by Melody Anne
First, she’d get settled in, and then she’d drive through the town she’d live in until at least the end of this school year. She hoped they kept the roads plowed, because a little car wasn’t going to make her feel particularly safe, and she couldn’t fork out the money needed for a truck or SUV. Her mind drifted as the miles passed and she gazed out absently at an endless expanse of white.
“Looks like Hawk’s here to show you the place.”
Startled, Natalie looked up to see the cabbie peering at her through the rearview mirror. “What?”
One of Natalie’s worst faults, or at least what she felt was one of her worst faults, was that she’d get so lost in her own head that she’d tune out the rest of the world. In her mind she could be lounging around on one of the famous beaches of Brazil while she was actually on a threadbare chair in her own claustrophobic apartment.
A vivid imagination was great when you were teaching young children, but not so great when trying to hold normal conversations with other adults. How pathetic. Her life was so dull that she spent most of her time in a fantasy world.
That was going to change, though. She was a teacher now. A professional. Pulling a little notebook out of her purse, she turned to the list of goals she’d written out in clear, even handwriting, with little boxes next to each line. With pure delight, she checked off Get first teaching job. Of course, not everything on that list would be crossed off so easily. If anyone were ever to get his or her hands on that notebook, a few of those aspirations would leave her a mass of blushes and shame.
“Hey, Mickey. How was the drive?”
Whoa. When Natalie looked up and saw the man leaning against the side of the cab, she felt frozen to her seat. And it had nothing to do with the cold air drifting in through the now open window. A pair of linebacker shoulders completely swallowed up the open space. He was wearing a thick coat, and he sported dark and slightly unruly hair, plus piercing brown eyes with lashes that seemed to go on forever.
And those lips. They were full and turned up in an electrifying smile as he bantered with the cabbie. Natalie had no idea what the two men were saying, because the deep timbre of this man’s voice enveloped her. It seemed to be sending all sorts of wrong signals to her stomach, which was suddenly rolling.
When her side door was flung open and the man stood there with his hand out while saying something or other to her, all she could hear was a buzzing in her ears.
Nonsense!
This was total and utter nonsense. She didn’t believe in love at first sight, or even lust at first sight. So to be looking at this man as if he were a piece of her favorite chocolate, one that had just been discontinued—those idiots—was freaking ridiculous.
No. She was a professional woman who’d just had a weak moment. He was holding out a hand to help her from the taxi. That was all. She could do this. She’d reach out casually, take his hand, say a polite thank-you, and then make her way into the house. Easy-peasy.
When she did reach out, however, his gloved fingers gripped her bare ones, and the sensation that thundered through her body like a stampeding herd of wild buffalo was anything but easy. She somehow managed to climb gracefully from the vehicle. But as their eyes met for the first time, she felt as if she were being sucked into another dimension.
“Hawk Winchester.”
It took her a moment to realize he was introducing himself. It took her another moment to notice the narrowing of his eyes, the slight pursing of his lips. His smile had vanished, and it seemed she wasn’t the only one confused by this instant attraction.
Never before had she felt any sort of zing with a stranger. Never before had she stood in front of someone and wanted to tear off her clothes without any preliminaries, civilized or not. She was Natalie Duncan, innocent and repressed schoolteacher. She’d been the one in the library while her peers were out partying. She’d never had lustful thoughts about any man, any man at all.
Yes, she’d fumbled through sex during college, but even that hadn’t been as intense as what she was feeling at this moment. As this stranger held her gaze, she couldn’t seem to shake the irrational vision of the two of them entwined together in reckless passion. Oh, this was so bad. So very bad.
It didn’t have to be. The man was just being neighborly. Helping her into her new house. After this moment passed, she wouldn’t see him again. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
Right.
“Natalie Duncan.”
She’d finally found her voice. Pulling her hand away, she began walking up the cleared path to the front steps. Let the men handle her bags. There was no possible way she’d be able to get her fingers to quit shaking long enough to actually lift one of those suitcases.
When suddenly the heels she was wearing didn’t make firm contact with the slick path, and she felt herself slipping slightly, her eyes narrowed on the thick piles of snow all around her. Disgusting. That’s what it was. It was horrifying that she’d be dealing with cold, wet, unappealing snow for the next few months. Only fools romanticized the stuff.
“Wait!”
Too late. While Natalie was trying to keep the freezing wind from blowing up her skirt, she took her first step onto the porch and her heel caught in a gap between boards. Her hands flew up, imitating a windmill, and she felt herself falling backward.
Closing her eyes, she prepared for a nasty fall into that wretched snow, but instead she found herself caught by solid arms and an even more solid chest. Afraid to open her eyes, but knowing she had no choice, she peeked from behind her thick lashes.
She should have kept them closed because the smoldering fire burning in Hawk’s eyes was enough to make her feel faint. He didn’t move, didn’t pull her closer, but didn’t push her away. He just looked at her as if she were the main course for dinner. Yeah, she’d have to avoid this man at all costs! Because she found herself wanting desperately to close the minuscule gap between the two of them, and that just wasn’t in her plans.
The list. She just had to think of her list. Her life was mapped out—school, check, career check, ten years of hard work, not checked. Nowhere on that map was the gorgeous man now holding her in his arms.
“Well, Natalie, I always do enjoy it when a beautiful woman falls right into my arms,” he said, his eyes bright, his lips set in a smoldering, confident grin.
Womanizer! That’s what this man was. He figured he was cute enough that he could say a few words and she’d simply invite him in. Yes, she knew of men like this, had heard other girls at school practically drooling as they spoke of the hot frat boys more than willing to take them home for the night. Natalie hadn’t fallen under a man’s spell before, and she certainly wasn’t going to do it while she was frozen, grumpy, and more than irritated to be caught in such a vulnerable position.
“I’m grateful that you didn’t let me hit the ground, but you can wipe the look off your face, and release me.” Her voice stern, her eyes anything but receptive, she was satisfied when his expression changed, and he showed a hint of perplexity.
But he quickly regained his composure. “Hmm, not the usual reaction I get when I have a beautiful woman in my arms.”
“I’m not a usual woman. This is bordering on assault now,” she said with no smile to be seen.
Just as quickly as he’d caught her, he let her go, nearly making Natalie tumble backward again. Barely catching herself, she grabbed the ice-covered rail and climbed the couple of steps just as the cab driver set her bags by the front door.
Thanking the man, she paid him, then turned back to Hawk, who held her house key in his hand. Why? She’d never spoken to this man before. She’d dealt only with Bethel, who’d arranged the house and car. Why would Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome be holding her key?
“As I said, Hawk Winchester,” he said smoothly. “Local fire chief, and… your landlord.”
Crap.
Putting away her anxiety, she held out her hand, hoping like hell he just drop the key into it without any further physical contact. Of co
urse, that wasn’t going to happen. He gripped her fingers and wrapped them around the key, his eyes once again smoldering as he captured her gaze. “I’ll be seeing you again real soon,” he said, and then turned away, leaving her shivering by the front door.
She watched him leave, his stride smooth, his movements confident. Before he reached the sidewalk, she shook her head and turned back to her door, her fingers shaking so hard it took a few tries before she was able to unlock it. Natalie had a feeling her time in Montana wasn’t going to be quite as easy-peasy as she’d thought it would be.
End of Excerpt
Table of Contents
Hidden Treasure
Copyright
Dedication
Note from the Author
Books by Melody Anne
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Epilogue
An excerpt from Safe in his Arms