Burning for Love: Los Angeles Armstrongs 2 (The Armstrongs Book 8)

by Gray, Jessica

  Wide awake, he fumbled for his flashlight and switched it on. It was Roxie. When she stopped to turn around, he could hear the sound of teeth chattering.

  “Roxie?”

  She turned to face him and could barely get the words out. “It’s…soo…co…cold…”

  “It’s becoming a habit for you to be cold,” he teased her, but felt guilty when she didn’t even crack a smile. All of his careful self-control went out the window. He’d vowed to stay away from her for his own sake but couldn’t keep his distance while she froze to death.

  “Roxie, come over here.” Drake slipped his upper body out of his sleeping bag, the chilly air sending goosebumps to his arms and neck. He didn’t have to check his instruments to know it was below freezing point.

  The rickety shack croaked as a gust of wind hit it, and he was pretty sure it was snowing. He consulted his smartphone and the app connected to his instruments outside indicated it was indeed snowing and the temperature had plummeted into the single digits in the space of just a few hours. The howling intensified and he saw how Roxie jumped at the sound.

  “It’s just the wind. The hut is sheltered from most of the wind and snow by the rock wall, so we should be fine.” He tried to sound assuring and confident.

  “But…so… cold,” Roxie mumbled, her breath forming white clouds in the flashlight.

  “Come on. Get in here and let me help you get warm.”

  He pulled her sleeping bag over and zipped the two together. Both of their down sleeping bags were designed to keep a mountaineer comfortable in extreme weather conditions. Now he was glad he’d asked Anita to loan hers to Roxie after he’d seen the sorry excuse of summer bag she owned.

  Roxie didn’t put up any resistance and slipped inside with him, where he pulled her tight into his arms. He had to chuckle at her attempts to literally crawl inside his skin in her bid to find warmth.

  “How long have you been up and walking?” Drake asked.

  “I don’t know. It was so cold, I thought moving would help,” she mumbled while she tucked her ice cube like hands beneath his t-shirt.

  “You should have woken me,” he answered. He didn’t mention that it was about the worst thing one could do to leave the sleeping bag and walk around in the cold at night.

  As Roxie’s body warmed, his own body responded to her nearness. Suddenly it was hot inside the sleeping bag. Flaming hot. Sleep would be a long time coming, with the most gorgeous woman pressed up against him, chest to chest, and one of her thighs entangled between his own.

  After a long time she lifted her head up and it was the most natural thing in the world to kiss her inviting lips.

  He kissed her long and deep, tracing the outline of her lips with his tongue, but when she moaned in response, he pulled back. He couldn’t let it go any further, not after she’d told him she wasn’t ready for a commitment.

  “Think you can get a few more hours of sleep now?” he questioned softly.

  “Thank you. You’re nice and warm.” Roxie snuggled under his chin and pressed against him. Moments later he heard her breath become slow and steady. She’d fallen asleep.

  Drake smiled into her hair and held her in his arms. His entire body was on fire, and there was nothing he could do about it. After tortured minutes spent against her, sleep finally claimed him.

  Hours later the sun peeked through cracks in the wall and woke him. With a glance on his smartphone he noticed it was just past six a.m. Drake moved and found himself painfully aroused, a warm, squirmy woman doing her best to completely drive him crazy.

  During their sleep, Roxie had rolled over in his arms and now her back was pressed against his front. And his immense hard-on. She kept pushing her hips and butt into him, moaning in her sleep. He needed to get away from the temptation.

  As he backed up to slip out of the sleeping bag, she rolled over, opened her eyes and looked at him drowsy with sleep, but still full of desire. Drake drowned in her eyes and abandoned his intentions to stay away from her. When she grabbed his shoulder, holding his gaze, Drake did what any warm-blooded male would do in this situation. He kissed her until they were both gasping for breath.

  Chapter 13

  Roxie had the most delicious dream of a big, handsome man with dark tousled hair and bright blue eyes. In her dream, he was curled around her body and was pressed against his hard chest and another, even harder thing, further down. She moaned in delight.

  Turns out it wasn’t a dream. Because when she opened her eyes, she looked straight into Drake’s amazing baby blues. Ohmygod. Roxie didn’t have time to form a coherent thought, because in the next moment his mouth captured hers in a punishing kiss.

  She gave herself over to the amazing sensations zipping through her body. Reality was even more exhilarating than her dream. Her lips opened for him and his tongue darted inside, exploring every corner of her mouth. She grabbed his neck to hold him closer to her, greedy to savor every bit of his kiss.

  Electric sensations rippled through her body all the way down to her toes and she longed for more. Much more. A ray of the rising sun peeked through a crack in the wall and tickled her nose. She felt the sneeze rising up inside of her, but there was no way to stop it. Her sneezing completely ruined the mood – and the earth-shattering kiss.

  But it gave her a chance to clear her head. It wasn’t a good idea to go any further, because last night he’d been adamant he didn’t do flings. And a fling was all she was willing to give him. She wanted her freedom. She needed it.

  After breaking up with her ex, she’d sworn never to have that kind of relationship again. He’d been deadlocked in his convictions and habits. Like a ninety-year-old. He went to the same restaurants, never changed the brand of his car or the color of his socks. Every year he spent his vacation at the same time in the same place on the coast where his parents owned a small condo.

  Just once Roxie wanted to vacation somewhere else, but he’d refused to even consider a change. Now that she’d broken free from the shackles of boredom and predictability, she wanted to venture out into the world to see and experience everything she’d missed.

  The mere thought of being trapped in a relationship again made her shudder. Drake still held her in his arms and must have sensed her shudder.

  “Are you cold again?” he asked with such a soft voice, she wavered in her determination to stop things right now and here. All she wanted to do was press herself against him and get lost in his heat.

  “No. It’s just…maybe kissing wasn’t such a good idea. I mean, you want something serious and I don’t.”

  His blue eyes clouded over, as he nodded and released her shoulders. Roxie wished he had argued with her, hadn’t let her go. Why had he let her go when all she wanted was him? She exhaled and clamped her eyes shut against his hypnotic gaze. Drake Armstrong spelled trouble and she’d sunk knee deep in it.

  On one hand she wanted to be with him, even if that meant giving up some of her newfound freedom. On the other hand, she wasn’t ready to be serious about anyone again. Being trapped again. Thanks, but no thanks.

  It would be best for both of them if she extricated herself from the sleeping bag and got dressed again. Currently, she wore her long skiing underwear and based upon the hard-on pressing against her hips, she needed more clothing. Roxie pushed herself up in the sleeping bag and unzipped it, letting in the frigid air.

  “Brrr…it sure got cold in a hurry.”

  Drake followed suit and walked over to his backpack in nothing but boxers and a tight t-shirt. It was pure coincidence that she glanced at him in that very moment. She licked her lips and gulped at the sight of his bulging biceps. His thin hips widened into broad shoulders and ooohhh those thick and muscled thighs. Her entire body tightened with the need to continue what they’d started and she averted her gaze quickly. This is so not fair! No man should look that fabulous. Especially not the one I just pushed from my makeshift bed.

  Nature called and she remembered a latrine situated
to the side of the hut. She focused on tying her boots and then pushed open the door of the hut.

  “Whoa! Drake, it snowed.” She turned around and kept her eyes fixed on his face. Don’t ogle him. Don’t do it.

  “Yeah, I saw that last night,” he said.

  “Do your little instruments tell you how much snow is out here?” Now that he was fully dressed again, it was safe to look at him, right?

  Wrong.

  “No. How much?”

  “Uhm…well, I’d say five inches and it’s still snowing hard.”

  “Damn!” he exclaimed, and rushed to the door. “Sorry. That’s not good news.”

  Roxie nodded and then reached for her jacket. “I’m going to use the lovely facilities over there.”

  Drake hid a smile. “Stick close to the building and don’t get lost. I’ll make us breakfast. Instant coffee and powdered eggs with freeze-dried hash browns.”

  “Sounds yummy,” Roxie commented as she slipped out of the shelter.

  She took his advice and stayed within touching distance of the shelter at all times. Snowflakes swirled in a heavy blanked of white and the gushing wind made visibility almost non-existent.

  When she returned several minutes later Drake was melting snow in a pot for their breakfast. She opted to keep on her jacket, because even though the hut sheltered them from wind and snow, the interior temperature was barely higher than outside.

  “Thanks for breakfast.”

  “Don’t mention it.” Drake grinned.

  After breakfast they ventured out into the snow. Roxie knew the view from up here must normally be breathtaking, but she could barely see her hand in front of her face. The force of the blasts picked up as soon as they left the wind shadow of the rock wall and Roxie reached for Drake’s hand. No way would she walk on her own in this snow storm. After wading several feet in knee-high sticky snow, they gave up and returned.

  “There’s no way we can hike down the mountain in this weather. It’s not safe.” Drake stated what she’d already suspected.

  They stomped their feet to get rid of the snow and then entered the hut.

  “How long do we have to stay here?” she asked with a tiny voice.

  “I don’t know. Hours. Days. There’s no way to say.” When he saw the worry on her face, he added, “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine. Usually the weather in the mountains changes fast. By noon it might be nice and clear and we can hike down to the car in sunshine.”

  Roxie wasn’t convinced. They were trapped inside this rickety shack, while outside a horrible snowstorm ravaged the mountains. The bitter cold had settled in, bone deep and even though their shelter boasted a fireplace, there was no wood to make a fire.

  Drake must have picked up on her mood because a few moments later he called her away from the window in the door and extended a hand holding a deck of playing cards.

  “Come over here and we’ll waste some time,” he said and gestured to his side. He’d unzipped their sleeping bags and sat on one of them, the other one wrapped around his shoulders.

  “You look funny,” she said, but followed his invitation and sat beside him. It was cozy and incredibly exciting to sit together with him in their cave, and once again she started wanting things she shouldn’t.

  They played a few hands of cards, and soon the game was forgotten as they talked about their childhoods and school years. If being trapped in a snowstorm could be considered fun, with Drake it was.

  She actually forgot to worry and giggled as he told her about the mischiefs he’d committed as a kid. Being with him made her feel safe. And desired. Without giving it much thought, she leaned into his shoulder and he slipped an arm around her waist in response.

  The feel of his arm around her waist kindled the sparks and her body demanded to get more of him, while her mind still debated whether this was a good idea or not… until she felt his lips on hers and fire ignited in her body. She opened her lips for him with a sigh and received his probing tongue. Little zings of delight shot through her as he expertly took the kiss deeper and deeper.

  But that pesky little voice in her head ruined the fun and after several long moments of doubt and indecision, she pushed away from him.

  Chapter 14

  Drake’s body tightened with frustration. One moment Roxie meowed like a cat in his arms and the next moment she bared her claws. How on earth was he supposed to handle her mixed signals?

  He shook the sleeping bag off his shoulders and reached for his jacket. Since waking up with her butt pressed against his groin, moaning in sexual need, he’d been on the edge. It was time to give his overheated body the opportunity to cool off.

  “I’ll go and check the weather,” he said and slammed the door behind him.

  As soon as he stepped from the wind shadow, icy snow crystals peppered his face, but the pain was a welcome distraction from Roxie’s soft and warm curves. And his raging desire for her.

  The intensity of the snowfall had picked up since the morning, and the fog had settled in around the mountain. To make matters worse, his seismometer showed activity. I hope it’s only from the weight of the snow. No way in hell will we make it down the mountain in these conditions.

  That thought didn’t strike fear in Drake like it would have less seasoned hikers. He was always prepared for the worst and carried more stuff than he’d possibly need – under normal conditions.

  The icy wind chilled his bones even through the windproof jacket, so he scooped up some fresh snow and stepped back inside the shelter. Their provisions would last at least another day, longer if they skimped. Drinking wouldn’t be a problem, because they could melt snow.

  “Care for a cup of coffee?” he asked Roxie, who sat on the sleeping bag, face lined with worry. Dammit! If he gave in to his impulse to comfort her, she’d probably kiss him passionately and then cut him off again. No thanks.

  Taking the pot of boiling water from the stove, he poured them two mugs of instant coffee and handed her one. She looked so fragile. His anger melted away.

  “Thanks,” she whispered and grabbed the mug with both hands.

  “The weather isn’t getting any better. It’s still snowing and the fog has arrived. We can’t risk hiking down.” He waited for her to speak and when she didn’t, he told her his decision. “We’ll have to spend another night here.”

  Her face paled, but she didn’t move, or speak a word. Drake squatted down in front of her.

  “Roxie?”

  Her reaction stunned him. She set the mug aside as tears fell from her eyes and sobs rocked her body. What was a man to do? Take her into his arms, of course. So he did, and noticed how cold she was. Again.

  He pulled her onto his lap like a baby and cradled her against his chest, the spare sleeping bag tightly wrapped around both of them. Drake had lost track of the time when she finally stopped sobbing and looked up at him. Double dammit! He wouldn’t kiss her. Not again.

  “Aren’t you the one who was looking for adventure?” he asked in an effort to distract his attention from her inviting lips. She started crying again and he could have kicked himself. “Sorry, Roxie. Please stop crying.”

  “I’m afraid. I just want to go home. What happens if it doesn’t stop snowing and we’re stuck up here for days? We’ll freeze and starve to death.” More sobs shook her tiny frame.

  Drake didn’t want to belittle her concerns, and he knew this was not the ideal first hiking experience he would have wanted for her. “Roxie, I’m not going to let anything bad happen to us. I promise. I’m here to protect you.”

  “You think I’m being silly…”

  “No, I think you’re being cautious. And a little fear is good. Nothing bad is going to happen.” Drake kissed the top of her head.

  “Thank you.” Roxie snuggled closer to him, making him want her all the more. “I’m glad you’re here. I wouldn’t want to be alone right now.”

  Drake felt the same, and much more. This woman had occupied every last part o
f his body, mind, and soul and held him captive with her allure. But that didn’t matter. Because she didn’t do serious relationships.

  “Roxie, you know, you can still enjoy freedom and do exciting things even when you’re in a relationship. Having a boyfriend isn’t the end of one’s life.”

  ***

  Roxie acknowledged Drake’s irritation with her hot and cold persona, heck she’d confused herself. While she wanted Drake with every fiber of her body, there was no way she could get involved with him. Not when she hadn’t recovered from the last time. But he deserved better than her erratic behavior. And if they had to spend another night up here, they needed to start with a clean slate.

  “Drake, can we talk for a minute?”

  “Sure.” He nodded with apprehension in his face.

  “I…what just happened…”

  “You mean you kissing me one minute and then pushing me away the next?” Drake asked, barely concealing his frustration.

  “Yes. Look, we talked last night about our conflicting views on relationships, but I have a reason for mine.” She interlaced her hands with his to feel the connection. “I just broke up with my boyfriend before coming here. He was the reason I needed a change. We were serious, and had been together forever. But…he was so predictable. Boring. He planned everything months ahead, never did anything out of the ordinary.”

  Roxie paused, but she didn’t dare to look at Drake. He didn’t interrupt her, but simply squeezed her hand. This confession would be easier if her stomach didn’t do double flip-flops just by being near him.

  “Something like these last two days would have sent him into shock. He wanted to plan and control everything, and I mean everything.” She shuddered at the thought of one of her ex’s fits of rage, because there was an accident on the highway and they’d arrived late for dinner with his parents.

  Drake chuckled. “I hope you don’t consider me boring. Although I like to plan ahead, I know that even with the best-laid plan things can go wrong. Hence, the snowstorm outside that shouldn’t have arrived for at least another few weeks. I realized years ago that things can, and will, go wrong. The best bet is to plan for the worst and rejoice when the best happens. When you go to the places I do, being unprepared can put you in mortal danger. Organization isn’t about being predictable. It’s about survival.”