It was so unlike her to have this kind of reaction to a man, especially since she’d never met him before, hadn’t even heard him speak a word. He could be a total idiot or one of those men who thought that women were only around for their pleasure. She’d met a few of both in her life; they were plentiful in these mountains.
Lost in her thoughts, she walked into the store, not realizing that it was still full of people. She only made it a few steps inside before the sound of conversation caught her attention and she looked up, but it was too late. A man backing away from the sweets counter bumped into her, throwing her off balance. She reached out and caught his arm, but he was off balance too, and soon they were careening around the store, trying not to fall.
But eventually gravity got the better of them, and they tumbled to the floor in a heap, legs entwined, the man lying on top of her. Horrified, Natalie struggled to get out from under him but stopped when she heard him groan.
“You’d better stop that and quick, or this is going to be even more embarrassing,” the man whispered in her ear, sending a tingle down her spine.
“It would help if you got off me,” she hissed at him, finally looking up at him.
It felt like her heart stopped for a second, and she couldn’t seem to take a full breath when she saw the man from the porch looking down at her. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as a wave of desire washed over her, making her nipples stiffen and pleasure wash over her.
Flustered beyond rational thought, she pushed against him and said, “Get off me.”
When he finally let her up, it took her a second to find her feet and only another second to realize that half the town had just watched what happened. Cheeks flaming, she headed for the stairs and the safety of the apartment.
***Dillion***
Dillion couldn’t think of a better ending to what had been one of the most confusing days of his life. First, he’d shown up in town completely confused by what he found in what he remembered to be a sleepy little town.
Then when he’d been sitting on the porch with Millie while she’d explained, he’d been overcome with desire at the sight of a woman walking down the street. It had been such a powerful feeling that it had taken him a long time to get the feeling under control, long enough that Millie had noticed.
She waved to the woman, then looked at him intently. “That’s Natalie Rayburn; she’s David’s sister. You might remember him from the summers you spent here,” she said, a strange smile on her face.
Dillion had the urge to pretend that he hadn’t been looking at Natalie but knew that Millie wouldn’t fall for it. “I do remember David, but not his sister,” he finally said, when she was out of sight.
“Well, she’s quite a few years younger than David, so that doesn’t surprise me,” Millie said, then went back to explaining about what they were doing in Gypsum Creek and what she wanted his role to be.
When he left the porch to look around town, he wasn’t as sure as he’d been before that this was where he should be. Gypsum Creek was different than he expected, full of people, and that was the last thing he wanted, was, in fact, what he’d been planning to avoid.
If he wanted to hide for a while, this might not be the place to do it, he thought, feeling a huge wave of disappointment wash over him. He’d come here expecting to find his Uncle George; instead, he discovered that the man he’d idolized for years had been on the wrong side of the law all along.
Confused and wondering if he should just go back to his truck and drive away, he wandered to the end of town where the band was playing. He stepped into the huge tent, feeling the music pumping deep inside him, he wound his way through the crowd until he could see the dance floor.
He was just beginning to relax when Natalie Rayburn came spinning around the dance floor not five feet from him. She was laughing and smiling at her partner, who looked like he was ready to devour her, and a wave of jealousy washed over him.
The next time she came spinning by, she was with a different partner, and the jealousy flared again. He had the urge to step out and take her in his arms, but he resisted, watching instead as she whirled around the room with one partner after another.
When he’d taken all he could, he turned, pushing his way back through the crowd and stepped back outside. He took a couple of deep breaths and started up the street, knowing deep down that he wasn’t going anywhere, that he was going to stay in Gypsum Creek.
Chapter Three
***Natalie***
When Natalie came down the stairs the next morning, her brother was standing in the spot where she’d fallen the night before, staring at the floor. Her heart sank; she’d really hoped that it wouldn’t become fodder for gossip, but clearly her brother had already heard.
Knowing it was better to get the teasing over with rather than letting it build, she walked over and asked, “What are you doing?”
David looked over at her, then back down at the floor. “I’m checking to see if there’s any damage to the floor,” he said, a big grin on his face. “I heard there was a little accident in here last night.”
“Ha, ha,” Natalie faked laughed, “very funny. I lost my balance, okay.”
“Yep, that’s what I heard. You lost your balance and took someone down with you,” David said, an even bigger grin on his face. “I also heard it got a little cozy.”
Natalie felt her cheeks pinken at the memory. “It wasn’t that big of a deal,” she said, and stomped off. “I wish you gossips would find someone else to pick on.”
She could hear David laughing as she headed for the sweets counter, thinking that today she’d treat herself to one of the gooey pastries and a strong cup of coffee. When the crowds came rushing in, she was ready, and for the next few hours, she thought of nothing but the customers she was serving.
It was just after lunch when she finally left the store, but the display cases were empty, and the crowds had moved on to the entertainment down the street. Exhausted, she headed straight upstairs to her room, glad that this was her last shift in the store. As much fun as it had been, it was a lot of work.
When she got to her room, she thought about eating something, knowing that it would be a long time before dinner. But exhaustion won out; she shucked off her shoes, climbed into bed and fell asleep almost instantly.
She woke hours later, her stomach growling, and jumped out of bed, panicked. When she saw that it was late afternoon, she stopped panicking; there was still lots of time to not only get something to eat, but to get ready for the dance.
Everyone in town had been looking forward to the dance that night; it was the biggest part of the celebration. Natalie was just as excited; it was a chance to get all dressed up and show off a little. She knew that it was shallow, that she shouldn’t be so hung up on how people looked or dressed, but there were so few chances to be glamorous in Gypsum Creek.
Unable to help herself, she crossed over to the closet and opened it. She pulled out her dress, hung it on a hook and stood back to look at it. The dress was probably way too revealing, would probably make people talk and the men drive her crazy, but for just one night she wanted to feel glamorous and sophisticated.
Besides, she thought with a grin, it would get people to stop talking about her fall in the store, which was far more embarrassing. Sighing, because the stranger was back in her thoughts again, she put the dress back and went in search of something to eat.
***Dillion***
Dillion zipped his tent closed and stood up, looking around his campsite, satisfied with what he’d done to make himself comfortable. When he’d told Millie this morning that he was going to take the job renovating her old house, she’d offered him the room he was staying in for his entire stay.
But he’d turned her down; the last thing he wanted to do was sleep in the mess they’d be creating during the renovation. So, he’d joined the rest of the construction crew and moved over to the new campground a few miles from town. It was a nice little place, with plenty
of space between the campsites, and a bathroom and shower house.
He’d be perfectly comfortable there for the time he’d be in Gypsum Creek; in fact, he was beginning to think it was exactly what he needed. It had taken him most of the day and a trip over to Marshall to pick up a few more supplies, but he had a nice little home set up.
It was late afternoon, and the campground was quiet, so he sat down and let the silence fill him. But it wasn’t long before he found himself getting restless; sitting quietly had never been his strong suit, and he knew he’d have to find something to do and soon.
He’d been trying to keep Natalie Rayburn out of his mind, but his reaction to her in the store the night before had shocked and surprised him. Even a day later, his body could remember the feeling of hers under him, and a flash of desire washed over him.
It was impossible to deny that he wanted to see her again, wanted to be one of those men spinning her around the dance floor and making her laugh. But that was a terrible idea; the last thing he needed right now was to become romantically involved with anyone, let alone a beauty like Natalie.
Romance was an indulgence he couldn’t afford, not with the specter of his father hanging over his shoulder, not with the constant threat of his life being destroyed. He just wasn’t willing to involve someone else in his problems, especially someone he cared about, someone his father could use against him.
But he couldn’t stop thinking about Natalie, knew that she’d be at the big dance everyone was talking about. He’d promised himself that he’d stay as far away from her as he could, but as the sun began to set, he found that it might be a difficult promise to keep.
Pacing around the campsite, he kept going over all the reasons it was a bad idea to go to town, but none of them could stop the feeling deep inside him that he needed to go. Finally, he went to his tent and changed into nicer clothes, and headed for town, deciding that he’d follow his instincts and ignore what his intellect was telling him.
When he walked into the dance, he was surprised to see how dressed up everyone was, but then realized that there were few chances for this kind of celebration on the mountain. The women were dressed in gowns, the men in suits and ties, and for a second, he felt like he was somewhere else besides Gypsum Creek.
But then the band started playing an old country favorite, and the feeling vanished. He found a quiet corner and stood back to watch, not ready yet to interact with the throng of people inside the tent. He knew that the time would come when he’d be recognized by some of his boyhood friends, but for now, he liked being the stranger in the room.
There was no sign of Natalie, and he wondered if she’d changed her mind about coming, but then a hush fell over the crowd, and all eyes turned to the door. A wave of desire washed over him when he saw her standing in the doorway in a deep blue dress that hugged every curve of her body and left little to the imagination.
She flashed the crowd a huge smile, then headed straight for the dance floor, where a willing partner seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Dillion could only stare as she began to dance, his heart pounding in his chest, his body throbbing with desire. Natalie was easily the most beautiful woman in the room, and he could tell that she knew it.
He watched from the corner as she danced with one man after another, laughing and smiling the entire time. Jealousy began to build deep inside him, a feeling so powerful, he was sure that if he didn’t get it under control, he was going to do something stupid.
When the band took a short break, he breathed a sigh of relief and ducked outside for some fresh air. The intelligent thing to do would have been to go home, to walk away from all the powerful feelings Natalie seemed to be causing.
But when the band started up again, he was back inside, standing in the corner scowling as he watched Natalie dance. After only a few minutes, he left the corner and went in search of something to drink, thinking it would take his mind off the woman who was driving him crazy.
He was standing at the refreshment table, a cup of fruit punch in his hand, wishing that there was something a bit stronger than juice in the punch, when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. When he turned around, it took him a second to recognize the man grinning at him.
“I heard you were in town but didn’t believe it,” David said, still grinning at him.
Dillion grinned back and held out his hand. “It’s been a while, but I’d know that grin anywhere,” he said, glad to see his old friend.
“Millie told me you were here in town, but I haven’t been able to catch up with you,” David said, easing them away from the table and into a back corner.
“I’m not surprised; it’s been a little crazy around here,” Dillion said.
“Yeah, I guess it must have been quite a shock when you came into town and found all this going on,” David said. “I’m sorry about George; I would never have imagined that he of all people would get involved with moonshiners.”
“It was a bit of a shock, but I’m glad that you and Jessie got control of the store and it looks like things are going well around here,” Dillion said, still not sure how he felt about his uncle now that he knew the truth.
“So far, so good,” David said, “but we still have a long way to go. Which brings me to the next thing I wanted to talk to you about: Millie’s house.”
Dillion nodded. “You know, she called me a few months back and begged me to come and help with her house, but I couldn’t get away.”
David studied him for a second, then said, “Don’t take this the wrong way but I’m surprised to find out that you’re not working for your dad. What are you doing restoring houses?”
Dillion shrugged. “My father and I had a difference of opinion. I took off after I turned eighteen and I’ve been on my own ever since.”
David thought about that for a second, then asked, “And you’ve been renovating houses all that time?”
“Pretty much, although I’ve only had my own business for the last four years. If you’re worried that I don’t know what I’m doing, I’ve got a portfolio and some references you can call,” Dillion said, feeling like he was at a job interview.
David laughed. “That’s not what I was worried about; besides, if Millie wants you to do the work, then you’ll do the work. I’m not about to cross her.”
Dillion laughed too. “Yeah, I get that. She’s a feisty old woman.”
“How about we meet at Millie’s in the morning? We can take a look at the house, and you can give me an idea of what needs to be done,” David suggested.
“Sounds good to me,” Dillion said, getting up when David did. “I think I’ve had enough of this for one night.”
They walked over by the dance floor together and watched the dancers for a second. “I’ll see you in the morning. I’m going to see if I can find Michelle in this crowd. I can’t wait for you to meet her; she’s a historian and a witch.”
Dillion stared at him in shock for a second, then said, “I can’t wait to meet her.”
When he looked back to the dance floor, Natalie was there, dancing with a very attractive man. He sucked in a deep breath as jealousy washed over him, then realized that David had let out a big sigh.
“I wish my sister would behave herself,” he said. “She claims to hate people talking about her but look at that dress; no wonder people talk.”
When Dillion didn’t say anything, David looked over at him. “Oh, no not you too,” he said, groaning.
“What?” Dillion asked, realizing that David had been talking to him.
David laughed. “I see Natalie has put her spell on you too.”
“Her spell?” Dillion asked, his eyes still glued to Natalie.
“That’s what I call it; she’s got half the men in town after her.”
“I can see why,” Dillion said before he could stop himself.
“Well, you’re welcome to try, but Natalie has her sights on getting out of this town, and that’s all she thinks about,” David said, slapping Dillion
on the back. “I’ll see you in the morning; I’d better go find Michelle.”
“Okay, in the morning,” Dillion said, barely noticing when David walked away shaking his head and laughing.
Dillion knew that he should walk away, should leave before he did something stupid like dance with Natalie, but he couldn’t move. Instead, he stood motionless, letting his emotions wash over him, trying to figure out why this woman had such an effect on him.
Finally, he couldn’t stand it any longer; when the band finished the song they were playing, he stepped out onto the dance floor and pulled Natalie into his arms. “I’d like the next dance,” he said, trying not to grin when he saw the look of shock on her face.
She recovered quickly. “I think it’s been promised to someone else,” she said, trying to pull out of his arms.
“He can have the next one; this one is mine,” he said, spinning her around the dance floor when the music started.
Chapter Four
***Natalie***
Natalie let the handsome stranger spin her around the dance floor; she was in too much shock to do anything else. But when it began to wear off, she became aware of how good it felt to be in his arms and looked up at him, remembering the night before.
Her cheeks flamed pink, and she looked down quickly, embarrassed by her reaction to him. They danced in silence, both very aware of the other, until the song ended and Natalie tried to pull away.
“Don’t run away,” the man said, “just one more.”
Natalie shook her head. “I never dance with the same man twice in a row,” she said, still trying to pull away.
Dillion studied her for a second with his green eyes. “It won’t hurt just once,” he said.
Restoration (Wolves 0f Gypsum Creek Book 4) Page 2