It smelled of crisp, cold, clean air. The sky was an easy blue, the sun mellow and soft. Thick snow covered the ground, dappled with sunlight. The tree branches sparkled and bent from the weight of snow, dripping white on the grass that had turned brown from the cold. The snow fell slowly and in spirals, twirling in the wind. It was winter wonderland. I heard the dim roar of a powerful car somewhere in the highway, birds sang cheerfully on tree branches, the quiet whisper of the wind, and shit, the mad barking of a big, hungry dog. Wolf! Maybe a bear? Shit, oh shit. It was getting louder, getting closer to where I was. Heart pounding, I ran back to the front door, but it was locked. I had no clue what the code was to open it. Dammit, I'm such a genius! Why didn't I put a barrier, so it didn't close completely? Or ask Cameron the code. Too late now. The hairs on my arm stood as I felt something behind me. I still had so many dreams and goals in life. Slowly I turned around, and blinked at the tiny, hairy animal six feet away from me. It looked like a miniature poodle. It was gold, with floppy ears, curly hair, and big round eyes. It looked up at me, pink tongue hanging out. Was it smiling? I felt my knees tremble in relief, but still, the only dog who liked me was Damon's Labrador Burp. Other than that, all dogs wanted to take a bite out of my ass. "I don't know about this, man." I slowly shifted. "Hey, good doggy. Friendly doggy who doesn't bite people." It moved its head side to side. Then it barked and startled me, and I ended up plastering my back on the door with my hands up. Instead of biting me like I expected, it swirled around my legs, licking my boots, wagging its tail excitedly. I saw that it had a collar so it must belong to someone in the neighborhood. It must've slipped through the gates. The cute face looked up at me and I couldn't resist any longer. I crouched and petted its head, but it backed away. It barked at me happily one last time and ran away. "See you again. Don't bring any friends!" When the front door opened, I nearly had a heart attack. "Cameron!" He stepped out. A tall and huge and ruthlessly beautiful male. "Coffee?" He held a steaming cup in front of me. My mouth watered. I wasn't sure if it was because of the coffee or him. Cameron had bundled up in a dark winter jacket. His hair looked like someone had messed with it all night, his jaw had a dark stubble that made him look dangerous. And gorgeous. His deep blue eyes narrowed into slits as he frowned at the towel on my head. "I took a shower," I explained, reaching for the coffee in his hand. "My hair is still wet." "What are you doing outside?" "I wanted to go for a walk and see the snow. There was a dog. A cute little dog." "Yeah." "Do you know the owner? It must be lost." "It's not. Lives in the big house down the road." "Does it come here often?" "Now and then." "You gave it food, didn't you? That's why it keeps coming back." He shrugged. "Aw. Cameron's a softie." He sucked his bottom lip in his mouth, trying his hardest not to smile, but he failed. "You're going to freeze to death. Why don't we dry your hair before we go for a walk?" "Says the guy who's only wearing a winter jacket. Where's your other gear?" "I work in this. I'm used to it." "I don't want to dry my hair. I want to walk in the maze. Go with me." "All right. Come inside for a moment." Slowly I shook my head, backed away. "I'm not going to eat you," he said. "Not yet. I just... Forget it. Wait here." I bit my lip. He sent me one last meaningful look and disappeared inside. A flash of Cameron behind me, gripping my hips played in my head. Does my cock feel good inside you? Tell me. Jesus. I needed Jesus. I took a sip of coffee, barely tasted it. "Kara." "Huh. Hi." "What are you thinking about?" "Jesus. I was thinking about Jesus. What do you have there?" He had toques with him, a thick scarf and work gloves, and he began putting them all on me. He whipped the towel off, twisting my hair and bundling it securely in four thick toques. "This feels better. Warmer," I said. "Thanks." He let out a sigh. "You're so stubborn." "It takes an army to dry this hair. Cam, let's go." I tugged at his arm. He let out another sigh, then a yawn, and followed me. The snow and dry leaves crunched under our feet as we entered the maze. It felt warmer here. I could barely feel the wind. Everything was white. The shrubs and trees looked like they were dusted with powdered sugar, glittering under the sun. It was as though the sky had poured tiny diamonds and crystals and they all melted on top. I saw a squirrel jumped on another branch and scurried down a tree. It was beautiful. And peaceful. I turned around and found Cameron watching me. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Good."