn’t want to acknowledge. Every time she closed her eyes, her body betrayed her remembering the weight of Julian’s presence, the command in his voice, the promise he hadn’t needed to finish.

We’ll continue.

The lights died without warning.

Darkness swallowed the room. The low hum of heat vanished. Silence followed thick, ominous.

Elena sat up sharply. “Chloe?” she called, already knowing she wouldn’t hear an answer.

The cold crept in fast.

Then footsteps.

A soft click at her door.

A beam of light cut through the dark, sweeping across frost-laced windows before settling at the foot of her bed. Julian stood there, backlit, unmistakable even without seeing his face.

“The main power line is down,” he said quietly. “The generator’s fuel line is frozen.”

Her pulse spiked. “I—I have blankets.”

“They won’t be enough by morning.” He stepped fully inside, setting the flashlight on the vanity so it cast a muted glow upward. He wore a silk robe, dark and loosely tied, the fabric clinging to him in a way that made her breath hitch. “The East Wing is the warmest part of the house. My suite has a functioning stove.”

Elena swallowed. “I can stay here.”

Julian crossed the room and sat on the edge of her bed. The mattress dipped, pulling her closer to him without her permission.

“You’re shaking,” he said calmly. His hand closed around her shoulder, firm, steady. “Come.”

It wasn’t a request.

She whispered, “This is wrong,” even as she let him guide her to her feet.

Across the hall, his suite glowed faintly with firelight. The air was warmer, thick with cedar and something unmistakably masculine. He led her to the bed a massive thing layered in furs and heavy cotton and drew her down with him.

Julian lay behind her, his body curved to hers, heat seeping into her back. His arm slid around her waist, pulling her flush against him.

Elena gasped softly.

“Quiet,” he murmured against her neck. “The house doesn’t need to hear you.”

His hand moved slowly, deliberately down her arm, across her waist, fingers splaying as if learning her shape by touch alone. She felt every inch of him behind her: solid, unyielding, terrifyingly real.

“You knew this would happen,” he said quietly. “The moment you stayed.”

Her chest tightened. “Chloe”

“Is asleep,” he interrupted. “And you’re exactly where you want to be.”

His mouth brushed her neck not a kiss, not yet. Just a warning. Her body arched involuntarily into him.

“You’ve been watching me for years,” he continued, voice low and certain. “You thought I didn’t notice? Every look. Every hesitation. Every time you froze when I stood too close.”

He rolled her onto her back, his weight settling over her, pinning her without pressure without force. His hands framed her head, his face inches from hers.

“You’re not confused, Elena,” he said. “You’re awake.”

Her breath came fast. Her hands rested against his chest, not pushing him away.

Julian dipped his head, his mouth hovering over hers, letting the moment stretch until it hurt.

“Last chance,” he murmured. “If I kiss you, there’s no pretending after.”

She didn’t answer.

She lifted her chin.

That was all he needed.

His mouth claimed hers slow, deep, devastating. Not rushed. Not gentle. A kiss that erased distance and doubt in one deliberate motion.

Outside, the storm

howled.

Inside, Elena surrendered to the truth she could no longer deny.