by A. C. Wilson
Garrett thought he was going to have to wait for an answer if she even deigned to give him one. Sitting in front of a roaring fire he felt the chill from her seep into his body. He couldn't help but watch her carefully. He was cataloging each breath, each grimace, and each nervous swallow. She seemed to be working up the courage to answer. His instincts would have been to put miles between him and this woman who caused a rampant build of desire. Moments later golden eyes burned into his chocolate ones. He had this brief vision of fire and water before she spoke.
"Rayne Randall." She held his eyes. Almost daring him to say something else.
"It's nice to meet you, Rayne." He said as he rested his hands on her legs and looked back towards the hearth and the flickering flames.
Rayne. His heart siren's name. Deep down he knew this was going to prove to be a very interesting adventure and it wasn't just being caught stranded in a South Dakota snow storm.
Chapter 2
The wind howled like a frustrated animal against the side of the house. It was impossible to see outside through any of the windows since the flying snow was packed against the panes. More than a couple of times Garrett got up from the couch to stir the curtains in hope of sneaking a peek outside, but each time it was fruitless. The house was eerily quiet except for the wind and the tick ticking of the mantel clock. It was enough to drive him demented if he couldn't get outside of his head. Standing propped against the mantel now, he looked at Rayne sleeping on the lumpy, warped couch. Her features were just as severe in sleep as they were when she was awake. He wondered just what she might look like if she smiled. Rolling his eyes, he continued his perusal of the little ranch house. It was small by ranch house standards. There was a kitchen, mudroom, living room, and one small bedroom with a bathroom on the main level. Upstairs there was another bathroom and two bedrooms. From what he could see in the very dim firelight, Garrett surmised that no real work had been put into updating or renovating the house. Sadly, it looked nearly as bad as the leaning barn outside.
A loud thwack resonated against the house. Garrett pushed off the mantel with a start. Instantly pulled back to the present, he glanced at Rayne, but she was still asleep. Deciding to investigate the noise, he left the living room and went to the front door. Laying his hand on the cold metal door knob, Garrett turned and opened the door. The snow storm was furiously wrapping everything thickly in snow. He pressed hard against the screen door, but it was difficult to budge. The heavy wet snow was a good foot thick drifted against the house. A couple more hard pushes and he had a big enough opening that he could squeeze his solidly built frame through. His boots sunk as he stepped forward and the snow was quickly up around his calves. Garrett shivered. His long sleeve cotton shirt was hardly sufficient protection against the freezing cold. He blinked quickly to dispel the sticky wet snowflakes from his lashes, but soon it was all he could do to see. The end of the porch was near, but he wondered at even being able to see what had made such a loud thump against the house.
Peering through squinted lids, Garrett could see that a rather large pine had gone over with the massive weight of snow settling on its branches. It had fallen against the house, but the damage looked to be mostly cosmetic in nature. Some wood siding would need to be replaced and it was lucky that the branches had missed the window. Ruthless shivers now wracked his body and he knew it was time to get back inside. A few minutes exposed to this kind of weather and cold temperatures, it wouldn’t take long for lasting effects to take hold. Quickly he felt his way with his palm against the side of the house and he made his way back to the front door. Getting inside proved to be more difficult than getting out. He gritted his teeth and pulled hard, throwing his body weight into it. It didn’t move much. Last ditch effort, Garrett swiped his booted foot in the snow and started to move it away as quickly as he could. His fingers were nearly numb except for this maddening detached feeling that came before it.
“What in the hell are you doing out here?” Rayne yelled at him through the screen door. He shook his head as the flying snow made it harder and harder to see. She cursed again, but he didn’t catch it. She shoved hard and budged the rickety storm door just enough to let him through. She reached out and grabbed his shirt yanking him into the mudroom. His wet boots slid on the tile floor and he made it inside just as she slammed the heavy inside door shut.
“I said, what the hell were you doing out there?” Rayne stared at him furiously, her gold eyes nearly on fire. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she stood there in stocking feet. He fought the urge to grin like a naughty boy. He found her wildly attractive when she was angry, which gauging from her countenance was a good amount of the time. That raw, physical emotion spoke more candidly of her ability to wield intense feelings. Garrett shook his head, more to dispel the thought of foreign notions than an answer to her question. Her eyes narrowed and she huffed as she limped around him on her way back to the fire in the living room. He followed in a stilted manner, some due to cold and the other to do with flames.
“One of your pine trees fell against the house.” His voice didn’t sound quite its usual self-assured tone, but he thought best to ignore it. Rayne favored her ankle as she skirted the couch and gingerly set herself back on it. “It missed doing any real damage as far as I can see.” Garrett felt like he was defending his actions, which was stupid considering he owed her nothing.
She only saved you from FREEZING to death! He hated that little inner voice. Gritting his teeth, Garrett shook out his now damp cotton shirt and decided it was best to remove it. Wet clothing was rather uncomfortable and it would dry a lot faster if it wasn’t on his body. His still cold fingers moved slowly over the buttons. He found it hard to push them back through the moorings and he groaned as the heat began to buzz in his fingers. As they came back to life the pain only intensified.
“Come here.” It was a sharp, exasperated command that caught him off guard. Garrett raised his eyes to find Rayne watching him intently. The golden flames in her eyes had banked somewhat, but their intensity remained. Garrett had never considered himself Casanova, but tonight this woman made him feel completely out of his depth.
Greenhorn. One deep breath and he moved towards her, stopping just in front of her position on the couch. Her fingers reached up to his shirt and deftly unfastened the buttons. With each fluid movement of her hands against the damp shirt, his breath grew shallower. It would have been satisfying to know that Rayne’s did too if she hadn’t just touched his chest where it was now free of any barrier.
Sweet Lord! Silently he prayed for strength to resist pulling this intriguingly dark woman into his arms and kissing her senseless.
~~~
Rayne tried viciously to remind herself that Garrett Johnson was not a man to take out her frustrations of any kind on. Sexual. Emotional. Physical. He might be one hell of a hot cowboy with his solid, muscled body and bad boy face. Well, all except for the scar across his cheek. She absently wondered what had been the cause of that. She warned herself not to care, not to wonder, and definitely not to get involved. She had far too much on her plate as it was. Yet the moment her fingers brushed that warm sculpted chest, Rayne knew her warnings were going unheeded. The dampness of the cotton shirt reminded her painfully of how long she had been without a thoroughly satisfying romp. It had been quite some time since she had wanted to feel a man between her thighs.
STOP IT! She pulled her hands roughly away from Garrett’s chest and shoved them into her lap. If she kept touching him, she had no idea what she would do and that honestly, scared her to death.
“Thank you.” Garrett offered gruffly as he shrugged out of his shirt and draped it over the nearest chair to dry. The lack of clothing over his broadly muscled chest made her swallow hard. It was impossible not to notice how very blessed this man was in the looks department.
No doubt he has women stationed all over the state! It made her feel better to think so anyway.
“Sure.” If she could afford to h
ave a conscience right now, she’d have to admit she sounded like a bitch. It was probably easier to let him think so. After the storm was over, she’d get him back to the Crossing Pines Ranch and she’d walk away. Her life was too complicated for whatever was here. She looked at him again and caught him looking back at her. More like studying her with those piercing brown eyes. Deep brown eyes that could hypnotize her into doing stupid albeit hot, hot things and leave her aching for more afterward.
Oh yes, she wasn’t an idiot! She knew one bite of Garrett Johnson and she’d be an addict quick.
“I didn’t know Old Man Randall very well. I had heard he was a widower, but there was no mention of him having a daughter.” Garrett stepped away from the hearth and took a seat in the chair next to the couch. She sighed a bit in relief that he didn’t take his earlier position on the couch with her foot in his lap. She bit her lip wondering how much information to give him.
“I only lived here until I was fourteen. My aunt came and took me to live with her in Kansas.” Rayne leaned forward, pulling a throw pillow into place behind her. She never liked talking about her family and she liked it much less at the moment. First because her guard was not as strong as it usually was and second, because it was painful being here on the ranch where she had once lived.
“That probably explains it.” Garrett said, stretching his large frame out and bracing his arms on the chair. She ventured a glance in his direction and although he didn’t look at her, she knew it didn’t go unnoticed. “I just mean that I was gallivanting around the countryside when I was old enough to drive. I would have found my way over here had I known Randall had a daughter as pretty as you.” A cheeky grin quirked his lips but still he didn’t look her way. His face was illuminated by the fire in the hearth. She swallowed hard and tried not to analyze the blush that spread across her cheeks.
“I’m sure you were quite the tom cat.” She meant her words to blister, but there was no poison there. All the venom had drained away in her increasing affinity for him.
I’m in so much trouble!
“I’d like to think that I was quite the ladies’ man.” He murmured, casting a sideways glance in her direction. Rayne let out the breath she had been holding. She raised a delicate brow.
“Was?” That word had stuck out most of all. She could hardly be surprised at his appeal and charm. Of course girls and women would want a piece of Garrett Johnson. This time she didn’t take her eyes away from his tall frame. Her heart sped up as a smile quirked his lips. The scar on his face this time seemed almost boyishly endearing.
“I think I have sworn off women looking for a commitment. I have only wanted a good time and once that good time is over, the relationship loses its appeal.” He shook his head as if this was news to him. “It sounds awful, doesn’t it? I’m almost certain every female who has ever come into contact with me wishes I were dead.” He chuckled more to himself than in good humor. Rayne could see where his penchant for fun would undermine all the females looking for a steady commitment.
“No strings. It sounds wonderful, but it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.” Rayne almost whispered as she mulled over his words rather than what she had replied.
Her guard really was down!
“No, it’s definitely not! It isn’t a good plan to go into a relationship thinking you can change someone. Odds are that they are already cast in stone.” Garrett shook his head and then leaned it back against the chair. She never noticed how small and ragged the chair looked with someone Garrett’s size resting in it. Her eyes swept his long frame from head to foot. His rich brown hair looked something close to chocolate. His brown eyes already drove her crazy! He had a broad chest with strong arms definitely accustomed to heavy lifting and her mouth watered over the thickness of his thighs cast beautifully in faded Wrangler jeans.
What red-blooded woman could resist a man in Wrangler jeans?
~~~
Hungry. Hot. Sexy. Garrett felt the full weight of her gaze. He hadn’t met a woman yet who wanted a no strings attached relationship. He certainly had never met a woman as strikingly beautiful as Rayne Randall either.
What would it cost him to get involved with a woman like this? He was pretty sure it would do more than physical damage to him. He was instantly drawn to her golden eyes, but the rest of the package was beautiful too. Her long dark hair swept in unruly waves away from her face. Her body was fit, slightly muscular as if she did manual labor every day. He had even noticed that she was average height, just a few inches shorter than he. Garrett swallowed hard. It was impossible not to imagine how perfectly she would fit against his larger frame and how soft her curves would be. He felt himself tightening in response to his ever deepening attraction to Rayne.
“It’s going to be a long night. I don’t imagine we will be able to go very far tomorrow.” Garrett shrugged his broad shoulders and tipped his head back against the chair. He could hear the crackle of the wood in the fireplace and the heavy thud of his heart.
How far should he take this? He couldn’t deny the rapt hunger in her eyes. He knew she was fighting the same battle he was. It wouldn’t take much to tip those scales in his favor.
“No, it’s the worst snowstorm I’ve seen in quite some time.” Rayne’s husky voice sent a shiver along his spine. “However shall we pass the time?” Her quiet musing was meant to reach his ears as he confirmed when he lifted his head to look at her. One delicate brow was arched in invitation. He couldn’t help the grin that drifted over his face.
“I imagine we could come up with something. Charades. Board games. Shadow puppets.” He watched her press her lips together to keep from smiling. She knew he was playing with her. Her eyes twinkled with mischief and dare he say it, desire. She shifted on the couch, leaning her back more squarely against the arm of the tattered furniture. He followed the line of her legs clad in denim to her wool socks.
“I used to be quite good at charades. Shall we play?” She asked, her eyes focused on the shadows dancing on the ceiling. He wondered where this was going. It was entertaining at the very least.
“If you would like to. I should probably warn you that I like to be challenged.” Garrett nearly growled the last and this time he did see a sexy smile spread across her beautiful face.
She would definitely be a challenge. He had no doubts about that at all. He cleared his throat and waited for her to start this game. A game he was hoping he would win.
“I am nothing if not fair. What good is a game if it is easily won? Let’s see how good you are.” Her voice purred sending rampant sparks through his blood. His own desire lit fast and hot. She held up two slender fingers to him. He grinned.
“Two words.” He watched as she nodded affirmatively. She put a fingertip to her cheek as she was clearly thinking about how to present the clues to him. His heart thumped heavily in his chest. The room was so quiet except for the crackling in the hearth and the occasional hiss from the dry wood. Rayne lifted her hand again, displaying the same two fingers.
“Two words.” He said again. She nodded. Then she shifted her fingers around, still two. “Second word.” Garrett shifted in his seat again. She nodded. Her golden eyes glowing with purpose. She pressed her lips into a line and pointed to herself. His brain seemed sluggish in thought.
“Girl. Rayne. You.” He guessed and each time she shook her head. He didn’t like mute very well. His brow furrowed in thought. She continued to point to herself. She shook her head at him and then pointed at him. “Me.” He laughed when she clapped at him. He had never felt so triumphant at being applauded.
Rayne hesitated a moment and then held up two fingers. “Two words.” She nodded and lowered one finger. “First word.” She nodded again and he swore that he saw her lips move, but no sound came forth. He watched her closely. He watched her chest rise and fall more quickly than it had been. She tilted her head back and drew up her good leg so her knee was arched. His hands itched to touch her and mold her body to his. He wanted to map each cre
st and valley. She took that one finger and ran it from her full bottom lip trailing it down her chin to her graceful neck over her shirt to her breasts and continuing on towards her stomach. Garrett’s body nearly vibrated with the need for action and he groaned when she closed her eyes as her fingertip made it to the button at the top of her jeans.
Shit! There was no thinking, no waiting as the invitation had been issued. Garrett took two long strides and knelt beside her. Her lips parted as her eyes opened to see him. He couldn’t wait. He had not felt so alive and on fire in such a long time, if ever! She speared her fingers through the dark hair at the nape of his neck and he crushed his lips to hers. He was matched thrust for thrust as their tongues clashed in a passionate duel. He groaned into her mouth and sent his fingers wandering along the same path she was so thoughtful as to show him minutes earlier.
Chapter Three
The whole room spun in upheaval as their mouths crushed, bit, and savored all things of the other. Garrett felt sweat beading on his forehead and felt his body pass the point of any cooling relief. He could feel her hands all over his chest. She outlined and massaged each muscle; each dip and rise. Where her fingertips touched, flame erupted and consumed each and every nerve. Looking down, Garrett couldn’t catch his breath. Those gold eyes, so entrancing and speech-robbing bored into his soul. Something about her, something about this moment and all its entirety told him it was preordained and he could never admit that in the daylight. He would never admit that this one woman, a virtual stranger had the power to destroy as she had the power to keep him as well.
Garrett grinned slyly as he put his hands back onto Rayne’s sleek body. He resumed his play on her bare stomach, pulling her shirt further up her body to reveal inch by tantalizing inch. He couldn’t resist pressing open-mouthed kisses to the warm flesh. She quivered with each brush of his lips and it only encouraged him to continue his foray. Her fingers ran up the side of his bicep along his shoulder and across his jaw. He wondered if she minded the short stubble that was starting to show. He only paused a second as she continued to stroke his jaw. His lips returned of their own accord to her flat stomach. His tongue delved lightly into the hollow of her belly-button.
