by Marin Thomas
“It’s snowing here, too,” he said after she updated him. “But nothing like where you are. What are your chances of getting here in time to go to work Monday?”
“From what the weather forecasters say, zero.” The storm wasn’t her fault. All the same, she felt guilty.
“When do you think you’ll be back?”
“I wish I knew. This blizzard is supposed to last for days.”
Kevin was silent a moment. “Make sure you get Carrie in line. Otherwise, she’s toast.”
“Believe me, I will.” Gina wasn’t about to explain to her boss that she hadn’t spoken with her assistant in more than a week. She was ready to fire Carrie herself. “What do you want me to do about Evelyn Grant?”
“Bring in Lise.”
Gina preferred to keep the account to herself, but she knew her friend would do a good job. “I’ll call her today.”
“You do that. Keep in touch.”
As soon as Gina hung up, she dialed Carrie’s cell number. After four rings, her assistant answered. “Hello?” she mumbled, sounding sleepy.
“I woke you,” Gina said. “Are you still sick?”
“Not anymore. Hang on a sec.”
Carrie covered the phone. Gina couldn’t make out what her assistant said, but she definitely heard a man’s voice.
“I’m back,” Carrie said. “Did you get the email I sent yesterday?”
“I didn’t get a chance to check.” Tired as she’d been from her late night at the hospital, Gina hadn’t even thought about email. “As of last night, we’re in the middle of a blizzard. The airport is closed, and I could be stuck in Montana for days. I expect you to pull your weight at work. That means returning calls to any client who asks for me, and no more coming in late.”
“All right.” Carrie sounded sulky. “I just wish you’d read my email.”
“What did it say?”
“I’d rather you read it.”
Now Gina was seriously worried. “Thanks to this blizzard, it may be a while before I’m able to drive to a place where I can access Wi-Fi. You may as well tell me now.”
Carrie hesitated and then let out a resigned breath. “Something amazing happened to me, Gina. I’ve fallen in love with Chad, and he’s in love with me.”
Gina wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it wasn’t this. “But you barely know him,” she said.
“I know him better than you think. When I came down with the flu last Sunday, he took care of me. We’ve been together every day and night since.”
Six whole days. Gina suppressed a skeptical snort. “Great, but you can’t just blow off our clients because you’re in love with some guy you just met.”
“Chad isn’t just ‘some guy,’” Carrie fired back, indignant. “He’s the one—my soul mate. I had Thanksgiving dinner with his family, and he came to my parents’ for dessert. They adore him, Gina. We’re already talking about marriage and starting a family.”
As incredulous as Gina was—who fell in love that quickly and stayed in love?—she almost envied her assistant. “Not just yet though, right?”
“No, but meeting Chad has changed everything. I realize now that a career in marketing isn’t for me. I want a less stressful job, where I don’t have to work such long hours or take my work home with me. That way, Chad and I can see more of each other.”
Gina picked her jaw up off the floor. “But he works long hours, too,” she said.
“That’s true, but he enjoys what he does. I don’t.”
“You could’ve fooled me—you sure acted like you did.”
“Because I thought I wanted to be like you. But I’m not you, and I need more in my life than just work.”
Not sure whether to be flattered that Carrie had wanted to be like her or insulted that her assistant thought she had no life, Gina frowned. But Carrie was right. Without work, Gina had no life. Which was kind of pathetic but also necessary if she wanted to get ahead. “But you’re on the fast track at Andersen, Coats and Mueller,” Gina argued. “You want to move up in the company, don’t you?”
“I thought I did, but I was wrong.”
Wondering if the flu had addled Carrie’s brain, Gina shook her head. “This job is the chance of a lifetime, Carrie. Don’t throw away your future on an impulse. In a few days you’re going to wake up, and I would hate for you to regret this.”
“I don’t think I will. The truth is, I’ve been thinking about switching jobs for over a month.”
“You never said anything. You jumped at the opportunity to take care of my clients while I was gone and assured me that you could handle the responsibility. The day after I left, you worked so hard you fell asleep at your desk and didn’t wake up until the next morning.”
“That was awful.”
“I’m sorry you had so much to do, but when I get back your workload will lighten up substantially. In the meantime, Evelyn Grant needs attention and so do our other clients. I’m counting on you, Carrie, to do what you promised and give the clients what they want and need.”
“Yeah, okay. When did you say you’ll be back?”
“As soon as the airport reopens. I’ll keep you posted. I’m going to call Lise and ask her to step in and help with Grant Industries.”
Her assistant sounded remarkably cheerful about that. So different from a week and a half ago.
Gina’s temples began to throb, threatening a bear of a headache. After digging through her purse for the aspirin bottle and taking two tablets, she phoned Lise.
“Can you help me out?” she asked after explaining the situation.
“Kevin specifically asked for me to work with Evelyn Grant? That’s so cool. I assume I’ll also get part of the bonus from the account?”
Gina hated to give up a penny of that hard-earned money, but she didn’t have much choice. “Absolutely. The hard-copy records are in my file cabinet.” She gave Lise the password to access the information online.
“I’ve never experienced a blizzard,” Lise said when the business part of the conversation ended. “What’s it like?”
“Pretty, but a little scary.” Especially with Zach still out there. Gina glanced anxiously at the window. “I just wish my uncle had installed Wi-Fi here.”
“I don’t blame you. If I had no internet and was stuck on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, I’d go nuts. How do you keep from losing your mind?”
If it wasn’t for Zach, Gina knew she’d be pacing the house. “It isn’t so bad,” she said.
“Let me guess—you’ve met a sexy cowboy and he’s keeping you company.”
Her friend must be a mind reader. “Something like that.”
“Mmm, that sounds intriguing.”
The back door opened. With the wind howling at his back, Zach stomped his feet on the mat and stepped inside. Relief flooded her. His coat, gloves and face mask were coated in snow, but he was safe.
“I have to go,” she told Lise. “I’ll call you again soon.”
“You better. I want the whole scoop on your cowboy.”
By the time Gina disconnected, Zach had stripped off the face mask and gloves. His coat and boots followed.
“You made it back,” Gina said.
“Thanks to the rope from the barn to the house. Visibility out there is near zero, and the snow is deep. Curly and I made half a dozen trips between the barn and west pasture to feed all the cattle.”
“That sounds like a lot of work.”
“Yep. I’m sure glad Pete fixed the water heater and the cattle have the water they need. Otherwise, we’d be in big trouble.” Zach’s stomach growled. “What’s for breakfast?”
“How about a cheese omelet, bacon and toast? Sit down and I’ll bring you a fresh cup of coffee while you wait.”
Zach g
rinned. “I’m sure glad I won the game last night.”
Gina put her hands on her hips. “Those are fighting words, Mr. Horton. Care for a repeat tonight?”
“Sure. Or we could try a different game. Lucky kept several on hand.”
“Let’s stick with Scrabble.”
* * *
THE BLIZZARD CONTINUED throughout Monday and Tuesday with no signs of easing up. Zach and Curly spent hours feeding the cattle and checking the water supply and did what chores they could in the barn. Mostly they holed up in their respective shelters.
Avoiding the half-mile trek to the trailer and back every day was a relief, but staying in the same house as Gina was tough. Zach wanted her more every day, and keeping his hands to himself was torture.
He did his best to steer clear of her when he could, and they settled into a routine of sorts. Zach spent part of his day doing chores, and Gina continued to grapple with her job responsibilities and sort through Lucky’s stuff. Zach helped her pack boxes destined for charity and fill bags with trash. Soon trash bags accumulated in the hallway, until there was hardly room to pass by.
Evenings, they took turns cooking dinner and then played various board games, with the loser making breakfast for the winner.
After dinner on Wednesday, the snow finally tapered off.
“Look at that.” Gina pointed through the window on the kitchen door. “We can actually see the moon tonight.”
Standing behind her, Zach inhaled her sweet scent. He was close enough that he could brush her hair aside, lean down and nuzzle her neck.
He stepped back and cleared his throat. “The roads should be cleared in a day or two.”
“Just in the nick of time—the freezer is nearly empty. I wonder when the airport will reopen and when I can go home.”
Soon, Zach hoped. He was enjoying Gina’s company far too much and was tired of being in a constant state of arousal. He looked forward to going back to his trailer.
“Sometime this weekend, I’d guess,” he said. “This is probably my last night in the house. We’ve played every board game here. What’ll we do tonight?”
It was a loaded question because what he wanted was to fool around. But he’d promised to behave, and he would keep his word if it killed him. Which it just might.
Looking as if she’d read his mind, Gina swallowed and tugged the hem of her sweater over her hips. “They’re showing one of my favorite movies on TV tonight. We could watch it.”
“Which movie is that?”
“It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Zach remembered the film. “I haven’t seen that since I was a kid. Sure. We’ll make popcorn. Too bad we finished the remainder of the beer last night.”
“We’re out of wine, too. I could make hot chocolate.”
“Then I really will feel like a kid again.”
Gina checked her watch. “The movie starts in twenty minutes. I’ll make the popcorn and cocoa right away.”
“I’ll light the fire.”
By the time she brought in the refreshments, the fire was crackling and Zach had the TV turned to the right channel. He took the cocoa mugs from her and set them on the coffee table.
Gina wandered to the picture window and opened the drapes. Moonlight lit the snow and stars glittered in the sky. “What a beautiful evening,” she murmured.
And a beautiful woman staring into the night. Zach considered joining her at the window, but he didn’t. Best to stay out of reach of temptation. “You don’t see all those stars in Chicago,” he said, taking his mug to the armchair. “Too much light pollution. If you lived here on the ranch—”
“Don’t start that again.” She sat down on the sofa. “You can’t reach the popcorn all the way over there.”
She had a point. Wary of sitting too close to her, he settled into one end of the sofa. Gina stayed at the opposite end. Now they both had to stretch to reach the popcorn.
The movie started. Zach watched for a while but soon got sidetracked by Gina. Looking intent and entranced, she leaned slightly toward the TV screen and silently mouthed much of the dialogue, right along with Donna Reid, Jimmy Stewart and the other actors.
During an ad, he muted the sound. “Just how many times have you seen this movie?”
“At least a dozen, maybe two.”
“Seriously?”
“I told you, it’s one of my favorites.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “You’re an It’s a Wonderful Life junkie. I’d never have guessed.”
“I love most every Christmas movie. I love Christmas, period.”
Then why did she spend the holiday in Chicago year after year? Her work, Zach figured. She wanted to stay close by in case one of her clients needed her.
“You’ve been saying you want to spend more time with your family,” he said. “Why don’t you come back this year? You’d make them very happy.”
“Because when I finally leave here, Christmas will be less than two weeks away. It seems silly to fly home, then turn around and fly all the way back. Besides, I’ve already been here almost a week longer than I expected. I need to stay in Chicago, but I’ll come back in the spring to tie up any loose ends at the house. Next year, I’ll definitely be here for Christmas.”
“Okay. Winter is a bad time to try to sell property around here. You may as well hold off on putting the Lucky A on the market until you come back next spring.”
She kept insisting she was going to sell, but a few months down the road she might change her mind.
“You have a point, but I—” She broke off, snatched the remote from the coffee table and turned on the sound. “The movie’s starting again.”
Once again, she turned her attention to the TV screen.
Zach had trouble getting into the story, mainly because he couldn’t concentrate on much besides Gina. He was too fixated on watching her lick her lips after she sipped her cocoa or swallowed a mouthful of popcorn. He couldn’t help but imagine her tongue on him. With her every breath, her breasts rose and fell.
She was so damn sexy, and sitting a couple of arms’ lengths from her ranked up there with the most difficult things he’d ever done. He seriously considered returning to the armchair, but he stayed where he was and fought a battle with his growing desire.
When Jimmy Stewart kissed Donna Reid for the first time, Gina glanced at him, her lips looking full and lush. “That’s just about the most romantic kiss ever.”
Her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the room and the tiny gold flecks in her eyes reflected the fire. She looked warm and inviting and irresistible.
But it was the longing on her face that did Zach in. She wanted him.
A certain part of his body began to rise. “We can top George Bailey and Mary Hatch anytime. But I made a promise not to kiss you, and I won’t break it without your okay.”
“Break it, Zach.” She slid across the cushions, toward him.
He muted the TV and did what he’d been aching to do for days. Pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
She tasted of popcorn, cocoa and passion.
He’d missed this, wanted to go on kissing her, but after a few minutes, he reluctantly broke contact. “How does that compare to the kiss we just saw?”
“I’m not sure.” She twined her hands around his neck. “Could we try it again?”
“I see no problem with that.”
He kissed her again, and heat sizzled between them. That kiss blended into another and another. Zach forgot to think. Eager to touch her, he cupped her breasts.
With a pleased, purring sound she pushed her ample softness against his palms. He brushed his thumbs over her nipples and felt her shudder. His hands shook, he wanted her so badly.
He wanted more. A lot more. Somehow he managed to pull back.
“This is dangerous,” he said, breathing hard.
“Shhh.” Gina pulled him down for another kiss.
He eased her back so that she lay against the sofa pillow. With her light brown hair spread across the pillow, her eyes closed and desire tinting her face and neck, she was beautiful. The most beautiful woman Zach had ever known.
He slipped his hands under her sweater and pushed it up so that he could see her. Her stomach was warm and smooth. She wore a lacy, white bra that plainly showed her dusky pink nipples, the points stiff against the lace.
Blood roared through his head. He unhooked the front clasp, pushed the bra aside and ran his tongue across one nipple.
Whimpering, Gina slid her restless hands under his shirt and up his back. Zach tasted the other breast. Her nails scraped lightly over his back.
His body was on fire, and his erection throbbed and demanded release. He was reaching for the button on her jeans when his elbow connected with the coffee table. It hurt like hell.
“Damn it.”
“What happened?” Gina asked, looking slightly dazed.
“Bumped my funny bone.” And a good thing he had.
What was he doing?
He fastened her bra and tugged her sweater down.
“Are you okay?” Gina asked.
Her lips were lush and swollen from his kisses and her normally smooth hair was tangled and sexy. Zach wanted her more than he’d ever wanted a woman. But he wasn’t right for Gina, and she wasn’t right for him.
He was starting to care. Hell. He was so not okay.
He grabbed the remote. “Everything’s fine.”
She nodded and glanced at the TV screen. “We missed the end of the movie.”
“That’s okay. We know it has a happy ending.”
At his sarcastic tone, she frowned. “You don’t believe in happy endings?”
“Only in novels and movies.” Zach flipped off the TV.
“That’s sad.”
He slanted her a look. “I’m a realist. How many couples with happy endings have you seen in real life?”
