by Ruth Langan
Lem stared down. “You ever use a hammer?”
“Now and again.”
The old man nodded his approval. “There’s another ladder in the shed. Tools on the bench. Nails in a bucket by the door. You can use Alex’s tool belt. She won’t be needing it.”
Alex glanced at the old man. “And what am I supposed to do while you two handle this?”
“Seems to me you were worrying about getting tarps over all those canoes now that they’re dry.”
She grinned. “That’s right.”
“No time like the present.”
She nodded and climbed down the ladder. As she handed Grant her tool belt she felt the heat on her cheeks. “You sure you want to tackle this?”
His eyes were steady on hers, and she felt certain he could see her discomfort. Was sure that he was recalling their kiss. But it was clear that he wasn’t suffering any pangs of conscience. “I’m sure.”
“Okay.” She turned away abruptly and grabbed hold of a folded tarp before heading toward the line of canoes along the shore.
Grant stared after her until he realized Lem was watching. Then he turned away and climbed the ladder.
Grant stepped from the shower and toweled himself dry before pulling on clean denims and a flannel shirt. It had been a satisfying day. He’d been able to work beside Lem without having to talk about himself. But though the old man could be abrupt, he’d proven to have a sense of humor. Especially when Grant had asked him whether or not anybody looked out for Alex when the lodge was closed for the winter.
“You thinking Alex needs someone to look out for her?”
“She’s a woman alone in the wilderness.”
“Son, she’s more at home in these woods than the deer. And better able to take care of herself. She’s been hiking in these mountains since she was just a kitten. And if there was ever a contest between Alex and Mother Nature, I’d put my money on Alex.”
“Have you known her for a lifetime?”
“Just about.” The old man leaned on his ladder and glanced at the young woman on the shore of the lake. “I remember the first time she came here with her two sisters. All pretty little things. But the other two stayed pretty close to the lodge. Not Alex. Every waking minute she was off with her grandfather. Tugging on the oars of a boat. Splashing in the lake. Climbing trees. On their first hike, the other two sat down and refused to go another mile. Alex and her grandfather went on ahead, and left her two sisters with the lodge manager, Buck Thornton. Hours later, when they returned to the lodge, Alex had scratches and cuts all over her arms and legs. And she was as happy as if she’d just been given the keys to a toy store. I swear, that one had just found heaven. And it’s been that way for her ever since. Whenever she has to leave, you’d think she was going to her own funeral. The minute she returns, she’s as happy as a duck in a pond.”
As Grant made his way to the kitchen, he smiled. Maybe the old man was right. From what he’d seen so far, Alex was more than capable of taking care of herself in this wilderness.
When he opened the door, Alex looked up. “I thought I’d grill chicken and peppers. Should I grill enough for two?”
“Yeah. I think I’ve worked up quite an appetite.” And not just for food, he realized. “Want some help?”
“Would you like to fix the salads again?”
“Instead of salads, why don’t I make my famous nachos and hot salsa.”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure I have any salsa.”
“I’ll make some.” He began chopping tomatoes, onions and peppers.
Several times while he worked Alex glanced over. It occurred to her that he seemed more relaxed tonight. Without that perpetual frown, he was really handsome. His dark hair was cut military-short, giving him the look of a tough drill sergeant. But his eyes showed a light of amusement that hadn’t been there before, softening the look somewhat.
He’d rolled the sleeves of his flannel shirt. It stretched tautly across shoulders that were corded with muscles. She thought again about the strength in those arms when he’d hauled her across his bed, and later when he’d pushed her roughly aside, thinking they were being threatened by the noise on the back porch.
But it wasn’t a weapon she’d been thinking about last night when he’d kissed her. It had been a hard, muscled body pressed to hers. And her thoughts were hardly about warfare…
The thought made her suddenly too warm.
“Here.” He paused alongside her, catching her by surprise.
She turned to find him holding out a glass.
“I thought I’d make something cold to enjoy with my hot salsa.” He handed her a drink and as their fingers brushed, she felt another flash of heat. “A Margarita. Enjoy.”
She brought it to her lips, tasted, then smiled. “Mmm. That’s delicious. Thanks.”
“How’s the chicken coming along?” He remained beside her and she could almost feel the heat from his body.
“Almost done. Just a few more minutes.”
“Good. Leave it and enjoy some of my nachos.” He led the way to the kitchen counter, where he’d set out a platter.
Alex tasted, then sighed. “This is really good.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He indicated a bar stool beside the counter. “Here. Sit awhile and relax. You’ve put in a full day.”
“The chicken…”
“I’ll turn the chicken.” He sauntered away, then returned to nibble more chips and salsa.
“They’re really good.” It occurred to Alex that the heat was back. It hadn’t been her imagination. Whenever he got close to her, she felt a rush of warmth that had nothing to do with the grill.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying them.” He leaned over her to help himself to another nacho. As he did he breathed her in. She smelled of lavender. He imagined that the scent would be even stronger at the base of her throat.
His own throat went dry at the thought, and he knew that sooner or later he was going to have to check it out for himself. The thought raised his temperature another notch. “I’d better put that chicken on a platter. Where did you want to eat tonight?”
She shrugged. “Your call.”
“Good. I choose the great room again. I’m in the mood for a hot fire.”
“To go with the hot food,” she said with a laugh.
“Yeah.” And, he thought, hot sex wouldn’t be bad either. The idea had him sweating.
He set the grilled chicken and vegetables on a platter, then added the chips and salsa and the pitcher of Margaritas. “Have I forgotten anything?”
She slid from the stool to follow him. “With all this heat, we may need a pitcher of ice water.”
“If we do, I’ll come back for it.” He pushed the cart through the doorway and stopped beside the sofa.
While Alex arranged their plates and silverware, he tossed another log on the fire. Then they settled side by side on the sofa.
Grant lifted his glass to hers. “Here’s to a job well done.”
“I want to thank you, Grant. You and Lem got a lot done today.” She brought her glass to her lips and drank, then sighed. “This is so nice. I wasn’t expecting something as interesting as salsa and Margaritas. But they really hit the spot.”
“Just happy to oblige, ma’am.” He dipped a chip in salsa and held it out to her.
She had no choice but to accept. But when she reached out for it, he surprised her by guiding it to her mouth. As she opened her mouth she saw his eyes narrow and she absorbed a shaft of heat that went straight through her heart.
He was doing it again. With a single look he had her hot and cold and completely ill at ease.
Flustered she turned away and busied herself spooning chicken and vegetables onto her plate. When she looked up, he was still watching her in that quiet, intense way that caused her heart to miss several beats.
She picked up her glass and sipped, hoping for time to compose herself.
“So.” She set aside her drink and began to eat
. “What do you think of the scenery here at the lodge?”
“Amazing.” He stared pointedly at her. “The more I see, the more I like.” He saw the color rise to her cheeks and knew that she’d caught his meaning. It almost made him smile.
He helped himself to dinner. “Is it my imagination, or does food taste better here?”
“It could be because this is the first meal you’ve had all day.”
“Hmm. That’s a distinct possibility.”
She took another sip of her drink. “I’ve always found my appetite sharper here in the woods. Whenever I take myself off to civilization, I’m not nearly as hungry as when I’m home.”
“Where do you go when you’re not here?” He leaned back, willing himself to relax. It wasn’t as difficult as he’d imagined. There was something about Alex, and the fire and this room that put him at ease.
“Well, there are my two sisters who live here in New Hampshire. Lizbeth lives in the town of Stafford, and runs a cozy little bed and breakfast. My sister Celeste runs the Old Liberty Tavern, a historic inn in Liberty, New Hampshire. I try to visit them whenever I’m not too busy here at the lodge. And my parents currently run Fielding Manor outside London. I had a wonderful visit with them last year. And, of course, Grandpa Sully, whose pride and joy is The Villa Maria in Lake Como. That’s where I trained, and where I often return, just so I can spend time with him.”
He was watching her eyes while she spoke. They simply sparkled whenever she mentioned one of her family. Fascinating, he thought, and wanted to see if it would happen again. “Any more family? Or is that all of them?”
“Oh! Don’t get me started.” She laughed, that warm, liquid velvet sound that had a way of wrapping itself around his heart. And tugging. “There are Aunt Miriam and Uncle Phil in Venice. Their son, Rob, who just took over our ski lodge in Aspen. Uncle Hugh and his daughter, Fiona, who’ve been overseeing Castle Dunniefey in Dublin. My cousin Mark and his wife, Leah, in Vermont, and his brother, Adam, who just left for Paris. All of them in the hotel business.”
He lifted the pitcher, but before he could top off her glass she shook her head. “No more, thanks. I’m feeling pleasantly relaxed as it is. Anymore will just put me to sleep.”
She watched as he added the last of the salsa to his chicken. “You really do like it hot, don’t you?”
“Just seems a shame to waste it.” He polished off his meal, and ate the last of the nacho chips as well. But even he couldn’t finish the rest of the Margarita in the pitcher.
As Alex began to gather up the dishes, Grant brought the wheeled cart close and helped her load it. Then he pushed it to the kitchen while she trailed behind.
She indicated the coffeemaker. “Ready for some?”
“Sure. If you’re making it.”
Within minutes the kitchen was filled with the wonderful aroma of freshly ground coffee beans.
Alex set two cups on a silver tray, along with cinnamon sticks and a small tin of chocolate. When the coffee was ready she poured. As she did, a lock of her hair fell forward over one eye. When she looked up Grant was standing beside her. Before accepting the cup from her hand, he reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. It was an oddly intimate gesture that had her heart doing a series of somersaults.
Grant looked down into those eyes, wide with surprise. He hadn’t intended to touch her. It had been a purely spontaneous gesture. But now that he had, he couldn’t seem to stop himself from pressing closer. “I don’t know what smells better. You or that coffee.”
“Careful.” She backed up and felt the edge of the counter dig into her back. “You wouldn’t want me to spill this.”
He glanced down at her hand and was pleased to note that it was trembling. Could it be that she was as affected by the touch as he had been?
“No. We wouldn’t want that.” He’d fully intended to walk away, but he found he couldn’t. He simply had to push the boundaries a little more.
Her smile faded when he took the cup from her hand and set it on the counter, then smoothly moved in closer, invading her space. “There. That’s better.”
Better, maybe. But certainly not safer. For Alex there was nowhere to go. And nothing to do but try to pretend that this didn’t bother her. Not an easy thing to do when her heart was thundering in her chest like a runaway train.
He brought his face so close to her throat she could feel the whisper of his breath on her flesh. “What’s that perfume you’re wearing?”
For the space of a heartbeat her mind went totally blank. All she could think of was the way her body strained toward his. “Em…” She swallowed. Tried again. “Embrace.”
His gaze slid up to hers. Held. She saw his eyes heat. This was a dangerous game they were playing. But neither of them seemed able to call a halt to it. “It suits you.”
It seemed, to Alex, that everything was happening in slow motion. The way he lifted his hands to her shoulders, to run them slowly down her arms. The way he breathed her in as he drew her close and nuzzled her cheek, her jaw, the corner of her mouth.
She waited, afraid to breathe, her heart afraid to beat, as he ever-so-slowly fitted his mouth to hers.
She was wonderful to watch. With his eyes steady on hers, he kissed her, noting the way her eyes widened for a moment before the lashes fluttered, then closed as she lost herself in the kiss. There was the slightest flush on her cheeks that betrayed the excitement she tried to hide.
Her hands lifted to his chest. Though she was unaware of it, her fingers closed around the front of his shirt and drew him even closer. Her breath came out in a sigh of pleasure.
He’d thought this time he could keep the kiss light. But it was impossible. The moment their lips met, he experienced an explosion of feelings that had him dragging her roughly into his arms and kissing her until they were both breathless. She tasted like sin. Hot and sweet and oh-so-tempting. And the more he tasted, the more he wanted. What he wanted most, he realized, was everything. All she had to give and more.
There was no tenderness in the kiss now, only a rough sort of savageness that excited her even while it frightened her. His mouth moved over hers, no longer merely taking, but demanding. And the hands at her back were almost bruising in their intensity as they moved over her body, touching at will.
She couldn’t seem to engage her mind. She was helpless to stop him. With each touch, each taste, she found herself responding with a passion that shocked her. No man had ever taken her on such a wild, roller-coaster ride. And with nothing more than a kiss.
Dear heaven, what would it be like to give in to the needs driving her, and make love with such a man?
She wondered if she’d spoken the thought aloud. In that same instant, as though wondering himself, he lifted his head and lowered his hands to his sides. He took an experimental step back, as if to see if he could do so without stumbling.
His lips curved in a smile. As though, she thought, he was feeling extremely pleased with what he’d discovered.
“I think it would be a wise thing if I said good-night now, Alex.”
“Yes.” Her voice seemed to come from far away, and sounded strange in her own ears. “I’m feeling a bit tired myself.”
“Yeah. I can see that.” His smile grew as, with slow, easy movements, he took another step back and reached for the cup. Then he turned away.
Alex stood where she was, telling herself to breathe in and out. As her heartbeat returned to normal, she was grateful for the support of the kitchen counter behind her. Without it she was fairly certain she would have simply slid bonelessly to the floor.
Alex peeled off her clothes and slipped into flannel pajamas. Ordinarily she would simply climb into bed, turn out the light, roll to her side and be asleep within minutes. It was her nightly routine. After all, she’d been engaged in hard, physical work since early morning. It was natural to assume that her body craved rest. But tonight wasn’t like most nights. She knew, before even getting into bed, that sleep would be a long
time coming.
And all because of Grant Malone. Damn him for firing her blood and jumbling all her emotions. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so disconnected.
She first programmed her disk player with several soothing albums, hoping they could put her in the proper mood.
Proper mood. She winced. She’d been in the proper mood, all right. It would have taken no effort at all on his part to coax her into his bed. The minute he’d kissed her, she’d lost all her common sense.
What was it about this moody, troubled man that had her reacting like a girl with her first crush? Even now, just thinking about the look in his eyes had her heart racing, her palms sweating. What in the world was happening to her? She wanted, right this minute, to feel his kiss again. Wanted to feel again the tightly controlled strength in those arms. To have that muscled body pressed to hers.
He would be an exciting lover.
She sat on the edge of the bed and turned out the light, then dragged both hands through her tousled hair.
Enough of this, she cautioned herself. She was apt to be alone with this man for several weeks or more. The last thing she needed was to start entertaining any ideas about romancing a guest. Especially one as troubled and tense as Grant Malone.
What she needed, she decided, was something a bit more physically demanding for the next few days.
First thing in the morning, she and Lem would double their workload. There were windows to caulk and seal. Steps to be repaired on the back porch. A section of the roof that had begun leaking. Those chores ought to be enough to keep her from thinking about anything as foolish as falling into Grant’s arms.
She lay down and snuggled under the blankets. From her stereo came the voice of Tony Bennett crooning about leaving his heart in San Francisco. She had no intention of leaving hers anywhere. It was just fine where it was. Safe. Intact. Untouched.
She closed her eyes. Rolled to her side. And waited for sleep.
Chapter 5
Grant leaned a hip against the windowsill in the great room and stared out into the darkness. He was barefoot and shirtless. His jeans, unsnapped, rode low on his hips. He’d undressed, and had even climbed into bed, before giving up on the idea. Finally, he’d rolled out of bed, pulled on his jeans and stormed out of his room.
