by Betina Krahn
3
ALEX WASN’T A meteorologist, but from what he could see outside, the storm showed no signs of weakening. Though he had business to attend to, he was content to spend the day with Tenley, sitting in front of a warm fire with a comfortable bed close at hand.
Without his watch, he could only guess at the time, probably early afternoon. But Tenley was right. It didn’t matter. He didn’t have anywhere important to be. T. J. Marshall could wait.
He rolled onto his side and watched Tenley as she slept. He’d known her for less than a day, yet it seemed as though they’d been together for much longer. In truth, he’d spent more time with her than he had with any single woman over the past ten years. And considering he’d never spent a complete night in a woman’s bed, this was another first.
He thought about their earlier discussion. She’d made it very clear she wasn’t interested in anything more than a physical relationship. And he’d agreed to her terms. But Alex was already trying to figure out whether there was more between them than just great sex.
He reached out and smoothed a lock of hair from her eyes. She didn’t possess the studied perfection of most of the girls he’d dated. Everything about her was much more natural, more subtle. She was…soft and sweet.
Yet she also had an edge to her, an honesty that caught him off guard at times. There wasn’t a filter between her thoughts and her mouth, just a direct line. But he was beginning to enjoy that. Though she didn’t answer every question he asked, when she did, he could trust that he was getting the truth.
Alex stretched his arms over his head. He needed to call the office or see if he could get an Internet connection. He smiled to himself. She didn’t have a television. She probably wouldn’t find a home computer particularly useful either.
He slipped out of bed and walked to the bathroom, deciding to grab a shower. He flipped on the water in the shower stall and waited for it to warm up, then looked at his reflection in the mirror. He needed a shave first.
Alex shut off the water, then retrieved his shaving kit from the guest room. After plucking a razor and a can of shaving cream out of the leather case, he rinsed his face off and continued to stare into the mirror. He was exhausted, but it was a pleasant exhaustion, a sated feeling that he hadn’t felt in…a long time? Ever. He’d never felt this way after making love with a woman. In truth, intimacy always left him restless.
Alex heard the bathroom door creak behind him and a few seconds later, he felt her hands smooth over his back. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and watched him in the mirror.
“I thought you were asleep,” he said. “I was just going to catch a quick shower and shave.” He slowly turned and she smiled. “What do you want?”
“Nothing,” she said. “What do you want?”
“I need a shave,” Alex replied.
She reached around him for the can of shaving cream he’d set on the edge of the sink. “I can help with that.” Tenley sprayed some cream on her palm, then patted it onto his face.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“No,” she said. “But I do shave my legs. It can’t be much different. Hand me the razor.”
Alex grabbed it and held it over his head. “Be careful. We’re a long way from emergency medical care. And this pretty face is all I have.”
She took the razor from his hand, then stepped closer. “You are full of yourself, aren’t you?” Her hips pressed against his and he slipped his arms around her waist to steady them both. Slowly, she dragged the blade over his skin, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Alex held his breath, waiting for disaster, but Tenley took her time. And as she worked at the task, he found himself growing more and more aroused. There was something about her taking on this mundane part of his life, even if it was as simple as shaving, and making it erotically charged.
With a low moan, he moved his hands down to her hips, his shaft growing harder with every second that passed. Was it possible to want her any more than he already did? Every time he thought his need might be sated, he found himself caught up in yet another sexual encounter, more powerful than the last.
“Quit squirming,” she warned. “I’m almost finished.”
“Finished?” He chuckled, running his hands up to her breasts. “Look what you started.”
“It really doesn’t take much, does it?” Tenley teased.
“From you, no.” Why was that? Alex wondered. Why did every innocent touch seem to send all the blood to his crotch? What kind of magical power did she hold over him?
“You know,” she murmured, “we’re lucky we’re snowed in.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because if we have to take care of your little problem every time it pops up, we’d never get out of the house.”
“We could always take a shower together and see how that goes. Maybe it will just disappear.”
“I know exactly how to get it to disappear,” she said. “Come on.” Tenley grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the bathroom, bits of shaving cream still on his face. “You’ll love this.”
They walked through the house, both of them stark naked. Then she opened the coat closet and rummaged around inside until she pulled out a pair of boots. “Here, put these on.”
“Oh, wait a minute. Is this going to get kinky? You want me to be the lumberjack and you’re going to be the…I don’t know, what are you going to be?”
“Just put them on.”
“Why?”
“Do it,” Tenley said. She grabbed her own boots from the mat beside the back door and tugged them on, then flipped a switch beside the door. A red light blinked. “Ready?” she asked, her hand on the door.
“For what?”
“Just follow me.” Tenley yanked the door open, then stepped outside onto the back porch.
Alex gasped. “What the hell are you doing? You’re naked. You’ll freeze to death.”
“Not if I run fast enough,” she cried. With that, she scurried across the porch to the steps, then carefully waded through the drifted snow.
If this was Tenley’s idea of fun, then Alex was going to have to expose her to more interesting events—concerts, ball games, nightclubs. Drawing a deep breath, he walked through the open door and pulled it shut behind him. She stood waiting, her hair blowing in the wind, her skin pink from the cold.
“You have to move fast, before you start to feel the cold,” she cried.
“I already feel it.” He glanced down to notice that the erection she’d caused had subsided and the effects of the cold were beginning to set in. “Tenley, come on. I don’t want to play in the snow.”
“Follow me,” she called. She headed toward a small log building. When she turned and waved to him, her foot caught on something beneath the snow and she disappeared into a snowdrift.
With a sharp curse, Alex took off after her. By the time he got there, she’d already picked herself up and was laughing hysterically, snow coating her hair and lashes and melting off her warm body.
“What the hell are you laughing about?”
“I picked a bad time to be a klutz,” she said. Tenley grabbed his hand and led him to the tiny log hut, then opened the door. She reached inside and pulled out two buckets. “Here, fill these with snow.” She grabbed two for herself and scooped them into a nearby drift.
By this time, Alex could barely feel his fingers, much less the other appendages on his body. But when the buckets were filled, she led him inside the hut. To his surprise, it was warm and cozy inside.
Cedar benches lined three walls and a small electric stove was positioned in the center. “Wow. A sauna.”
Tenley set the buckets next to the stove and stretched out on one of the benches. “My grandfather built this for my grandmother. She was Finnish and she grew up with one of these. Her family was from northern Michigan. They didn’t have indoor plumbing so this is the way they took a bath. Except they’d cut a hole in the ice afterward and jump in.”
“We’re not going to do that are we?”
“No, we’ll just roll around in the snow. It works the same way.”
“And this is what your family does for fun?”
“Yes. What does your family do?”
He chuckled. “We don’t roll around naked in the snow. We…eat. And argue. Occasionally, we play board games or watch movies. I grew up with typical suburban parents. My mother would be shocked to hear I was running around without any clothes on.”
She smiled. “I was raised a bit differently. My parents were very open-minded. Free thinkers. They taught us that being naked was perfectly natural.”
“Hey, I’m all for nudity. In warm weather.”
“You’ll love it. I promise. It’s invigorating. And relaxing.” She made a sad face at him. “Don’t be such a baby. You city boys don’t know what you’re missing.”
“Believe me, there is no way I’d ever miss this.”
Tenley crawled across the bench and stood in front of him. Then she gently pushed him back. “Sit,” she said. “Relax. Take a load off.”
Alex did as he was told, leaning back against the rough wall of the cabin. Tenley knelt down in front of him, running her hand along the inside of his thighs. “You’re very tense,” she said.
“It was freakin’ cold out there.”
“Relax,” she said, smoothing her hands over his belly and then back down his legs. Alex watched her as she explored his body, her touch drifting down to his calves. She tugged off the boots and tossed them aside, then massaged his feet.
This was definitely worth the run through the cold, he mused, tipping his head back and closing his eyes. “Those Finns have the right idea,” he said.
She pushed his legs apart and knelt between them, pressing her lips to his chest. Alex knew what was coming, but the rush of sensation that washed over him came as a surprise. Her lips and tongue were sweet torture, making him hard and hot in a matter of seconds. He wondered if it might be dangerous to become aroused in such a warm environment, then decided that if he died as a result, he’d go out a happy man.
He’d experienced this same pleasure with other women before, but he’d always focused on his own enjoyment, taking what was offered without thinking much about his partner. But as Alex watched Tenley seduce him with her mouth, he realized that she wasn’t just any woman. The pleasure with her was more intense, more meaningful, because she was the one giving it.
He never understood how a guy could be satisfied spending his whole life with just one woman. But he was beginning to see how it was possible. Tenley was like a dangerous drug, alluring and addictive. The more he had of her, the more he needed.
Though he tried to delay, Alex’s release came hard and quick. One moment he was in control and the next, he was caught in a vortex of incredibly intense pleasure. When he finally opened his eyes, he found Tenley staring up at him, a satisfied smile on her face.
“I told you saunas could be relaxing,” she said.
“I will never doubt anything you say. Ever. Again.”
“ARE YOU HUNGRY?” Tenley asked.
Alex distractedly rubbed her stockinged feet as he read, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Tenley sat on the opposite end of the leather sofa, trying to finish Madame Bovary, but she found her study of Alex much more intriguing. She’d been focusing on a tiny scar above his lip, wondering how it got there.
“No, I’m fine,” he murmured.
They’d returned from the sauna and snow bath, tumbled into bed for another round of lovemaking, then taken a quick shower together. After a long and leisurely breakfast at two in the afternoon, Alex had rebuilt the fire and they’d settled in, listening to the wind rattling the windows and the drifting snow hissing against the glass.
“I should probably go check on the horses,” she said. “I was going to let them out for a while.”
He glanced up at her. “Don’t you ever just sit still? Chill out. Just be with me.”
“So, you liked the sauna?” she asked. Though it took every ounce of persuasion to get him out there, Tenley considered the activity a success. Alex, naked, in any environment, was fun.
“It was just about the best thing I’ve ever experienced,” he said, his gaze still fixed on the book he was reading.
“We could play a game,” she said. “Do you like Scrabble?”
He snapped the book shut. “Do I have to have sex with you again, to calm you down? Because if that’s what it’s going to take, I will. Just say the word. I’m willing to make the sacrifice.”
Tenley giggled. “I’m just not used to sitting around. I don’t read in the middle of the day. I read before bed because it puts me to sleep.”
“If I weren’t here, what would you be doing?” Alex asked.
“Clearing the driveway. I have a small tractor with a front-end loader. After that, I’d shovel the walk out to the barn. Then I’d probably get the dogs and take a hike out on the road, to see if it was plowed. Or maybe brave the storm and drive into town for some dinner.”
“Is the road clear?” Alex asked.
“No.”
“Does it make sense to plow the driveway right now?”
“No.”
“Why don’t we just talk, then. Have a conversation. I’ll ask you a question and you answer it. And then you ask me a question and I’ll answer it.”
Tenley really didn’t like the suggestion. After all, there were a few things she was hiding from him. She wasn’t quite ready to tell him she was T. J. Marshall. Though it would certainly make for some interesting conversation, it might change everything between them.
She tried to imagine his reaction. He probably wouldn’t be thrilled at her deception. He might wonder what other lies she’d told. But he would have to be happy he’d found her and they’d developed a relationship of sorts. He liked her. How could he be angry for long?
She could always test the waters, Tenley thought. Throw a tiny bit of truth out there and see how it went. “I suppose you’re anxious to get into town,” she ventured. “I mean, since you have business.”
“That can wait,” Alex said. “There’s not much I can do about it in the middle of this storm.”
“The snow should quit in a few hours,” she said. “The barometer is starting to rise. Then I can dig us out and you can be on your way.” She paused, waiting for his response.
“There’s no hurry,” he said.
“So you’d like to stay another night?”
He squeezed her foot. “If you’ll have me. I’m not too much trouble, am I?”
“No,” she said. She drew a long breath, steeling herself for what would come next. “You can meet my grandfather tomorrow morning.”
His hand froze on her foot and his brow furrowed. “You want me to meet your family?”
“You came here to see T. J. Marshall, didn’t you? That’s my grandfather.”
Alex gasped, his eyes going wide. “Wait a second. Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t think it made a difference. Does it? Make a difference?”
“You’re Tenley Marshall?”
“Yes.”
He leaned back into the sofa and raked his hand through his hair, shaking his head. “I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t have said something.”
“Because I thought you might be one of those guys who doesn’t like to mix business with pleasure? Because I’m the one who rescued you and I found you attractive? Mostly because I wanted to see what you looked like naked and I figured if you knew who I was, you wouldn’t take off your clothes.”
Alex thought about her explanation for a moment, then sighed. “I guess I understand. Is there anything else you’re keeping from me?”
She shook her head. If she didn’t say the word no, then it wasn’t a full-fledged lie, was it? “My grandfather didn’t create that book, though. I run his gallery. I know his work. And that’s not his.”
“I don’t ge
t it. Why would someone send it in under his name? It doesn’t make sense.”
Tenley jumped off the sofa. “I’m going to take care of the driveway before it starts to get dark. If the weather clears we could drive into town and see about your car.”
“Are you that anxious to get rid of me?” he asked.
“No,” she said. In truth, Tenley wished she could keep him for the rest of the week. Maybe even for the rest of the month. It was nice to have a man around, if only for the good sex. And the sex was really good. “But we don’t have much to eat for dinner. The snow isn’t going to plow itself. Besides, it will give you a chance to relax and read.”
“I’ll come with you,” he said. “I can help.”
“No, you’re the guest. I’ll be in soon. You can feed the dogs if you like.” She hurried over to the kitchen and retrieved two cans of dog food from beneath the sink.
“You never told me their names, either.”
“Dog,” Tenley said. “And Pup. The little one is Dog and the big one is Pup,” she said.
“Unusual names.”
She slipped her bare feet into her boots, then tugged on her jacket. “They just wandered in one day and that’s what I called them. Once they decided to stay, I didn’t see any reason to give them new names since they seemed quite happy with Dog and Pup.”
“Do you always take in strays?” he asked.
“I took you in, didn’t I?” She sent him a flirtatious glance, hoping that it might smooth over any ruffled feathers. He chuckled. So she hadn’t completely messed things up between them. If this revelation didn’t upset him, maybe he’d be fine learning that she was the artist behind the graphic novel he wanted.
She zipped her coat up and pulled the hood tight around her face, then grabbed her gloves from her pockets. Sooner or later, he’d discover the whole truth. And after that, she’d have to try to explain her entire life to him. She could barely make sense of it herself.
Her novel meant money to him. And he’d assume she’d want a share of the financial windfall. But Tenley wasn’t sure she wanted to turn a silly little scribble into a job. She wasn’t a decent artist. People would criticize and she didn’t think she’d be able to take that. Hell, there were a million reasons she could give him to go back to Chicago and leave her alone. But there was only one that made any sense to her.