Baby It's Cold Outside

by Yardley, Cathy

  Emily fidgeted. “It was supposed to be the one night, nothing more.”

  “So what? Tell me that’s not the only thing that’s stopping you.”

  “And there was the Joy thing—her inviting him up to her room.”

  “Did he say yes?” Sue asked, eyes narrowed to slits.

  “Well…no.” Emily sighed. “But he wouldn’t say yes right in front of me, would he?”

  “Not if he knows what’s good for him,” Sue muttered darkly. “So why don’t you ask him what he’s going to do?”

  “I don’t want to put him on the spot,” Emily said.

  “Did he say he wanted to stay with you?”

  Emily remembered that morning when she’d tried to turn him away—the look in his eyes, the subtle, sensual brush of his fingertips. “Well, yes.”

  “So there you are,” Sue stated matter-of-factly. “He wants you.”

  “But Mr. Albee saw us and I think he made some assumptions.”

  “Evelyn’s husband?” Sue let out a low whistle. “Oh. I guess you’ll be hearing about that one.”

  “And Colin’s family was at breakfast—and then they jumped all over the Joy thing.”

  “Oh.” Sue sat quiet for a minute.

  “So what do you think?” Emily asked, chewing on her lip. “Is it okay if I stay here? I just don’t want to deal with him.”

  “I love you like a sister, you know that,” Sue said warmly.

  “Thanks,” Emily said, feeling grateful.

  “That’s why I’m not letting you stay here.”

  “Wait!” Emily said, the grateful feeling evaporating. “What?”

  “You’re copping out. The guy asked to stay with you, you said yes. Somebody else hit on him, but he didn’t take her up on it. So that means he still wants you,” Sue pointed out. “And I’m guessing you still want him. Am I wrong?”

  Emily slowly shook her head.

  “So after the town meeting, go home, find the guy and enjoy yourself,” Sue ordered in a tone that brooked no discussion.

  “But what about the gossip?”

  “Screw the gossip,” she said. “There’s always gossip. You should be flattered to be considered a hot topic for a change.”

  Emily paused a moment, stunned. Then giggled.

  “I didn’t think about it that way,” she said, feeling tickled.

  “I know. Emily Stanfield, town pillar, yada yada.”

  The feeling of amusement ebbed. A dim echo of her father’s voice reverberated in her mind.

  A Stanfield never does anything to cause unflattering discussion.

  “Yeah,” Emily agreed, feeling bitter. “Town pillar. That’s me.”

  Sue could obviously tell she was still worried. She squeezed her shoulders.

  “Really—don’t worry about it. They might speculate a little, but you’ve done nothing to give them anything to really talk about.”

  “And I’m trying to keep it that way,” Emily pointed out.

  “Em, it’s going to be cold damned comfort to have on your tombstone ‘She never gave anybody anything to gossip about.’ Now head home and boink Colin’s brains out.”

  Emily laughed ruefully. “I have to go to the town meeting. Then I’ll decide what to do about Colin.”

  Sue rolled her eyes. “Okay. It’s your life. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

  Emily hugged her. “Still think I should date Tim?”

  “Why not?” Sue asked, surprising her. “Colin’s a fling. Tim’s a keeper.”

  “Right,” Emily said, feeling her stomach drop.

  “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a fling, though,” Sue said. “It spices things up before you settle down. In fact, in your case, I strongly recommend a fling.”

  “Right,” Emily repeated, and got her coat to head out to the town meeting.

  Colin wasn’t a keeper. He was a fling. And she could get one more night out of him, so she might as well enjoy herself.

  But she’d already mooned about him all day, and then she was genuinely upset by the idea that she wasn’t his type. So what was she going to do if she saw him again? She felt as if she were starting to get addicted. Maybe it’d be better to quit cold turkey.

  Emily set her jaw resolutely, driving to the town hall. That was it. He’d probably leave in the next day or two. She’d just avoid him and things would work out fine. She’d barricade herself in the bathroom if she had to, but she wasn’t going to get back into bed with Colin Reese, even if they did wind up sharing a room.

  It was, as Sue said, cold comfort. But it was probably the smart way to go.

  * * *

  Mayor Tim stood behind the dark cherrywood podium that had been in the town hall almost as long as the town itself had been in existence. He pounded the gavel, bringing the unruly crowd to order.

  “It’s nice to see so many of you here for this emergency meeting, especially considering the fact that snow is still falling,” he said solemnly, the microphone crackling only slightly. “We’ve got a lot to discuss, but I promise I won’t keep you here long.”

  Emily heard Sue snicker softly. There were perhaps sixty people in the auditorium, a small house by normal town meeting standards, but seeing that the “usual suspects” were present, there was no way that the meeting would be less than two hours, impromptu or not. The people who’d braved the weather were die-hard Tall Pines citizens.

  Herself included, she realized with a frown.

  “Why don’t I start off with concerns from the floor?” Tim said, shuffling a few papers and readying a pen.

  There was a cacophony of volunteers. Emily glanced at her watch. Make that three hours.

  Suddenly the chaos fell silent as the door to the auditorium opened with a loud, ominous creak. Like everyone else, she glanced over, curious to see who the latecomer was.

  Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she recognized Colin Reese, looking cold, irritated and obviously on a mission. He scanned the crowd, who were all staring at him.

  “Evening.” He spoke casually, as if he’d attended these meetings all his life.

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  “No problem,” Tim said graciously. “Have a seat anywhere.”

  Ignoring Ava and Harry Reese’s waving hands, he continued looking, his eyes finally lighting on Emily. Her heart caught in her throat.

  “Look who’s here,” Sue whispered in a low singsong.

  “Hush,” Emily said, snapping her eyes forward. Still, she couldn’t help but feel the rush of blood in her veins.

  He hated Tall Pines events, especially the free-for-all discussion and endless opining of the theatrical town meetings. He’d probably rather be tossed into a snowbank naked than show up here tonight. But he was here—and he was, from the looks of it, searching for her.

  Since Emily had sat toward the back of the auditorium, it didn’t look odd for him to sit just behind them. Sue shot him a quick, mischievous smile before snuggling up against her husband in the adjoining chair. Emily tried hard not to turn and look at Colin.

  He leaned forward, his voice only barely audible. “I wanted to talk to you,” he said.

  She shook her head. “This isn’t a good place,” she murmured back, still not turning.

  “I know,” he said. “But you kept hiding out. I figured you’d be here and I thought I’d come to you.”

  She felt the telltale blush heat her cheeks. She had been hiding. But the way he put it made her seem so cowardly.

  Damn it. It wasn’t as if she had sex all the time so she could be cavalier about these things—no matter how she’d made it sound before she’d slept with him.

  You’re being silly.

  “So you tell me when and where,” he whispered, “and we’ll…talk.”

  With that, he fell silent.

  She felt the burning intensity of his gaze on the back of her head throughout the next hour as the town discussed the state of the roads, the blizzard, the people stranded here in town,
the possible repercussions for the Otter Lodge gift exchange and, most importantly, the annual Holiday Ball. They pondered the problems as seriously as if the world’s fate hung on each decision.

  As far as Emily was concerned, the conversations sounded like a buzzing monotone. She found it impossible to focus on anything but the presence of the man sitting behind her.

  After an hour and a half, Mayor Tim suggested a break for coffee and the delicious snacks provided by Mrs. Albee, which everyone dived for gratefully.

  Emily looked at Sue. “I’m going to the ladies’ room,” she said, more to escape than anything. She exchanged pleasantries without thinking as she threaded through the crowd, making her way to the door that led to the hallway.

  She didn’t have to look behind her to know that Colin was there, following her, just far enough away not to draw attention.

  Once she got out in the hallway, the chill of the air was a welcome relief compared to the heat of all the bodies in the auditorium. The sound of her heels clacking against the old wood floors echoed in the empty air. She headed down the hallway, away from the restrooms, toward the offices.

  Within minutes, Colin emerged, looking up and down the hallway. She motioned to him silently and he followed.

  She’d been coming to the town hall since she was five years old, when her uncle was mayor. She knew every room in the place. Glancing around to ensure they weren’t seen, Emily opened a door marked Boiler Room and took him down a narrow flight of stairs. The door shut behind them.

  “This is new,” he said when they reached the bottom of the stairs. The room was warm, thanks to the furnace, and was strewn with various cleaning equipment, old cast-off furniture and bric-a-brac. “Do you come here often?”

  She shrugged. “I wanted to talk to you and I didn’t want anyone else to hear,” she explained. “First off, you’re right. I was hiding today.”

  “I know.”

  She rubbed her arms as if cold. This was so hard. “I don’t sleep with people often,” she said. “And this has gotten a little more complicated than I expected.”

  He sighed, leaning against the cinder block wall. “I tried to warn you,” he said. “Before we did anything. I wasn’t sure if you knew what you were getting into.”

  “I knew what I was getting into…if it was only the one night,” Emily countered.

  “Then you showed up again, and suddenly it wasn’t quite so simple.”

  “Are you sorry we did it?”

  His voice was casual, deceptively so. But his green eyes blazed like emeralds in firelight.

  She couldn’t help it. She touched his face with her hand, stroking the harsh planes of his cheek. “Of course not,” she said, and her sincerity rang in her voice.

  He let out a breath, and she watched his body relax almost imperceptibly.

  “But I wasn’t expecting to feel this much,” she admitted, and her voice sounded small.

  He smiled then, and this time Colin was the one offering comfort. He took her into his arms, wrapping her in his embrace. She felt herself ease against him, enjoying the way his hands stroked down her back.

  It felt wonderful. Beyond wonderful.

  Soon, though, her body started remembering the night before, and the gentle, reassuring feel of him started to turn to something beyond mere comfort. He leaned his head down, tilting her head with a gentle nudge of his fingertips.

  Then he kissed her, softly at first, then with growing insistence.

  She moaned against his mouth, feeling heat explode through her that had nothing to do with the furnace. Hunger tore at her, surprising her. Her hands slipped beneath his jacket, rubbing against his sweater impatiently. Then, without thinking, she sneaked beneath the waistband of his sweater and felt the hot flesh of his chest beneath her fingertips. He acknowledged her action with a sharp, pleased intake of breath.

  He slipped off her jacket, letting it fall to the floor, and he opened the buttons of her blouse, just a few, until her lacy bra was revealed.

  Emily knew it was foolish—there was a town meeting going on mere feet away, right up the stairs.

  But nobody knows you’re here, some wicked part of her mind reassured her, and then all thoughts ceased when Colin leaned down and took her nipple in his mouth, licking it through the lace. She gasped, arching her back to allow him better access. She felt as if she were on fire.

  “I’ve been thinking of you all day,” he said, his words burning against her skin. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  “I can’t stop thinking about you, either,” she murmured, forcing his jacket off and rubbing the broad expanse of his shoulders. “You’re amazing.”

  He grinned wolfishly. “I’m staying with you tonight,” he said, pausing to see if she’d say no.

  She thought about it. This was an opportunity she’d never get again…and one she’d dreamed of. Still, one thing needed to be clear.

  “So you’re not staying with Joy?” she heard herself ask and winced.

  Colin looked puzzled for a second, then chuckled. “You weren’t jealous of that lady, were you?”

  She bit her lip. “I don’t know. This is all new to me.” She frowned at his obvious amusement. “And apparently she is your type.”

  He pressed a kiss against her neck, causing her heartbeat to race. “You’re my type. You’re perfect. Believe me—all I want is you.”

  She thrilled at the sound of his longing, and she held him tight, rubbing her body against his shamelessly.

  “Why, Miss Stanfield,” he said, easing off her blouse. “I never would have guessed you’d be necking with that Reese boy in the town hall.”

  She felt wicked…and powerful. “That’s not all I’m going to be doing,” she said, producing a condom from her purse.

  He blinked at her, and she laughed to find he was finally shocked. “Here?” he croaked.

  She didn’t say anything. Instead she unbuttoned her pants, inching the waistband down. “Unless you don’t want me.”

  His eyes gleamed. Then he kissed her, hard, and she felt herself go damp between her legs. She’d never done anything so wanton, or reckless. And, honestly, she’d never done anything that felt so deliriously decadent.

  He slipped a hand down her panties, his fingers sliding into her already slick opening, and she whimpered with pleasure.

  “I want you,” he whispered roughly, unbuttoning his pants and tugging them down.

  “Seems like I’ve always wanted you.”

  Emily knew how he felt. She let her pants and panties drop to the floor, standing there naked in front of him. “Then have me.”

  Colin groaned as she rolled the condom on his rock-hard erection and then leaned against the wall. He pressed against her, picking her up with his strong arms and hooking her legs around his waist. He entered her quickly, and she leaned her head against his shoulder, reveling in the feel of him filling her.

  Fulfilling her.

  “Emily,” he moaned, drawing back, then returning, slowly drawing the hard line of his shaft against her clit with deliberate motions.

  She made soft sounds of excitement, surprising herself. This was crazy, she thought briefly.

  This was incredible.

  She locked her legs around his waist, pushing him in deeper, and he started to increase in tempo. She felt the climax roar through her, shocking her with its swiftness and intensity. Emily cried out, and he quickly covered her mouth with his, swallowing her sounds of ecstasy. Shortly thereafter, she did the same as he groaned his pleasure against her, shuddering into her.

  Long moments later, he was breathing hard against her neck. Clarity hit her in a wave.

  “I can’t believe this. We had sex in the town hall,” she marveled, feeling a mix of embarrassment and abandon.

  “And just think,” he said, kissing her, “nobody up there will know.”

  She closed her eyes. “You bring out the strangest things in me,” she admitted softly.

  “Run along to the me
eting,” he told her. “I’m going back to the inn. I’ll be waiting for you.”

  That sentence was a promise. They straightened out their clothes and crept upstairs. Emily could hear Tim trying futilely to get the group back to order.

  No one saw them leave the boiler room, and Colin shot her one last heated glance before leaving the building. She headed for the auditorium, checked her clothes one more time and went in, wondering if the truth of what had just happened would somehow be stamped on her like an invisible beacon.

  To her surprise, some part of her did not care.

  “All right, back to business,” Tim said forcefully, and the crowd sat down, going quiet.

  Sue stared at her quizzically. “Where were you?”

  Emily didn’t say anything, smiling silently. Through the rest of the town meeting she drifted in a dreamy state, letting the sensual anticipation build…knowing that, whatever else happened, she had at least one more unforgettable night ahead of her.

  Chapter 5

  Colin stood nervously in the middle of Emily’s living room. He wasn’t sure why he was nervous—after all, he’d already had sex with Emily multiple times in the past twenty-four hours. Once in a public place, he thought with a surprised grin. He ought to be relaxed about all of it.

  Hell, he ought to be exhausted. But somehow his body kept springing to attention at the mere thought of her.

  What is going on here? It was a question his conscience was raising more and more steadily during his extended stay in Tall Pines in general, and around Emily specifically. He still had a bizarre love-hate relationship with the town: it was adorable, picturesque and still managed to push every one of his buttons. Beyond that, despite the relative brevity of his relationships, he really wasn’t all that fond of one-night flings, either.

  So why her? And why here? Colin shook his head. He didn’t have any answers, and that worried him.

  Instead of brooding, he busied himself readying the apartment for her. They’d left the place a mess after their romp last night—the sheets tangled in a sweaty knot on the bed, the thick down comforter on the floor, food left out on the countertop, empty champagne glasses on the coffee table. He laid a fire in the fireplace, warming the place and giving it the cozy, homey atmosphere he’d soaked up his first night there. He tidied up the kitchen and bedroom, washing the dishes, changing the sheets and turning down the bed. As a joke, he even put small foil-wrapped chocolates on the pillows. It was a hotel, after all. Then he considered how he should get himself ready.