Seduced by Snowfall

by Jennifer Bernard

  “You’re going to dress up for Halloween? You hate dressing up. I always used to beg you to, then you’d put on some lame fake fangs and call yourself a vampire.”

  “I know, but people here get really into it. The hospital is doing a trick-or-treating food drive. So is the Coast Guard cutter. And apparently every kid in town is going to knock on our door. I need help! Nate said he’d come when he’s done with the firehouse display.”

  “Okay, I’ll do it.” Now Gretel sounded more like her old self. “But you have to fully commit. Makeup, wigs, costumes, no holding back.”

  “I don’t have any time to put all that together.”

  “I got it covered. I’ll take care of everything, just give me a budget. What’s Nate going to be?”

  “He said something about Thor. He’s getting a big hammer and red cape. He said the kids are into superheroes.”

  “Then I must be a kid, because I’m all about seeing Nate dressed up as Thor.”

  Same, thought Bethany. Then again, she generally looked forward to seeing Nate no matter what he was wearing.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  But Nate dressed up as Thor shot right to the top of her list. With his bare chest covered with an actual breastplate, a flowing red cape and a giant hammer painted gold, he actually made the kids at her door shriek with glee when he strode up the walk.

  “Trick-or-treat,” he roared. “Or feel the wrath of the hammer.”

  Then he caught sight of Bethany and Gretel, aka Catwoman and Black Widow, and dropped his hammer on the ground.

  “Wow.”

  Gretel had put together two outfits from a local thrift shop and allowed Bethany first choice. She’d picked Catwoman because at least there was a mask involved. But the black vinyl catsuit was tighter than she’d ever imagined. She had to breathe in short sips of air.

  Now, with Nate coming to a standstill, jaw agape, every minute of breathlessness was worth it.

  “I told you that catsuit would work,” Gretel murmured as she tossed a mini-Vampire a Twix bar. She’d dyed her hair red and found enough tough-looking pieces of biker gear to pull off a Black Widow look. In character, she tossed candy bars to the kids with a disdainful sneer. “You made Thor lose his hammer.”

  Nate stepped around the little mob of ghosts and Minions and fairies blocking the stoop. “Catwoman, can I have a word with you in private?”

  “Meow.” She formed both hands into claws and scratched one across his breastplate. “Do you have a trick or a treat for me?”

  “Little bit of both.” The sexy growl had her turning red underneath her black mask.

  “You two better go inside before the kids see something inappropriate.” Gretel jerked her head toward the house as she handed a granola bar to a kid dressed as a choo-choo train.

  Bethany took Nate by the hand and pushed past the fake cobwebs Gretel had hung up as decoration. A skull swung past them on a clothesline, while a soundtrack of ghostly shrieks played in the background.

  “I want to check out your decorations, but mostly I want to get my hands on you,” Nate murmured. His hands were already on her, she noticed, one hand cupping her ass through the vinyl.

  Already humming with anticipation, she led him to the closest out-of-sight spot, a dark corner of the living room.

  “God, you’re sexy in that thing.” He slid his hands over the vinyl, finding every little curve and crease. “But it’s like a goddamn fortress. How do you get inside?”

  “You can’t.” She fake-clawed his chest again. “I guess that magic hammer won’t do you any good.”

  “Maybe the magic hands will.” He stroked her breasts with both hands as he crowded her against the wall. The fabric was already so tight that her nipples were tingling all on their own. But with the extra pressure from his hands, they flared into instant arousal. She let out a loud moan, then clapped her hand over her mouth.

  “Don’t worry about it, all they can hear is those ghost shrieks. You could come right here and no one would know the difference.” He slid his hand between her legs, pressing the heel directly against the already-sensitized mound of her sex.

  She set her jaw against the wild sensations tumbling through her. “Don’t you dare. We aren’t at that stage of our relationship yet.”

  “It’s Halloween. Anything can happen on Halloween.”

  Her heart pounded as if it might jump out of her chest. “Anything?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Anything you desire.” He slid his thumbnail across the slick fabric covering her clit. She gasped at the sharp jolt of pleasure.

  “Oh my God. Nate…”

  “Yes?” He didn’t stop now that he’d found the spot that drove her crazy. She squirmed against his hand, seeking more friction. How he was sparking such pleasure through the layers of catsuit and panties, she had no idea. But she didn’t want him to stop, no matter what “stage of their relationship” they were at.

  Pressed against the wall, she clutched at his bare arms. Hot skin and hard muscles met her touch. More hard muscles slid between her legs, nudging her open. He shifted her body so she rode astride his powerful thigh.

  Like an actual cat, she lapped at his neck, a swoop of tongue against flesh damp with sweat. She purred, literally purred as he worked his thigh against her sex.

  “Did you know that saying, that strange things happen around Lost Souls Wilderness?” he murmured in her ear.

  “What?” Was he trying to have a conversation right now, when all she could thing about was the tickle of sensation building between her legs?

  “It’s especially true around Halloween. Always has been.”

  “What’s…your…point?”

  “Never mind, sweet pussycat.”

  She nibbled at his neck, then arched her head back as a deep stab of pleasure rocked her on her heels. Heat flooded through her, wild and unstoppable. She didn’t feel like herself anymore, she felt feral. Powerful. Like a wildcat ready to claim its prey.

  “Oh yeah,” he groaned. “Fuck, you’re hot.”

  No one had ever said “fuck you’re hot” to her before. Nate was right—strange things happened on Halloween. She’d turned into Catwoman, a hunter in the night, a magical being who prowled wherever she wanted, and took whatever she pleased.

  And this was what pleased her. That hard hand against her clit, the wildness barely restrained, his ragged breath against her cheek, that massive bulge between his thighs.

  She came with a jolt, the orgasm shocking her into a loud moan. Burying her mouth against his neck, she surrendered to the waves of pleasure lifting her up and crashing her against the rocks like a wild winter storm.

  He must have come too, because his body turned rigid for a long moment as he hunched over her.

  They clung together afterwards, a pair of stunned, panting superheroes.

  “Did you…?” she asked.

  “Yes. I did. Fuck. That’s going to be awkward.”

  She giggled. “Oops.”

  “I blame your costume.” He peeled himself away from her. “And that wild Halloween wind out there. Thor and Catwoman thigh-fucking. Jesus.”

  She felt her face heat. She wasn’t used to blunt language when it came to sex. Not that she had a lot to compare with. She’d had sex with three men in her life, all of them fellow med students. None of them had been as comfortable with sexuality as Nate was.

  “Look, I should probably get back out there.”

  “Sure.” He stepped away and looked down at his Thor costume. A small stain darkened the front of his thick blue workout leggings. “Thor is going to have a lot of explaining to do.”

  “Sorry.” She adjusted her mask and smoothed out the wrinkles on her costume.

  “Are you kidding? Best Halloween ever. Maybe I can wear my cloak like an apron. Would that work?”

  Goofing around, he tried a few different arrangements of his cloak, while she laughed at his clowning. This, she realized, was how it was supposed to be. Enjoying each other�
�s company, no awkwardness, just pleasure and fun.

  Why was it like this with Nate and not the other men she’d been with?

  And then it came to her—because she wasn’t serious about Nate! Nate was all about enjoying life and keeping things light.

  “That was fun,” she said cheerfully when she was done straightening her costume.

  He shot her an odd look. With his cape bundled under one arm, he cupped her face in her hand. “Isn’t it supposed to be fun?”

  “Yes. Exactly.”

  Everything made sense now. This was going to be easy. When it came to having fun, all she had to do was follow Nate’s lead.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Nate whistled cheerfully as he arrived at work on the day after Halloween, which would be forever known as the day he first got Bethany Morrison to come apart in his arms. Because he knew damn well it would happen again. The chemistry the two of them generated was too sensational to walk away from.

  With Mr. Morrison gone, and the truth revealed, he’d wondered if Bethany would call it off between them. If anything, she was doing the opposite.

  Worked for him.

  In the firehouse, he woke up the night-shift guys, who’d both fallen asleep on the couches. Halloween was generally a busy night, and they’d responded to eight calls before things finally quieted down.

  “Rise and shine, y’all. Don’t you have your own beds somewhere? This isn’t a hotel.”

  He busted their balls until they took themselves off, yawning and grumbling. When the coast was clear, he hurried to the storeroom to check in on S.G.

  The room was empty.

  Her crutches leaned in the corner of the room, and the sheets on her cot were tangled into a pile. She must have left in a hurry; she hadn’t even grabbed the extra clothes he’d bought her. Maybe she was hiding somewhere else in the firehouse, trying to give him a fright.

  He had half an hour before the rest of the shift was scheduled to show up. Fast as he could, he searched the rest of the building. No sign of S.G.

  Had she run away, as he’d feared all along? Had he screwed up by not getting her some official help before now?

  Furious with himself, he thumped his fist against the ladder truck.

  This was his fault. S.G. would be safely at home with a foster family if he hadn’t decided he could handle this himself. Another living being had depended on him, and he’d let her down.

  Stomach tight with tension, he called Bethany. “S.G.’s missing.”

  “Are you sure? Maybe she just went outside for some reason.” She spoke in her busy doctor voice, as if she was hurrying from one patient to another.

  “I don’t think so. She never does that. She’s gone.”

  “Don’t jump to conclusions. She could be playing a trick on you. I wouldn’t put it past her.”

  “That’s true.” A gleam of hope lightened his mood. “This time if she jumps out with her knife, I’ll just be happy to see her.”

  “Right? Listen, I have to go, but keep me posted. I’m off in a couple of hours and I can help you look for her.”

  He smiled at her kindness. “You’re the best. Thank you. I just feel bad because—”

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” Bethany didn’t need to know about his guilty conscience. “I just hope she’s okay.”

  “One thing we know about S.G. is that she can take care of herself.”

  Maybe. Or maybe the reason she always stayed inside was that she couldn’t handle civilization—even if Lost Harbor wasn’t entirely civilized.

  As the hours ticked past, he grew more and more worried about her. Why hadn’t he gotten her a cell phone and taught her how to use it? If he found her, that was the first thing he’d do.

  It’s not your fault, he tried to tell himself. Just like with Sabrina. Not your fault. It was God, or fate, or karma, or whatever worldview explained the unexplainable death of a baby. Just because he was the one who’d found Sabrina, who had alerted the family, that didn’t make it his fault.

  He knew that on an intellectual level. But on that other level, deep down, he could never let himself off the hook.

  That’s why the what-if game was so familiar. What if he’d reached the crib a few minutes earlier and woken her up? What if he hadn’t talked to her for a minute before realizing something was wrong? What if he’d had some knowledge of CPR at that point in his life?

  Which was absurd. Not many seven-year-olds knew CPR.

  But he could have learned. He’d known about CPR. He remembered thinking there was something he could try, but he hadn’t wanted to hurt the baby by making things worse. Well—nothing was worse than dead, so he should have tried something.

  The day passed slowly, each hour ramping up his tension.

  Finally, toward the end of his shift, a call came in for him.

  “Nate Prudhoe.”

  “This is Arlo Baker with the State Troopers in Grandview. We picked up a girl who says you’re her legal guardian. Says her name is Spruce Grouse?”

  A flood of relief rushed him so hard, he staggered and had to brace himself against the engine. “Yes. S.G. You found her, thank God.”

  “Yup. Who is she? She wants you to come and get her. We want that too, she’s a handful. Called social services but they can’t get down here yet. The girls says she won’t leave with anyone except you anyway.”

  “Yeah, it’s a…unique situation. Tell her I’m heading up and I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

  “Will do.”

  Filled with energy now, he called Bethany. “S.G.’s up in Grandview. I’m going to get her. Want to come? Another friendly face wouldn’t hurt.”

  “I’m off in half an hour, can you wait?”

  “I’ll gas up the truck and pick you up at the hospital.”

  “Wait—what about the forecast? They’re calling for a big snowstorm tonight.”

  “It’s not supposed to hit until later. If we get on the road quick, we can beat it.”

  “Okay, as long as you say it’s safe.” The trust in her voice warmed his heart. If all went perfectly, they’d be back in Lost Harbor when the storm came and he could coax her up to the hilltop for some cozy snowbound cuddling.

  The first gentle flakes were wandering down from a chalk-gray sky when he reached the hospital exactly half an hour later. The lights of the emergency room sign glowed red against the sullen backdrop.

  He texted Bethany, then turned on the radio to check the forecast. “Six to eight inches of snow are expected before midnight in the lower Misty Bay peninsula. Winds are picking up at this hour, and are forecast to increase to twenty knots, with gusts up to thirty. Travel advisories are in effect for both the lower and upper peninsula through tomorrow morning at ten. Conditions are changing quickly, so if you’re on the road, keep your radio tuned to KLSW, the voice of Misty Bay and the entire Lost Souls Wilderness area.”

  Travel advisory. Damn, things were amping up fast. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, wondering if he should have just driven by himself. But in the next second, Bethany emerged from the front entrance. In a creamy parka with a violet scarf wrapped around her neck, she was a splash of color against the gray evening. With a look of delight, she lifted her face to the sky, laughing as a few slow flakes landed on her skin.

  He felt as if his whole body smiled at the sight of her. Definitely, absolutely, he was glad that he’d waited for her.

  She ran to his truck and hopped inside. “Is this the first snowfall? I might owe a few people some money.”

  “It’s not official until it sticks. But it will most likely stick, according to the forecast. So yeah, pay up.” He stuck out a hand, onto which she slapped a high-five.

  “I’ll get the road snacks and the coffee, how’s that?”

  He hit the accelerator and cruised out of the parking lot. “Good deal, as long as we find something that’s open. A lot of folks might close down early due to the storm.”

  “This?” She r
olled down the truck window and reached her hand into the frosty air. A few more snowflakes were falling now, their pace increasing from meandering to purposeful. “They look so innocent and delicate.”

  “Hang on a second, have you not seen snow before?”

  “Of course I have. We get snow in Connecticut. I remember a few snow days when I was little. But I don’t remember stores closing.”

  “Then you haven’t seen snow, Alaska-style. The kind that comes down in drifts and sticks around for the whole winter.”

  “Definitely not. I went to med school in Baltimore. Not much snow there, either.”

  “City snow is a whole different story. It’s pretty at first, but then it gathers dirt and just gets in the way. I went to New York City one winter to visit a buddy, and I loved seeing the snow come down through the tall buildings. But then it turned into a big pain in the ass. Here in Lost Harbor, we’re just used to it. It’s like a family member coming to visit and refusing to leave.”

  “Kind of like Gretel.”

  He laughed as he took the turn onto the highway that led north, toward Grandview. “Now that you mention it, sure. We love our snow here. I can show you the good sledding hills. Once we get a good base, the ski club sets some cross-country trails. We even have a tow rope that takes you up to the top of Race Mountain. It’s not much of a run, maybe a ten-minute ski down.”

  “I hate skiing. My father made us learn, and I always fell on my face.”

  “There’s always snowshoeing. They say it’s good exercise.”

  His dubious tone made her laugh. “I think I’ll stick to sipping hot chocolate by the fireplace. That’s what I usually did when my father dragged us into the mountains.”

  “Is he competitive about everything?”

  “Everything. He has a black-and-white view of the world. There are winners and losers, and he didn’t want us to be losers.” She said it lightly, but even so he could sense the hurt behind it. “I’m pretty sure we’ve disappointed him in that respect.”

  “No one in their right mind would call a successful doctor a loser.”