This had been a crazy idea. Though she barely knew Seth, she knew enough about him to know he wasn't going to be happy. He would be angry that she'd left the safety of the house. All because she wanted to see a dog. Sometimes she did silly things without thinking through the consequences.
She could hear her mother's voice inside her head telling her to think before she acted and still she'd forgotten and found herself in trouble. Right now, she just wanted to reach that barn door at the end of this rope and slip inside where hopefully it was warmer. And she could pet his dog.
When she was about to lose hope and feeling in her fingers, she felt a handle in front of her. She opened the door and walked inside.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, staring at her, his eyes darkening.
Shaking, her lips frozen, she tried to talk. "I...was...bored. I...thought...I'd...come...see...your....dog."
He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward a small stove. Seizing her hand, he began to rub her fingers gently between his hands. "If you'd dropped that rope, you could have wandered off and I would never have found you. Don't you ever go out of the house in weather like this again without me by your side. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," she said, shivering so hard, she feared her bones would break. "I didn't think it would be this bad. It's scary out there."
"You could have died," he said, his face taut with rage. "You're soaking wet, you're freezing and..."
He gazed down into her face. They were mere inches apart. He pulled her against him, the solid strength of his body crashed into her and she gasped as she felt every hard inch of him through the pants she wore. Her body thrummed with a sudden awakening, The smell of him flooded her and she gasped as a thousand needles stung her hands, but he didn't let her go. Staring into her eyes, he gazed at her lips and her nerves seemed to awaken and stretch to a tightness she'd never experienced before.
"Ah, hell," he said as his lips slammed down on hers.
Seth knew he wasn't being gentle. This woman had been driving him crazy for two days with her sweet lips and her luscious curves and the way her eyes would glance at him half-lidded as if she were peeking out beneath those long lashes. Crushing her mouth beneath his, her taste flooded his senses and he longed to pick her up and carry her to the hayloft and unwrap her like a Christmas present. His hand reached up to caress the side of her cheek, holding her mouth firmly in place.
A moan escaped the back of her throat and slowly his rational mind overcame his desire. Abruptly, he stepped away, putting distance between them, knowing where those kinds of kisses led and the results.
Breathing hard, his chest rising and falling as he stared at her in shock, as he tried to gather himself when all he wanted to do was continue.
"I'll take you back," he said.
Standing in front of him, her hand had gone to her mouth, and she gazed at him in wonder. "Who taught you to kiss like that?"
He laughed. "That's not open for discussion. Now, let's go."
"No," she responded, glaring at him like she was just stubborn enough to resist.
All he wanted was some time away from her. Some time to get his desire back under control. Some time to clear his head of the way she looked in those skintight, soaking wet pants, and the way she smelled so sweetly of roses and lavender. Of the way she seem to engulf his little home, making the room feel so tight and small with her there at his every move. He just needed some time to regain control. Now she had invaded his sanctuary and refused to leave.
"Only if I can take the dog with me," she said, her hand stroking Big Blue, the traitor staring up at her with adoring eyes.
"All right," he said, thinking that would mean letting the dog out every few hours. But maybe that would be good, because that would give him time to quench this physical hunger that consumed him. Even with Catherine, he'd never been so captivated with the urge to take her to bed.
Maybe because he knew everyone would assume he and Everleigh had done the deed while he was trying to be the honorable man and not let his passions rule him. But being noble and ethical was damn hard. Especially with a woman as beautiful as Everleigh.
"Let's go," he said. When they reached the door, he laid his hand on her arm. "Wait."
Quickly, he slid a rope from around his waist and tied it to her belt and then hooked her onto the line. She gazed down at the setup. "Really, you think this is necessary?"
"I'm not taking any chances. If something happens, then I'll be the one lost between here and the house, not you."
Frowning, she bit her lip, tilted her head and gazed at him. "And you think that would be a good thing for me? This girl from New York City has no clue on how to survive in this kind of weather."
"You'd learn."
"Promise me, you won't let that happen," she said softly. "I don't want your death on my conscience."
The way she was looking at him had him rethinking leaving the barn. But if they didn't, his animals were going to hear and see things they'd never witnessed before. The snow had to cool him down.
"I'm not ready to die just yet," he said, his mind imagining the two of them naked, their limbs intertwined.
Opening the barn door, they looked out at the blowing snow and the dog whined.
"How long can this last?" she asked.
"The last really big storm blew for three days and took me almost a week to dig out."
"Wait, Big Blue," he told the dog and walked over and grabbed a leash. Quickly, he secured the dog. He knew he would stay beside him, but he feared Big Blue getting too far away and getting lost in the blinding snow.
Holding onto the dog, with Everleigh walking in front of him, they made their way from the barn. The deep snow came up to the dog's chest, creating a trough wherever he walked.
Halfway there, he watched in disbelief as Everleigh slipped on something in the snow, her feet flying up in the air as she came down hard in the drift, tripping him.
He landed on top of her. Even in the cold, he could feel her soft curves and warm body. Her breasts were crushed beneath his chest. She glanced up into his eyes and laughed.
"Why is this so difficult? Why does it seem like everything improper keeps happening to me?"
What could he say? She'd done nothing wrong and yet they were starting that descent into dangerous territory. One where he'd find a shotgun and a preacher waiting for him at the end.
Hanging onto the rope, Seth felt the tautness suddenly go slack and knew immediately the line had broken.
A gust of ice and snow battered them and he watched the end of the rope flapping in the breeze, flakes of snow hurtling at them so fast, he felt like he was drowning.
"Are you all right?" he yelled into the wind, rolling off her and standing. For once, he had to agree with her. This wasn't helping him keep his distance.
Everleigh sat up. "I hate this."
He reached down and helped her to her feet. She glanced down at the empty hook. "I broke the rope."
"Yes," he replied, wondering if it was worth trying to find the other end that the wind had blown. "Stay right here. Don't move. I'm going to try to find the end of the rope."
"But..."
"And hold onto the dog’s leash," he said, handing it to her.
The dog barked in protest as Seth walked away searching for the frayed ends of the rope leading to the house. Afraid to walk too far, he made a circle. Minutes later, he gave up. As he retraced his own footsteps, he heard her singing.
"Where are you, Seth Ketchum. Where did you go? Come back to me and don't leave me in the snow."
A grin spread across his face. The woman had certainly made his life entertaining, never letting it get boring. It was a unique way for her to reach out to him and it warmed his heart, but not his toes. They had to keep walking and hope they made it to the house.
When he reached her, Big Blue started barking, his tail wagging. "I heard you singing."
"Good, I was so afraid you would get lost. Did you find the r
ope?" she yelled over the blowing wind and snow.
"No. Clip your hook into the back of my pants. We're going to try to make it without the rope. It's all we can do."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"What are you doing? Let's go."
"Praying. Don't interrupt me."
How could he argue with her about reaching out to help from above. They were going to need all the help they could get.
Opening her eyes, she stepped behind him and he felt the hook.
"Now give me the leash," he said.
"I want to keep him."
"Give me the dog," he demanded.
"All right," she said, frustrated as she handed him the leash.
Seth leaned down and rubbed the dogs head. "Big Blue take us home."
The dog whined and then began to plow through the snow. What seemed like hours, but was only minutes later, Seth could see the front door and heaved a sigh of relief. Now he would have to tie a new rope to the barn, but at least he knew he could find his way back.
"Good job, Blue."
Stepping into the warmth of the house, he took a moment to savor the heat. "I have to go back out and string the rope again."
"No, don't go," she said. "It makes me nervous. I'm scared something will happen to you."
He glanced at her, surprised. No one ever worried about him anymore. No one expressed any concern that he could get hurt. And yet, he had to do this. Sometime later today, he'd have to go back out to the barn and take care of the animals.
Reaching out, he touched her on the arm. "I'll be fine. I'll be back in after a bit. Why don't you have a nice hot cup of coffee waiting for me."
She grabbed him, pulling him to her and kissed him solidly on the lips. A wave of desire, raced through him, her scent intoxicating and warming him. He didn't want to leave, but stay here in her arms.
Releasing Seth, she stepped back. "That's to make certain you'll come back."
Staring in shock, he smiled. Was that a promise? Should he even go down that road?
This was turning out to be quite a day. A day he didn't know if spending time outside would cool the temperature rising inside him.
Chapter 4
The next morning when she opened her eyes, she knew immediately. Her head pounded, nausea roiled her stomach, and the telltale signs of cramping gripped her. Could her timing be any worse?
Lying in bed, tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks of their own accord. Well, just great, Aunt Flo's timing topped off a spectacularly bad week. She felt lousy. She was stuck in a cabin with a man who intrigued her, her reputation was in the outhouse, and now this. Of all the embarrassing things to happen while they were together.
It was bad enough they shared the same slop jar, but the weather made it impossible to go outside to the outhouse and he only had one jar. What were they supposed to do? She was so ready for this to end.
Rising from the bed, she dressed and then laid back down. She just wanted to stay here in this room, but it was late.
A knock sounded on the door. "Everleigh, breakfast is ready."
"Coming," she called.
With a sigh, she wiped the tears from her eyes and slowly rose. Life certainly had a way of humbling her. Nothing could be worse than coming home to discover your family home destroyed and your parents dead. And now a trip she'd been anticipating, wanting to spend time with her remaining family, had turned disastrous. First, the snow storm and now Aunt Flo.
Standing, she went into the kitchen.
"Good morning," Seth said, gazing at her, his eyes narrowing as he seemed to study her.
"Morning," she said and sank down onto a chair. A cramp had her almost doubling over, but she bit her lip and sat quietly absorbing the pain.
"Are you all right?" he asked. "You look a little peaked this morning."
"Fine," she said, not wanting to discuss with him that the curse of being a woman was upon her. Not exactly table conversation.
He sat a plate of eggs in front of her and the smell of the fried eggs engulfed her. Gagging, she rose from the table.
"Excuse me," she said and hurried into the bedroom, where she lay on the bed.
The chill in the room had her shivering and she soon climbed beneath the heavy quilts. Lying there, she wanted to die.
Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
"Yes," she asked, not wanting him to see her this way. Not wanting to explain.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
"Yes," she said.
He opened the door and carried a tray. Frowning, she watched him approach the side of the bed.
"I thought you might need this," he said and handed her a bed warmer. "My mother said it always made her feel better."
She glanced up at him, her eyes filling with tears. He knew and was trying to make her feel better. His kindness filled her with warmth and gratitude, and made her uncomfortable at the same time. "Thank you."
"I also brought you a hot toddy. It's a little early in the morning, but it might help you sleep for a while," he said quietly. He cleared his throat and looked out the window and then back at her. "I also brought you some rags. I didn't know if you would need them or not."
Stunned, she stared at him. "How did you know?"
He laughed. "I have three sisters and a mother. For my own wellbeing, I learned to recognize the signs."
She smiled and took the hot beverage. "Thank you for being so nice to me."
"You're welcome."
"So does this mean you don't dislike me anymore?"
Chuckling he smiled. "When I realized you reminded me of Catherine, my previous fiancé, I understood why I reacted the way I did. So no, I don't dislike you and to be honest, you're really not like her at all. You have more spunk, more stamina, and you're tough in a good way."
Sipping the warm liquid she nodded. "I don't dislike you either."
"I kind of gathered that when you kissed me yesterday."
"That was just a good luck kiss."
The memory of the kisses they'd shared the day before left her breathless. The way his lips had claimed hers, his tongue stroking her mouth, the warmth that had gripped her middle like a raging firestorm.
"If you disliked me, you wouldn't have done it," he said, gazing at her like he wanted to lean down and kiss her again. And she wanted him to, but knew this was not the time nor the place.
"No, I wouldn't have. And I was scared," she said, staring at his lips, wishing she could taste them again. Before things got out of hand, she needed to get to her uncle's. It was past time. "So I guess this means we're not going to my uncle's again today."
"Still snowing. Though it seems to be slowing some."
"Do you think we'll be able to leave tomorrow?"
Right now, there was an awareness of each other between them. She felt like they were circling one another, dancing around the tension that drew her to him. She had to make it to her uncle's or fear that whatever this thing between them was would soon explode and consume her.
"Hard to say. Even after it stops snowing, travel is going to be near impossible for a while."
Tears filled her eyes and she wanted to scream, but knew it was nothing more than the curse. Long ago, she'd recognized when Aunt Flo visited, her emotions seem to erupt. "I can't stay here until spring."
"I promise you, the first day I think it's safe to leave, we'll load up the sleigh and be on our way. I give you my word."
She gazed at him, and the strength and conviction in his voice made her realize he was being honest with her. He would do what he said. "All right."
"Now, finish your hot toddy and get some rest."
Nodding, she handed him the empty cup and yawned. “I think I'll curl up here with the bed warmer and rest for a while."
"That sounds like a good idea. I'll be right out here if you need me. See you later," he said.
"Seth," she called when he reached the door.
"Yes?"
"Thanks for taking c
are of me."
And she meant it. She realized he had watched over her and kept her safe during the worst snow storm she'd ever experienced. No one other than her parents had ever cared for her. Some lucky woman would be fortunate to have him as her husband.
"You're welcome."
He walked out the door and she snuggled deeper into the covers. Why couldn't she find a man like him in New York?
If she could find someone like Seth, she'd marry him in a minute. Instead, she seemed to find men who were boring and wanted her to become their social hostess. And she was done with that type of man. Give her a rugged man who knew how to take care of his woman. That's what she wanted. One that was not frightened by her insistence of having a career.
Late that afternoon, Seth was surprised and pleased to see Everleigh emerge from the bedroom. There was more color in her cheeks and she didn't have that haggard look in her eyes any longer.
"Feeling better?" he asked, standing in the small kitchen stirring a bubbling pot.
"Yes," she said, and made her way to the lumpy sofa he'd purchased at a second hand store.
"I thought we'd have some venison chili tonight for supper; is that okay?" he asked, uncertain she would like deer meat.
"Of course. What can I do to help?"
He wasn't going to let her work in the kitchen after feeling poorly this morning. She could sit and watch him, and besides, this kept her at a safe distance.
While she was sleeping, he'd made the decision to try to make it to her uncle's tomorrow no matter what. Between yesterday's kisses and then today when she'd glanced up at him with those big emerald eyes brimming with tears of gratitude, he'd known he had to get her out of here. She was a danger to his bachelorhood. And while he eventually wanted to marry and have children, being forced to wed someone was not the way he wanted to acquire a wife.
Wild Western Women Mistletoe, Montana: Sweet Western Historical Holiday Box Set Page 13
