The sun was shining brightly off the snow as the horse pulled the sleigh up the drive to the road. Seth had to focus on the road and not on the woman sitting next to him. But that was difficult.
"I can't wait to see them," she said, her breath frosty in the morning air.
"I'm sure they've been worried about you," he replied, noticing how the wind was starting to blow, sending ice crystals stinging his face.
"Oh," she said, ducking her head to avoid the stinging flakes. "That wind is bitter cold."
As they pulled out onto the road, away from the pine trees that lined his property, it was then he saw the dark blue cloud off in the distance. Maybe it was just an illusion. Maybe it was not what he feared. Maybe he was tempting fate. He'd keep his eye on that ominous cloud and hope they would arrive before the storm. Or hope the cloud disappeared, but he urged the horses a little faster.
Quietly, he held the reins, watching the birds, knowing his instincts were warning him, but not wanting to pay attention.
Fifteen minutes later, the sun disappeared behind the racing clouds and the first sprinkles of snow began to fall.
"Not again," he said, beneath his breath as he pulled the horse to a stop. With the deep snow, it would take them another hour to reach her uncle's and he didn't think they had that much time.
She turned and glanced at him, her eyes big and questioning. "Why are you stopping? What's wrong?"
"Can't you see? Another storm is almost upon us."
She shook her head. "No," she cried. "Don't stop. Keep going. We can make it to my uncle's. We're not that far."
"I'm not willing to take the chance. In another few moments, the snow is going to start falling faster and thicker. I won't be able to see. We could get lost so easily and I'm not willing to risk our lives. We're turning back," he said, frustration gripping his chest.
Another night with her in the house. Another chance of the two of them being overcome by temptation. Another couple of days with no chaperone.
No one would believe them if they said nothing happened. No one would care. Seth was an honorable man and he was determined to protect Everleigh from gossip.
Turning the sleigh in the middle of the road, she threw off the pelt and hopped out, sinking in the drifts. "I'm not going back with you. I'll walk."
He stopped the vehicle. "What are you doing?"
"I'm walking to my uncle's," she said, tromping in the snow. It came past her knees and he watched her battling the snow for a few moments, taking another step. Struggling through the drifts, she would never make it. He knew she wouldn't, but he had to let her reach that conclusion. So he sat patiently waiting, wishing she'd hurry since they were running out of time.
She took three more steps and then put her hands to her face.
"Get in the sleigh," he said softly.
"I want to go to my uncle's," she cried.
"I'll take you just as soon as we get a break in this weather," he promised her. "When I think it's safe, we'll try again. I tried, but another storm is about to hit us."
Just then the wind howled as the flakes flew faster. Struggling against the wind, she made it back to the sleigh and crawled in. Quickly, he wrapped the pelt over her feet and legs feeling her body shivering next to him. With a snap of the reins, he called out to the horses and with a jolt, the sleigh started the short journey back to the house.
By the time they reached the barn, the storm's fury was just starting to unleash. Hopping out of the sleigh, he quickly connected the rope between the house and barn. Then he turned to help Everleigh out of the sleigh.
When they reached the door, she ran into the bedroom sobbing, slamming the door behind her.
With a sigh, he let her go and then went into the weather to care for the horses. Well, that certainly hadn't worked out the way he'd hoped.
Yet, part of him was glad she was still here, and that part scared him worse than the storm unleashing outside the barn. All he could think about was the softness of her body, the taste of her lips, and the feel of her in his arms.
Everleigh lay on the bed, listening to the wind howl outside, rattling the glass panes. She was beginning to worry she would never get out of this house. And even if she did, would her uncle demand they marry? She glanced around the bedroom and wondered what it would be like to be married to Seth. He was handsome, could kiss like the devil, and seemed like a gentle man.
After their explosive embrace the other night, she'd not seen him until this morning when he'd told her he was taking her to her uncle's. Now disappointment raged inside her like the storm outside. She'd wanted to leave, to escape the feelings he evoked.
She liked Seth. She knew they were in a difficult place and if her father had been alive, he would have already demanded Seth marry her. But was that what she wanted?
Like every young woman, she'd always dreamed that when she married, it would be because she loved the man, not because they were forced into marriage. Not because some blizzard had trapped them together. Even though she knew nothing had happened between them, she realized it wouldn't take many more kisses before she would beg him to show her this mysterious act between a man and a woman. Her mother had only given her a few sketchy details and her friends in college had whispered about lovemaking, but never professed to actually have experienced a man.
And now a mammoth snowstorm had her locked inside Seth's home for days, and everyone would assume they'd done the deed.
"Merry Christmas to you too," she said aloud.
Sighing, she sat up, wiped her face, straightened her hair and stepped into the living area. Though their apartment in New York had not been much bigger than this doll house, it had an extra bedroom and a water closet where there was running water. Not in Seth's home.
Here, they were in the wilderness and while she loved the snow and the pine trees and the beautiful scenery, it was so quiet compared to the bustling city she'd left. It was so quiet, sometimes the sound of her own heartbeat could be heard in the room.
The front door opened and Seth came in, carrying her trunk.
Shaking her head, she hurried over to hold the door. "Thank you."
Gazing at him, she realized she had acted selfishly, but part of her knew it was her last chance to save her reputation or face the consequences. "Look at you, you're covered in snow. You're wet. You need to change out of those wet clothes right away."
He stared, his blue eyes gazing at her in a way that made her heart race a little faster as he removed his hat, coat, and his big hands from his gloves. "Haven't we gone through this before?"
She gave a little laugh. "Yes."
Licking her lips, she quickly glanced away, a shiver twisting her nerves lowdown as she imagined the feel of those hands touching the intimate parts of her body. "I'll fix lunch while you change."
"It was clear this morning. I thought we could make it," he said, staring at her like he wanted her to realize he'd tried. And he had. She couldn't fault him. It wasn't his doing that the weather had changed so quickly.
"I know," she said softly, her stomach in knots. "I was disappointed.”
"Understand," he said, stepping back, putting distance between them like he feared touching her. "Back to back blizzards in less than a week. I may not have any cattle left."
She stared at him, thinking of what would happen if he lost his cattle while he'd protected her. "They have feed don't they?"
For the last week, she'd been concentrating on getting to her uncle's, not on what Seth had to lose. He could lose his entire herd.
"Yes, but I need to give them hay the next time we get a break," he said, walking toward the bedroom, trunk in hand. "They're depending on me."
She knew he was right and even felt a little selfish for being so concerned about her reputation and not the damage to his life.
There was no sense in worrying about her image any longer because she was a tarnished woman in the eyes of society unless Seth married her. And she didn't need a pity husband. She wa
nted a man who would love her for who she was and who she hoped to become. Yet thoughts of her and Seth together, the crush of her breasts against his chest, the scent of him assaulting her senses, the feel of his arousal hard against her femininity. Never before had she had such intimate thoughts of a man, not even her fiancé.
A few minutes later, he came out of the bedroom in dry clothes. "I hung up my wet clothes in the bedroom."
"That's fine. It's your room," she said. "I'm just borrowing it until I leave. If I ever leave."
He came up behind her and without turning around, she could smell the essence of Seth. Her body suddenly tingled with an awareness that left her feeling breathless, her skin itching for something she had no experience with. Only that Seth was the man who could give her what she needed.
"I'm heating the leftover chili," she said, trying to keep her attention focused on the dishes in front of her. "I thought I'd warm it up along with the cornbread."
"Sounds good," he said. "What do you want me to do?"
She wanted to tell him, kiss her, but knew that was not a good idea. If he touched her, she would want more and she wasn't even certain of what the more entailed, but when Seth was near, she ached to learn about this primitive connection between a man and a woman.
"You can get out the butter and that jelly you had the other night. That was so sweet and good," she said. This kitchen was such a dangerous area. They could barely move without touching one another, without her nostrils being filled with the scent of viral male and her feminine core responding.
He bumped into her trying to reach the butter and quickly withdrew to the other side of the kitchen. Was he experiencing the same blood heating, stinging sensations to their touch? Was this why he acted as if he didn't want any contact with her?
Sighing, she stopped stirring the pan of chili and turned to gaze at him. "I realize you're tired of me being here, and believe me, I'm ready to go to my uncles and would if I could. That's why I was trying to walk there earlier today."
"It's not that," he said, licking his lips and not really facing her. "Everyone is going to assume that since we spent all this time together that it's only natural that what happens between men and women occurred between us. I'm trying so hard to be an honorable man, but Everleigh, I find you very attractive. I like kissing you. I imagine how beautiful you are all curled up in my bed. I'm fighting this attraction, but it's hard. And when it becomes too much, like last night, I'll go to the barn."
Surprised at his admission, she had to close her mouth as she stared at him in shock. She knew he was a good kisser, but she didn't realize the affect she had on him or that he was attracted to her. And yet like he said, people were going to think what they wanted and there was nothing they could do to stop them, except marry.
"I don't think it's going to matter. I think I'm a ruined woman no matter what," she said. "But I appreciate your honesty and your integrity. You're a good man, Seth."
"You wouldn't think that if you could see the images of us entwined together, naked, in my mind," he said softly.
Her mouth fell open and she stared at him in shock, her heart skipping a beat. How could she respond?
An avalanche of desire swelled within Everleigh, heating her blood and sending smoldering sensations of awareness rippling over her skin. Quickly, she turned back to the stove, trying to focus on their lunch, when all she wanted was to have Seth kiss her, answering the sensual tension that thrummed through her body.
Chapter 6
Howling accompanied by growling woke Everleigh from a deep sleep. The sound was coming from right outside. Rising from the warm comfort of the bed, she tiptoed across the cold floor to the window and tried to peek outside. She couldn't see anything.
Big Blue barked, the sound loud and deep, threatening.
"Hush," she heard Seth command the dog. But still he gave a deep throated growl.
Something was wrong. A trickle of fear snaked down her spine. Wrapping a blanket around her, she walked to the bedroom door and opened it. The glow of the fireplace an eerie glimmer in the darkened house reflected off the dog who stood at attention beside Seth.
"What's that noise?" she asked.
Seth was pulling his boots on. "A pack of wolves. I think they're trying to find a way into the barn. They must be hungry."
"You're not going out there, are you?" she asked, her heart racing, her chest tightening as she realized the danger.
"I have to protect my livestock," he said, standing to grab his coat off the rack. He gazed at her in the semi-light. "Don't let Big Blue out."
Picking up the rifle sitting by the entrance, he pulled open the door and stepped outside, taking a piece of her heart with him.
Everleigh stood frozen to the spot, shaking as he walked into the snow and cold to face the waiting pack of wolves.
Needing to do something, she put coffee on to heat, knowing he'd be cold when he returned.
At the sound of a shot, she jumped, her chest tightening more as panic clenched her insides.
Big Blue came to her and whined, looking up expectantly, and she sank onto the couch and held the giant dog, giving comfort to the animal and herself.
The growling intensified and another shot rang out in the dark. Then there was silence except for her rapidly beating heart. She wanted to throw open the door, run outside, and make certain he was all right, but worried the dog would take that moment to dash out, and then Seth would have to chase him down in the snow.
For thirty minutes, she waited for him to come back in that door. Fear gnawed at her insides and she wondered if he was safe. At the thought of him injured or hurt or even dying, her chest ached and her heart pounded in her chest.
Seth was a good man she was starting to have feelings for. And now he was out in the snow facing danger, and she hadn't expressed or showed him how she felt. She'd been trying to remain focused on her goal of reaching her uncle and eventually back to New York. Not on the fact that here was a good man she was quickly starting to care about.
And now he was out in the cold and snow, facing danger, alone.
Just when she was about to don warmer clothes and go searching for him, the door opened and Seth walked in.
She ran to him and threw herself in his arms. "I was so scared you'd been hurt."
He held her against his chest, his cold nose pressed against the side of her neck, his lips close to her ear. "They somehow managed to get one of my calves and were fighting over the meat. "I killed two of them before they took off and then I had to bury the bodies in the snow, until I can either burn or drag them far enough away not to attract other animals."
He set the rifle on the floor just as the blanket slipped from her fingers and he pressed into her. "Everleigh..."
Turning her head, his lips found hers, his mouth covering, claiming her with a passion she could no longer deny. A hot, demanding need arose in her clamoring for consummation. Her body thrummed, every nerve tightly wound with an urgency she'd never experienced. She could feel his arousal solid against her center and God, help her, she wanted more than just the feel of him against her pelvis.
One moment, they were standing in the kitchen, and the next, he was swinging her up in his arms, carrying her across the house, through the open doorway of the bedroom. Part of her thrilled at his response, her breathing quickening with anticipation about what was to come.
His lips broke the kiss and he gazed down at her as he dropped her onto the bed. "Tell me now this is not what you want and I'll walk out that door."
Everleigh bit her lip, she could not deny the passion that raced through her blood. She only knew that she ached for the feel of his arms around her, the way his kiss heated her until all she could think about was Seth. The scent of him overpowered her, causing her heart to race. This man had the ability to make her forget all her dreams and plans and want to spend her life with him.
"I want you," she whispered in the darkness, unable to see his eyes, but missing his touch, needing
him to quench the fire that raged inside her.
"Everleigh," he groaned, shedding his coat, dropping it onto the floor. "I want you so badly, I'm hurting."
He sank onto the bed beside her, sending shivers rippling along her spine. Was she crazy? She didn't care. She only knew that in this moment, she needed Seth, like she needed her next breath. At his touch, her pulse heated and she reached out to him urgently, wanting to feel his strong arms around her.
He moaned as his mouth descended on hers and he kissed her like a man drowning. His hands gripped her head as he held her mouth open to his and savagely claimed her as his own, his tongue dancing over her lips, caressing her, sending shivers through her as the taste of him flooded her senses, leaving her breathless.
His hands were everywhere, his lips tracing their path as she lay beneath him, while he tantalized and tormented her, tutoring her on desire between a woman and a man.
Sure, she'd been kissed by other men, but never with the passion Seth created. Never like she was his woman, his alone, and he was branding her with his mouth. A moan escaped the back of her throat and he gentled his kiss, his hand skimming over her nightgown to her breasts.
She jumped when he touched her nipple, his hand brushing over the hardened kernel. The heat of his palms scorching her with passion as he caressed her breasts, worshipping her body. If this was so wrong, why did it feel so right?
Needing to feel his flesh, she reached for his shirt, pulling open the buttons, reaching inside to stroke his hard, muscles. Moaning, he yanked his shirt out of his pants as he hauled her against him. "You are so beautiful."
She ran her tongue across the smooth skin of his chest, feeling the muscles ripple from her touch.
"Everleigh," he groaned.
Reaching up, she pulled his mouth down to hers, loving the way his mouth took possession. The feel of his lips caressing her and the slide of his hands down to her breasts had her arching against him, wanting him, needing him. Through her nightgown, she could feel his hardened arousal against the V of her legs.
Wild Western Women Mistletoe, Montana: Sweet Western Historical Holiday Box Set Page 15
