25

Lin Shen carries me down the mountain on his back.

My face presses against him, arms around his neck, grinning like an idiot.

It's getting dark, so we stop at a lodge for the night.

The lone wooden hotel stands in the wind, packed with stranded travelers from the avalanche.

We pay a fortune for the last room.

It's tiny, basic, one bed, no heat.

Lin Shen wraps me in a blanket.

He boils water, finds food.

After eating, sleeping arrangements are awkward.

We've confessed, but sharing a bed feels… intense.

"I'll sleep on the floor," he offers.

"No heat. You'll freeze."

Blushing, I stammer, "Come to bed. We'll manage."

He hesitates, then lies down carefully, hugging the wall.

We're like mummies, a gap big enough for another person between us.

Our breathing is soft in the howling wind.

"Lin Shen, you asleep?" I ask the wall.

"You cold?"

"No…"

My teeth chatter.

Suddenly, he pulls me into his arms.

I yelp, face burning, wrapped in his warm chest.

His chin rests on my head.

"Now you're warm."

I'm not just warm—I'm on fire.

And I'm not the only one.

Something stirs against my thigh.

I glance down.

He quickly tilts my head up, ears red, breathing heavy.

"Don't move."

Even naive me gets it.

We're both scarlet.

"Okay…"

I sleep soundly in his arms, unaware he watches me all night, burning with unspoken desire.