by Stacy Gail
Oh…damn it.
She wasn’t even aware that she had taken a step toward Gulag Flight Attendant Number One until a black wall suddenly blocked her way. At the same time the pregnant girl, Jenny, grabbed her arm with both hands and clamped down tight.
“Don’t go postal, okay?” Mia barely noticed the young woman’s stressed-out whisper, her fury was so intense. “Please, please, please just chill. I’m too tired to deal with any more drama, and I think I’d barf up all those disgusting Ritz crackers they fed us for lunch and dinner if you went and beat her to death.”
“Daaaaamn, I don’t believe it.” The same brainiac who’d yelled about Chicago having real snow cackled with mad delight from somewhere in the crowd. “This shit’s fuckin’ hilarious! Wasn’t that the same super-swank hotel you dumbasses stopped that lady from going to nine hours ago? Instead you forced her onto the bus with the rest of us like some fuckin’ prisoner, right? Then you had her go through that crazy-ass death ride to where we are now in the middle of fuckin’ nowhere. Then you made her sit her ass on this ice-cold floor with no chair, no cot, no pillow, not even another goddamn blanket to spare, when she coulda been kickin’ it at that same damn hotel you now wanna drag her back to. Little girl, you let that woman go. I wanna see this beat-down happen. It needs to happen, and my money’s on our girl. Woman’s gonna cut a bitch, you can see it in her eyes—”
“Shut up.” The voice that filled the gym emanated from the black wall above her, and it cut through the red haze blanketing her brain like a hot knife through butter. She blinked and looked up—way up—but all she saw was the hard line of a jutting jaw and chin with deep golden-hued skin stretched tautly over sculpted bone. “Only beat-down that’s gonna happen around here is me on your face if you open up that noise hole again, trying to instigate shit in my town.”
“Hey, you sonofabitch, you can’t—”
“My friends and I dragged our asses out of warm, safe beds at four in the frigging morning in a record-breaking blizzard to get all of you into warm, safe beds, and we’re willing to risk our lives to do it. So unless you want to be left behind in this gym to fend for yourself and possibly freeze to death, keep it up. I’m fine with leaving your ass here.”
“Let go, Jenny.” Finally Mia got her mouth to work, and she shifted away from the black-clad man to lock her attention onto Gulag Flight Attendant Number One, whom she could now see was clearly pleading her case to a bewildered-looking Captain Martin. “It’s okay. Let go.”
With a distressed whimper, the pregnant girl did so. Half a second later her wrist was shackled by warm fingers that gave her new understanding about the term dwarfed. With those huge mitts of his, the man had to have some Sasquatch in his DNA.
“No shit in my town,” he muttered so low she almost missed it. Other than a faint lift of a brow to acknowledge she’d heard him, she kept her killer eye-beams trained on Gulag Flight Attendant Number One.
“According to Montana law, specifically Montana Code 45-5-303, no person without authority can restrain another person by using physical force, even for a few seconds. Also, a person commits aggravated kidnapping if they purposely and without lawful authority physically restrain another person for more than three feet. As I was attempting to walk to the end of the concourse in search of car rentals and you dragged me back to push me onto a bus I didn’t want to be on, that measurement of distance is clear. Now, you might think you have a legal defense by claiming you were doing your job for the airline, but I was not on property specifically leased to or owned by your airline. I was in a common area used by travelers that come from many, many different places. Therefore, even if you wanted to claim I was unruly and you were doing your duty to restrain a so-called problem passenger, you would only have lawful authority to restrain me if I had still been on the plane or jetway, or perhaps even a private, members-only airline club within the airport. And before you even think about covering your ass by suggesting that was what happened,” she added and held up her phone even as Gulag Flight Attendant Number One opened her mouth, “I recorded you when you said you’d willfully lie about me being unruly to the authorities if I dragged this into court—another federal offense, I might add, which would be on top of the unlawful restraint and aggravated kidnapping charges. I have two hundred witnesses to testify that I wasn’t unruly while onboard the plane. I was never unruly, period. What I am, what I’ve always been, is a person who knows her rights. So, if you don’t want to do fifteen hard years in Montana’s state pen, I strongly suggest you get me back to that hotel where I’d originally wanted to go, apologize for abusing your power and putting me through nine hours of travel hell, and beg me on your knees to give you the honor and privilege of paying my all travel expenses from here on in.”
A huff of laughter from the man next to her broke the shocked silence in the cavernous room. He squeezed her wrist in a friendly way before he dropped it and pulled back his hood.
“Boom,” he said, grinning.
Chapter Two
Boom, was all Mia could think ten minutes later as she repacked her carry-on, slung her purse over her shoulder and hit the bathroom one last time before she embarked on the next unplanned leg of her journey.
Had she ever seen a more beautiful human than her Boom man?
He wasn’t her Boom man, and of course she had seen a more beautiful man, she reminded herself firmly, lugging her junk up to the sink area to wash her hands. She was engaged to the most beautiful being she’d ever seen. Jackson Hackler always looked so perfect with his yummy blonde hair cut businessman-short and styled with just the right amount of pouf up top. He looked every inch the lawyer that he was.
They’d met in law school and she’d felt an instant connection the instant she saw him, making her a true believer in love at first sight. They’d dated exclusively for over a year, and she’d been so thrilled when he’d asked for her help when he’d somehow found himself in some academic trouble. Unfortunately times had gotten financially tough for Jackson at the end of their second year. Together, they’d made the decision for her to drop out so she could turn her part-time job for her realtor aunt as a stager into a full-time one. The money was great, and Jackson’s sweet smile told her every day how grateful he was that she’d postponed her dream of becoming a lawyer. Now that he’d gotten his degree, passed the Bar and landed a position at Barrington and Associates based in Seattle, it was her turn to finish getting her law degree.
Except…
“Hey, not to be an asshole, but I’d kind of like to get out of here sometime this year.”
Mia’s head snapped up to look toward the open arch of the girls’ locker room, from where the Boom man’s voice had emanated. “Right, on my way,” she called and paused long enough to take a quick peek in the mirror. Just as quickly she looked away, taking the time to wipe away the panda smudges of makeup under her eyes and smooth the frizzy flyaways that had escaped her equally messy topknot. She was on her twenty-fourth hour of travel, and she looked it—pale, unkempt, wrinkled and haggard to the point of collapse. The Boom man had already gotten an eyeful of just how much of a train wreck she was, so primping was laughable at this point.
So it was made no sense for her to suffer through the crazy urge to turn back around and indulge in an epic girlie primp session.
Geez, she was tired.
With her purse hauled over one shoulder and carry-on rolling along beside her, Mia moved into the now-empty gymnasium, her attention zeroing in on the Boom man standing in the middle of the basketball court, head down and hands stuffed into his pockets. Damn, he really was beautiful in his own way, even if he was the absolute polar opposite of Jackson’s preppy perfection. The Boom man was way over six feet, with arms and legs that seemed to go on forever. He was lean, the kind of lean that came from a perpetually revved metabolism, good genes and a constant state of physical activity. He had an even, sun-kissed glow to his skin that she genuinely envied, since she couldn’t be outside for more than fi
fteen minutes without turning an ugly shade of pink. That gorgeous skin was stretched over a bone structure that looked almost Eurasian, a melding of European and something deliciously exotic.
It was his hair, though, that made the Boom man fall smack into the hotter-than-nuclear-hot category. Longer than hers, it was a straight black curtain of silk. Maybe it was the exhaustion fogging her brain, but she wanted to touch it. To run her hands through its lovely length, watch it sift through her fingers and enjoy how the light played over the blue-black strands…
She swallowed hard, pulling herself out of the thoroughly inappropriate daydream. Okay, so maybe she was more done in than she thought. She should just ask him what sort of conditioner he used, since her untamed mop didn’t even know the definition of silky. That wouldn’t be weird, unlike the urge to fondle his hair like a total whack job. Then again, the conditioner question might not be the best idea, either. Did guys enjoy exchanging beauty secrets in public? Though they weren’t really in public since they had this unusual moment of privacy…
At that, she looked around the cavernous room with blank eyes, shivering beneath the knit poncho she wore. It was stylish and wrinkle-proof, but not exactly up to holding back the inhuman chill of a Montana blizzard.
Where did everybody go?
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to hold things up. Is everyone who’s headed out to the airport hotel already outside?” That seemed a little nuts, unless the passengers were already safely inside vehicles. She didn’t know what happened to human flesh when it was exposed to below-zero temps for any length of time, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t good.
The Boom man raised his head and regarded her as she approached, and the aggressive intensity in those unblinking eyes almost made her stumble. His gaze was like a physical thing, and it made her pulse stutter as badly as her step wanted to.
Wow, she could help but think, and took in a deep breath to combat the sudden tightness in her chest. Just… wow.
His eyes were blue, though a much deeper blue than her washed-out shade, and they seemed to have the ability to make her forget how to perform simple tasks like walking or swallowing. Any second now she might drool, and why was that?
Because he was staring at her. That was it. Just staring.
Wow, indeed.
“Outside?” His voice echoed hollowly through the gym, and as she stopped a few feet away from him she could see the grim flattening of his sculpted, masculine mouth. “Yeah, you could say that. Dan, Miles and Mayor McBride loaded everyone up and headed out toward Glacier Park International.”
“Without me?” This time her pulse really did stutter as the nightmare of her journey turned black. The cruelest part was that she’d allowed herself to believe that the light at the end of the tunnel was finally in sight, and she was at last on her way to safety. But now… “Without me?”
“Don’t lose it, lady, I don’t want to have to smack you out of your hysterics.” In one stride he had her by the shoulders, his huge hands curling around the points of her shoulders and his thumbs moving against the defined lines of her collarbones in a gentle touch that was at direct odds with his harsh tone. “You weren’t abandoned, all right? They had everyone loaded up and didn’t want to run the risk of an engine stalling, which can happen when it’s this cold. I told them that since I didn’t have anyone to drop off heading out my way, I’d take you myself. That’s why I’m here, to transport any stragglers. You’re the only one left.”
“Oh. Oh, thank God.” With a shaky breath she dropped her face into her hands and tried to push it all back—the death-defying airplane ride, the equally nightmarish landing on an icy runway in a strange part of the country she’d never even dreamed of visiting, being imprisoned for hours on a freezing dark plane that smelled like a sewer, the Gulag flight attendants, the gnawing hunger that was never fully assuaged by packets of dry, mini-sized crackers, and the waiting. Waiting for the next leg to Seattle, the next unexpected catastrophe to hit, the next disappointment. She just wanted her trip to finally be over.
She needed to get to Jackson.
“You’re not crying, are you?” The growl brought her head up, and she took a half-step back, breaking the physical connection in an instinctive move. She looked up at him, guard up and suddenly very aware that she was completely alone with a total stranger. A total, huge, male stranger.
Had she thought that things couldn’t get any worse?
Funny how life always tried to show her up.
“Women’s tears do nothing for me,” he went on, his hands retreating back into his pockets while his face did a great job at resembling granite. “I’m now immune to them, trust me on this.”
“I’m not a crier by nature. I’m just very, very tired.” She took another step back, grabbed for her carry-on handle and wheeled it in front of her. It was a flimsy shield, but it was the only thing she had. “I’m sure you must be tired too, so why don’t we get going?”
“Right.” He reached out and hooked a hand around the carry-on’s handle, his fingers just brushing hers. “In normal weather it usually takes about thirty minutes to get to the airport. But in this mess we’ve got going on outside, I’m not even going to guess how long it’ll take. I suggest you just relax, try to get some shut-eye and let me take it from here. You’re in good hands, Red. You’ve got my word on that.”
That sounded less terrifying, and she did her best to dredge up a smile. “Thank you very much for this. For everything, I mean. Uh, I can take my luggage—”
Without breaking stride he shifted the carry-on to his opposite hand—clearly out of her reach. “Not while I’m here, Red. Do you have anything else?”
“No. I was only going to pop into Seattle for a long weekend, so all I have is this.” She hurried along to keep up with him, her boots tapping smartly against the hardwood. “My name is Mia Flowers, actually. Mia. Hi there.”
“Mia, eh? Mia Flowers.” A faint sound that could have been a chuckle escaped him, and those indigo eyes flicked her way. “Cool name. It suits you. Then again, so does Red.”
And there went the crazy primping urge again. Fiercely she curled her hands around the strap of her purse to combat it. “I’m more of a coppery, strawberry blonde than a true redhead.”
“No. You’re Red.”
Whatever.
He paused at the exit door to put his gloves on and flip his hood back in place, and his cheekbones stood out starkly in the gym’s semi gloom. “Okay, wait here.”
“I don’t mind going wi—”
“Stay inside until you hear me blow the horn.” He enunciated each word so clearly they weighed the atmosphere down, and suddenly it seemed like the world would end if she dared to question him about anything. “It’s going to take several minutes to warm up the truck’s cab, so do not—repeat, do not—get all impatient on me and go outside looking for me. One, you’re not dressed for this kind of weather and your exposed skin would develop frostbite in less than ten seconds, the rest of you in about three minutes. And two, I wouldn’t see you until I ran over you. You got me?”
Damn, he was bossy, and he was giving off all the vibes of wanting to be there about as much as she did. But hassling him was a surefire way to make things worse, so all she did was nod. “I got you.”
“Good. Now glue your feet to the ground, stay where you are no matter how long this takes and listen for the horn. That’ll mean I’m parked right outside. All you’ll have to do is go through this door and the truck door, and you’re home free. Got it?”
She nodded mutely, wondering why the hell he was being so freaking dramatic. Then he was gone, and in the two seconds that the door was opened to the outside, she changed her mind about the whole dramatic thing. The Boom man wasn’t being dramatic. The weather out there was fucking insane. Like on-top-of-Mount-Everest insane. Like colder-than-deep-space insane. She might hail from the Windy City, but she hadn’t known wind could scream like that. Nor did she know the true definition of cold until it hit
her square in the face. It burned.
How could anything be so cold it burned?
Five minutes passed—she and her phone kept count.
Then six.
Then seven.
Okay, she knew it was bad out there. But when did it ever take seven minutes to warm up a damn engine?
Unless…
Unless he somehow hadn’t made it to his truck, and he was lying there frozen to the parking lot and wouldn’t be found until spring thaw…
The temptation to stick her head out the gymnasium door was huge, but his dire warning kept her still. When the horn blast at last came after nearly ten minutes, it sounded like it really was right outside, and it startled her into action. She pushed through the door that wanted to slam shut on her thanks to a huge gust of skin-freezing wind, and the snow peppered her like ice needles.
Oh dear God, had she actually wanted to get out into this frozen hell? What was wrong with her?
In the next second she tugged at the door of a king cab black pickup truck with lighted running boards and dual wheels in the back. The door suddenly pushed open, a huge hand reached out and grabbed her poncho, shirt and bra strap and what felt like part of her breast, and hauled her in. She was still bouncing in the seat when he reached across her and slammed the door shut against the push of the wind.
The raging storm and the throaty idle of the truck’s engine were shut out with the slamming of the door. Quinn Kingfisher watched Mia Flowers warily as she sat beside him, looking too stunned to take the lumber to him for inadvertently copping a feel. Not that he could feel much of anything with thick winter gloves on, but still, every man-nerve in his body had told him that he’d momentarily had a hold of a very delicate, very feminine rounded, lush breast.
Damn.
“You okay?” To distract himself from the growing heaviness low in his gut, he messed with the air vents until they faced her, then turned the heat on to max. “That’s some wind, huh?”