by R. C. Ryan
Matt smiled. “What does your father do?”
“He’s the district attorney for Cook County.”
Matt’s raised brow said more than words. “No wonder he often doesn’t make it home for supper.”
“Yeah.” She shook her head. “And on top of that, he’s a workaholic. He can’t leave it at the office. Most nights he brings home stacks of documents to read late into the night.”
“Those must be some pretty high-profile cases he’s dealing with.”
Vanessa nodded. “He often jokes that there must be something in Chicago’s air to bring so many criminals to his district.”
Matt regarded her. “So that’s why you went into law?”
She shrugged. “In the beginning. I’ve always wanted to be like my dad. Especially since losing my mother. He used to say the two of us were joined at the hip. If I get hurt, he bleeds. If I have a problem, he won’t sleep until it’s resolved. So it was a given that I’d study law. But midway through my courses, I realized that I didn’t want to pursue criminal law. I found myself wanting to get involved in social justice.”
“And that led to animal activism.”
“Exactly. It’s something I’m passionate about. And I think I can make a difference.”
“Is your father disappointed that you didn’t follow him into criminal law?”
She chuckled. “I’m sure he’s had some twinges. He made it clear that there would always be a place for me on his staff. But I think he’s proud of the fact that I want to make my own way.”
Matt nodded. “He should be proud.”
She eyed him over the rim of her cup. “Even though my choice has brought me to your doorstep to meddle with your privacy?”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Yeah. Lucky me. Now I get to spar with an animal activist who’s passionate about saving every wolf, deer, and bear in these hills.”
“Bear?” She raised a brow. “Have you seen bears in this area?”
He gave a negligent shrug. “Sure. And right about now they’re waking from hibernation and feeling mean and hungry. Want to go on a mission to feed them?”
“That depends. Would I be the food?”
He wiggled his brows like a mock villain. “You’d be a tasty morsel, little lady.”
That had her laughing aloud. “Gee, thanks.”
He started to gather up the dishes, and once again, as she had the previous night, she stopped him. “You made breakfast. I can clean these.”
“Okay.” He got to his feet and removed his parka from a hook by the door. “I’ll chop some logs. It’ll give me a chance to see what damage that storm did.”
When he was gone, Vanessa finished her coffee before picking up the dishes and heading toward the sink.
Yesterday she’d thought being stuck in this godforsaken wilderness was the worst possible situation. Today, after a good night’s sleep and a satisfying breakfast, it was feeling more like an adventure.
Of course, having had a good look at the sexy cowboy sharing this adventure put a whole new spin on things.
As she washed the dishes and stowed them away, she found herself smiling. If she hurried, she might catch him chopping wood.
Visions of silly cowboy movies played through her mind. A gorgeous hunk, shirtless of course, working up a sweat while whittling away on a downed tree. A helpless maiden being scooped up in his arms, clinging breathlessly to her hero.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. First of all, he may be gorgeous and hunky, but she was no helpless female in need of strong arms. And second, she was quite certain the cowboy who brought her here would be driving up very soon to return her to civilization.
And though she would miss the spirited give-and-take of last night with Matthew Malloy, it was time she got back to reality. If she spent too much time up here, she might just lose touch altogether.
Matt gathered up an armload of logs and made his way to the cabin just as Vanessa pulled open the door.
While she held it, he stepped inside and deposited the wood alongside the fireplace.
“That was quick.”
He wiped his hands on his pants before turning. “I can’t take credit for chopping all of this today. Some of it was left over from yesterday.”
“Is there much damage from the storm?”
He nodded toward the doorway. “See for yourself.”
She stepped outside and he followed.
“There’s no snow.” She looked down. The ground, which yesterday had been snow covered, was now a sea of mud.
“Yeah. Better watch where you step. Some of that could be ankle deep.”
She paused to study a giant evergreen leaning at a precarious angle. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
Matt nodded. “I’ll have the crew take it down as soon as they can get up here with some chainsaws.”
“What’s holding it up?”
He shrugged. “Probably some roots buried deep enough to keep it from falling all the way.”
“Could it have crushed the cabin last night?”
He smiled. “From the angle it’s leaning, I’d say it was in a better position to take out a couple more trees.” He pointed. “It would have taken Noah’s flood to carry it this far.”
She gave a sigh of relief.
Matt pointed to a rock ledge not far from the cabin. “If you stand up there, you can see for miles.”
As she started forward he moved along beside her until they reached the ledge. He closed strong fingers around her wrist. “This is as far as you want to go.” He pointed. “That ravine may not look too deep, because it’s covered over with a wild tangle of brush. But it’s actually a drop-off that falls hundreds of yards down. It would be like dropping from the top of one of your Chicago skyscrapers.”
With a hand to her throat she stepped back from the edge, feeling a quick, jittery rush of panic.
“Are you afraid of heights?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t think so. But that left me a little…shaky.”
Or was it the nearness of this man as he surveyed his land? His kingdom? Or maybe it was the strength in those fingers as they’d closed around her wrist. The mere thought of him had her sweating. Whatever the reason, she was feeling breathless. And more than a little shaken.
At the sound of ringing, Matt retrieved his cell phone from his pocket. “Hey, Burke. I’m surprised we can get a signal up here.” He listened, then added, “Okay. I’ll tell her.”
As he tucked his phone away he turned. “Burke thinks the trail is passable. He’s leaving camp now. By the time he gets here, he’ll have a pretty good idea of the damage done and whether or not he can make it back to the ranch.”
Vanessa swallowed back a twinge of unexpected disappointment. Her little adventure had just come to an end.
“Well.” She reached for the cell phone in the pocket of her skirt. “I guess I can phone home now.”
She pressed the button for her father’s number and was surprised when his message came on without a single ring.
“Hi, Dad. It’s me. Sorry I couldn’t get through to you until now. I’m hoping to be home before too late tonight.”
Feeling oddly deflated at not being able to speak with her father, she turned toward the door. “I guess I’ll just gather up my papers and be ready to leave. I wouldn’t want to hold Burke up.”
Before Matt could follow her inside, his phone rang again. He remained outside, listening in silence.
When he finally stepped into the cabin, he crossed to the kitchen and began filling a box with food containers.
She watched him. “Won’t you need that?”
He shook his head. “Looks like I’m leaving, too. I’ll have Burke haul this down the mountain while I ride behind on my horse.”
“Is anything wrong?”
He looked over, his face devoid of emotion. “Just some storm damage at the ranch.”
“I hope it’s nothing serious.”
He gave a shrug. “N
othing new in these parts.” He set the box on the floor near the door. “I’m sure we’ll handle it.”
Hearing the sound of a truck’s engine, she started past him. As her body brushed against his, she felt a sudden, shocking sexual jolt.
She paused for a mere moment, tipping her face up to his, her eyes wide, her breath catching in her throat.
Matt reached for the door, but instead of opening it, he kept his voice low. “I’m sorry again you had to spend the night.”
“I’m not.” The words slipped out before she had time to think. Then, trying to cover her lapse, she bit her lower lip. “I’m not sorry, Matt. Whenever I look back on this, I’ll think of it as my excellent Montana adventure.”
He was staring at her mouth in a way that had her throat going dry. There was a hint of a smile on his lips. “I hope I won’t be a villain in your memory.”
“Far from it.”
Something in the way she said it had him looking from her mouth to her eyes.
Alarmed that he could read her thoughts, she blindly reached a hand to the door, only to have her hand come in contact with his.
She pulled it away as though burned, but it was too late. The rush of heat had her cheeks going bright pink.
“Nessa…”
She looked up to see him watching her in that quiet, closed way.
Before she had a chance to think about what she was doing she stood on tiptoe and touched his mouth with a soft butterfly kiss as light as a snowflake.
His eyes narrowed. His hands gripped her shoulders and for a moment he hesitated, as though considering. Then he lowered his head, staring into her eyes before covering her lips with his.
He kissed her with a thoroughness that had all the breath backing up in her throat. His lips, warm and firm, moved over hers with an intensity that had her heart pounding in her temples. There was such controlled strength in him. In the way he held her. The way he touched her. The way he kissed her. It was the most purely sensual feeling she’d ever experienced. She had a sudden urgent desire to see all that cool composure slip away.
Caught by complete surprise, her papers slipped from her hands, spilling onto the floor as she leaned into him, craving more.
He lingered a moment longer, as though unable or unwilling to break contact.
Breathing hard, his fingers closed around her upper arms, and he held her a little away while his eyes narrowed on hers. “Sorry. My fault.”
“No. Mine. I…” She stared at the documents on the floor, as though unaware of how they got there.
They both dropped to their knees, gathering the papers, studiously avoiding touching.
When they stood, they both heard the sound of a truck door being slammed.
As the cabin door opened, they stepped apart, neither of them willing to look at the other.
Chapter Six
Burke stood in the open doorway. “I hope you’re ready, Miss Kettering. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us through a sea of mud.”
“I’m…ready.” Completely flustered, she held her laptop and folders to her chest as she stepped outside.
Burke trailed her, carrying the box of supplies that had been sitting by the door.
Matt strode to the kitchen counter and filled the other boxes.
While Vanessa settled into the passenger side, Matt and Burke made several trips back and forth from the cabin to the truck, storing boxes in the rear of the vehicle.
Then, as the old cowboy climbed into the driver’s side and started along a muddy trail, Vanessa turned in time to see Matt leading a horse from the lean-to behind the cabin.
She glanced at Burke, who merely grinned. “I warned Matt it would be a messy slog, but he wasn’t about to leave old Beau behind.”
“Do you think they’ll make it?”
At the worried look in her eyes he merely chuckled. “No matter the condition of the trail, my money’s always on Matt Malloy. That man could make it through a blizzard, a nor’easter, or the storm of the century.”
“You make him sound like Superman.”
“Better than that, Miss Kettering. Superman’s fiction. Matt’s a real flesh-and-blood cowboy. I don’t think there’s a crisis in these parts that Matt couldn’t overcome.”
Vanessa sat back, pondering the old man’s words.
What was it about Matt Malloy that had her behaving like someone she didn’t even know? Take that kiss. She’d actually initiated it. And why? At the moment she wasn’t sure. But at the time, she’d been incapable of resisting the urge. And once started, she felt as though she’d unleashed a hurricane.
That mouth. Those clever lips. Those strong arms holding her as gently as if she were delicate crystal.
Instead of pushing away, she’d become completely caught up in the moment. She couldn’t recall the last time a man’s kiss had had such an effect on her. She’d been absolutely drowning in feelings, and all in the space of a couple of seconds.
Though she tried to keep from looking back, every once in a while she would swivel her head to see Matt on his horse, navigating the trail some distance behind their truck.
Before they were even halfway to the ranch, the truck was covered in mud, as were the horse and rider behind them. But despite the conditions of the trail, the horse never stumbled or slowed its pace. And the man astride his horse sat tall in the saddle, looking as regal as a king surveying his kingdom.
Old Burke glanced in the rearview mirror before turning his gaze on her. “How’d you like to be riding with him?”
She’d been thinking the same thing. Despite the terrible conditions of the trail, there was something so raw and primitive about Matt Malloy, she’d been daydreaming about riding behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist, her face pressed to his neck. The mere thought had her shivering.
“I guess I should be glad I wasn’t dressed for riding.”
He joined in her laughter. “My thoughts exactly. Though I do love my horse, I’ll take the comfort of this truck anytime, especially after a storm like the one we had last night.”
Her own laughter rang hollow in her ears. In truth, she would take the sea of mud anytime over the comfort of this truck, if only she could have her hands on Matt Malloy.
To keep from thinking about him, she plucked her cell phone from her pocket and dialed her father’s cell. She left another message before calling his office, where she left a similar message.
Puzzled, she made a mental note to try him again on the plane ride home.
Matt had to keep forcing his attention back to the treacherous trail. The thought of Vanessa Kettering kept blurring his focus.
He prided himself on always being in control. Ever since the tragic death of his parents, he’d assumed the role of leader to his two younger brothers, though he was still as wild and free as he’d always been. He worked hard at leaving the spontaneous, juvenile behavior to Luke and Reed. He’d trained himself to be disciplined and deliberate, steering the family business in a safe direction, always weighing both sides of an issue before making a decision that he knew would affect his entire family.
And back there in the range shack he’d thrown caution to the wind to do something just for the hell of it.
He would like to blame it on the situation. A small, cramped cabin. A gorgeous, unexpected woman interrupting all his carefully laid plans of solitude. The fact that he’d been forced to watch her sleep just a few feet away. But the truth was that those were all flimsy excuses for his out-of-character behavior. He’d kissed her simply because he’d wanted to.
It was only a kiss, he told himself. But again, truth won out, and he was forced to admit that, despite the fact that he’d kept it as light as possible, that simple touch of her lips had been an assault on all his senses. An explosion of light in his brain, followed by a rush of heat before the floor beneath his feet began to go all crazy and actually tilt until he’d nearly lost his balance. And all the while, thoughts of taking her right there on the cold, hard floor of the ca
bin had played through his mind.
What in hell had happened to his logic? His common sense?
He didn’t know what intrigued him more. The fact that he was actually sorry that Vanessa Kettering was leaving, or the fact that he’d behaved like some kind of lonely mountain man bidding a final farewell.
A mountain man. He ran a hand through his rough beard and swore. Wasn’t that how she saw him? As some kind of Neanderthal?
Still, she hadn’t slapped his face, though he’d deserved it. And he could tell himself that he read an invitation in her eyes, especially after that sweet little kiss she’d given him first, but that didn’t give him the right to take advantage. She was a guest. Here to interview his grandmother. And the fact that she’d been forced to spend the night didn’t give him any rights.
He swore. It had been just a quick kiss. And yet, even now, slogging through mud that required his full attention, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. And about the woman who’d felt so damned good in his arms.
It was a lucky thing she was leaving. He wasn’t going to see her again. Because if he did, he’d be tempted to share much more than a kiss.
Vanessa Kettering had been a lovely distraction, but now he needed to get his mind back on the family business.
Matt hosed down his mud-spattered horse and toweled him dry before turning him loose in a pasture. Though old Beau had stood perfectly still during the entire process, Matt could have sworn that sly animal was smiling and enjoying being pampered. And once in the pasture, the old horse kicked up its heels and broke into a gallop.
It was exactly how Matt felt. Some time in the hills, one unplanned kiss, and he felt like a stallion just turned loose in a field full of sleek mares.
He looked around at the portion of roof ripped from one of the outbuildings. A section of fence was missing, obviously blown away in the wind. And a corral gate stood at an odd angle, having been nearly ripped off its hinges during the storm.
How much more, he wondered, had been damaged by last night’s storm?
