Stormbound with a Tycoon

by Shawna Delacorte

  She tried to impose a sensible reality to what was happening. She nervously cleared her throat. “I work in public relations—”

  “Really?” He cocked his head and raised a questioning eyebrow.

  She frowned at him, uncertain about what he meant. “Why does that seem so difficult for you to believe?”

  Dylan shrugged in an offhand manner as if her question had no particular relevance to anything, while quickly taking stock of the situation. To say what had popped into his mind, that she had been behaving far too antagonistically for someone whose job included the need to be amiable and occasionally calm stormy waters, would serve no purpose. “I’m just a little surprised, that’s all. Justin had never mentioned what you did for a living. Go ahead with what you were saying…something about needing rules.”

  He was not happy with the hint of anxiety that tried to force its way to the surface. Up until now there had been options available, choices open to each of them about staying at the cabin or leaving. However, in the blink of an eye the situation had changed drastically. The choices had been taken away. The option of leaving no longer existed for either of them.

  Under normal circumstances being stranded in an isolated cabin with a very desirable woman would have been a pleasant interlude, but he didn’t know what to call this. It was a predicament that could not be taken lightly. It was also a situation filled with possibilities while at the same time fraught with emotional peril. He didn’t need any additional upheaval in his life, especially now…regardless of how attractive and incredibly desirable he found her.

  He reached out and lightly touched her cheek, trailed his fingers through her hair, then cupped her chin in his hand. He plumbed the depths of her blue eyes. The tightness pulled across his chest again, accompanied by a shortness of breath and a disturbingly heated rush low in his body. Everything about her excited him far more than he wanted it to…and it scared him. He withdrew his hand, forcing himself to break contact with the silky smoothness of her skin.

  “You…uh, you were saying? Something about rules?” A touch of huskiness clung to his words.

  “Saying?” Her heart pounded in her chest. Surely he must be able to hear it. “Yes…uh…rules.” The sensual warmth of his touch lingered on her senses. She reinforced her determination. She had to get her mind back on business. She took a steadying breath.

  “I work in public relations which means I spend a lot of time smiling and being gracious to people that I’d sometimes rather ignore. I’m not interested in spending what I thought was going to be my private getaway time at my own cabin by being gracious and playing hostess to a…a guest.”

  “That’s it? Those are the rules?” An amused grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, covering the wave of relief that rippled through him. He had been braced for something monumental, not something so obvious. “I certainly don’t have any problem with that. In fact, I insist that you not consider me a guest. I can entertain myself and we can split the chores.” He extended a tentative smile. “Agreed?” He held out his hand.

  She hesitated, then accepted his outstretched hand. It started as a businesslike handshake, then a second later the sensual warmth totally enveloped her. Logic screamed at her to break the physical contact and back away from him. But just as the moth was drawn to the flame, Dylan Russell’s smooth charm and sexy masculinity drew in her emotions and she felt helpless to prevent it.

  Then reality hit her when she realized she was being physically pulled toward him as well.

  The look in his eyes told her exactly what was on his mind, yet it was not a look of lust or quick sexual conquest. It was a sensual intensity that she had not been prepared for, one that left her gasping for air. A moment later the space between them disappeared and she felt her body come into contact with his. She desperately wanted to break free of his hold before it was too late, but all she could do was stand there, her body pressed against his, and look up into the mesmerizing magic of his eyes.

  What if he tried to kiss her? She honestly didn’t know if she had the ability to stop him. She wasn’t all that sure she had the desire to stop him, either. She made a feeble attempt at putting an end to the emotionally charged moment crackling between them. Her words came out as a mere whisper.

  “Food…we haven’t eaten anything all day…we, uh—”

  “You’re right.” Two words was all he could manage without giving away too much of what was going on inside him. He hadn’t meant to do it, to pull her body against his. Once he had clasped her hand it all seemed to happen of its own volition. He felt her breathing and also felt her tremble. She heated up his desires in a way no other woman ever had. But was this really the time or the place? He didn’t have a clue about what to do. He had never before been so uncertain about how to proceed with a woman.

  She felt warm, soft and inviting. She was also a four-alarm explosion warning him of sure danger if he didn’t let go of her that instant. He released her hand from his grasp and stepped back. He managed to get out some words, not really fully conscious of exactly what he was saying.

  “I brought some food with me, but only enough for a couple of days. I noticed you had a supply of canned and packaged foods that don’t require refrigeration…” His voice trailed off as he continued to gaze into her eyes. The uncomfortable tightness spread across his chest, once again affecting his breathing. He reached out and brushed his fingertips lightly across her cheek. He had never wanted to kiss anyone as much as he wanted to kiss her at that moment.

  The sensual electricity and sexual tension crackled through the air, the atmosphere inside the cabin more charged than the storm outside. He had never met anyone like her. The harder he tried to be charming, the more she resisted his efforts. There was an honesty about her that touched the depths of his soul. She made no effort to be anything other than who and what she was. He found it such a refreshing change of pace from the type of women he had been with in the past.

  A touch of melancholy attached itself to his thoughts. Perhaps his judgment of women wasn’t all that good. He’d been totally taken in by his ex-fiancée, believed her to be someone she wasn’t and ended up paying a huge emotional price for his lack of judgment. He had vowed never again to let his guard down where women were concerned. So what was he doing now? He took another step back, putting some much-needed space between himself and Jessica.

  “Lunch…” It was as much a question as a statement, but either way he didn’t finish it.

  Jessica fought to catch her breath and calm her racing pulse. She had never been so confused about a man in her life. Even with the series of minor catastrophes that had taken up the morning, she could certainly see where his presence would be a temptation to most women. Most women, of course, couldn’t possibly include her. Her crush had been that of an impressionable teenager on an older college man. It had nothing to do with here and now.

  She was far too sensible and mature to become involved with the likes of Dylan Russell no matter how charming, sexy and handsome he was. At least that’s what she kept telling herself. But every time that sexy smile lit up his handsome face and the devilish twinkle came into his eyes, she felt herself being drawn closer and closer to what she knew would be the worst thing she could possibly do…and probably the most exciting time of her life.

  Dylan directed his outward efforts to the concerns of the moment. “I brought a few fresh food items, primarily some breakfast things for this morning, plus some canned goods. I put the eggs and butter in the refrigerator when I arrived yesterday evening. Of course, that was before the power went out. The refrigerator door hasn’t been opened since then, so I imagine there’s still enough cold in there that they’re okay.”

  She furrowed her brow into a slight frown. “Did you bring any fresh meat, chicken or fish? Or any frozen items? The stuff you mentioned should be okay, but the other is a different problem.”

  “I had planned to go to the market this morning after checking to see what was here.” He gl
anced out the window at the steady downpour. “Obviously a plan that didn’t work out.”

  “I’ll make some more coffee.”

  “And I’ll fix some eggs.” He started toward the refrigerator then glanced back at her. “Is scrambled okay with you?”

  Jessica settled into the corner of the living room couch with her book, leaving Dylan to his own devices.

  He brought in more firewood from the porch and set about making another stab at building a fire in the fireplace. Keeping physically busy would help the time pass, but it did nothing to ease his thoughts or help with his inner turmoil. This wasn’t what he had bargained for when he arrived at the cabin. He had not been prepared for anyone else to be there, let alone the very disconcerting presence of Jessica McGuire. He had decisions to make with too much riding on the outcome—a new direction for the future and possibly his entire life. He had already put some thoughts together, but it was a long way from being a solid plan.

  He watched the fire until he was satisfied that the flue was cleared out enough so the smoke wouldn’t back up into the room again. Then the restlessness settled over him. He wandered around the cabin, making a closer inspection of the items in the living room and dining room. He went back to the kitchen and poured a mug of fresh coffee, then carried it toward the stairs. He had told Jessica that the cabin was large enough for two people. Maybe if he put some of that distance between himself and this fascinating woman he’d be able to concentrate.

  Nervous energy ran rampant through his body. He paused at the bottom step and stared at her for a moment, his gaze lingering on the way she curled into the corner of the couch. He shoved down the rush of excitement that told him exactly how he would like to work off that excess energy. He sucked in a calming breath, turned and continued up the stairs.

  He stood just inside the sliding door to the deck, watching as the rain pelted against the glass. He tried to concentrate his thoughts toward his current problems—what specific goals he wanted to accomplish, what changes he needed to make in order to accomplish those goals, how to put those changes into effect. He paced up and down in front of the glass door, turning several things over in his mind before finally retreating to Justin’s bedroom. He stretched out on the bed, stared up at the ceiling and listened to the rain.

  It was no use. He couldn’t relax…he couldn’t think. He was soon up and pacing the floor again—past Jessica’s bedroom to the door leading to the deck, back to Justin’s bedroom, then toward the deck again. And all the while his thoughts centered more on Jessica than on formulating his plans for the future. He shook his head. She had him so wrapped up in confusion that he couldn’t focus on anything else.

  After half an hour of pacing and mentally kicking himself, he went back downstairs. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he tended to the fire. She was exactly where she had been when he went upstairs, still curled up in the corner of the couch reading her book. He envied the way she was able to block out everything and concentrate on reading. He stoked the burning logs and placed another one on the fire.

  He wandered across the room, paused by the front door to look out the window, then continued on to the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee, then stood at the kitchen door watching Jessica again. He had brought more with him than just a minimal amount of food supplies. He had also brought some bottles of wine. Perhaps a glass of wine as a peace offering to ease some of the awkward tension that had persisted through the morning?

  A glass of wine, the sound of the rain on the roof, a beautiful woman snuggled next to him in front of a cozy fire…it was a real life scene he had played hundreds of times, but never with someone like Jessica McGuire. He looked away as he tried to fight off the growing desires coursing through his body. He wandered over to the fireplace again, then finally settled down on the bottom step of the stairs leading up to the loft. He sipped his coffee, but five minutes later he was back on his feet.

  He reminded Jessica of a caged animal—restless, pacing the floor, upstairs then downstairs, in the kitchen then back in the living room, unable to sit still for more than a few minutes at a time. She had been trying to concentrate on her book, but had read the same page three times and still didn’t know what it said. She finally gave up and set the book aside. Trying to concentrate on anything with Dylan in the room was next to impossible. It was more than his tantalizing allure and the way he sent flutters of excitement coursing through her veins that she found distracting.

  A wave of disgust swept through her. This was her cabin. She refused to be relegated to the confines of her bedroom in order to read a book. He said he would entertain himself and she wouldn’t even know he was there. Well, so far he had been a dismal failure at both. He didn’t seem to be making any attempt to entertain himself, and there was no way she could ignore his presence…regardless of how much she tried.

  She watched him for a couple of minutes before it dawned on her that he seemed more preoccupied than merely restless. Her mind turned to Dylan Russell the man rather than Dylan Russell the distraction. Why would someone like him want to be in such solitary circumstances? A man who had turned partying into an art form was not the type who would want to be alone. Quite the contrary. That type usually needed to be surrounded by other people so that they wouldn’t be alone. Yet there he was. He had refused to leave, refused to consider her option of checking into the lodge…when it had still been an option.

  It was a strange situation, one she didn’t understand, but the more she watched him the more she wanted to know. It had gone beyond her fascination with a sexy, desirable man. He had become an enigma. There was something very real going on inside him and she wanted to be able to understand it.

  He opened the cabin door and wandered out to the porch. She watched him through the window. He appeared temporarily content to stand there, staring at the rain and sipping his coffee. She rose from the couch and joined him, eliciting nothing more than a quick glance acknowledging her presence.

  “You seem very restless and preoccupied with something. I suspected the isolation here would not be to your liking. I don’t understand why you thought this would be the type of place you would be comfortable with. Even if the power was on, there isn’t even a television or VCR. Justin and I agreed that we wanted to use the cabin as a true getaway.”

  “That’s exactly why I wanted to use it, too…it’s a true getaway.”

  She waited, hoping he would offer more information, but he continued to stare out at the rain. “But you seem so restless—”

  He jerked around and glared at her. “I wanted to do some hiking, all right?” He hadn’t meant to snap out the words like that, cutting her off in midsentence, but his restlessness and inability to concentrate had made him irritable. He glanced at the serious expression on her face and managed a weak smile as he tried to make light of the situation. “Being in the woods, communing with nature…that kind of thing.”

  “You certainly could have done all the hiking you wanted from the lodge.”

  He ignored her comment, choosing instead to look up at the stormy sky. “Does it seem like it’s letting up a little bit? Maybe we’ll be able to see some sun before the day is over.”

  He knew exactly where she was going with the conversation, wanting to know why he wanted to be at the cabin and had refused to leave, and he didn’t want to tread that path again. It was something he hadn’t clearly figured out for himself yet and certainly a topic he was not prepared to discuss with anyone else. It was all too personal and came from a place of vulnerability that he didn’t want anyone to see. Then he thought of Rose and Stanley Clarkson again. The guilt over what had happened welled inside him, quickly accompanied by his fear over the direction his life was headed if he didn’t make some drastic changes. Yes, he had lots of things to work out, and running through it all, clouding his thinking, was something he hadn’t planned on…the very real distraction of an intriguing woman who literally took his breath away and made his blood race.


  Jessica glanced up at the stormy sky. “I don’t think so. We’ll be lucky if the rain lets up before morning. Sunshine is an entirely different topic.”

  She watched him a moment longer as he stared ahead blankly, not acknowledging her comments. She carefully measured her words, wanting to know yet not wanting to antagonize him with her prying. “I still don’t understand why you insisted on staying here rather than at the lodge.”

  He turned his gaze on her, sending a little shiver of anxiety through her body. She wasn’t sure what to make of his expression. It was as if he had chosen to no longer accommodate anything other than his own thoughts and concerns. A new level of uncertainty rose inside her, but she refused to allow it to deter her from her goal of finding out why Dylan Russell had shown up out of the clear blue to invade her personal sanctuary.

  “There isn’t anything here that wouldn’t be more comfortable and convenient for you if you were at the lodge.” She looked at him questioningly, waiting for a reply.

  Something flashed through his eyes but it disappeared before she could read it. Could it have been anger? She shifted her weight uncomfortably under the scrutiny of his unrelenting stare. Had she pushed him too far? A hint of trepidation shivered through her body.

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t believe my reasons are really any of your business.” Dylan turned his gaze away from her, once again seemingly staring out at nothing in particular. “Besides, since neither of us can leave it’s a moot point.”

  Jessica bristled at his attitude. “Quite the contrary…I believe your having climbed into my bed makes it very much my business.”

  Four