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On the Right Track
Copyright © 2011 by Barbara Elsborg
ISBN: 978-1-61333-177-4
Cover art by LFD Designs
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
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On The Right Track
A 1Night Stand Story
Barbara Elsborg
~Also by Barbara Elsborg~
Chosen
Chapter One
“Shiiiiiit,” Hollie wailed as her car skidded on the snowy road.
What to do? Brake? Not brake? Steer into the skid? Out of the skid? She’d been following the tire tracks of another vehicle ever since she’d left the main road, but the snow had suddenly come down so hard the wipers couldn’t cope, and now she’d lost the line.
A snow-laden hedge loomed in the windshield as her car slid sideways, and Hollie panicked. She wrenched the wheel in the other direction, only to find the car skating backward toward a wall on the opposite side of the road. Another wrench at the wheel and by some miracle her car did a complete revolution and slipped back into the grooves worn by the only other idiot out in this weather. After a wobbly slide, her vehicle stayed in the ruts and she groaned with relief.
This had to be one of the stupidest things she’d ever done. Once she’d seen the weather forecast, she should have cancelled. Instead she’d driven a hundred miles on New Year’s Eve in an unreliable vehicle with no heating, watching conditions worsening around her. She should have turned back when there had been room to maneuver; now she had no choice but to keep going. The only consolation was that at the end of this road, assuming she had the directions right—and Hollie didn’t want to even contemplate otherwise—awaited a luxury hotel, warm bath, bottle of chilled champagne, and hot sex.
The only catch? She had to survive the journey.
Actually, that wasn’t the only catch. Hollie had gone off the idea of hot sex a while back. When she’d set off from her London home, she’d never been more excited in her life, but there was a big difference between fantasy and reality, and the closer she drew to her destination, the more nervous she became. What the hell had she been thinking, registering with Madame Evangeline’s matchmaking service?
Well, she’d been thinking of meeting a tall, fair-haired hunk who’d actually want to go to bed with her and not one of her friends—although she hadn’t invited any along to test that out—a guy who was organized, urbane, and prepared to deal with any crisis life threw at him. He’d have a great smile and lovely manners, and he’d make Hollie feel special, if only for one night. She wanted to be swept off her feet by a man skilled between the sheets who’d show her what she’d been missing and more importantly, kick-start her into getting her life back on track.
Now she was thinking mistake, big mistake, huge mistake. One perfect night with a perfect guy wouldn’t make her world turn again. The only person who could make that happen was her.
She slithered around a corner to find herself heading for a stationary vehicle smack bang in the middle of the road, hazard warning lights flashing dimly through the falling snow.
“Oh God.”
Braking was so instinctive, her foot slammed down before she registered it was the wrong thing to do. The front wheels locked and the back of her car skewed round.
“No, no, no, no, no.”
No one was listening. As she slid toward disaster, Hollie clung to the wheel and closed her eyes.
When Nick heard a vehicle approaching, he was struggling to shovel snow out from under his front tires using a plastic lid he’d broken off a tool box he’d never used, and cursing the fact that he’d even gotten out of bed this morning. Now help was on the way. Thank Christ for that. Getting stuck in the middle of fucking nowhere had not been in his plans. But when he looked up over the hood, melting snow dripping into his eyes, it wasn’t the snow plow he’d hoped for, or even a smug local resident out in his four wheel drive, but a little red car that was traveling sideways straight toward his BMW.
He threw himself to one side, hoping to land out of the danger zone. As he hit the hedge, snow cascaded over his head and shoulders, and the sickening crunch of metal kissing metal filled the air.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He brushed the snow from his face and chest, pushed himself up, and shuddered as icy liquid trickled down his back. The thin jacket he’d pulled on over his sweater offered little protection. He’d already wrecked his leather shoes and now his pants were soaked, too, not to mention the fact that his new BMW had been dented by an idiot.
In an instant, Nick shifted from cold and bad-tempered, to freezing and furious. He slipped and slid to the back of his car and groaned when he saw the damage. He stared at the driver of the vehicle plastered against his and saw worried eyes gazing back at him from beneath a bright pink hat. A matching scarf covered the bottom of the face he assumed belonged to a woman. His anger dissipated.
He shuffled around to the passenger door and wrenched it open. “You okay?”
“Yes. Sorry,” mumbled a muffled voice.
“Christ, it’s colder inside this car than out.”
“Heater’s broken.” She pulled the scarf from her mouth and Nick’s gaze locked onto a pale face with rosy cheeks.
With the snow buffeting his back, he slid onto the passenger seat and closed the door. He shuddered as his wet pants pressed against his thighs.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I jumped out of the way.”
She gasped. “You weren’t in your car?”
“I was trying to dig my way out of a drift.”
A wince creased her face. “I really am sorry.”
She pulled off her hat and leaned closer to put it on his head. “Here, you look frozen.”
Nick opened his mouth to protest and no words came out. She had short and messy, dark-red hair, and big, chocolate colored eyes. Not what he liked at all. He preferred big-breasted, blue-eyed, long-haired blondes. So how come his cock had perked up? Maybe she had big breasts. He couldn’t tell, but his cock might have extrasensory perception.
“We better call for help,” she said. “I have breakdown cover.”
He didn’t. Nick didn’t expect his BMW to break down.
But a moment later, she pushed her mobile back in her purse. “No signal.”
He took his from his pocket and remembered what he’d meant to do last night. Charge it. Fuck. He put it back. “You’re right. No signal. Better switch on your hazard warning lights, though I’m not sure anyone would see them with the car at this angle.”
She flipped them on.
“My name’s Hollie Armstrong.”
“Nick Walker.”
“I can’t apologize enough about your car. I know I’m not supposed to say
that, admit blame I mean, but stuff the insurance company. It was my fault. I should have been more careful.”
“I shouldn’t have stopped in the middle of the road.” Not that he could have helped it.
“I shouldn’t have slammed my foot on the brake.”
“Ouch.”
She sighed. “I panicked. I rarely panic. I don’t usually put myself in situations where panic is likely. Not going to find me swimming with great whites, caving, or sky diving.”
Nick had done all three. If it hadn’t been for the cage protecting him from the sharks, he suspected he’d have out-panicked anyone.
“Actually,” she said, “I should have turned round and gone home when the first flake fell. Or never set off in the first place. To think I could have stayed safe and warm in bed all day.”
He smiled.
Hollie stared out the window. “God, I love snow, but I hate driving in it.”
He felt the same. “Maybe we should sit in my car. At least I have heat and if anyone else comes around that bend and can’t stop, we don’t want to be the first thing they hit.”
“Good point.”
He climbed out into the blizzard, his cheeks stinging as the wind whipped his face with fat snowflakes. He made his way to the BMW, clutching his hands under his crossed arms. His toes were frozen, his fingers white, but his head felt warm. He sat in the car and rubbed his hands together. Hollie jumped in beside him, closed the door, and pulled her hood down.
She grimaced when she took in the state of his clothes. “You don’t have a coat?”
“Clearly not, or I’d be wearing it.”
Hollie unwrapped the scarf from around her neck and offered it to him. “I’m fine. I have a hood. You have this.”
He wasn’t going to object. The scarf smelled of coconuts and vanilla, and the moment he had it around his neck, the warmth from her body seeped into his. The next second the car engine spluttered and died.
“Oh shit,” he spat. “The exhaust must be blocked.”
“I’m so sorry. I know it’s no consolation, but I’m fully insured for any havoc I wreak.”
He let out a snort of laughter. “Right, well, the hazards will keep working, but the car’s going to get colder and colder. We have to decide what to do. Stay or walk.”
Hollie gave his soaked clothes a wide-eyed stare. “You can’t walk. You’ll freeze to death.”
“I have a suitcase in the trunk. I can put on more layers.” And ruin my tux.
“But I’m guessing no gloves, no boots.”
Whereas he suspected she’d set off totally prepared for any eventuality, except running into him. Nick looked through the windshield at the thickly falling snow. Even if he’d been in ski gear, he didn’t fancy walking far in that. As he’d plowed to a stop, his sat nav had said he was still three miles from his destination.
“I could walk,” she suggested.
“Not on your own.”
“I suppose we’re better staying where we are,” she said, echoing his thoughts. “That would be the official advice. Stick with your car unless it’s an easy walk to safety.”
“Anyone likely to come and look for you if you don’t turn up?” he asked. “Or worry if you don’t contact them?” He should have wanted her to say yes—my boyfriend, partner, husband, but his cock disagreed.
“Nope. I didn’t tell anyone I was coming up here. My parents are dead so—” She clapped a hand to her mouth. “Please tell me you’re not a homicidal maniac.”
Nick tried not to laugh and failed.
“You mean you are a homicidal maniac?” Hollie asked. “And I even gave you my hat and scarf.”
“You better have them back.”
She tugged his hand away from his head. “I’m fine. Here, take one of my mittens, too. I can get both my hands in one, though I don’t think you’ll manage that.”
Nick sighed when he slid his hand into the warmth of the lined mitten and then groaned when he tucked his other hand under his shirt to press stone cold fingers against his belly.
“So is anyone going to be looking for you?” she asked.
“I’m meeting someone at a New Year’s Eve party at Mulbery Manor,” he said. “Is that where you’re going?”
“Yep.”
He looked back, but could see no lights, nothing but heavy snow. “I can’t understand why there aren’t more vehicles on the road. Castillo Resorts is a major hotel chain.”
“We’re probably the only idiots out in this. The hotel’s not going to do anything if I don’t turn up. They’ll just figure I changed my mind because of the weather. If you’re meeting someone, they might wonder where you are.”
“Assuming they made it, they’ll probably figure the weather’s held me up.” He frowned. “But the hotel should still clear the access road. What if there was an emergency?”
Hollie grinned. “Like us?”
He smiled. “Just like us.”
“Do you have any food?”
“No.”
“Water?”
“No.”
“I’ve a couple of bottles of water, a banana, and chocolate in my car. I’ll have to give you the chocolate to ration because once I open it, I’ll eat it all. If I say I won’t, don’t trust me. I’ll guzzle the lot before you can snatch it away.”
Nick laughed.
“Just one thing,” she added. “If the situation gets really desperate, you aren’t allowed to eat me unless you’re absolutely sure I’m dead. If I’m dead, then eating me is fine.”
His mouth watered, his mind on a different track. “I think there should be a vehicle along before it comes to that.”
Hollie furrowed her brow. “What if this is the start of a mini ice age? The snow might not stop falling.”
“Well that’s a cheery thought. Tell you what, if it’s still snowing tomorrow morning, we’ll walk.” There was no chance of the snow continuing until then. He hoped. “And obviously, if I’m dead, feel free to snack on any part of me that takes your fancy.” He smiled at her.
“I think you’re safe. I couldn’t eat you.”
Pity. “Not even if it was a matter of life or death?”
“Well, not raw anyway. I’d have to cook you.” She narrowed her eyes and then her mouth quirked in a grin. “Funnily enough, I have a disposable barbecue in the trunk. And a sharp knife.”
Nick almost choked laughing.
Chapter Two
Hollie was suffering. Not from the low temperature, not yet anyway, but from her attraction to the guy sitting next to her. How could any man manage to look good wearing a fluffy pink hat, pink scarf, and one pink mitten? With his straggly black hair and dark eyes, he was the exact opposite of the neat and tidy blond hunk waiting for her in the hotel. Assuming blond hunk hadn’t changed his mind, or been stranded like her.
Nick wasn’t organized or prepared for the journey. He’d wrecked his leather shoes. The twerp didn’t even have a coat. Yet everything about him made her pulse race and set her hormones dancing.
He shuddered, his teeth chattering, and Hollie sighed. “You need dry clothes. Open your trunk and I’ll get your suitcase.”
Nick pressed a button. “Didn’t hear a click. It might be jammed.”
Oh God, my fault again. “I still need to get the emergency rations out of my car.”
He handed her the mitten. “Don’t get lost.”
“Ahh.” Hollie smiled.
“I won’t have anything to eat.”
She laughed, pulled up her hood, and slid out of the car. The snow was falling so fast, it had already covered the footprints they’d made. His trunk was jammed shut, wedged out of shape by the collision. She gave up after a couple of minutes of struggling. Hers wouldn’t open either, probably frozen, so she grabbed the chocolate, banana, and water from the passenger seat, together with her purse.
Hollie scuttled back to his vehicle and shook off the snow before she closed the door. “Good news and bad.”
“I think I�
�ve guessed the bad. Trunk won’t open. Good thing I hadn’t stripped off.”
No it isn’t. Her cheeks flushed with heat. With him sitting beside her, she’d stay toasty and warm.
“I read that sometimes people take off their clothes if they slip into hypothermia,” Nick said. “They think they’re hot, but they’re freezing to death.”
“So I should stop you if you start stripping?”
He grinned. “Only if you want to.”
Oh God. She plastered a smile on her face. “Good news is we can delay the cannibalism for a while. I can’t get the barbecue out of the trunk.” She put the banana, water, and chocolate between them and handed him the mitten. “When did you last eat?”
“Breakfast, about four hours ago.”
“Hungry?”
“Starving.”
He stared straight at her and Hollie’s lungs locked. Her fingers fumbled for the banana and she handed it to him. “Share?”
Nick didn’t take his gaze off her when he offered her the first bite. She nibbled the top of the banana, unable to stop staring at him. He let out a quiet groan and she struggled to swallow.
“What are you thinking?” he whispered.
“I should have brought an apple.”
He chuckled and took a bite. They watched each other constantly as they ate, aware they were taking as little as possible each time and Hollie wondered if she’d ever been more turned on in her life. She had her own internal heat machine on full blast, probably why the windows were fogged up with condensation, but Nick’s cheeks were pale, his lips tinged with blue. He needed to be warmed up.
“How wet are you?” she asked.
He quirked an eyebrow. “I’m pretty much soaked to the skin.”
“Let’s get in the back. I’ve an idea.” Hollie climbed over the central console and flopped onto the back seat.
He stared at her.
“It involves both of us removing clothes,” she added.
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