Emma sat curled on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, watching the storm rage outside. At twenty-two, she had come to the family cabin for a quiet weekend to clear her head after finals. What she hadn’t expected was that her father would ask his best friend, Derek, to check in on her.
Derek Harlan. Forty-eight years old. Rugged, broad shouldered, handsome man. He had been in her life since she was a little girl, the cool “Uncle Derek” who taught her how to fish and fix cars. But over the last few years, those feelings had shifted into something dangerously forbidden.
He was currently in the kitchen, pouring two glasses of whiskey. The power had gone out an hour ago, leaving them with only the glow of the fireplace and a few candles.
“Here,” Derek said, handing her a glass as he sat on the
