“Snow is falling all around,
Dancing and swirling, down to the ground
I catch a snowflake on my tongue.
Building a snowman is so much fun.
Snow is falling all around
Dancing and swirling, down to the ground.”
“Hi,” she heard a deep voice call out. Charlie’s head whipped around. Oh, no. Now, what did she do?
“Hello.” She kept walking, hoping her snippy tone kept him at bay. No such luck. He moved directly into her path and waited.
Stepping around him wasn’t a possibility. Not with the snow berms along the edge of every path, sidewalk and driving surface.
“Can I help you with that?” he asked, nodding at the box.
“No.”
She saw his mouth snap shut. Good. Maybe he’d go away. Falling into step as she swept by, he walked along pacing his strides with hers. Her mindset wouldn’t allow Charlie to make it easy for him. Stopping suddenly, she turned and frowned.
“What do you want?”
He hadn’t anticipated the swift stop and ended up taking a few extra steps before stopping to turn around. His eyes bored into hers. She shifted on her feet. The impulse to look away was there, but she stood her ground.
“I want to talk to you.”
“Fuck off.”
Her satisfaction when he drew back was short-lived. He recovered quickly from the rude rebuke.
“Don’t act like a child, ‘tessa.”
Oh, no he didn’t! A child? A CHILD? She wanted to take one of the gooey cannolis out of the box and smash it in his face.
“Excuse me, but how I act is none of your business.”
He glared at her. She looked daggers at him. And then he backed down. She wasn’t born yesterday. He had something up his sleeve.
Charlie almost screamed and ran away like a frightened child when he reached out and tucked some hair behind her ear. His touch unnerved her. Unless she was in complete control, there was no way she could allow him the liberty. Too risky and worse, she knew damn well it wouldn’t take much to have her begging for more.
“Then how ‘bout you join me. For a martini.” He paused and let the weight of his words sink in. “I found half a bottle of Grey Goose chilling in the freezer and some Noilly on the bar cart. My favorite. Remember?”
Smashing the cannoli became a really, really good idea. He was taunting her. She’d been careless after Rhi left when moving her stuff from the loft into the main house and now he’d discovered one of her secrets. The dirty martini she had every night had more to do with him than a sudden love of vodka and vermouth.
He’d thrown her off but only for a second. A fast thinker, keeping up with the grown-ups would always be one of her strongest traits. Charlie regrouped and shut him down. And she didn’t need to be a bitch to do it.
“In case you haven’t noticed,” she slowly articulated as if speaking a strange language. “It’s snowing. And it doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.”
She wanted to cry ‘foul’ when the snow she referenced left a sprinkling of delicate fairy flakes on his head. The white flecks stuck to his hair and dusted his shoulders. His massively wide shoulders. Her heart rate calmed. Everything around them slowed, even the falling flakes. She watched, mesmerized when a tumble of the snowy crystals landed on his eyelashes and clung briefly to the stubble of his thickening beard. There was magic in the air, no doubt about it.
The shameless romantic inside her sighed. Although it pained her to admit the secret in her heart, Charlie didn’t stop the burst of longing she felt for this man. The pulse of connection from the second they met was strong. Stronger than the physical attraction. She thought he was the one. Wanted him to be her charming prince. When he tumbled off his white horse, scratched his armor and landed in the mud, she’d been heartbroken.
Throwing him into the middle of her life now, after he’d crushed her romantic dreams, was just plain mean.
With a matter-of-fact huff, she pinned him with a blasé look. “Reports say we’re going to be snowed in so I have to head into town and get some supplies.” She wanted to kick herself in the butt after adding, “You might want to consider doing the same. I don’t think there’s much in the cupboards.” Why the hell did she have to be so damn helpful?
Easy answer. Because right that moment she was concerned for him. Worried about how he’d get along all by himself in the tiny studio while the snow buried them. She dropped her eyes. Shoot. Nana was right. She was too damn worried about everyone else for her own good.
He looked like he was considering what she said. Once or twice he nodded—the snowflakes continued to powder his hair and shoulders—as he glanced around. She swallowed hard.
“How did you plan on getting to the store?”
She was so damn tempted to snipe at him that she was going to push her belly button and fly. But then she heard his scolding accusation that she was being a child. Which shut her up before the juvenile expression left her mouth.
Remember who you are. Uh huh. Just one thing. Why’s it gotta be so difficult? Charlie fiddled with an earring and thought about his question. He hadn’t asked for no reason, but she couldn’t see where he was going so she answered without too much concern.
“I’m going to drive of course. The snow doesn’t scare me.”
Ty snickered and shook his head at her. What? What was so funny?
“And what will you be driving?”
She automatically twisted to point at the vehicles parked near the house. Brynn and Jax’s cars. But she wobbled her response because, in a flash, she realized how boxed in she was. Dammit to hell. “Oh,” was all she muttered.
Jax had a big work truck. She could drive it with one hand tied behind her back but her brother-in-law didn’t know that about her and hadn’t left a key. Brynn’s car, on the other hand, was a hybrid sedan with a bumper sticker that read, Smug Alert. Practical, sedate it all but screamed Mom Car. But it would handle like a sled going downhill without a rudder on the slippery snow-covered back roads.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Just like that, with a little snow and one word, she lost control of the entire situation. Nancy Kerrigan wailed ‘Whyyy?’ in her head.
He took the box from her and put his hand on her elbow. She wasn’t lame and didn’t need help walking, but he didn’t seem to notice or care.
“Come on, let’s take my Explorer. Safer. It’ll get us back and forth from town, no problem.” He was guiding her away from the house toward the studio and his vehicle. “And in case you’ve forgotten, driving is sorta’ my thing.”
Those poor cannolis in the box weren’t going to survive her imagination smashing them into his face every five minutes. Driving was sorta his thing. Good grief. Playing Mr. Macho Race Car Stud in Europe was one thing. She let him have it at the time. But here? Back on American soil? No fucking way. Daisy Duking him in an off-road mud run seemed like a better and better idea. Anyone can drive fast around a track—but four wheeling in the woods? He- he- he. She held dominion over that little challenge.
“Do you need your purse or anything before we leave?”
She stumbled to a halt and pulled out of his grasp. “Well, yeah,” she barked. “I need my wallet. They don’t pass out groceries for free.”
“Is that it? Just your wallet?”
She just looked at him. Not rolling her eyes wasn’t easy.
Before she knew it he had her bundled into his car, the bakery box stowed on the back seat. How the hell did he do that so easily? First thing he did after starting it up was adjust the temperature and turn on her seat warmer.
“Heated seats,” he sniggered. “Fucking awesome for these cold temps.”
She ignored his attempt at banter. “I still need my wallet.”
“Nope. No you don’t. I’ll take care of it.” The Explorer started moving down the driveway, skirting the side of the bakery and stopping at the main road. With one finger, he flipped on the turn signal then turned and looked at
her. “Don’t be mad, ‘tessa. You were right. It’s snowing. We need to prepare.”
His shoulder rolled. She wanted to reach over and smooth the damp waves of his hair.
“Your grandmother put me in charge and …”
Her reaction was instantaneous. Ooooh, she was so damn mad at Nana for setting her up like this. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“No one said you did, baby girl.”
She glowered at him. He had no idea how close he was to having his face ripped off. This was why she had to keep her distance. Why they couldn’t talk it out. He kept using those words. The endearments that made her tummy tingle.
“What I was trying to say before you cut me off was that she left me in charge of making sure things run smoothly. That’s all. I know you can take care of yourself.”
He reached over and gently squeezed her knee. With one quiet touch, her primordial desires were unleashed. He was a devil who owned her—body and soul.
They pulled onto the road and headed for the market.
“Jax told me where to go for ice-melt. So I’ll handle that stuff and you can take care of the food run. Okay?”
Charlie stayed quiet. He might have the upper hand, courtesy of her meddling grandmother and the weather but she had a voice in how this unfortunate encounter played out. And right now, she chose to keep her thoughts and reactions to herself.
A few minutes later, he started to chat about the wedding and she cut him off with brutal efficiency.
“No. I’m not talking to you so just shut up. It’ll be easier.”
He growled, “‘tessa, come on. We need to talk. Even if it’s just about current events.”
She nearly smacked him. That was her line—the one about current events. It was one of her go-to methods when helping a client learn to slow down and connect. Shithead.
Stopping her anger wasn’t possible. “Where exactly does it say that, huh?”
He glanced her way, his brows bumped.
“Just because you want to talk doesn’t mean I’m obligated to engage. I said no. No means no.”
She saw his jaw clench and his hands tighten on the steering wheel.
“I hate that shit,” she mumbled. “It’s like being asked a rude and insensitive question for the sake of a reaction. I’m not playing along so give it up.”
HE KEPT SILENT THROUGH THE entire run through town. The only time he tried to engage ‘tessa was to ask a direct question. Coke or Pepsi. Butter or Margarine. Mayo or Miracle Whip. Stuff like that.
She’d given him a lot to think about and though he could easily dismantle her no talking argument, he let her have the point she was making. They couldn’t bully each other as a way of interacting and think it would work.
So he engaged his internal autopilot and eased off the pedal. No use in making things worse. He needed a slower, steadier approach if he wanted to change the anger rolling off her in waves.
They were unloading the Explorer at the back door of the big house. She bought enough stuff to last a week. A good thing, too, because the rate at which the snow was falling kept picking up as the afternoon ticked by. The forecasters were right this time. A massive and potentially deadly nor’easter was burying the upper mid-Atlantic east coast in snow. They were in for at least 24 hours of heavy accumulation. Several inches were already on the ground and they weren’t even in the advisory timeframe yet.
“Get inside,” he told her after the last of the groceries were safe on the porch. “I’ll bring these last bags in after I gather some stuff from the studio.”
She looked startled for a moment before glancing skyward. “It’s gonna get really bad.”
“Yeah, it is.” He was making quick plans in his head. There was a lot to consider and it’d been a helluva long time since he’d been faced with a crippling snowstorm. “Listen,” he told her gravely. “Let’s be smart. You gather every flashlight you can find. Make sure there are candles—safe candles—spread around downstairs. Put all the throws and blankets in the living room just in case.”
“What are you gonna be doing?” she asked with the slightest note of worry.
Cal was surprised how manly he felt. And like, what the hell did that even mean? Protective instincts he didn’t know he had fired up. Nana Wilde put him in charge. Not only that, she made it clear that, how did she put it? ‘tessa needed a firm hand and a strong arm to keep her safe. Yeah, that was it. Well damn. Finally, something he could do.
“Ice melt by the back door. Every snow shovel and broom I can find, too. Snow blower moved closer to the stairs. I’m pretty sure Jax’ll have a tarp to cover it. More wood for the fireplace. Secure the studio.”
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t take the bait. She had to know there was no use in debating where he planned to ride out the storm. Matter of fact, he may have detected a flash of relief at his bold statement of fact. Not having to argue every little thing would make the next hours easier for everyone.
“I’ll make coffee,” she said. “And something to keep warm in the oven. Amy gave me a few storm-hacks in case the power goes out.”
“Charge your phone.” He handed his over. “And plug mine in too. If you have an iPad or a laptop, charge them as well.”
And then he was off. The storm darkened the late afternoon sky. Night would be here soon and he had a lot to do.
At least an hour and a half later, Cal stomped the snow off his boots on the mat in the mudroom of the big house. He was beat. An old familiar twinge in his back worried him. Hauling so much wood put him over the edge of his endurance.
What he needed was to get out of his clothes; his pants were soaked from the knees down, a quick hot shower to warm him up, two Advil and a trough of scalding hot coffee. In that order.
Tugging off the boots, he set them aside and grabbed the handle of his duffel bag. The sooner he warmed up, the better. Padding into the rear of the kitchen he watched her for a moment, enjoying the charming picture she made.
Wearing faded jeans that happened to mold to her ass like skin, and a loose fitting purple sweater hanging off one shoulder, she looped her hair in one of those twisty knot things at the base of her neck. Around her neck was an unusual long gold chain with a small half moon dangling between her boobs. A warm smile lifted the corners of his mouth when he saw her feet were jammed into a pair of thick, plush unicorn slippers.
The kitchen smelled of several things. Coffee—thank God. Cinnamon, maybe chocolate, definitely bacon and something spicy. Chili maybe?
Juggling a tray from the oven, he watched in silent fascination as she dropped it on the marble counter, tossed the potholders away and licked a couple of fingers. Leaning over, she inhaled, smiled and straightened. Whatever she was making was a success if her face was an indication.
He chuckled and did nothing to be quiet about it. Her head lifted and she looked straight at him. “You’ve been busy, I see.”
Seeing her face flood with color surprised and delighted him.
“Got carried away.” Her self-deprecating snigger made his smile bigger. “My baker bitch sister can be counted on to always have supplies at the ready. I was a goner the minute my head peeked into the pantry.”
The temptation to crowd close, ask for a guided tour of her culinary accomplishments was quite enticing. But, slow and steady, right? She was talking—it was like she forgot to be mad at him. He’d take it any way he got it. No use in spooking her.
Cal lofted his bag. “I’m soaked. Gotta change. Need a hot shower.”
She frowned. He paused, wondering what caused the sudden change. Then she spoke and the light bulb went on over his head. Mumbling about the work Jax was doing on the house, she said the master bath and the downstairs powder room were finished. But the second full bath was a work in progress. He’d have to use the shower in the master suite.
Once again, he deliberately dialed it back. Being as non-threatening and straightforward as he could, he mugged a comical face and told her, “Cool.” Dropping th
e duffel on a kitchen stool, he unzipped the bag and pulled something out. “And here,” he said matter-of-factly. “Stow this in the freezer. Or cram it in a snow drift!”
Uh huh. She couldn’t fool him. Cal saw the faint glimmer of a smile light up her eyes. Pulling the Noilly out next, he put it on the counter along with the jar of olives he remembered to grab from the frig. He didn’t wait for a reaction or comment. Instead, he zipped the duffel up, slung it about his shoulder and headed for the back stairs leading to the second floor.
“Give me about half an hour and then I’m gonna need a Venti coffee. Full caffeine, five sugars and a glob of cream. And not that fat-free shit you girls use. I’m pretty sure my brother doesn’t put up with that crap either, so I’m betting there’s cream or half-and-half around.”
She’d crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter—a dry smirk evident on her face. He was on the third step when he stopped and leaned down to pin her with a look.
“I like the no bra, Tesoro. When you move, the gold moon and chain twinkle so beautifully between your breasts. Thank you.”
He waited to gauge her reaction to his subtle but provocative words. She colored some more, squeezed her lush lips into a thin line and glanced down. He knew she saw exactly what he did. Standing as she was, her voluptuous boobs were balanced on top of her crossed arms. Her eyes swung to his. They gazed at each other for a long minute. Back in Rome, he’d asked her to ditch the bra when it was just the two of them. Cal liked watching her tits move and sway with every movement. Reminding her was a risky gamble, but he took it anyway. After all, it was the truth.
‘‘tessa dropped her arms. If she hoped to draw his attention away from her luscious curves, she failed. The second her arms moved, the very point of why he liked watching played out. They jiggled and swayed—his fingers itched to rediscover the fullness and weight of each delectable globe. Her nipples peaked before his eyes—as if she’d read his thoughts.
Nodding, she looked around the kitchen, mumbled “I’ll start a fire,” and ran from the room.
Every encounter not ending with her palm smacking his cheek was a victory.
Wilde Magic (Wilde Women Book 3) Page 29