She lifted a steaming spoonful, her full lips puckered. He couldn’t turn away as she blew on the spoon, then devoured the stew. He waited, wondering what she thought of his culinary skills. When she moaned in approval, his mind spiraled in a totally different direction. His hand tightened at his side. He needed to concentrate on anything other than this infernal effect she was having on him.
He glanced back at her. Her eyes were lit up, and his chest warmed at the sight. He struggled to maintain his outward composure. Then the tip of her tongue slipped out and licked her lips. His mouth grew dry as his mind filled with the most sizzling images. A frustrated groan swelled deep inside him as he continued to stare, mesmerized by her sensuous act. Thankfully he had just enough functioning brain cells to squelch the sound before Kara realized how much power she could still wield over him.
“This is excellent,” she said. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
An indignant meow sounded, drawing him back to reality. He glanced down at the annoyed feline. “I’ll go get yours.”
He strode past the glaring cat. Right now, food was the absolute last thought on Jason’s mind. The only thing he hungered for was Kara. This was going to be the longest night of his life.
If he intended to stick with his plan, his sole focus had to be on reopening the resort. Playing the friendly, considerate host was only going to get him in trouble. After all, he’d rescued her, sheltered her—heck, he’d even given her clothes to wear and a warm meal. No one could expect him to do more.
He needed to distance himself. He couldn’t let his desires run unchecked, because Kara wasn’t a casual-fling kind of girl. Of that he was certain. And with his past, marriage and children weren’t in the cards for him. Not with Kara, not with anyone.
He had to break this spell she had over him, for her sake as much as his own. Thinking of her as just another old friend wasn’t cutting it. Time for a new plan. When he returned to the living room, he’d start by reminding them both that their relationship was a professional one now...should she agree to stay on at the resort.
CHAPTER SIX
WITH THE STRAINED dinner over, Jason turned to Kara. She wasn’t paying the least bit of attention to him. Instead, she was crooning over the silly cat, which was lapping up her attention as it would warmed milk.
“Kara, it’s time we talked.”
She scratched behind the cat’s velvety ear. “With us stuck here, now probably isn’t the best time to get into something serious.”
“Might as well get it out of the way. There’s really no time to waste.”
She shot him a puzzled glance. He thought she’d have guessed he’d be extending her a job offer. After all, she’d worked her way up in the company and though he would have preferred it if things were different, she was a vital employee.
“Since you’re determined to talk,” she said, “get it over with.”
“I want you to stay on at the resort.” Her pencil-thin brows shot upward, but not giving her a chance to turn him down before he finished, he rushed on. “I want you to work for me as my assistant.”
Her mouth opened, but only air came out. Why did she look as though he’d just handed her a life sentence? Couldn’t she be the least bit happy, or appear interested?
“Say something,” he demanded, getting to his feet to put another log on the fire.
“I...I don’t know what to say. I thought you’d be replacing me, and I’d be moving on. A new town. A new job. A new life.”
Did he detect a hint of regret in her voice? Was she upset because he’d messed up her plans to get out of Pleasant Valley? Was this her chance to escape, and he was standing in her way?
He knew what it was like to want to move away. Sure, when he was a little kid, things had been good at home. Back then he couldn’t imagine ever leaving the Greene Summit. But his entire life had changed the day his mother died. His father’s drinking had increased. The yelling and fighting quickly escalated. Nothing Jason did was right. His waning ego craved a chance to prove himself as a man. Yet he couldn’t leave behind the one woman who loved him—Kara.
Swept up in his need to show the world he wasn’t the screwup his father accused him of being, he’d convinced Kara to become his army wife. When she’d suggested dropping out of college and starting their adventure right away, he’d agreed. Even then he knew he wasn’t being fair to her, but he’d convinced himself he’d find a way to make it up to her.
Looking back now, he realized how wrong he’d been to attempt to drag her into his messed-up life. After learning Kara had dropped out of college anyway—she’d never finished her degree—he felt awful. Another of her dreams dashed. The guilt on his shoulders doubled. Holding Kara back now wouldn’t be fair to her. If moving on was important to her, he wouldn’t stand in her way.
But above all, he was a businessman. The success of the resort had to be his priority. He had employees relying on him for a paycheck. And more importantly, he wasn’t the only investor in this endeavor. He had people to answer to if he didn’t produce a profit.
When he glanced up, the worry in her green eyes ripped at his gut. He needed to come up with a solution that would work for both of them. That would leave Kara with an out.
“Work for me at the Summit until after the New Year. Just until I get a handle on everything,” he offered, even though he’d much rather have her and her wealth of knowledge on hand for a lot longer.
She eyed him. “What’s in it for me?”
He couldn’t resist smiling at her resilience. She would definitely land on her feet, no matter where she ended up. “How about three months’ severance?”
“And?”
“And...a glowing recommendation. Do we have a deal?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?” He jumped to his feet and turned toward his home office. “Fine, you think about it. I have work to do.”
“While you’re working, what do you expect me to do?”
He paused and faced her. “There’s got to be something around here to amuse you. Maybe check the stash in the loft. You should find some of my grandmother’s books. Feel free to bring down whatever you want. I don’t have any use for that junk.”
He strode away, disappointed that she hadn’t jumped at the chance to stay on at the resort. Still, the worry over whether she’d accept his offer was a welcome distraction from his continual battle with his blasted attraction to her.
In hindsight, he had to concede that she was right to weigh her options. He certainly would if he were in her shoes. Now he just hoped she came to the conclusion that would benefit them both.
* * *
Kara watched until he disappeared into the shadows. He wanted her to work for him—well, temporarily. The fact he wanted her input for the reopening had her straightening her shoulders as a tiny smile tugged at her lips. The knowledge that he recognized her accomplishments was quite satisfying.
But even with this recognition, was it possible for her to set aside the past and work closely with a man who could melt her insides with one heated glance?
She’d tried so hard to put the past behind her. She couldn’t let him tear down all her defenses. The surest means of doing that would be to turn down his offer. No pondering. No wondering. Just a simple “no.”
Oh, who was she kidding? She couldn’t just walk away—she didn’t have another job lined up. How would she make the mortgage payment at the end of the month? Or buy Samantha some desperately needed shoes after her latest growth spurt?
In desperation, Kara considered turning to her parents, but they simply couldn’t afford to help her out financially. Her father had been laid off last year from the job he’d held for more than two decades, and had had to take a lesser paying position with the local mall security. No, approaching them for assistance wasn’t an option.
Eager to find a distraction, she glanced around. Her bag of knitting supplies was waiting by the front door, but Jason’s invitation to explore the books in the loft was too good to pass up. She rushed over to the spiral staircase. Their steepness forced her to slow down, having already had enough accidents for one night. At the top, she pulled on a chain hanging from a bare lightbulb, which illuminated the area. Stacks of cardboard boxes littered the floor. Surely not all of them contained books.
Like a kid on Christmas morning, she grabbed the first unmarked box and carried it to a vacant spot near the stairs. She dropped to her knees and flipped open the flaps. Inside, she found heaps of old clothes—shirts and pants that definitely had seen better days. What in the world had his grandmother been thinking, to keep this stuff?
Then a thought struck Kara. Maybe she’d stumbled across a way she could repay Jason’s generosity for letting her ride out the storm here. She scampered back down the stairs and found a pen on the coffee table. Once back in the loft, she marked the box “Old Clothes. Trash.”
Box after box she visually inventoried. There were old newspapers, magazines, threadbare towels and other unnecessary items. All of which she tagged for disposal.
With no more room to stack the sorted boxes, and growing tired, she pulled one last carton from the heap, hoping to at last locate a romance novel. She folded back the flaps and lifted some discolored tissue paper, to find an assortment of handblown glass balls. She grinned, feeling like a child who’d found buried treasure.
These Christmas ornaments had been lovingly wrapped and stowed away with great care. Kara vowed then and there that they would not see the inside of a Dumpster, even if it meant her taking them home.
A piece of red felt stuck between two small boxes. Intrigued, she pulled it out, to discover a stocking with white fur around the edge, with Jason’s name stitched in gold thread along the instep. Her index finger traced the stitches. This had been created with love, a love she was certain Jason hadn’t felt in a very long time.
He might avoid anything Christmassy, but maybe it was time he got a dose of holiday spirit sprinkled with a dash of childhood nostalgia.
* * *
Jason stared at the stack of mail on his desk with zero interest. His thoughts kept straying to the occasional sounds that came from other parts of the house. A loud thunk followed by a thump emanated from the living room. He paused in his attempt to locate where he’d placed his checkbook. Damn. What was that woman up to?
Not hearing anything else, he pulled open the left-hand desk drawer. She’d call if she needed him. He refused to accept that he was hiding from her because of the crazy things she did to his body with a mere look or a casual touch. He had responsibilities. He was a busy man with things he had to get done. He simply didn’t have spare time—
Bang! He jumped to his feet. The desk chair rolled back, crashing into the credenza. With long strides, he hurried to the great room, where he blinked, unable to believe his eyes.
“Are you just going to stand there? Or are you going to help me?” Kara glowered at him as she yanked on the trunk of a pine tree that was now wedged in the doorway.
“What are you doing?”
“You told me to find something to do. I’m doing it.” She gave another tug and the tree suddenly came loose, sending her stumbling back into his arms.
His heart leaped into his throat. She was soft. But her body was chilled from being outside. A longing to pull her closer and warm her up swamped his senses. This was not good. But it wasn’t as if he’d done anything wrong. She couldn’t hold it against him because he enjoyed the way her soft curves felt.
All too soon, she was steady on her feet. He jerked his hands away and stuffed them in his back pockets. “I meant for you to find a book to read. Not destroy my house.”
She held on to the pine with one hand and turned to him. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and begged to be warmed with a kiss.... No! Don’t go there. He’d just extended her a job offer. He had to start thinking of her as an employee, no matter how much she reminded him of a sexy, tempting snow bunny.
“Since we’re stuck here tonight,” she said, distracting him from his errant thoughts, “I have nothing else to do....”
“We’ve discussed this. I don’t do Christmas.”
“Come on. You’ll have fun stringing lights and arranging the ornaments.”
His lips pressed into a firm line. “I can’t think of anything I’d like less.”
“Okay, Scrooge. I’ll decorate the tree by myself. If you hate it, you can toss it tomorrow, after I’m gone. Okay?”
He frowned. It would keep her busy and out of his way. Ah, what could it hurt? As she said, after she left he could get rid of it. No harm, no foul.
“Just don’t break anything with that bushy shrub.” He started for the study.
“It’s a tree—a Christmas tree,” she called after him. “And where are you going?”
What could she possibly want now? He clenched his hands, his temples pounding. If she hounded him again about decorating that blasted tree, he swore he’d cut it into kindling. “I have work to do.”
“Not before you help me move the table. I think the tree would look best in front of the picture window, don’t you?”
He groaned. Kara smiled as though she took the utmost pleasure in his misery. With a twinkle in her eyes and a shake of her head, she turned her back on him and set to work. Once they’d moved the table, she needed a little more help. This time he had to hold the six-foot tree upright while she screwed on the base. Then the tree had to be adjusted, to make certain it was straight in the holder.
Jason clenched his jaw until it ached, holding back a string of gripes. He moved the tree this way and that way until she deemed it was in the perfect location. He knew where it would be perfect—in the burn pile. But not wanting to go another round with Kara, he choked down his sarcasm. No wonder he didn’t bother with the holidays. They were a big waste of time.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and help?” she asked, as if it was some great honor. “There’s plenty to do.”
He shook his head, but the enthusiastic glow on her smiling face made him wonder what he was missing. How could hanging doodads on a dumb tree make Kara glow with happiness? Although even if he didn’t understand what the fuss was about, he enjoyed seeing Kara happy, he reluctantly admitted. She should definitely smile more often.
“I’ll be in the study if you need me.” He inwardly cringed at his choice of words. Kara could do quite well, fending for herself.
He took a few steps, then paused and turned. She’d already started digging through the cardboard boxes, lifting out smaller containers. For some reason, he was having a hard time walking away. But why? This was what he wanted: Kara occupied, so he could go off on his own. Then why did he feel he was about to miss something special?
Back in his study, Jason paused by the window and noticed how the storm had intensified. The fallen snow was being scooped off the ground by howling gusts of wind, causing a virtual whiteout. With a disgusted sigh, he turned away.
He sank down in his desk chair and forced himself to read over the latest credit card statement. Not much later, the desk lamp flickered. At first he thought there was an electrical short, but when the light flickered again, he noticed that it affected the whole house. If they got the predicted ice on top of those winds, they’d be plunged into darkness. He raked his fingers through his hair and leaned back in the chair. Being alone in the dark with Kara, with nothing to do but snuggle in front of the fire, would be his undoing.
&nbs
p; Her sweet voice floated through the house as she sang “Jingle Bells.” Happiness rang out with each note. He could just imagine her dancing around the tree, hanging decorations here and there, a goofy look plastered on her adorable face. What he wouldn’t do to watch her.
He gave his head a quick shake. He refused to let her singing draw him back to the great room. His gaze scanned the desk. Something was missing tonight, but what? His laptop. He’d left it in the other room, where Kara was pretending to be one of Santa’s elves. Jason wasn’t going back in there to get anything. No way. Besides, it wasn’t the laptop that was bothering him.
Then it dawned on him. Sly was missing. The little black-as-night scamp usually followed him around the house in the evenings. Sometimes he wondered if the cat mistakenly thought she was a dog. He affectionately referred to her as his puppy-cat.
When he worked at the desk, she’d make herself at home on the left corner. She did it so consistently that he’d actually cleared a spot for her. Tonight the spot was empty. Kara had not only invaded his home and his thoughts, but also had stolen his cat’s affections. What was next?
* * *
Kara sorted through the open boxes scattered around the living room. Wads of paper flew. Little boxes were tossed aside. They had to be here. She started her search over again, beginning with the first box.
When her fingers at last wrapped around the crystalline icicles, she sighed. They were just what she needed to reflect the colorful lights. One by one, she attached a metal hook to the end of each ornament.
In the background, the sound of crinkling tissue paper filled the air. She glanced over to find Sly batting around a blue satin ball Kara had set aside for the garbage. The cat grabbed the small ball in her mouth and, with a jerk of her head, tossed the ornament into the air before taking off in hot pursuit.
Kara laughed at the cat’s antics. If only her daughter was here to witness the shenanigans. On second thought, it was probably a good thing Samantha wasn’t here or she’d start pestering Kara about wanting a kitten for Christmas—not that the subject was ever far from her daughter’s lips.
Snowbound with the Soldier Page 6
