Thaw

A massive snowstorm. A stranded pastry chef. And a grumpy mountain man who just wants to be left alone. Eli Marsh's life just imploded. Fired from his Michelin-star pastry chef job and dumped for being "too much," he packs his knives and drives until the road runs out. When his car hits black ice in the deep Colorado Rockies, he's pulled from the wreckage by a giant of a man who looks like he splits logs for fun and communicates entirely in glares. Beck Calloway has spent three years perfecting his isolation. His remote mountain cabin is built for one, and his silence is his armor. The last thing he needs is a chatty, anxious, devastatingly beautiful chef invading his space and taking over his kitchen. But the storm isn't letting up, and when the power goes out, survival means sharing a single mattress in front of the dying fire. As the freezing nights force them closer, the ice between them starts to melt. Beck realizes Eli's constant noise is exactly what his quiet life has been missing, and Eli discovers the stoic woodworker hides a fierce, protective tenderness that burns. When the roads finally clear and the real world comes rushing back, Eli will have to decide if he's ready to stop running. And Beck will have to find the words to make him stay. Thaw is a steamy, high-heat M/M contemporary romance featuring grumpy/sunshine vibes, forced proximity, intense hurt/comfort, and a guaranteed happily ever after.