Get In
1386 Words
The spell shattered instantly. The deafening crash of glass directly above them obliterated the heavy, intoxicating tension that had pulled them together.
Ivy gasped, scrambling backward on the stone hearth. Her heart pounded a frantic rhythm against her ribs. The romantic trance evaporated, replaced by pure adrenaline.
"Stay here," Sebastian commanded. He was already on his feet, his massive frame blocking the flickering light of the fire he had just started. He grabbed the heavy tactical flashlight.
"I am not staying here alone," Ivy shot back, pushing herself up. Her legs were shaky, but panic overrode the cold. "That sounded like the roof caved in."
"It came from the east guest room," Sebastian said, his voice hard and professional. "Follow closely behind me. Do not step on any debris."
They rushed up the grand oak staircase. The temperature dropped significantly with every step. The second floor of the alpine chalet was already surrendering to the brutal elements. When Sebastian pushed open the heavy door to the guest bedroom, the wind violently ripped it out of his grasp.
A massive, jagged branch from an ancient pine tree had impaled the thick pane of the reinforced window. The glass was entirely gone, scattered across the expensive carpet like deadly diamonds. The blizzard was pouring directly into the room, bringing a vicious swirl of snow and freezing wind.
"We have to block it," Sebastian yelled over the roar of the storm. He swept the flashlight beam around the chaotic room. "The ambient temperature up here will drop below freezing in ten minutes. It will burst the internal pipes."
"What do we use?" Ivy yelled back, her teeth chattering uncontrollably as the wind hit her bare legs. The oversized sweater offered zero protection against the direct assault of the blizzard.
"The solid oak armoire," he pointed the beam at a massive wooden wardrobe against the far wall. "We need to push it directly against the window frame to seal the breach."
"It looks like it weighs a ton," she protested.
"I will take the brunt of the weight. I just need you to help guide it. On three."
Ivy nodded, rushing across the room. Her bare feet crunched over small fragments of ice and glass. She placed her palms flat against the freezing wood of the heavy furniture. Sebastian braced his massive shoulder against the opposite side, planting his boots firmly on the carpet.
"One. Two. Three. Push."
Sebastian unleashed a primal grunt of exertion. The sheer power in his heavy frame was terrifying to witness. The massive oak armoire groaned in protest, dragging slowly across the floor. Ivy pushed with all her remaining strength, her bare toes digging into the carpet for leverage.
Suddenly, her left foot slipped on a patch of slick, melting snow. She lost her balance, her body pitching forward. Her knee slammed brutally into the sharp metal track of the sliding closet door.
A sharp cry of pain tore from her throat.
"Ivy." Sebastian immediately let go of the heavy furniture. The armoire slammed into the wall next to the window, completely sealing the massive hole. The howling wind was instantly muffled, leaving only the sound of Ivy gasping for breath on the floor.
He dropped to his knees beside her, the flashlight beam illuminating her face. The authoritative crisis manager was gone, instantly replaced by a fiercely overprotective, deeply frantic man.
"I am fine," she lied through clenched teeth, clutching her left knee. "I just slipped."
"Move your hands," he ordered, his voice thick with panic. "Let me see it."
She reluctantly pulled her hands away. A jagged, angry purple bruise was already forming on her pale skin, accompanied by a shallow scrape that was slowly bleeding down her shin.
Sebastian swore violently under his breath. The sound was harsh and terrifying in the dim room. He reached out, his large hands hovering just an inch above her skin, as if he was afraid his rough touch would break her completely.
"It is just a scrape, Sebastian. The bleeding is already stopping."
"You should not have come up here," he growled. The guilt in his voice was heavy and palpable. "I told you to stay downstairs. You are entirely too stubborn for your own good."
"I wanted to help," she whispered. "I am tired of feeling useless. I have felt useless all week. Mark made me feel useless. I am not going to sit downstairs while you save the house."
Sebastian stopped. He looked at her, his dark eyes burning with an intensity that made the freezing room feel suddenly hot. The mention of her ex boyfriend seemed to strike a dangerous nerve.
"You are not useless, Ivy," he said, his voice dropping into a low, possessive register. "The man is an absolute fool. If he had any sense of what he actually had, he would have never looked at another woman."
Ivy swallowed hard. The raw honesty in his statement shook her to her core.
"We need to get downstairs," Sebastian said abruptly, clearing his throat. The heavy, inappropriate tension was back, suffocating them both. He stood up and extended his hand. "Can you walk?"
"Yes," she said, taking his large hand and letting him pull her to her feet. She winced slightly as she put weight on her bruised knee.
"The second floor is lost," Sebastian stated, scanning the room with the flashlight. The temperature was already agonizingly cold. "The draft from the edges of the armoire will freeze this entire level within the hour. We need to grab whatever dry bedding we can find and retreat to the living room."
They quickly stripped the heavy down comforters and thick wool blankets from the guest bed. Ivy gathered a pile of plush pillows. They hurried back down the grand staircase, leaving the freezing chaos behind them.
The living room was marginally warmer, thanks to the fire Sebastian had started before the crash. The flames danced brightly in the massive stone hearth, casting long, flickering shadows across the dark timber walls.
Sebastian dropped the heavy blankets onto the floor. There was only one large, thick Persian rug situated directly in front of the raging fire. The rest of the sprawling room was open hardwood, which was already absorbing the freezing temperature from the foundation.
Ivy stood awkwardly near the edge of the rug, clutching her pile of pillows to her chest. She watched as Sebastian meticulously arranged the bedding. He layered the thick wool blankets directly onto the rug, creating a soft, insulated barrier against the cold floor. Finally, he spread the massive down comforter over the top.
He was essentially making one single, makeshift bed right in front of the fire.
Ivy felt a sudden, frantic fluttering in her stomach. "What are you doing?"
"Creating a thermal pocket," he replied without looking up. He adjusted the heavy comforter, smoothing out the edges with precise movements. "The ambient air temperature in this room will continue to drop. The fire will only provide direct radiant heat to a localized area."
"Sebastian," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He stopped moving. He stood up slowly, turning to face her. The flickering orange light of the fire danced across his rugged, exhausted features. The muscle in his jaw ticked a steady, agonizing rhythm. He looked like a man standing on the very edge of a dangerous cliff, staring down at the ruin below.
"The only way to survive the night without risking severe hypothermia is to share body heat," he stated. His voice was incredibly tight, a low, warning rumble that offered absolutely no room for debate.
"We cannot," she breathed out. Panic and a terrifying, forbidden thrill fought for control of her racing heart. "Juliet..."
"Juliet is in Paris," he interrupted, taking a single, heavy step toward her. The space between them felt electric. "We are in Chamonix. The power is dead. The road is gone. We have one bed, Ivy."
He stared directly into her eyes, stripping away every last excuse they had left.
"Get in.”
- Writer
