Читать книгу The Sheriff's Doorstep Baby - Teresa Carpenter - Страница 11

MICHELLE’S spine snapped straight. “What do you mean sleep together? Why do we have to sleep down here?”

“The heater is electric,” Nate stated calmly. “That means there’s no heat upstairs.”

“Surely we’d be warm enough under our blankets? I don’t remember sleeping down here as a kid.”

“Your dad told me he changed from gas to electric some years ago. Probably felt it was safer.” He stood and set the baby in the seat. “But if you want to try finding enough blankets to huddle under, be my guest. Jack and I are sleeping down here next to the fire.”

As if he cared less what she chose to do, he gathered the dirty dishes and pot of stew and carried it all into the kitchen.

Obviously no help would be coming from that direction. Michelle bit her lip and eyed the distance to the stairs. The twelve feet seemed daunting enough considering her foot had given out when she’d barely passed the coffee table before the lights went out. Add in the stairs and the walk down the hall while carrying her overnight bag and gathering extra blankets along the way, and she saw the impossibility of the challenge.

“I’ll sleep on the couch,” she announced when Nate returned to the room.

“Suit yourself.” He offered no argument. But he stood and surveyed her with his hands braced on his hips. “It’ll be a little lumpy once I remove the mattress from the Hide-A-Bed, but you can keep the cushions.”

Though it seemed an obvious question, she didn’t ask why he didn’t just pull out the Hide-A-Bed and use it as is. He’d already stated his intent to be close to the fire.

Plus she didn’t want to share a bed with Nate Connor. He was too big, too gruff, too dominating to share such a small space with. There’d be no getting away from him.

She could still feel the imprint of his body on hers, remember the taste of him on her tongue. The memories made sharing a bed with him too tempting and way too dangerous.

Nope, not going there. The couch made total sense. She wouldn’t have to walk up the stairs. She’d be near the fire. And she’d have the necessary distance from the sexy but aggravating sheriff.

Her game plan set, she glanced up to see Nate zipping the two sleeping bags together.

“Hey, I need one of those over here.”

“Nope,” he said without looking up. “I’m too big to share one sleeping bag with the baby.”

Measuring the width of his shoulders, she really couldn’t argue with the statement. “Then he can sleep with me.”

“Nope.” He finished with the bags and draped them over the back of the chair. Next he picked up the heavy coffee table and easily moved it across the room, opening up the space in front of the fire. Then he turned toward the couch. “I’m going to need you to move.”

“Why not?” She held out a hand, silently asking for assistance in rising.

“Because you’re going to get cold and end up down on the mattress with us.” He grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet.

She practically flew off the couch, ending up way too close to him. She looked into his eyes, pretended to be unaffected by the show of strength. The man was solid as a rock and warm as sun-baked stone.

“That seems easy to predict since you won’t give me a sleeping bag.” Making no attempt to move out of his way, she lazily twirled a strand of hair around her finger. “I’m disappointed in you, Nate. Trying to maneuver me into sleeping with you on our first date.”

A ferocious scowl crashed over his brow, making him look like an angry lion.

“Woman, are you crazy? We’re snowed in. We are not, nor will we ever be, dating.”