Wicked Wonderland

by LuAnn McLane

  “It’ll be sooner than you think.”

  His confidence was really beginning to bug her. “Shut up and drive.”

  He squinted as he looked through the windshield. “That might be a problem.”

  Rachel sighed.“Why is that?”The man was a charmer and knew when to talk and when to be quiet. How hard could it be to leave her alone?

  “This snow is getting worse.”

  Rachel looked out the window and saw that what he said was true. She had been aware that the snow was coming down fast and heavy, but they were now thick in a snowstorm. Cars were struggling through the piling snow, and visibility was low. “Maybe we should pull off somewhere and wait it out,” she suggested.

  “Or I could take you back home.”

  She had a feeling he meant his home. It was a tantalizing offer, but she had to be strong. She had to get him out of her system. “No, that’s not an option.”

  “Okay.Your wish is my command.” Justin slowly changed lanes and carefully got onto the next exit. “Can you read that sign?”

  Rachel peered through the window. “Not really.The snow is covering most of the words.”

  Once they got off the freeway, Rachel noticed how much worse the streets were. It didn’t look like a snowplow had been by. Justin maneuvered his car down the street, inching along one block, and then another and another, only to discover that there was no place to stop and warm up. No gas station, no restaurants. Nothing.

  “I’m sure there’s something around here,” Rachel insisted as they continued down the treacherous road that was lined with huge evergreen trees.“Wait, there’s a sign up ahead. I can’t read it just yet.”

  The car slowed down as the tires struggled through the snow. “We might be delayed here for a while,” Justin warned.

  “It’s okay. I’m not on a strict timetable.” A small delay was not a big deal. She jerked forward as the car suddenly stopped.

  “What makes you think the planes aren’t grounded?” Justin asked as he pressed his foot down on the gas, but the tires churned in the snow.

  “Don’t talk like that.” She had to get out of here. Today. Rachel squinted as she tried to make out the wood-carved sign mottled with snow. “ ‘Welcome to Sleigh Bell Summit.’ ”

  “Never heard of it.” He shoved the car into another gear and pumped the gas pedal.The car didn’t budge.

  Sleigh Bell Summit . . . Why does that sound so familiar? “Oh crap!” Her eyes bulged.“We’re in Sleigh Bell Summit! Turn the car around! Right now!”

  Justin did the opposite. He shoved the car into park and leaned back on the seat, one arm draped on the steering wheel. “I can’t.We’re stuck.”

  “What?” She started to panic. Her breaths turned into short, choppy huffs. “Are you serious?”

  “Are you okay, Rachel? We’re just stuck. Nothing to worry about.”

  It suddenly dawned on her. “Oh, I get it. You did this on purpose!”

  The humor and warmth from Justin’s blue eyes disappeared. “What are you talking about?”

  “Sleigh Bell Summit? I knew you were devious, but this?” She shook her head and flopped back in her seat. “This is just plain mean.”

  “What are you accusing me of? And what the hell is Sleigh Bell Summit?” He gestured at the sign. “Is it cursed or something?”

  It was for her. “You never heard of Sleigh Bell Summit?” She highly doubted that. The panic started to rise, suffocating her. She took a big, wheezy breath. “It’s famous.”

  “For what?”

  “For Christmas,” Rachel said in a monotone. She closed her eyes in surrender, knowing she was doomed. “It’s Christmastime at Sleigh Bell Summit every day of the year.”

  Chapter Five

  “I can’t believe you did this to me,” Rachel said with a grumble as she stomped her way along the snowy lane. Giant fir trees flanked the road, weighed down with snow and thousands of strands of colored lights.

  It would have been picturesque, but at the moment she didn’t care. The wind was whipping through her layers of clothes, and the snow found its way underneath her coat. She was cold, wet, and spitting mad.

  Justin’s sigh was loud and long. “For the last time, I didn’t plan this.”

  “Of course you planned this,” she accused. “I should have known you were up to no good when you decided to drive me to the airport.You were really going to trick me into Santa’s love nest.”

  Justin shuffled to a stop. “What?”

  Rachel tossed her hands up. “Well, congratulations. You succeeded.”

  He shook his head slowly.“Next you’re going to blame me for getting stuck in the snow.”

  Rachel tilted her head, raised her eyebrows, and looked at him, waiting for him to confess.

  Justin’s mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding? Did I secretly decide to start a snowstorm, too?”

  “I should have known when you wore that sweater the other day,” she declared as she adjusted the strap of her weekend bag on her shoulder.“You will stop at nothing to seduce me.”

  “Rachel, take my word.” He held up a hand as if he were taking a solemn oath. “Seduction is the last thing on my mind at this moment.”

  “Only because you’re waiting for the right moment to make your move,” she said as they started walking again.“Probably while I’m surrounded by Christmas clutter.”

  Even if they stayed only an hour at Sleigh Bell Summit, she was still in danger of pouncing on Justin at every Christmasy location. She would have the most uncontrollable urges and would probably take him in full view of everyone. She’d be banned from town in record time and gain a reputation. She’d be known as Santa’s Slut. The Fa La La Floozy. She could see it all now.

  “You’re the one who heard of this place,” Justin said, bending his head as the wind howled around them.“You’re the one who guided us here.”

  Oh, so now it was her fault? This was unbelievable! She whirled around and almost lost her balance, but Justin grabbed her elbow and held her up. “I couldn’t read the sign,” she reminded him.

  “But you knew about this place,” Justin insisted, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Maybe it was your subconscious.”

  She scoffed at the idea and pulled away from him. “I don’t want to be here.”

  “Yes, you made that crystal clear,” he said. “If it weren’t for your constant complaining, your frantic attempt at shoveling the car out of the snow with your fingers was a big clue.”

  The lane made a slight turn and she saw the brick wall that circled the town. The wall was about a story high and evergreen boughs were draped on the edge. It didn’t look any more festive than the outdoor mall.

  “You know, maybe Sleigh Bell Summit isn’t all that Christmasy,” she said hopefully as they walked through the entrance. “It could be all hype and ...” Rachel’s voice trailed off as a bright red sleigh went by them, pulled by eight white horses.

  Her gaze followed the sleigh, which carried an overwhelming number of squealing children. The sleigh went past a row of shops that looked like gingerbread houses, complete with thick snow dripping from their pointed roofs.

  Rachel dragged her gaze away, past the carolers, past the shoppers carrying towering piles of gift-wrapped boxes, and to the center of town where the biggest, fattest Christmas tree stood.The tree was so festive, so beautiful, that it almost hurt to look at it.

  Justin turned to her. “You were saying?”

  “I feel like I just walked into a Christmas card.” It was her worst nightmare come to life.

  “Let’s hope they have a snowplow,” he said as he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her into the Christmas village. “And a hotel.”

  Panic flashed through her body and she went still. “A hotel?”

  “We’re stuck here until the snow stops and the snowplow comes through,” Justin predicted. “That’s going to take more than a couple of hours.”

  She looked back at the road they just
walked. It was blustery and dark. Their footprints had already disappeared under a fresh layer of snow.

  Her shoulders slumped in surrender. “Fine, we’ll ask about a hotel. But so help me, if they make one crack about no room in the inn, I’m walking to the airport.”

  “Only one room left?” Rachel muttered as they waited in the lobby for the elevator. “Seriously?”

  “It’s their busiest season. We were lucky we got it. There was a cancellation because of the weather.”

  She had to share a room with Justin. Rachel shook her head, wondering what she did to deserve this kind of luck. The elevator doors slid open and she stepped in. She valiantly ignored the candy-cane motif in the elevator car and tried to block out the Christmas music.

  How will I survive a few hours in this place? she wondered as the elevator took them up. She had to take this one minute at a time.

  “What’s our room number?” she asked.

  Justin looked at the envelope the key cards came in.“We’re on the Frankincense floor, suite three.”

  Rachel slowly turned and gave him a look of disbelief. “Frankincense?”

  “Weren’t you listening to the woman?” Justin asked as the doors opened. “There’s the lobby, then the next floor is Gold, then Frankincense, and—”

  “Don’t tell me, let me guess. Myrrh?” she asked as she stepped out of the elevator.“As long as the whole floor doesn’t smell like frankincense, I’m not going to say a word.”

  “Somehow I doubt that,” Justin said as he trailed behind her.

  She found their suite and slid the key card in the door. Once she heard the click, she opened the door and stepped over the threshold. Rachel stared at the room in horror. She took a step back, closing the door as she moved, and collided into Justin.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

  She stared at the closed door. “It looked like Christmas threw up in there.”

  “It can’t be that bad.” He opened the door with his key card and stepped inside. He slowly looked around but didn’t move.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “You weren’t exaggerating.”

  She cautiously stepped back into the room. There were elves everywhere. On the green wallpaper, stenciled on the wood furniture, and embroidered on the chair pillows. Freaky, dancing, mischievous elves.

  “We probably won’t even need to use the room,” Rachel said brightly. “The snow will stop, and we’ll get out of here before you know it.”

  “You really weren’t listening to the woman at the registration desk,” Justin said as he stared at the mural of Santa’s workshop on the ceiling. “There’s now a snow advisory and avalanche warnings.”

  In other words, they were well and truly stuck.“We’ll make the best of it.” She had no doubt Justin would. Everywhere she turned, it was Christmas. All he had to do was sit and wait, and she’d jump him. He wouldn’t even have to wait that long.

  “Okay, here are the ground rules,” Rachel announced.

  Justin dragged his gaze away from the acrobatic elf pattern on the curtains. “Ground rules?”

  “We’ll flip for the bed.” While elves pranced around the room, they were absent on the bed. The gorgeous, decadent, and seductive bed.

  The dark wood of the sleigh bed gleamed in the daylight, and the thick, luxurious blankets promised to be soft and sensual. There was a cascade of pillows in satin cases of every jewel color. It made her think of gift boxes piled high in Santa’s sleigh. She would love to take a tumble in that with Justin.

  “And where is the loser going to sleep? On the floor?” He looked at the bright red rug that had elves frolicking around the border. “It’s too cold.”

  She crossed her arms. “I am not sharing a bed with you.” Definitely not that bed. If she got in there with Justin, she wasn’t going to come back out until New Year’s Day.

  “I promise I’ll keep my hands off you.” Justin’s eyes lit up when she didn’t say anything. “Oh, I get it,” he said as he strolled closer to her. “That’s not worrying you. You’re afraid you won’t keep your hands off me.”

  She didn’t deny it. “I’m surrounded by Christmas.”

  “So?” He slid his hands in his coat pockets.“You can make that excuse all you want, but you’re wrong.”

  She pursed her lips. “What’s your theory?”

  He leaned down until their eyes were level. “You had a taste of how good it is between us and can’t resist.”

  There was some truth in that, but she had been tempted before and never reacted this strongly.There had to be more to it. “Think that if it makes you feel better.”

  “I will.” He turned and walked toward the window.“And I can wait for you to come around, too.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m not going to take advantage of you while we’re here,” he promised as he looked out the window.

  “That’s very ...” Noble? Suspicious? “Why?”

  He looked over his shoulder and held her gaze. His blue eyes gleamed with desire. “Don’t get me wrong. I still want you. More than ever.”

  He was confusing her. “Then ...”

  “When you took me at the office party, you wanted me as much as I wanted you.”

  She flushed as she remembered how aggressive, wild, and hungry she had been that night. “So?”

  “Nothing to be ashamed about.That was the hottest night of my life.”

  His confession flustered her. “I ... it’s ...”

  “You were kind of aggressive behind the Christmas tree, too,” he said with a smile.

  “I’m not a sexually aggressive person,” she declared. Or at least she was trying not to be, but Justin blew all her good intentions to smithereens.

  “Yeah, you are. And I like you that way, but I’m not going to take whatever I can get. I’m going to wait until you want me to the point that nothing else matters.”

  He was going to have to wait a long, long time, Rachel decided. She wouldn’t let that happen again.

  “And that’s not going to happen while we’re here,” he said with a resigned shrug.

  “Bull. Look at this place.” She gestured at the room. “It’s more seductive to me than Paris and Venice rolled together.”

  “No, you won’t be seduced because you’re going to be on guard. You’ll spend too much time worrying that your self-control is going to snap.You won’t go wild here.”

  “You think so?” She wasn’t so sure. She kept sneaking looks at the bed, imagining how Justin would look naked and waiting for her on the satin sheets.

  “Look at you right now,” he said as he walked toward her. He motioned at how her back was at the wall, her arms crossed in front of her. “You’re on the defense. I prefer my lover to be a little more relaxed and adventurous.”

  “Guess I don’t meet your requirements,” she said, and snapped her fingers. “Shucks. Darn.”

  “Come on.” He reached out and wrapped his hand around her wrist.

  “Where are we going?”

  “We’re going to walk around town,” Justin replied as he tugged her gently. “Maybe even hit a few shops.”

  She gave a sharp nod at the window.“There’s a snowstorm.”

  “It’s not snowing as hard anymore,” he pointed out. “And it’s better than staying in here together.”

  She wasn’t sure about that. She’d seen a glimpse of a store that sold only nutcrackers, and another that sold blown-glass ornaments.That could send her over the edge.

  “I tell you what. If you try to seduce me, I’ll throw you in the largest snowbank to cool off,” he promised.

  She glared at him, but she was considering her options. Walking around Sleigh Bell Summit was less dangerous than staying in the hotel room. Outside they would have several layers of clothes, lots of space, and people around them. That was better than being here, alone, near that big, inviting bed.

  “Okay. I’m tru
sting you, even though every bone in my body says I shouldn’t.”

  “It’s okay, Rachel,” he said softly as he draped his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the door. “You won’t do anything you’ll regret. I promise.”

  She narrowed her eyes, trying to find any hidden message in his statement, but he whisked her out the door before she could protest.

  He couldn’t believe he was Christmas shopping. In a winter wonderland. Two days before Christmas. Only Rachel could get him to do that.

  Justin looked around the candy store as the other shoppers jostled around him. The stench of the peppermint was beginning to get to him. He lost Rachel somewhere between the holiday bark and the fudge.

  All this time he thought she would have problems, but he was the jumpy one. He had fun looking at the trinkets in the stocking-stuffer store, and found himself humming along with the carolers. He relaxed in the café and drank hot buttered rum while quietly looking at the big Christmas tree.

  He was enjoying this holiday, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up high. Rachel was stuck with him and trying to make the best out of a bad situation. He wasn’t going to read anything into it.

  “Justin?” He jumped and saw Rachel at his side. “Are you doing okay?” she asked, her eyes darkening with concern.“The crowds aren’t getting to you?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  “How can you say that? The smell of peppermint is overwhelming. Let’s get you out of here.” She grabbed his gloved hand and pulled him out of the store.

  Justin hid his smile.As much as he loved Rachel’s wicked and wild side, he didn’t mind how protective she got with him. It was kind of sweet. It made him feel as if he was important to her.

  When they stepped out of the cozy store and into the freezing cold, Justin noticed Rachel didn’t have any packages. “Didn’t find anything you want?”

  “No, I’m just browsing,” she said as she huddled closer to him in hopes of warding off the cold.

  Browsing for hours in Christmas stores and not once was she overcome with lust. Too bad. But her behavior was blowing her theory clear out of the water, he thought smugly. Either she had superhuman control, or the holidays had nothing to do with her libido. It was all him.