by J. S. Scott
“I did get it, but not until I was already hours into my drive up from Boston. Since I was nearly here and this is a Christmas gift, I figured I might as well keep going.” She quickly glanced out the window and crinkled her nose. “Although…I didn’t think the storm was supposed to be that bad.”
“The storm veered from the original prediction, which had it going out to sea. I’m surprised you even made it this far without driving into a ditch or the ocean. The bridge…” Fuck. He shook his head and stifled the groan that rumbled in his throat. “It gets too icy in storms like this and they close it down. You need to go. Now. Before you get stuck on the island.”
“But…what about the desk? I came all this way. Please.” Chloe grabbed his arm with a grip he hadn’t expected, her eyes begging and pleading with him. “I can’t disappoint my father. This was supposed to be the perfect gift…and a peace offering.”
He sighed, knowing he’d regret this. “Go get warmed up by the fire while I make a call. I might be able to get them to hold off on closing the bridge. Not that you’ll survive the drive back to Boston.”
A deathly cold washed over him as he thought about her getting into an accident. It had his entire body going stiff, and it took all he had to force air into his lungs and keep the shaking at bay.
Just make the phone call. That was all that mattered right now.
He called the police station and got Janice, their dispatcher. Quickly explaining his situation, he cursed under his breath when she told him that they’d already closed the bridge an hour ago. “It’s an emergency, Janice…I have a woman here who needs to get off the island. I can send her down there right now…No, it’s not life or death…She’ll waive any liability…Please…Yeah…ok. I know. Thanks anyway. Stay safe.”
What he didn’t understand was that the bridge had already been closed an hour, and yet she’d only just arrived at his house. “How did you get onto the island? They put the gates down on the bridge an hour ago and the ferry doesn’t run in the winter—or in bad weather, for that matter.”
She pressed her plump red lips together into a tiny pout. “Sorry—I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and my blood sugar was plummeting and making me woozy, so I stopped in town to grab a bite to eat since they were still open at the time.”
Perfect. She was driving around in the middle of a blizzard while woozy. And now she was stuck on the island. “I don’t know what to tell you…That bridge is closed and there’s no other way off the island. Not to mention, this blizzard is a slow mover and it could literally be days before the snow even stops. And that doesn’t necessarily mean the roads will even be passable.”
Bloody hell. He’d be stuck with her crashing at his place until the storm stopped. Longer, since they’d still have to dig out.
The Siren Song Inn.
And then he remembered that they were closed. Since it was the slowest time of the year, they’d shut down for the holidays to give all their employees the opportunity to spend time with their families and friends.
He swore the universe was conspiring against him.
“I’m really sorry about this. I didn’t know the storm had changed course.” She pulled her jacket snug around her body, as if it’d keep her warm from his frosty reception. “I’ll get going. I saw signs for an inn on the other side of the island.”
“It’s closed until after the New Year.” He let out a weary sigh, and then felt guilty when he saw how miserable she looked for getting herself stranded. “You’ll have to stay here. The house is big enough to give you privacy, and we’ve got plenty of food, wood, and a generator if needed.”
“I really appreciate this. Finn…well, he mentioned you like your privacy…” The blush on her porcelain skin deepened as she turned away from him and distracted herself with giving his dog a scratch.
Finn wouldn’t discuss Aidan’s personal life with anyone, though he likely warned Chloe that he could be a little…gruff. His jaw clenched with pent-up annoyance and anger, but he pushed it away. “Her name’s Paisley.”
“She’s cute—and huge. And she can’t be more than a few months old, right?” Paisley laid down at Chloe’s feet and was rewarded with a belly rub.
“She’s part wolfhound and part setter, so I’m sure she still has some growing to do.” At least he still remembered how to have a conversation. Sort of. “Why don’t I show you to your room? Do you have anything you want to grab from your car?”
Giving Paisley a final belly rub, she stood back up, her long black hair falling in waves over her shoulder. “Actually, I was going to head straight to my dad’s in New Hampshire for the holidays once I’d picked up the desk, so I packed a bag. I don’t suppose…do you know how long I might be stuck here? My father’s expecting me for Christmas.”
“I hate to disappoint you, but that’s not going to happen. Christmas is in just a few days, and as big and slow as this storm is, we’ll be lucky if it’s even stopped snowing by then.” Reminding himself of just how long he’d be stuck with Chloe had his body going tense, especially when she’d be around for Christmas.
It’d been years since the accident, and yet it hadn’t gotten any easier. How could it when it involved his fiancée and their unborn child?
His jaw tightened and his body tensed as he forced the pain and the memories back into the darkness. “You should get your bag while you can still get to your car without needing to shovel it out.”
“I suppose so. And thanks…for letting me stay.” She let out a deep breath, as if she’d been holding it, and then headed out the door.
Aidan cursed himself, the storm, and the universe for screwing with him, while he waited for Chloe to return. All he wanted was to be left alone with his misery, and instead he was trapped in his house with a complete—albeit pretty—stranger. He might be miserable, but that didn’t mean he was blind, and with that black hair, those blue eyes, and her blushing porcelain skin, she was striking.
It didn’t help that he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been with someone, and it wasn’t long before he realized that it had been Hannah.
He pushed thoughts of his dead fiancée out of his head when Chloe walked through the door, stomping the snow off her boots and onto the mat in his entry, while dragging a suitcase behind her.
Not bothering to ask and ignoring her protests, he grabbed her suitcase and headed for the stairs. “This way.”
He showed her to her room, and was pleased to see her eyes go wide. Though he may not get many visitors, he took pride in his home, having designed it himself. Being a post and beam home, he’d showcased the massive timbers and beams with cathedral ceilings, and enhanced the rustic feel with stone. He’d even helped build a fair amount of it, and nearly all the rooms had pieces of furniture he’d handcrafted.
“Wow. It’s just gorgeous. And the views…” Chloe turned to him with a smile that lit up her eyes, and then touched his arm as she let out a little laugh. “Well, they’re really snowy right now. But I’m sure they’re normally stunning.”
It was a small gesture—her hand on his arm—and yet it sent a jolt of energy through him and sent his heart racing. His body’s reaction to her caught him off guard and had him stepping back, away from her touch.
Her smile faltered and fell as he pulled away, and he found himself inexplicably wanting to ease things between them, though why the hell he cared, he hadn’t a clue. He gave his head a small shake, as if it would help him regain his senses and then moved towards the door.
“There’s food and drink in the kitchen, towels are already in your bath, and there’s WiFi—for now, anyway. If you need anything else, let me know.” Aidan was halfway out the door when she stopped him.
“Actually, I’d love to take a look at the desk you made for me. If you don’t mind, of course. Or we could do it later…” Her eyes were wide and looking far too hopeful, a hint of a smile returning
as if it might persuade him to give in to her request.
“I suppose.” He let out a weary sigh, and stepped aside to let her pass, wondering how long it’d be before he regretted his decision to let her stay.
Probably not long at all.
Chloe followed behind Aidan as he led the way, thinking that for such a tall and muscular man, he moved with the supple ease of someone who’d come by their build through hard work rather than pumping iron and hanging out at the gym. He was also damn good-looking, though she figured he might be, given that his brother, Finn, was nothing short of eye candy—and a great guy to boot.
She and Finn had been great friends in college, and though most of her friends assumed there was something going on between them, the truth was he’d been more like a big brother to her. Aidan, however, seemed to be currently lacking Finn’s casual ease and good humor.
Unable to resist, she chanced another glance in Aidan’s direction. His dark chestnut hair was thick and just a little unruly, and his hazel eyes were intelligent but haunted. Several days growth left him with a heavy enough stubble to mask his strong jawline, and it only added to that rugged mountain man look. Dressed in a soft plaid flannel, worn jeans that hugged one amazingly fine ass, and oiled leather hiking boots, she sure as hell wouldn’t tire of looking at him any time soon.
“This way.” Paisley followed after them, her nails clicking on the wide plank hardwood floors. Aidan flicked on a light to a long passage, which was a good twenty degrees cooler than the toasty part of the house they’d just been in. It was lined on either side with windows and connected the main house to what appeared to be a barn, though it was damn hard to know for sure when the snow was blowing around.
And if she thought the passage had been cold, that was nothing compared to the barn. Bright lights popped to life, revealing a massive workroom, which was clean and well organized. The barn had been updated with new floors and walls put in, though the massive beams were once again left exposed, giving it the sort of rustic charm she loved.
She took a deep breath and smiled. “I’ve always loved that smell. There was a sawmill near my college apartment…”
“The wood—the sawdust. There’s nothing better, as far as I’m concerned.” His lips kicked up into just a hint of a smile, and damn if it didn’t take her aback and send her heart racing. She couldn’t even imagine what a full-on smile would do to her. “You were out in the Berkshires, right? Went to school with Finn?”
“Yeah, he was in the dorm room across the hall and was also in a handful of my classes.” She always thought fondly of that time period in her life. It seemed so carefree at the time, and a welcome escape from all the responsibilities of home.
As the oldest, everything had fallen onto her shoulders after her mother fell ill and later passed away. But she knew that her full scholarship would be her only chance to escape and live her life, and she refused to give up her dream after she’d worked so hard to make it happen. Her two younger siblings were only a few years younger than her and she knew they’d manage without her.
Aidan’s eyebrows perked up in surprise. “Were you also an engineering major then?”
“Nah, I was in bio-chem, but a lot of the core science classes overlapped.” She was happy to see that he looked suitably impressed. She’d busted her butt and managed to land herself a good job with a great company, researching new drugs for a variety of illnesses. Best of all, she was able to send money to help her family, though she swore her father was still disappointed that she’d left them to go to school and then moved to Boston instead of moving back home.
She did what she had to do in order to help with their finances, even if it meant setting aside her true love of art. She’d love to just make pottery for a living, having gotten hooked on it when she took it as an elective in college. But that wouldn’t pay the bills and she had responsibilities she couldn’t shirk off for her own selfish interests.
Even if her father didn’t appreciate any of the sacrifices she’d made.
“Actually, I think I remember you coming to visit Finn.” He would have been damn hard not to notice, though the man she remembered as Finn’s older brother had been far more relaxed and…happy.
“It’s possible.” He walked over to a draped piece of furniture and pulled off the drop cloth. “Here you are.”
She gasped as her breath caught in her chest and tears sprung to her eyes. Without a single thought, she leapt and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. He caught her—what choice did he have?—and though she felt him stiffen, she could see a fire spark in his eyes as he held onto her. Suddenly, she was all too aware of him, his muscular body, his strong arms, his full lips—and the fact that she’d just invaded the personal space of this very private man.
With her cheeks flaming hot with embarrassment, she let go of him while mumbling her apologies, feeling absolutely mortified. She forced herself to focus on the desk—not on the way her body thrummed with arousal and made her nipples go hard against her sweater as she went slick with need. “I can’t thank you enough. I swear, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more gorgeous. My father’s going to love it.”
He had to love it. How could he not when it had been handmade special for him? The desktop was made of a honey birdseye maple with a beautiful compass rose inlay made of mahogany and rosewood. The grain of the wood was intriguing, catching the light so it all but shimmered like satin and silk.
She ran a hand over the desk’s smooth surface and had a sudden image of Aidan’s large hands running over the wood lovingly. And damn if it didn’t leave her wondering what those hands would feel like caressing her skin.
“Well, I’m glad you like it.” Aidan’s eyes drifted from the desk back to her, and she could tell he still seemed unsettled.
Finn had warned her that his brother had become a bit of a loner, but he hadn’t said much more than that. At the time, she hadn’t found it at all unusual, since she knew plenty of people who liked their privacy. Yet now that she’d met Aidan, she quickly realized that he was far more than just a loner. She didn’t know what had happened to him, but it was clear something had broken the man, and he’d retreated from the world to lick his wounds.
Clearly, he wanted to be left to his misery, and she should leave him be. But she could have sworn she saw something in his eyes, felt something between them when he’d held onto her, and she knew she wasn’t imagining it. He made her want to ease his pain and comfort him, but he also stirred something in her that was far more primal. Something that hadn’t come alive in a very long time—and she was convinced she wasn’t the only one who’d felt it.
“Aidan…” She didn’t quite know what to say, but didn’t want things to get awkward between them. “I’m sorry if I’ve made a mess of your holidays.” When his brows pulled together and his jaw clenched, she cringed and started rambling, trying her best to make things right between them. “I really appreciate you letting me stay here to weather out the storm—and I’m sorry about that hug. It’s just that the desk was gorgeous, and I got carried away, and—”
He silenced her with a hard kiss, his tongue bullying its way past her lips as his large hands held her to him. His body pressed against hers and backed her up against his workbench, pinning her in place and making it impossible for her to ignore his hard length, now trapped between them.
When his kiss deepened, it felt like her world was spinning out from under her. Yet he was there, holding her, anchoring her to him, keeping her from slipping away. Her body felt alive, on fire, as desire consumed her, leaving her tight and swollen and aching for him.
And then he was gone, her body reeling in his absence as he pulled away, shook his head, and then left her there in an empty barn.
What the hell was he thinking? He was a goddamned idiot. Never mind that he’d created and run an innovative tech company worth billions. Never mind that his creations had al
ways been leaps ahead of his competitors. Because after the stunt he’d just pulled? He was an idiot—plain and simple.
He shouldn’t have kissed her. Should have kept his hands off her. And he was a total dick for kissing her like he did, and then leaving her there without a word. Finn would kick his ass for it—or try at any rate—and he’d deserve it, too.
What he should do is go and apologize to her. But with his hard-on still raging, there was no way he trusted himself around her, and she was not a complication he needed—nor one he was ready for.
Before he had the chance to go speak with her, she rushed past him, no doubt heading for the stairs and her room. He stuck his arm out and caught her, holding her in his firm grasp to keep her from escaping. “I’m sorry, Chloe…I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
Her stiff body slowly softened in his arms as she let out a weary breath, her eyes settling anywhere but him. “No worries. I get it. It was a mistake.”
He tipped her chin up so she’d be forced to look at him, and by the gods, when he looked into those blue eyes of hers, when he felt her curves press against his body, he thought it was a mistake he’d happily repeat. “I don’t know that it was... ”
It didn’t have to mean anything beyond satisfying their needs and passing the time while trapped together during a snowstorm. Just a bit of fun. And why not, given that this was the first time in years that he’d even shown any interest in pursuing anyone—even if for nothing more than sex.
It’s not that he didn’t have the opportunity for a quick and casual hookup if he wanted it, given that the island filled with tourists every summer. Until just now, he hadn’t had even the slightest interest—but damn if Chloe didn’t change that. And he was damned if he wasn’t going to have her.
She slipped out of his arms and shook her head. “Look, I appreciate you letting me stay here, and…damn, that was a mind-blowing kiss. But I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”