by LuAnn McLane
The atmosphere went from lighthearted to intensely erotic in the blink of an eye. He felt himself go red. “Sorry about that,” he muttered. “That burp got away from me.”
Hallie sat back and studied his face, her eyes wide. “That wasn’t a burp,” she said slowly. After a moment of dead silence, she leaned forward and found another spot of ketchup she had missed.This time she removed it with the tip of her tongue.
The second groan was what it was.
Hallie laughed softly and whispered against his lips, “I find you incredibly attractive, Daniel Reynolds. I really do.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “Well, that’s a damned good thing, because I’ve been a goner pretty much from the first second I laid eyes on you.”
His enthusiasm seemed to please her.
She put her hands on his shoulders and ran them down his arms to his wrists. She linked their fingers and sighed. “I don’t usually rush this kind of thing, but I have a feeling that with a houseful of guests, any opportunities to be alone are going to be few and far between. So what do you think . . . your room or mine?”
Her humor relaxed him. Hallie wasn’t making a big deal about this. She was a sensual woman who wanted him like he wanted her. It was the perfect situation.
His gut warned him that he might be getting in over his head, but he ignored it. Hallie Prentiss was going to be naked and under him in the next few minutes. It was a wonder his brain didn’t explode.
Hallie saw herself and Daniel as if they were actors in a movie scene. She had just initiated sex with a man she met yesterday. What in the heck was she thinking?
She stood up, and he took her hand. Before they could take more than a single step in the direction of her bedroom, the front door was flung open with a crash. Bodies and voices filled the foyer along with a swirl of frigid air. One of the children, a freckle-faced girl with braces and pigtails, ran toward Hallie. “Can you believe it, Ms. Prentiss? It’s snowing!”
Soon Daniel and Hallie were surrounded by the entire extended Denman family, including a skinny, clean-shaven young man in army fatigues. Robbie had him by the arm and drew him toward Hallie.“This is my boy Timothy, Ms. Prentiss.” She beamed with pride.
The still-wet-behind-the-ears soldier looked sheepish.“Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
Hallie introduced Daniel, and before long it was like a family reunion that included Daniel and Hallie. At one point, her gaze met Daniel’s across the room.They exchanged rueful smiles before he was led away by one of the men to play air hockey. Hallie was soon occupied helping the women e-mail a brand-new photo of Timothy to an elderly grandparent who had not been able to make the trip.
Before you could say “mistletoe,” it was almost midnight. The children had been put to bed a few at a time. The adults held out longer, but eventually the long day of travel wore them down. As the last good-nights were spoken, Hallie and Daniel were left standing together in the living room, almost in the same spot they had been when they were interrupted earlier.
Hallie yawned hugely and then was mortified when Daniel laughed out loud.“I get the hint,” he chuckled.“Our time will come.”
She wanted him, she really did. But she was dead on her feet. He didn’t drag it out. Instead, he kissed her briefly and then held her for a long moment. He was hard and ready. His erection pressed against her abdomen. But he didn’t ask for anything more.
He kissed her nose. “Tomorrow’s your first big morning. You need your rest, Hallie. Don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of time for us.”
But would they? Hallie fretted about the answer as she got ready for bed. Already, her two-week stint was down to twelve days. The Denmans were to fly home on Christmas Day, followed soon after by Hallie. Would she and Daniel be ready to say good-bye to their holiday flirtation?
Grumpy from unappeased desire, she showered quickly and tumbled into bed. She tried to imagine Daniel lying on the mattress beside her, but the image wouldn’t come into focus. She was still lamenting their interrupted evening when she fell asleep....
Hallie’s alarm went off at six a.m. She slapped at it halfheartedly, pulled the pillow over her head, and dozed off again.
When the shrill beep sounded a second time, it hit her. Breakfast. At eight sharp. For seventeen people. Dear Lord.
She flung the covers back and bounded out of bed, her heart racing. Teeth brushed, clothes yanked on, and the bare minimum of morning ablutions completed, she took a deep breath and opened her door.
And smelled coffee.
When she entered the kitchen, her heart skipped a beat. A sleep-rumpled Daniel sat at the table, along with a sheepish-looking Robbie Denman.
Robbie spoke up first. “Now, don’t be mad, Hallie, honey. I know this is your domain. But I’ve been an early riser my whole life, and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I wasn’t in the kitchen.You were so organized with the recipes on the counter and all that, I just started a few things going. I hope you don’t mind.The muffins went in the oven two minutes ago.”
Hallie shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and smiled. “Of course I don’t mind. I was a little intimidated by the thought of feeding this crew. I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.Thank you, Robbie.You’re a sweetheart.”
She reached in the refrigerator, trying to ignore Daniel. He made her breathing go all haywire, and she needed to concentrate on not ruining her debut breakfast. But when he wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged the package of meat from her hand, her knees wobbled.
His smile was lopsided. “Even I can’t ruin bacon,” he said. “You set the table or whatever else you need to do to prepare.”
Even with the three of them working in tandem, it was a challenge to have everything ready by eight.The large kitchen table seated twelve and there were six barstools. Robbie suggested putting platters of food on the counter and letting everyone serve buffet-style.
When the hungry throng descended the stairs, the morning repast was hot, beautifully laid out, and (since Hallie had not been forced to do it all on her own) delicious. Pounds of food, everything from scrambled eggs to homemade granola (thawed from the freezer), were devoured in twenty minutes. Hallie watched in amusement as a six-year-old boy in the throes of hero worship sat on Daniel’s knee and reluctantly finished a bowl of cinnamon apple oatmeal.
The room was noisy, crowded, and warm. Not only in temperature, but in sentiment as well. The Denman’s were a family. They squabbled, they joked, they repeated oft-told stories. And the affection and love they all shared were impossible to miss.
Despite Hallie’s inclination to linger on the edge of the action, she found herself drawn inexorably into the layered conversations. It was hard to keep up. Perhaps it took experience not to get lost in the crisscrossing laughter and the good-natured, across-the-table gibes ... the high, childish voices and the deep masculine chuckles.
Even as she was sucked into the pleasant chaos, she felt a pang of loneliness. For years it had been only Hallie and her mom. No siblings, no cousins. Both of her parents had been only children. Hallie’s grandparents had passed away when she was in junior high.
Holidays in the Prentiss household, even before her father died, had been quiet. But Hallie’s mom had always gone out of her way to make them special. Hallie had never doubted she was loved. And she had many friends, none more dear than Julie.
But this Christmas was different. Christmas was a time for family, and Hallie was keenly aware that this year she was on her own.
She shook off the destructive self-pity and silenced the group with a whistle. Robbie, who had already started gathering dishes, looked up with a raised eyebrow.
Hallie grinned. “Robbie, thanks for everything. But this is your vacation. Go out and have some fun. I’m a whiz at cleaning a kitchen and I have all morning to do it. As of now, you’re all banished.” She looked over at Daniel. “You, too, Daniel. Go to work. I’ll be fine.”
When everyone cleared out as orde
red, except for Daniel, Hallie suddenly found herself feeling shy. He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest. She had already noticed that his brown eyes changed colors depending on the light and his mood. At the moment, they looked like rich chocolate. Perhaps because of the tiny smile creasing his full, waiting-to-be-kissed lips.
She wiped her hands on a dish towel, avoiding his gaze. “Shouldn’t you be going?”
He shrugged. “I’ve got time. Don’t you think we ought to talk about last night?”
She bit her lower lip, struggling against a wave of longing so sharp and insistent that it took her breath.“Last night might have been a tad premature. We were drunk on the northern lights.”
“I’ve seen them a hundred times,” he murmured. “And besides, that was two nights ago. I’m pretty sure their effect doesn’t last that long.” He straightened and came toward her with a look in his eyes that made her stomach clench. “I was drunk on you, Hallie Prentiss.”
She didn’t even put up a token protest when he pulled her close and settled his mouth over hers. He was big and warm, and her breasts, pressed against his chest, ached to be touched.
He slid his tongue inside her mouth. “You taste like cinnamon,” he said hoarsely. “I adore cinnamon.”
Her legs weakened, and she was pretty sure she would have slid to the floor in an ungainly heap if he hadn’t been supporting her with his muscular arms. Somehow her arms found their way around his neck.
He shifted positions and settled her between his thighs, deepening the kiss as he did so. Hallie heard herself whimper and tried to remember why this was not a good idea. A sound from upstairs brought her back from the edge of insanity. She pushed her hands against his shoulders, gaining a couple of inches, but no more.
“We can’t do this here,” she panted. “Daniel ...” She said that last word with some urgency as he lowered his head to nibble the side of her neck with sharp teeth and warm breath.
“Daniel!” She was torn, desperate for him to stop and equally desperate for him to drag her down the hall to his bedroom.
His hands fell to his sides and a mighty shudder raked his frame.Their eyes met, hers filled with confusion, his glazed and sheepish. “Lord, Hallie. This is nuts.”
She stepped back and bumped into the stove. He ran a hand across the back of his neck. A noticeable erection lifted the front of his slacks. She swallowed hard.“I need to get started on this.” She waved a hand at the breakfast debris.
Daniel shook his head as if to clear it. “The Denmans have their own keys, right?”
“Well, of course.Why do you ask?”
“I’d like you to meet me this afternoon,” he said urgently. “Do you think you can have everything here in shape in three or four hours?”
“If I work my butt off.” She laughed. “Beds made, bathrooms cleaned. It will be a push.”
“Good,” he said. “I’ll show you around the post.”
“The post?”
“Fort Wainwright.”
“I thought it was an army base.”
He grinned. “Rookie. The navy has bases. The army has posts. Learn the lingo.”
She saluted sharply. “Aye, aye, Captain.”
She followed him into the living room. He jotted down directions, along with instructions about where to meet him. Then he grabbed his coat off the sofa and shrugged into it.
Suddenly, awkwardness returned.
He brushed her cheek with a gentle stroke, as if he couldn’t keep from touching her.“I’m damned glad you came to Alaska, Hallie.”
She turned her face and kissed his palm briefly. “Me, too,” she said simply.“And who knows? You may persuade me to get in the Christmas spirit after all.”
Her words hung between them, fraught with unspoken meanings. She had tossed them out jokingly, but the awareness that hovered between them told her that he was thinking what she was thinking.
This time, he was the one to flush. His fists clenched, and the cords in his neck stood out in relief. He glanced at his watch and cursed softly. Frustration etched his handsome, rugged features.“Two o’clock,” he said, his voice rough.“Don’t let me down.”
The morning passed with agonizing slowness, despite the piles of work that needed to get done. When the kitchen was pristine, Hallie set out to make beds, empty the trash, and spot clean the rooms that needed it. She didn’t linger in Daniel’s bedroom this time. She was too on edge as it was. She didn’t need any more reminders of the man who was making her act so out of character.
The Denman clan had gone out to do their Christmas shopping. The snow that had fallen the evening before added only a couple of inches to what was already on the ground, and the weak winter sunlight created diamondlike sparkles in the fresh powder.
Hallie paused at the window, marveling at how much she already appreciated the few hours of true sunlight. Perhaps it was human nature to take such things for granted. But being in Alaska in the dead of winter made her realize how little of the world she had experienced outside of Seattle. There had never been much money for extras like travel, and all her work experience had kept her close to home.
Here in Alaska her eyes were being opened to an entirely different environment. And she wasn’t just talking about the weather.
At two o’clock on the dot, Hallie parked her car near a familiar chain pizza place. Daniel pulled up beside her moments later.
He kissed her on the nose. “I have a sudden urge to take you somewhere tropical so I can see you in a bikini.”
She laughed as he helped her into his car. “I thought you loved Alaska,” she teased.
He eased out into the traffic. “I’ll be the first to admit that it has a few drawbacks. But don’t worry, Hallie. I’ve got a great imagination.”
That deliberately suggestive remark, and the naughty grin that accompanied it, set the tone for the afternoon. Daniel didn’t miss any opportunity to let her know that he wanted her.
And the attraction between them sizzled at a slow burn.
He stopped at the visitors’ center, which was a grand name for a small, cramped building. There she had to surrender her driver’s license, and wait until her identity was verified. Apparently being accompanied by the boss didn’t circumvent the red tape.
When the formalities were all in order, Daniel drove her through the gate and onto the post proper. Hallie wasn’t sure what she had expected, but Fort Wainwright took her by surprise. It was a big area, for one thing.Vast, unoccupied, snow-covered fields gleamed whitely in the deepening dusk. The road wound around and through them until Daniel and Hallie reached clusters of buildings.
He pointed out administrative areas, a shopping center, a post office, the chapel, aircraft hangars, and finally several neighborhoods of neat, well-kept post housing for military personnel. “Fort Wainwright is really like a small town,” he said, pointing out a playground, vacant for the winter.“Very self-contained.”
He parked in front of one of the office buildings and they got out. Hallie wasted no time in scurrying up the steps. It wasn’t windy today, but the air was just as cold. Once inside, Daniel showed her his modest office and they left their coats there. Then he took her arm and steered her down the hall toward a dimly lit stairwell.
“I’m going to show you something I’ll bet you’ve never seen before,” he said as he unlocked the metal gate at the base of the steps.
She bumped his hip with hers. “Bragging now, are we?”
He looked at her blankly for a split second before he understood. “You should be so lucky,” he shot back, laughter lighting his gorgeous brown eyes and curving his masculine lips.
He relocked the gate behind them and they took a step forward. Hallie scooted to a halt, digging in her heels. “Um, Daniel?”
He stopped and looked back at her. “What is it?”
She wrinkled her nose. “This might be a good time to mention that I’m slightly claustrophobic.”
He took her hand and gave her a
quick kiss on the lips, enough to make her toes tingle.“No small dark spaces, I swear. I’m taking you into the utilidors.”
He might as well have been speaking Greek for all the sense that made to Hallie. “Utilidors?” Her stomach rolled uneasily.
He put his arm around her waist and urged her forward. “They’re a series of tunnels that link most of the main buildings on the post. All of the utilities—water, heat, electricity—flow through underground pipes via the utilidors. It’s not scary at all, I swear.”
Against her better judgment she let him take her into the passageway ahead. And in fact . . . it was pretty amazing. The tunnel was large and well lit, even if the color scheme bordered on “prison beige.” And the air was delightfully warm. So much so that she actually had to shed the lightweight fleece jacket she’d worn over her long-sleeved T-shirt.
“So why the tunnels?” she asked as they walked.
“Think about it,” he said. “The ground stays frozen for a big chunk of the year, which would present a big headache in terms of pipes breaking. Even being able to dig to do repairs would be difficult, if not impossible. When the post was built, they constructed this system of tunnels, and then put everything in one place. Pretty ingenious. If you’ll look when we’re back aboveground, you can see exactly where the utilidors run, because they keep the sidewalks directly above them so warm the pavement stays snow free.”
All along the way, there were gates similar to the one they had entered through. One even led directly into the post commander’s house. Hallie was fascinated.
In a particular section of the tunnel, there were fewer exits and the lights were spaced farther apart. Daniel stopped and leaned back against the wall, his expression difficult to read.
He tugged her hand until she stood in front of him, almost touching nose to nose.“Thanks for coming over today, Hallie,” he said quietly. “I gave the Fairbanks chief of police a tour last week, but you’re a lot more fun—and way cuter....”