by Cathryn Fox
“But I’m not staying.”
“Yeah, you said that already,” she responded, like she didn’t quite believe him.
He looked around the small cabin with the big window overlooking the snow peaked mountains. “So do you live here?” he asked.
“No, this cabin belongs to Stone Cliff Resort, and they’re letting me use it to for a few months while I write my thesis. My family lives in town, and I’ll be joining them for the holidays.”
“Your thesis is on wolf behavior?” he asked, interested to know more about her.
She nodded. “Yeah, pack animals fascinate me, but I’m mostly interested in the lone wolf.”
At the mention of the lone wolf, he looked out her window and thought he saw a flash of blue. But then he shook his head. That white wolf with the strange blue eyes had to be long gone by now, and he believed in logic, not legends. Besides, if what she said was true, and the wolf would give him what he needed, he’d damn well be on a plane home right now. Because what he really needed was to be in his apartment, alone, away from the holidays and what they made him remember…feel.
“What is it about the lone wolf that interests you?” he asked.
She took a drink of her milk and wiped her mouth. “I study how those pushed from the pack, or those who remove themselves for their own reasons, try to start their own family or work their way into an already established one.” She played with a crumb on her plate, then looked back at him, a real sincerity in her eyes when she added, “It’s not natural for any animal to be alone. Some think they don’t need anyone, but I can tell you they really are miserable deep down.”
“I don’t know if I believe that.” Hell, he’d removed himself emotionally from all those around him, and he was doing just fine. “I’m sure there are exceptions to the rule.”
She blinked up at him. “You think?”
“Sure.” He gave an easy roll of his shoulders. “I like being alone.”
Her brows arched. “Yeah? So you live alone?”
“Yeah, in a high-rise in the city.”
“And you like that?”
He nodded. “Which is why I want to get home.” Feeling oddly uncomfortable as she studied him with those big brown eyes—in much the same manner as Mayor Walker stared at him—he grabbed his glass and drained the last of his milk.
“Hmm.”
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.” She reached for the carton of milk. “Here, have some more.” She poured then looked past his shoulders through the glass window. “It’s getting dark.”
“I should probably get going before it gets too late.” He pushed away from the table and she jumped up.
“Hang on.” She darted to the back porch area and came back with a man’s coat, a hat, and a pair of boots. “You can’t get back into your wet coat and shoes.”
“Thanks.” He walked to the door and shrugged into the heavy brown coat and boots. Another perfect fit. “I’ll send these back after I get home.” He took another look around at her cozy cottage and gave her dogs a quick pat on the head when they came rushing over like they were expecting him to take them for a walk. Their tails thumped against the cupboards excitedly. “Listen, thanks for everything.” When a log on the fire splintered and another Christmas tune came on the radio, he turned and reached for the door.
As soon as his hand curled around the knob, Josie asked, “What are you doing?”
He spun back to face her. “Going to my car.”
“Didn’t you want me to drive you?” She grabbed her coat off the back of the sofa and pulled it on.
“I figured I could walk.”
“What’s with you, City?” Why would you do that when I have a perfectly good truck sitting outside?”
“I’m not about to ask you—”
“I know you’re far away from home, so I’ll cut you some slack, but just remember, around these parts, we all help each other. All you have to do is ask.” She pulled on her boots and pushed past him. He tightened his scarf against the blowing wind and raced after her.
He climbed into the truck, and when she sat there staring at the dashboard, her lips twisted into a frown, he asked, “What?”
“It doesn’t look like you’re going anywhere.”
He leaned into her and looked at the dashboard. “What are you talking about?”
She tried to turn the key over, but nothing happened. “The truck won’t start.”
“What the hell?”
She nodded like everything made sense. “The wolf,” she said matter-of-factly. “It’s keeping you here.”
“I don’t believe in your legend, Josie. It’s probably dead because it’s freezing out and you didn’t plug in your block heater.” He looked out at the driving snow. “Besides, it’s still light enough for me to walk.” Barely, but if he hurried…
“Okay, suit yourself,” she said. Was she always so easygoing, taking everything in stride? “Be careful out there.” She jumped from the truck, and he plugged in her block heater as she turned back toward her cottage.
“Thanks again,” he yelled over the wind, and she gave him a little wave. He pulled his hat down lower over his eyes and was about to turn into the breeze when he saw Josie dart around the side of the cabin, a huge gust practically lifting her off the ground.
Where the hell was she going?
He looked at the road, then back to her cottage. He waited a moment. She didn’t reappear. Dammit. He drove his hands into his pockets and followed her tracks. He caught site of her near a woodpile, half covered by a tarp. He watched her struggle with a few heavy logs, slipping a little on the ice and getting a face full of snow. If he stopped to help her, he’d never make it to the road before dark.
Nice guys finish last, Carter.
She loaded more wood into her arms, until she couldn’t even see over the pile. Mumbling curses under his breath, he trudged toward her.
“Here, let me help.” He grabbed the top logs from her. She blinked those beautiful brown eyes at him and it felt like a fist to the gut. How could anyone be so sweet and innocent, wholesome, and sexy at the same time? She wet her mouth, licking snow from her lips, and all he could think about was leaning forward for a little taste. But the last thing he should be doing is getting wrapped up in a girl who just might want more from a guy who didn’t do emotions. He was on the fast track to making partner at his firm, and she was a complication he didn’t need in his life.
“You shouldn’t be trying to carry so much.” He tore off one glove and brushed the snow from her cheeks. “Where I come from, we call this the lazy man’s load.”
Breathing hard, she followed him inside with the two logs he’d left in her arms. “I didn’t want to have to make too many trips. It’s cold out.” She dropped the wood into the box and brushed the dirt from her small hands.
Carter put his logs on top of hers, but the box was far from being full. “Do you need much more?”
She frowned and put her hands on her hips. “I need to fill it if I want to keep the fire going until morning.”
“Fine, let’s hurry, though.”
“That’s what I was trying to do.”
They went back outside, and after a few more trips, they finally had the box full. He helped her with the tarp, then he glanced at the sky, which was now black. Shit. He looked at her and caught her grinning.
“What?”
“Do you believe me now?” she asked.
“If you’re taking about the legend, and the wolf keeping me here, then no. This is just an unfortunate set of coincidences.”
“Hmmm.”
“What?”
“I didn’t take you for the type of guy who believed in coincidences.”
4
As the morning sun climbed the mountains, Josie tiptoed around the living room, trying not to wake Carter as he slept quietly on the sofa. With his blankets half off, she caught a glimpse of his bare chest and navy blue boxers. She gifted herself with a longer look, t
aking in his strong profile, long hard body, and the hand he had on Bear’s head, like he’d fallen asleep petting him. For a guy who didn’t like dogs, he sure seemed to have bonded with hers. He might be a badass lawyer by trade, but underneath his wool coat and hard exterior, there was a softer side to him, one he went to great lengths to hide.
She looked at her big Christmas tree. Last night, she’d left the lights on, but sometime after she’d gone to bed, he must have pulled the plug. She plugged it back in then padded to her room. She rooted around inside the closet and grabbed a fresh pair of jeans and a T-shirt, thankful that Jack kept a spare set of clothes at the cottage for when they went snowmobile riding. Walking quietly back to the main room, she placed them on the table bedside Carter. When her coffee maker beeped, she darted to her kitchen and took two cups from the cupboard, leaving one on the counter for her sleeping lone wolf. After doctoring hers, she pulled on her vest and hat and called for her dogs.
They slipped out the back porch, and as Sasha and Bear took off to play in the snow, she lowered herself into her Adirondack chair and sipped coffee as the sun climbed higher in the sky. She lifted her chin, letting the long rays warm her face.
“Hey,” a sexy voice said from the doorway.
She turned to see Carter standing there, raking his fingers through his mussed hair. A burst of heat moved through her as she looked at him, reminding her she hadn’t had a boyfriend since her first year of college. Carter was right. She did spend too much time alone in the woods, and honestly, she really missed being with someone. She’d been studying hard for the last four years, but the truth was, it had been a long time since a man interested her—especially like this one did.
She let her eyes trail the length of him. Dressed in the clothes she’d laid out for him, he looked warm, relaxed, sexy, and it was pretty much all she could do to keep herself from running for the mistletoe. There was no denying that Carter Reed was drop dead gorgeous, and she wouldn’t mind getting to know him better—even though he seemed hell bent on getting out of town.
“I see you found Jack’s clothes,” she said, her breath turning to fog in the cold morning. “I knew they’d fit perfectly.”
“Yeah, thanks.” He drove his hands in his pockets. “Ah, speaking of Jack, is he going to show up here and kick my ass?”
“Why would he do that?”
“You, me, alone in the cabin. I mean if you were my girl—”
She burst out laughing. “Jack is the oldest of my three brothers, and I’m a big girl, City. Who I have for a sleepover is my business, and my family respects that.”
“So you don’t have a boyfriend?”
“No, I don’t.”
“And sleepovers? Do you have a lot of them?”
“That is my business.” She bent forward, grabbed a fist full of snow and tossed it at him. “Now grab a coffee and come on out. You’re making me miss the best part of the day.”
He disappeared inside for a moment, then came back with Jack’s coat and hat on and a steaming cup of java.
Looking sleepy, he sank into the seat beside her and scrubbed his chin. “Why are you up so early?”
She nodded toward the mountain and he followed her gaze. “I bet you don’t get this view from your high-rise.” She exhaled a happy sigh and wondered how anyone could live in the city. When she was away at college those last four years, all she wanted to do was get back to her beloved mountains. “Gorgeous, isn’t it?”
He was quiet for a long time, then he said, “Yeah…”
When she heard something in his voice, something wistful and longing, she angled her head to see him and realized he was looking at her. Her heart gave a little start when their eyes met. Carter cleared his throat and quickly shifted his focus, taking a big drink of his coffee.
“The road’s clear. Looks like you’re free to go,” she said, but since the wolf had stranded him here she had a feeling he wouldn’t be leaving until after the holidays.
“Really? When did that happen?”
“My dad and Jack did it last night. They called earlier to let me know. You must have been pretty tired. The ringer didn’t even wake you.”
“Must be all this fresh mountain air.”
“Oh,” she added, “and they towed your car back to the rental place. Dad has your bags.”
He gave her a puzzled look. “All this happened and it’s only what…” He paused and looked at his watch. “Five in the morning.”
She laughed. “That’s that way it works in small towns. We ask for help. We get help.”
“I guess I should get going then,” he said, but he continued to sit there, watching her dogs play in the distance. She looked him over and noticed that his shoulders didn’t seem quite as tense as yesterday. She liked this relaxed Carter. Liked him very much.
“What’s your hurry?”
“Tomorrow is Christmas Eve,” he said.
She nodded, thinking how she and her brothers all gathered at her folks’ place on the twenty-fourth for food, music, and laughter. “Right, and your family is probably having a big gathering and are anxious to have you home.”
“I don’t have a family,” he said quickly, too quickly. Then, as if he’d said too much, he began backtracking. “I mean. I had a lot of families over the years…” He stopped and took another drink of coffee.
“Come on.” Josie set her coffee down and jumped up.
“Where?” he asked.
Carter followed her as she rounded the corner of the cottage. “For a ride.” She stepped under the awning and pulled the cover off the snowmobile.
His mouth dropped open. “You mean to tell me this was here all along? I could have used it to get to my car.”
“Oh,” she answered. “I never thought, and of course, you didn’t ask.”
“How could I ask if I didn’t know?”
She nodded. “True.”
He stepped closer, his body crowding hers. “Maybe it’s not the wolf keeping me here, after all. Maybe there really wasn’t a log obstructing the road, and you didn’t plug your block heater in on purpose.”
She laughed and poked him in the chest. “And here you thought I was the one who should be worried about you.”
His hand closed over hers, big, warm, and strong. “So you admit you are holding me hostage, Josie?” His voice deepened. Josie swallowed as the air around them charged, became sexual.
“I not admitting to anything,” she said, sounding completely breathless as his big hand swallowed hers whole.
He dipped his head. “I’m a lawyer. I have ways of making you talk.”
“I don’t know, City. I can be pretty tight-lipped when I want to be.”
“Tight-lipped is my specialty.”
“Maybe, but I bet you’ve never come across someone as stubborn as me before.”
His blue eyes darkened. “You could be right.”
“I’m like Fort Knox.”
“I like a challenge.”
She swallowed against the dryness in her throat as their teasing banter turned sexual. She suspected Carter rarely showed this playful, flirty side of himself, and she had to admit she liked it. She liked it a lot.
“Do you now?” she asked.
“Yeah, because I’d really like to get to the bottom of why you’re holding me hostage.” He leaned closer, and his warm breath washed over her face. “What do you want from me, Josie?”
With his mouth only inches from hers, she was sure he was going to kiss her, and dammit, she really wanted him to, but her dog came running up to them, breaking the moment.
Carter stiffened and stepped back, and as she thought about how close he’d come to kissing her, it raised one very important question. What did she want from him? She’d already decided she’d like to get to know him better, but did better mean intimate? Yeah, she was pretty sure it did.
They both stood there for a second, and when Bear nudged her, nipping at the bottom of her pant legs like he always did when he wanted to play
, she said, “We’ll have to save the interrogation for later.” He continued to stand there, poker straight, staring at her. She started the snowmobile and pulled her gloves from her pockets. “Get on.”
He looked a bit hesitant. “You sure you know how to drive this thing?”
“Are you telling me you’ve never been on a snowmobile before?” He nodded. “Don’t worry, City. Tight-lipped is your specialty.” She revved the engine. “This is mine.”
Still looking a bit unsure, he hopped on behind her and slid his hands around her waist, linking them together over her stomach. A warm shiver moved through her, and it became abundantly clear how aware they were of each other and how nice it was to be held by him.
She took off toward the woods surrounding the cottage, the freshly fallen snow clinging to the branches and glistening in the sunlight. Her dogs followed, barking and darting in and out of the trees. She went a little faster, and his hands tightened on her stomach. She climbed higher up the mountain and stopped when she came to a flat area. Tapping his hand, she gestured with her head and they both looked at the gorgeous view below. Then she pointed to the lone set of wolf tracks.
“Do you think that’s your wolf?” she asked loudly over the roar of the engine.
He squeezed her waist. “I don’t have a wolf.”
Laughing, she headed back down the hill and drove to the cottage. She pulled under the awning, powered down the machine, and turned to him. “Fun, huh?”
“Yeah,” he said, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. “Except you drive like a maniac.”
“I have three older brothers, remember. I had to keep up. You can take it for a run tomorrow if you like.”
“I won’t be here tomorrow.”
“Oh right.”
“Why do you say that like you don’t believe me?”
“I believe you.” At least she believed that he believed it.
He climbed off and she followed him inside the cottage. He pulled his hat off and stood there like he didn’t know what to do next. Her heart pinched, because as he glanced around her decorated cottage, there was something very sweet about him, something very vulnerable.