Kite In The Snow by Karla Lopez

 

I wake up to the sound of my alarm blaring from my phone. I’m quick to turn it off, so I won’t wake Mae up. I rub my eyes as they ache from the lack of sleep I had last night. I slump over the couch, knowing I’m going to have a long ass day today.

I look through my phone and see I have text messages from Camila and James.

 

Camila: Do we have to work today? The snowstorm was bad.

 

James: No fucking way I’m leaving my bed. We got several feet of snow. I’m staying home.

 

Me: Nah, guys, you can stay home. I’ll close today, but that means you guys have to come in on Monday bright and early. :)

 

James: Fuck off.

 

Camila: YAY! We get the whole weekend off.

 

I shake my head because it’s rare that I close for a snow day, especially knowing that we’re equipped for it, but they work hard, so why not? It’s 4:30 am, and I decide to make my way downstairs to post a sign that I won’t be opening today or tomorrow.

I’m as quiet as possible as I slip on my boots and make my way downstairs. When I look outside, I see the plow trucks working already, but the snow came strong today.

The snow is at level with half of my door, hitting me mid-thigh of my six-foot figure. This is a lot of snow, and I know people will not be leaving their homes. School will probably be remote—they tend to do that when there’s too much snow.

There won’t be many people out except for the people who can still work under these conditions. I make the sign and hang it on the door, then make my way back up to my apartment.

When I make it inside, there’s still no noise so I’m guessing Mae is still asleep. I decide to go back to sleep as well.

When I wake up again, it’s still dark, but that doesn’t mean anything. Here in Alaska in the winter, we have several months of darkness. To outsiders, that might seem so cool, but to locals it’s routine.

I look at my phone and see its seven in the morning. I don’t hear Mae yet and I decide to make her breakfast while I wait for her to wake up. We’re going to be stuck in this small space for two days, and I hope she’s okay with it.

I decide to make bacon, eggs, and toast. As I’m cooking, I hear my bedroom door open and I’m guessing the smell summoned Mae out of bed.

I turn to look at her, and I feel like all the air leaves my lungs as I stare at her naked long legs. My eyes roam her beautiful body, hitting her belly first, then her breasts that make me go weak. She’s not wearing a bra, so I can see her nipples through my shirt, and my dick twitches.

I would give anything to make her body and heart mine. My eyes finally land on her blue ones and she’s watching me check her out timidly. She crosses her arms as if she just noticed that she’s half naked.

Without a word, she turns and walks back into my room. For a second, I think that I might have spooked her, but she comes back with the sweats I gave her. She didn’t put on a bra, and I’m so fucking happy she didn’t.

I look at her one more time as all the blood in my body rushes to my dick so quickly that I have this urge to tug on it. Her wearing my clothes does something to me. It gives me a primal urge, and I want to feed off her.

Fuck. What am I saying?

“Breakfast?” I ask as I place a plate in front of her on the island. I don’t have a dining table. All I have are stools at the island since it’s only ever been me.

She looks at her plate and gives me a small smile. “Thank you,” she whispers.

She moans once she takes a bite, and I can’t help the drool that leaves my mouth as I stare at her with my mouth open. What the fuck is wrong me? I’m acting like a fourteen-year-old boy.

I shake my head and take a bite of my own breakfast as we eat in awkward silence.

I break the silence first. “We’re not working today or tomorrow because of the snowstorm.”

She shakes her head. “Is that why it’s still dark outside?” I laugh at her question. She’s definitely not from here.

“No. It’s called polar night and we won’t see the sun again till sometime in March. Not until spring.”

Her eyes go wide, and I can’t help but laugh. “Wow. That’s so cool.”

I grin. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool if you haven’t lived here all your life and you’re not used to it. It might also get hard to get used to it because we spend half of the year with sunlight and the half in darkness.”

“Wow. I can’t wait.” She laughs and that sound never gets old. “I’m from Texas, and all we ever get is heat, so it has been an adjustment.”

“I thought I heard an accent on you. Didn’t realize it was a country one.”

She scrunches up her nose in a cute, endearing way that has me grinning wider. “We prefer Texan, and you have an accent too, you know.”

I chuckle. “I absolutely do not have one.” She giggles.

“You do. You have a native accent of some sort. I can’t describe it.”

“I guess every state has its own form of an accent.”

She shrugs and looks at her plate, her face sobering up. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t been anywhere other than here and the small town I came from in Texas.”

I try to make her feel better because I like her smile a lot more. Its breathtaking to see on her face. “Well, neither have I. I’ve only ever been here all my life, and I’m content with it.”

She offers me a small smile before she picks up her plate and mine, then takes them to the sink. “You cooked, so I clean.”

“You don’t have to do that.” She looks at me with surprise, but she tries to cover it up by looking away.

“I want to.”

I shake my head and grab the three bowls I left out with my dough. While she’s cleaning, I’m going to make my famous doughnuts, so it won’t be wasteful since I’m not opening the shop. I’m going to make them and give them out to the guys out plowing the snow.

I lay flour out on my kitchen island and start kneading the dough. I can feel Mae’s eyes on me, but I don’t stay anything. I wait for her to say something first.

After a few minutes, she finally does. “What are you making?”

“Doughnuts. I was going to make them for the shop, but since we’re not opening, I’m going to take them out to the guys working outside in the snow.”

She bites her lip as she stares at my hands, and it makes my body heat up again. I want to pull her lip from her teeth and run my tongue over it. I look away before I do something stupid and scare her.

She watches me the whole time as I make them without saying a word, but by the look in her eyes, I know she’s craving them. I stare at her belly and then realize that she caught me.

I clear my throat. “How far along are you?”

She sighs. “Five months, almost six.”

“Do you know what you’re having?” I ask her as I make the icing.

“No. The father didn’t want to know.” I freeze and look at her, waiting for her to continue, but she doesn’t.

“Do you want to know?”

“I would like to, but I don’t have money to go see a doctor. I have my prenatals and as long as I feel them kick, I know I’m fine.”

“Should still see a doctor.”

“I will once I start making more money.” I nod at her. On Monday, I’m going to offer her medical insurance through employment. Hopefully she agrees because it would kill me if anything happened to her or that baby.

I know my thoughts are absurd considering I barely know her, but there’s something about her. She interrupts my thoughts when she asks, “Can I have a doughnut when you’re done?”

“Of course.” I smile at her. “What are you craving?”

“What do you mean?” She tilts her head to the side.

“I know pregnancy brings craving, so I’m guessing you must have them too.”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “Oh. It’s mostly sweets, but especially when they have anything lemon on them.”

“Well today is your lucky day because the next frosting I’m making is lemon.”

She gives me this weird look then whispers, “Thank you.”

When I make the icing, I offer her some and she dips her finger in it. She brings her lemon frosting covered finger to her mouth, and sucks on it and moans. My dick hardens at the sight of her sucking on her finger and moaning, but my undoing is when she looks up and her eyelashes flutter. I might just blow right here.

I clear my throat and excuse myself to the bathroom. Once I’m inside, I sit on the toilet and release a heavy breath. I try to shake my head of all the sexual thoughts I have involving Mae. I can’t help it. I’m only human, but I feel like a dick knowing I have these thoughts of her when she’s in this vulnerable state.

I want her to feel safe here.

Here with me.

I make my way back into the kitchen. She’s sitting there waiting, and I’m scared she can read the thoughts I was having, but when she looks at me, she looks oblivious to what happened.

I continue to make the doughnuts and add icing to them. I hand her one when I’m done. She loudly moans again, then she catches herself and her cheeks flush. The sight makes me smirk at her, and I can see her getting more red.

After she’s done eating, she reaches over and places her hand on top of mine. The gesture catches me by surprise because she was afraid of my touch yesterday. What’s changed?

“Thank you for the doughnuts. I couldn’t afford cravings before. After everything you have given me, all I have is gratitude toward you. I never thought I’d meet a kind person and especially in male form,” she whispers.

Her words make me frown, and I feel the sadness spread throughout me. I hate that I’m the first person to ever give her kindness.