Wicked Wonderland

by LuAnn McLane

  “Do you know how to swim?” He chuckled at her immediate look of suspicion. “I’m not talking about here and now.”

  “I swim,” she said reluctantly.

  “Do you remember trying to float when you were learning?”

  She nodded. “My father told me I had to relax my body and let the water hold me up.”

  “And could you?”

  “Not at first. But finally, I learned.”

  He leaned forward, elbows on the table.“That’s what you’ve got to do with winter in Alaska. Don’t fight it. That makes it worse. But if you go with the flow, embrace the differences and the amazing extremes, you start to love it.”

  “Sounds like the voice of experience.”

  “Think about it. I was living in California, land of warm beaches and hot sunshine, before I moved here. I’ll admit that the first time the mercury hit fifty below, I had a what-in-the-hell-am-I-doing moment. But then I got kind of psyched about it.This is an amazing place. It’s not for sissies. It challenges people, makes them strong.”

  “Or convinces them to leave.”

  “That, too.”

  He’d given her a lot to think about, and he was ready to be done with “serious” for the day. “C’mon,” he said, standing up and offering his hand to her. “Let’s go see what North Pole has to offer.”

  Hallie was enchanted in spite of herself. Daniel took her to the Santa Claus House for their first stop, where she got to see and feed real reindeer. Daniel waited patiently while she bought postcards to send to her former coworkers at the hotel, as well as a cute toboggan for Julie.

  She lingered over the waiting-to-be-personalized letters from Santa. What would it be like to have a big-eyed toddler on Christmas morning? A child ready to jump headfirst into every bit of Christmas merriment. Her chest tightened with yearning, and her eyes stung as she realized anew that her mom and dad wouldn’t be around to be doting grandparents.

  Hurriedly, before she gave in to self-pity, she paid for her purchases and joined Daniel at the front of the store. He insisted on taking her picture with the enormous fiberglass Santa outside, and then drove her to the North Pole, Alaska, post office, where “Santa’s official zip is 99705.” And of course, the building was located on Santa Claus Lane.

  Hallie dashed off several quick notes on the Christmasthemed cards, purchased stamps, and popped them in the slot.

  She climbed back into the car. “Now what?” In spite of everything that had happened before she left Seattle, she was enjoying today. In Alaska.With Daniel.

  He shifted into reverse and looked over his shoulder. “I thought we might take a sleigh ride.”

  She gulped. “Outside?”

  He looked at her like she was crazy.“Yes, outside. It’s six degrees, Hallie. They do these even when it’s fifty degrees colder than this. Don’t be such a chicken.”

  But before they made it to the place where they could pay for the sleigh ride, Daniel stopped off to show her the ice-sculpture contest in the park. There were the usual wreaths and trees and bells, but what really stunned her was the children’s playground equipment made entirely of ice and snow.

  She watched a kid, maybe eight or nine, clamber over it with glee. His happy yells to his parents made her smile.“Wow,” she said slowly. “And who said there was nothing to do in Alaska in the winter?”

  Daniel kissed her cheek. “Not me.”

  They ate hot dogs and veggie soup in a nearby wooden lodge, and then sought out the sleigh rides.

  While Daniel paid for their tickets, Hallie tucked the wrists of her gloves into the sleeves of her coat and wrapped her thick wool scarf tightly around her head, tying it in a sturdy knot. Her heavy, knee-length down coat was plenty warm, but if this ride was more than ten minutes, all bets were off.

  She made a face when she saw the animals harnessed to the pretty sleigh.“What? No reindeer?”The placid horses were sturdy, but definitely had no antlers.

  Daniel chuckled.“It’s probably an animal-rights thing. Use your imagination.” He helped her up into the padded seat of the sleigh and tucked the heavy velvet and satin blanket around them both.

  Immediately Hallie was hyperaware that their bodies were touching from hip to knee. Given the air temperature, she should have been shivering. But Daniel radiated heat, and when he curled an arm around her shoulders and tucked her against his chest, she immediately felt warmer.

  The sleigh took off with a bump and a jerk, and soon they were sailing along over the hard-packed snow.The driver wasn’t all that far away, but with the muffled noise from the horse’s hooves and the jingling of dozens of sleigh bells, Hallie realized that she and Daniel inhabited a little cocoon of privacy.

  They veered onto a path that wound through a copse of hardwood trees, the branches bare black skeletons. Up above, the stars winked and sparkled. And at that very moment . . . Hallie fell in love . . . with Alaska. Riding through the snow on a sleigh with Daniel by her side, Hallie felt as if she were starring in her own movie. And she began to wonder how her humdrum workdays in Seattle could even compare with a world that was fraught with so many extremes, such wild weather, so many interesting people. For years she’d made her job her entire focus. But suddenly the world was a bigger, crazier, more fascinating place.

  Alaska might technically be one of the fifty states, but to Hallie it was an alternate universe, each day more eye-opening than the last. She was an adventurous person, she really was. But she’d let her workaholic ways get in the way of seeing what life had to offer. Maybe Alaska was going to be more than an interim job. Perhaps it was going to show her what she had been missing.

  Daniel leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “If you’ll take off your glove, I’ll hold your hand.”

  That was a fair offer. But she hoped he couldn’t see her blush. Or if he did, that he would attribute the redness of her cheeks to the cold air.

  Their hands linked beneath the blanket, his hard and masculine, hers smaller and softer. It was the kind of simple affection appropriate for young teenagers. But to Hallie, it seemed seductive—even erotic.

  Daniel’s skin was warm, his fingers rough and masculine. Hallie held on tightly, afraid of losing the moment.

  Daringly, she moved their linked hands to his thigh. It was rock hard, and she didn’t have to hear his sharp intake of breath to know he was affected by her touch.

  When the driver executed a turn that would take them back to the beginning of their trip, Hallie sighed. Pleasure, balmy and sweet and simple, warmed her from the inside out.

  They were almost in sight of the horse corral when she turned toward him and pulled his head down to hers. After a quick, decorous kiss, she leaned into his embrace and whispered in his ear. “I have a surprise for you, too. The Denmans have gone to Anchorage and won’t be back until late tomorrow night.”

  Chapter Five

  Hallie tossed back the blanket when the horses stopped, and hopped out before Daniel could help her, landing lightly on her feet and smiling up at him with a taunting grin. Daniel stumbled getting out of the sleigh and nearly fell flat on his face. Hallie’s giggle made his ears turn red. Smooth, Reynolds. Real smooth.

  He steered her toward the car, unable to speak. All the blood in his torso had rushed south to produce an erection as hard as any one of those damned ice sculptures. He and Hallie were finally going to be all alone.Tonight.

  She took off her scarf and gloves and unbuttoned her coat. “Are we going to stop for coffee? You know . . . to warm up after our ride?”

  He shot her a dark glance. “No. I’m pretty damned warm as it is.”That made her giggle again.The little tease was enjoying his discomfort.

  When they arrived at the B&B, he parked haphazardly and rushed her up the walk. He unlocked the front door, scooped her into his arms, and carried her inside.That shut her up.

  Her eyes got big. “Did I miss something? Are we playing honeymoon?” she asked.

  “No. I just thought this would be fas
ter.” He strode toward his room, all his concentration focused on getting her naked ASAP.

  When he dumped her on the bed with less than his usual finesse, he paused, stricken. Hallie reclined with her hands linked behind her neck, watching him with a look he couldn’t decipher.

  “Um, Hallie ...” Maybe he was out of line. Maybe her naughty whisper had been more in the nature of general information than a sexual invitation. He cleared his throat.“Were you ... I mean ... are we ... ?”

  She sat up and took off her coat.“Get naked, Daniel. I have plans for you.”

  Oh, Lord.There went any last shred of rational thought. He started stripping off his clothes, but when she did the same, he gave a hoarse command. “Stop. I want to unwrap you.”

  The words came out wrong, but he realized he actually meant them. She was the best Christmas present anyone had ever given him. He paused when his chest and feet were bare. His lungs were heaving and his heart rate was through the roof. He had to gain some control or she would be monumentally unimpressed with his staying power.

  Carefully, deliberately, he took off the rest of his clothes.

  He moved, buck naked, toward the bed and sat down beside her. “I don’t know how I got so lucky,” he said soberly. “But this has been one of the best days of my life.”

  She took his hand and raised it to her lips.“And we haven’t even gotten started yet,” she said quietly.

  He tugged her sweatshirt over her head and gulped inwardly at the sight of her peach and cream lace bra. The lace was almost the same color as her skin. He made her stand up in front of him while he unbuttoned her jeans. It took precious seconds to help her kick out of her boots and socks, but soon he was back at her zipper.

  He lowered it so slowly that they both sighed. Her concave belly was covered in gooseflesh. “Oh God, I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’ll warm you up, I swear.”

  “I’m not cold,” she said simply.

  He put his hands inside the denim and eased it down her legs. Her panties matched her bra.Victoria’s Secret, be damned. He had his own angel right in front of him.

  Her narrow waist and curvy hips made his hands shake with the need to stroke every last inch of her soft skin. He kissed her navel, grazed her belly with his tongue.

  Her hands tangled in his hair, and he thought he heard her say something. But he couldn’t distinguish anything over the thunder of his own heartbeat in his ears. He cupped her firm ass in his palms and laid his cheek against her stomach. He knew how to pleasure a woman ... how to manage foreplay to make a lover eager for more.

  But he was suddenly undone. Despite the urgency of his body’s driving need, he paused, shaken. It disturbed him to realize that even now, in this first, tremulous intimate touch, he was head over heels in love with Hallie Prentiss. She held his life in her hands.

  What would happen if he fucked her, and she left Alaska without a backward glance? His buddies would clap him on the back and congratulate him for nailing a “short-timer.” He winced inwardly. God, he couldn’t bear to think about that.

  He took a deep breath and nipped one of her hip bones with his teeth. That wasn’t going to happen, damn it. Once a soldier, always a soldier. He was trained never to give up.To get the job done.To acquire the target.

  He put a hand between her legs.

  This time, her ragged words were clear. “Daniel, please. Don’t make me wait.”

  Whatever the lady wanted. His thumb parted her folds and found her slick and wet and hot. Her clit was swollen. He skated a finger back and forth over the sensitive spot until her incoherent cries told him she was close to the edge.

  And then he stopped.

  Hallie groaned aloud, so damned near an orgasm that her breath lodged in her throat. She tugged at his hair, hard enough to make him curse. “Don’t stop, Daniel. Do something.”

  “I plan to,” he growled.

  Before she could catch her breath, Daniel had scooped her into his embrace and was carrying her from the foot of the bed around to the side. She was tall and not exactly lightweight, but he lifted her with ease.This time, he pulled back the covers and set her carefully in the center of his bed.

  He loomed over her, his face a mask of determination. “Spread your legs, Hallie. I can’t wait another second.”

  She didn’t chastise him for his bossiness. She obeyed because the alternative was unthinkable—his harsh command did something fierce and amazing to the heat building in her core. She considered herself a feminist, and yet at this moment there was something wildly exciting about feeling out of control.

  He rolled on a condom and then put one hard, masculine thigh between hers, widening the V of her legs another inch. “Don’t close your eyes,” he growled. “Look at me.”

  Now both of his thighs spread hers. He fit the head of his erection to the opening of her passage and paused. He leaned forward and squeezed her breasts, tugging roughly at her nipples. She whimpered.

  And then he moved.

  He filled her with one wicked thrust. Her hips lifted off the mattress, her body feeling stretched, filled, possessed. His big hands grasped her waist, tugging her until her thighs draped over his. Now he had her at his mercy. He surged forward, filling her completely, making them both groan.

  A lock of dark hair fell across his sweat-sheened forehead. He grinned, his expression piratical. “For a workaholic, you’re pretty damned good at this. I think I’m jealous.”

  She ignored his playful comment. He knew more about the female body than he should, but she wasn’t about to protest. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the feel of him moving deep inside her. Her inner muscles clenched, trying vainly to hold him, to control the pace. But it was futile.

  He was ferocious and tender, desperate and infinitely patient. When she came with a choked cry, he was only seconds behind, and his big body went rigid in release. He collapsed on top of her as they both struggled to regain their breath.

  She licked her lips, her chest still rising and falling. “Yum.”

  “Yum?” He yawned and rolled to his back.

  “It’s an adjective I reserve for dark chocolate and other indulgences. I stand by my assessment.” Particularly since her thighs were still quivering and her legs were the consistency of wet noodles.

  Daniel moved slightly. She felt something that was definitely not a limp noodle as he lifted her on top of him with impressive ease. She wriggled with a long sigh of pleasure, aligning her woman parts with his rapidly recovering cock.

  She was glad they had left a lamp on. Looking at Daniel made her happy. Her heart pinched sharply as she thought about leaving ... going home. But she refused to acknowledge the future.

  Instead, she rose to one knee, fit his thick erection to her throbbing center, and joined their bodies.

  Daniel laughed roughly. “Damn, Hallie. I can’t get enough of you.”

  This time it was hard and fast. Right at the end, he flipped their positions, putting her on her back once again and thrusting into her so hard that the headboard slapped the wall.

  She saw an explosion of stars as she caught her breath and whimpered in the grip of a stunning orgasm. “Daniel!”

  Her cry was swallowed up in his roar of completion.

  Long moments later, he rested his forehead on hers. “Stay,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “Stay in Alaska.”

  Out of nowhere, tears stung her eyes. “There’s nothing for me here. And we’ve known each other three days. Please don’t do this, Daniel. Please. Let’s just enjoy the moment, and not think about what comes next.”

  He was silent. She couldn’t tell whether she had offended him, pissed him off, or hurt him. Not the last, surely.

  Her throat thickened and she reached for the lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

  They slept for several hours, tangled together in a warm cocoon of blankets and arms and legs.

  When Daniel’s cell phone rang, the sound was intensely shocking.

  Hallie sat
up and turned on the light while Daniel, gruff-voiced, dealt with the call. She could tell from his face that it was serious.

  He hung up and started dressing immediately. Her stomach clenched. “What is it?”

  He ran a hand over his face.“Coal dust sparked a fire at the heating plant. I’ve got to go. We’ll have all kinds of emergency personnel on-site, and maintaining security is a priority.” He paused and grimaced.“I’m sorry, Hallie. I didn’t want our night to end like this.”

  She swallowed and summoned a smile.“I understand. Don’t worry about me. Go do what you have to do.”

  He sat on the bed long enough to lean over and kiss her. “This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

  Before she could make sense of his words, he was gone.

  Daniel didn’t make it home for three days. He grabbed sleep in brief snatches on the sofa in his office.There were injuries from the fire. The explosion had decimated heat production. Steam heat from Fairbanks had to be brought in via the utilidors until they could get the boilers back up and running. Men were doing two or three jobs amidst the chaos.

  Daniel shouldn’t have had a moment to think, but his mind still wandered to thoughts of her. Hallie. In his gut he knew he needed to seal the deal before she had a chance to put up her defenses. It was a lousy time for him to be gone.

  But what choice did he have?

  When he finally pulled into the driveway of the B&B several days later, the place was ablaze with lights. He opened the front door and was bombarded with Christmas music, the amazing aroma of home cooking, and excited chatter.

  The children were running up and down the stairs. Hallie was hunched over a computer looking at digital photos from the Denmans’Alaska excursion.And in every corner, the guests argued and laughed and filled the air with holiday excitement.

  Daniel would have enjoyed it more if he hadn’t been bone tired.

  Hallie spotted him first. Her face lit up in welcome, but seconds later, she tempered her response. He sighed inwardly. Prickly Hallie was in full armor.