Snowed In with the Boss - Chapter 5
Pairing: Gibbs x OFC (original female character)
The mountain cold cared nothing for our ranks or my meager standards of comfort. It crept through the gaps in the old log walls, ate away at the dying glow of the fireplace, and settled over the narrow bed like a layer of lead. Silently, I cursed the damn storm. I cursed the cabin, the lack of heating, and the fact that I - the lead agent - was stuck here of all places: with her.
I lay there with my back turned to her, staring into the darkness. I didn't move. My breathing was shallow - and I was wide awake. Every fiber of my being was attuned to the woman behind me. Rose was lying so close to the far right edge of the mattress that she was practically hovering in mid-air. A gap of perhaps twenty centimeters yawned between our backs - an icy barrier that felt like a wall meters high. A damn wall made of service regulations, self-restraint, and my own stubborn fear of crossing the boundary I had been desperately defending for months.
I heard her soft, rapid breathing and sensed her shivering. The faint chattering of her teeth, which she was trying desperately to suppress. The rustle of fabric as she tried to pull the scratchy wool blanket tighter around her shoulders. My deeply ingrained protective instinct flared up in alarm. It drove me crazy knowing how cold she was, simply because she was too proud - or too cautious - to ask me for warmth.
"Rose," I said, my voice rough and deep in the silence of the room.
She flinched. I felt the mattress vibrate. āY-Yes, Gibbs?ā
āIf you slide any further to the right, youāre going to fall onto the floor. And I have no desire to pick you up in the middle of the night.ā
I turned slowly, and in the faint, bluish shimmer the snowstorm cast through the frosted windows, I could make out her silhouette. She had curled up into a tight ball. My heart gave an involuntary lurch; an urgent need to protect her, coupled with pure attraction, surged through me. I shifted a little toward the center. Deliberately. Slowly. Every movement required an effort of self-control.
āIām not cold,ā she lied bravely. Her breath rose in a small white cloud.
I let out a short, sarcastic snort. *Fool*, I thought to myselfāhalf-amused, half-annoyed by her stubbornness. I grabbed the edge of the blanket and yanked it toward me with a sharp tug. It forced her to slide closer if she didn't want to lie there completely uncovered. āYouāre still a lousy liar, Rose. Come here.ā
āGibbs, I think it would be better if weā¦ā
āThatās an order, Agent,ā I interrupted, using a tone that was deliberately gentle yet unyielding. I knew I was taking advantage of my position, but in that moment, the desire to have her close to me outweighed any rational thought about professionalism.
She turned halfway onto her back and looked at me. Her eyes were large and dark in the gloom. After a brief moment, she slowly turned back onto her side to slide toward the center of the bed. My pulse quickened instantly, and I shifted the last few inches closer until my chest touched her back. Despite the chill in the room, the spot where our bodies met burned. I wrapped my arm around her waistānot too tightly, yet firmly enough to dispel any doubt. With gentle but unyielding dominance, I pulled her against meāclose to my chest. And in that same moment, the constant pressure on my heart gave way to a deep, liberating exhale.
A sharp, deep sigh escaped her lips, and I instantly felt an intense, searing wave of heat shoot through her body. Even in the darkness, I knew with absolute certainty that she was blushing from head to toe at that moment. This time, it hadn't been an accident. I had deliberately put her into this position. I wanted her reaction. I wanted to feel her melt beneath my touch. I wanted the confirmation and the certainty that she felt this maddening desire just as intensely as I did.
āBetter?ā I murmured against the back of her head. My breath stirred a few strands of her hair, releasing once again that intoxicating scent of bourbon vanillaāa scent that had been driving me mad at the office for months and was now, in this cramped bed, stripping away the last of my self-control.
"Yes," she whispered, her voice so soft it was nearly lost in the howling wind. She lay rigid as a board, her heart pounding wildly. The thudding was so intense I could feel every single beat beneath the hand resting on her stomach. Deep inside, I groaned with longing - her racing heart struck a chord deep within my soul, every rapid beat of her heart echoing right through me.
I deliberately let my hand slide a little higher, just far enough for my knuckles to graze the bottom of her ribs. An electric jolt seemed to shoot through her - and through me, too. The crackling tension between us in the bed was so intense the air practically sparked. Her emotional turmoil was palpable; she wanted to keep her distance and remain professional, yet her body was already pressing against mine of its own accord, hungry for the warmth. I savored this victory of nature over her reason. It mirrored the internal battle I had been fighting myself for what felt like an eternity.
"Youāre still damn nervous, Rose," I whispered, my mouth so close to her ear that my lips almost brushed her skin. I was enjoying the game. I wanted to drive her out of her mind, just as sheād been doing to me for months. "I thought you weren't afraid of me."
I could feel the heat of the blood rushing to her cheeks against my lips. Then, she slowly turned in my arms and tilted her head back to look at me. "Iām not afraid of you, Jethro," she replied, her breath washing over my chin. "Iām just afraid of what you do to me."
That hit the mark. Hearing her say "Jethro" struck me like a blow to the gut. My sarcasm instantly evaporated into the cold air of the room. A wave of pure, uncontrollable desire - and deep respect for her courage - washed over me. My grip on her waist tightened, pulling her relentlessly closer until there wasn't even room for air between us.
I wanted to protect her, I wanted to possess her - I wanted it all. Yet, nothing more happened that first night - no kiss, no release. Only the unbearable, beautiful torture of our bodies clinging completely to one another, while the storm outside buried the world and I lost myself deeper in this woman with every heartbeat.
(To be continued in Chapter 6.)
Other chapters of this story
Alternative Masterlist 1: completed stories
Alternative Masterlist 2: completed and ongoing stories
Tags: @ilovemark1951, @hobby27, @newttheglue250, @mrs-pride-archer-gibbs
