by Cora Blu
“My knife, wallet,” he continued.
“Your wallet is behind me on the counter drying out.”
“My knife?” he groaned.
“A Gerber LMF II is not a knife. It’s a weapon.”
“I’m impressed,” he said. “Now where is it?”
“Answer a few questions first.”
He shook his head. “Americans and their suspicions.” She blanched under his weighted stare and had no clue what she said that was so wrong.
Jerking away from the table, he stood and gathered his things from the counter.
“It’s all there—your cash, even the picture you carry of yourself. A bit vain, don’t you think?”
“It’s my brother, Mikhail,” he admitted.
“You’re a twin? But you said he had different parents. I don’t understand.” She fought not to stare at his cute butt and tried not to imagine another man just like him in the world.
“The knife, Simone—where is it?” His tone turned into an irritated groan. Her brows shifted together.
“Wait a minute, grumpy,” she scolded him. “Explain this picture. Brother—different parents—what’s going on here?” She stiffened as his mouth a breath away from hers. Coffee and raw man filled her nostrils.
“Hand over the knife or I’ll strip search you, lady.”
“Not if you like the family jewels to stay in their bag,” she said, gradually moving the knife she had tucked under her hip to aim the tip at his groin. She trailed his stare down between them. “Why do you carry such a big knife?”
“Up here everybody carries a knife.”
Caught up in the clean scent coming off him, she missed his quick movement, jerking the knife from her hand and clenching his free hand around her wrist. Simone braced a hand to his waist as his chest pressed her up-turned knee into her chest, locking her into the chair. “There’s an easier way to see my family jewels, Simone, but I’ll need to see something in return.”
“I’ve seen them. Remember?” She darted a glance at his teasing eyes.
“They failed to impress you?”
“Quite the opposite, but I prefer jewelry I can wear every day, not just on vacation.”
“Things you buy on vacation aren’t meant for every day. Stick with the smaller everyday jewelry.”
“I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m tempted to make an impulse purchase.” She brushed a finger over his wily eyebrows, smoothing them down flat, one then the other. Seth stayed focused on her mouth she noticed, as he had when his body woke up under the water earlier, curved in toward his navel, the thick tip flush with the surface of the water.
“You can always return it.” That comment screamed divorce to Simone. Was he advocating it or coming out of one?
“I’d prefer the sort you never take off. The kind you bathe in and sleep in.”
“Smart lady,” he said. “Save yourself for jewelry that shines in the darkest rooms.”
“That’s the plan,” she said, the musky raw scent of him made it hard to keep from leaning in and inhaling him deep into her lungs. She focused on the space between his eyes. Any place else was too delicious at the moment as he and the knife returned to the other side of the table. No, she’d had enough cocktail jewelry she wanted something that held its sparkle even after it got dirty. Someone to share her future with. “Tell me about your twin, and why you have different parents,” she said and returned to her computer to search through her pictures on her laptop.
He pushed up from the table.
“Come grab the pillows and blankets from the bed first while I grab the mattress unless you prefer to sleep without heat.”
“Lead the way,” she said, closing the laptop to save her battery.
~~~
Seth knelt in front of the potbelly stove, turning his jacket inside out so the pockets would dry. He glanced up, listening to the soft creaks of the little shanty as wind blew across the shingles outside. Through the small window over the sink, he could see snow falling thicker and faster now.
The sight of her hips cantered out as she studied her screen, had his body standing painfully behind the jeans.
“You were telling me about your brother,” Simone said.
He nodded. “When we were born the doctors informed my parent’s one of their boys was stillborn.” He paused as Simone clutched her stomach and closed her eyes.
“That’s terrible. I’m sorry finish what you were saying,” she said, visibly swallowing back some emotion.
“This happened in Russia thirty years ago. Two years ago, my mother watched a news report where the same doctor was charged with baby trafficking. After months of research, we found that my brother was one of the babies stolen.
“That’s wild…” she said, relaxing on her elbows, her face tilted up, giving him full attention. “What did the news say happened?”
“A Russian newspaper ran the story of a local nurse caught in the trafficking business was to have the charges dropped against her. Turns out my mother recognized her face and contacted the authorities. The case was reopened when more people came forward.”
“After thirty years? Isn’t there a statute of limitation on things like this? How many families were even involved?”
“To be honest, Simone, I don’t care about the legalities of it all. Let the authorities handle that. I just wanna find my brother.”
“So why didn’t he come down to the hotel instead of having you trek all the way up here? And if he’s expecting you, then he’ll come looking for you when you don’t show up tonight.”
He couldn’t help noticing the swell of her hip jutting out as she leaned over the counter and opened her laptop. Moisture built in his mouth while thinking of sharing the bed with her tonight. Her legs wedged between his. Those soft breasts pressed to his chest. He ran his fingers through his hair to regain his focus as she cleared her throat.
“Seth, are you listening to anything I’m saying?” she asked, tapping his foot with hers.
He hooked his ankle around hers and ran his bare feet over her skin. He caught her soft hiss as she pretended not to notice the way he played with her.
“My brother, Mikhail, doesn’t know I exist.”
“You know his name. Why doesn’t he know about you?”
He relaxed his shoulders, watched her eyes work over the tight sweater stretched across his chest, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. “Some of the families knew the children were stolen.”
“And you think his family knows the truth about his illegal adoption?”
“What would you conclude when many families refuse to come forward—to speak out?”
Seth leaned in as Simone turned at the waist and leaned back along the hard edge. This woman was beautiful. Boxy sweater and tight jeans made her sexier than he had first thought. She flashed warm, brown eyes up to him.
“They own the hiking lodge at the top of the mountain, don’t they?”
“Yes,” he said, brushing thick soft hair off the tip of her ear and tucking it back. Simone was so different from the women he’d known over the last few years. She was soft. A woman who was caring, loving, and everything he steered away from. That sort of woman was more than he deserved.
“How much danger are you in going up there alone?”
“I won’t get you involved any more than you are. I promise to see you safely down the mountain and to the airport.”
She waved him off, stunning him further.
“You took our bags off the tour van, didn’t you?” she asked.
“No,” he refuted, peering at the thick snow falling past the window through the shutters. If anyone skulked outside recently, their tracks would show now. “We were in the woods together,” he reassured her, running his hand through his hair. “I tracked my brother and his family to these mountains. My mother tried contacting them, but she never received an answer.” He watched her change the screen on the little laptop. More pictures appeared. “Their email account had been hack
ed and their outgoing mail was being destroyed as the emails were sent or contained viruses. Somebody close to the families knows something.”
Simone hopped up on the counter, held his hand in her lap and the heat off her body was doing him in. “You know who sent the van over the cliff—killing those innocent people, don’t you?”
“Stay out of it, Simone. I’m done answering questions,” he said. And could see her lips forming more questions as he spoke.
“You carry that big knife because someone is following you—us—now?” she asked. He stepped between her legs as the slideshow of photos crossed her laptop screen beside her hip. “Wait a minute! Go back to the picture of the lobby,” he said, absently hooking an arm behind her hip as he leaned over her lap to get a closer view of the monitor. “Right there, stop.” Together they moved the portable mouse over the little pad.
“That was our driver. I don’t remember the other man being on the tour. Do you know who he is?” she asked.
Seth lifted the laptop and angled it toward him, the light from the fire shining out of the stove created an obnoxious glare. He knew that man with the red hair from somewhere.
“Seth?” Simone’s tone was laced with worry. “You know that man, don’t you?” She pointed to the screen.
He placed a hand over hers, threading their fingers together. “He never got in the van did he?” he asked, looking at the man on the screen talking to their driver. Something about him was familiar.
“No,” she started. “Who is he?”
Shaking his head, he pressed a thumb to his forehead and paced the room. He knew that man, but from where? He could picture the over-proud way he moved in the lobby earlier, cocky, untouchable. Who was he? It wasn’t like him to forget a face.
“How many shots did you take before we left the hotel, Sim?”
“I don’t know twenty or twenty-five. They’re all in there,” she offered. “Go ahead and run the slide show.”
He took the laptop and crouched down on the mattress they’d brought out. Simone eased down on her knees beside him while resting along his back. She reached over his shoulder and changed the screen to show different angles and her gentle scent clouded his mind.
“That picture was taken from those big leather club chairs in front of the fireplace. See the buffet table? I caught the red-headed guy coming off the elevator. He’s either a guest or visiting someone.”
He glanced over his shoulder and stroked a hand down her face. “Then you’re not safe. Don’t you remember me standing beside you at the fireplace? They think we’re a couple. Maybe saw us go off into the woods at the same time.”
“And pulled our luggage so it appears like we wanted to stay out here.”
“Or knew the van was going over the cliff. When the authorities follow the tracks up the mountain and see our bags…” He broke off in disgust. “They’ll come looking for us as the murderers.” He bolted up, grabbing his wet boots.
“I’ll go with you, after those finish drying, mister.”
Five
They were being hunted by an unknown person or persons and she put her life in the hands of a stranger. Simone sat curled up on the lumpy sofa, keeping an eye on Seth changing the angle of his boots drying in front of the fire as he sat on the mattress. His long legs bent at the knees, bare feet long and masculine. Feet and shoulders were her thing and his sat high on her scale.
Seth held the blanket open after slipping under the covers. “We should get some sleep while it’s snowing. Nobody’s coming up the mountain or through the woods tonight mainly because the animals will be out looking for food. It’s too dangerous.”
“I’ll sit up for a while and braid my hair. You go on to sleep. I’ll turn your boots again before I go to bed,” she said and kept her eyes on the laptop as Seth pushed up off the floor both blankets in hand and sank down beside her on the sofa. The old cushions dipped under his weight.
“Set the laptop on the mattress and lie under the covers with me,” he said, stretching out behind her, tucking his feet under the back cushions of the couch. Simone cantered forward as his long legs pushed at her butt.
“What are you doing?” Her rushed tone sounded like a plea.
“You camped out as a kid. Don’t you know about the benefits of sharing body heat?”
“It’s not cold in here, Seth. The stove is working just fine.”
She caught the half grin tugging the corner of his mouth as he held the blanket open for her to join him. Five o’clock shadow should be a registered weapon on him.
“I offered the mattress, but you turned me down.”
“Alright you win. The mattress is fine.”
“Too late. Besides you had no problem being so close to me when I was naked in the tub.”
“You were vulnerable. I could’ve taken you on if you tried anything.”
“Mmm hmm,” he muttered and laid one arm behind his head. His long legs rubbed her butt as he fumbled around until he was comfortable.
“Are you married, Seth?”
“No,” he said.
“Children?”
“No.” He raised up on his elbow. “We’ll both sleep better if we’re warm. After the hike tomorrow, you’re gonna wish you got some sleep.” Seth hooked an arm around her waist and waited. She gave in and tucked her feet under the covers.
“If I start to cry, it’s not because of you.” She snuggled her back to him.
“Turn around, you’ll be warmer. Tell me, why would you cry, Simone?”
She took a breath then exhaled and balanced on the strip of sofa to cuddle into that wide chest she’d stared at all day. His arm closed over her ribcage against her back, holding her wedged between his legs. His warm breath caressed her cheek. She blew out a breath. Keeping this bottled up was not helping her to mourn her child properly.
“Four months ago my boyfriend walked out on me when I told him I was pregnant.”
His hand lifted from her back, just enough for her to notice him become uncomfortable. Tucking his chin against his chest, he ducked his face to hers. His eyes darted from her stomach to her face.
“You’re pregnant, Sim?”
The pit of her stomach flipped as the word formed in her mind, leaving a stain on her heart that would be a part of her forever. “Miscarried.” She sighed.
“The father?” His voice was a bark of anger, unreleased anger from deep inside him.
“The father wanted nothing to do with his baby. Oh, he offered to take care of his financial responsibilities, but he just couldn’t handle being a father.”
“You went through that alone?”
“No, my family saw me through most of it,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. “My girlfriend, Kim, and my mother suggested this trip. They said the fresh air would reinvigorate me.”
“This guy—he offered money and left you with the responsibility of raising his kid?”
“Shocked me too,” she confessed. “He did call me before I left the states.”
“For what—?” his tone surly.
“Don’t worry. He’s a part of my past. However, his company needed a freelance photographer for a customer… a cruise ship line.”
“You’ll work with him after what he did?”
“I turned it down. They asked me to take a few weeks to think about the offer. They claimed I would be working with their chef. I’ll be honest with you. I’m freelance and that kind of exposure could do wonders for my career. Even though Ronald wasn’t the right man for me, when it comes to business, he’s the best,” she said and caught the tightness in Seth’s jaw that rested on the top of her head. “I’ve accepted that he wanted the single Simone, not the Simone that’s ready to start a family. Walking around cursing him out all day only drains me and will make it harder to accept true love when it comes my way.” She peered up at Seth’s whiskered chin. “You okay?”
“Your reaction to sharing a bed makes sense now.”
“Sharing the bed wasn’t the issue,
like you said, it’s a part of camping,” she said, feeling heat rise to her face, as she hated to admit what she was about to. “I have nightmares of losing my baby. I wake up crying which is not something I want to share with a stranger.”
“I think my chest is big enough to catch a few tears, Simone,” he assured her while stroking her back. “You’re caring, intelligent, and a very pretty woman. You’ll find the right guy and have that child,” he pointed out.
“Oh, I’m not giving up, just lying low for a minute.”
“My chest is all yours while you do that.”
Six
The next morning Seth woke with his regular hard-on cradled against Simone’s thigh. He cracked a soft smile and rose up on his elbow to find her tucked beneath him on the sofa. A soft smile greeted him. His thigh was pressed between her legs, the heat of her core saturating his skin through his jeans.
“It’s six-thirty, I made coffee. It’s on the stove.”
“Mmm… so you did,” he said and made no effort to move. “Do I lie here and enjoy how good you feel or should I be a gentleman and get off you?”
“I got cold so I added more logs to the stove, made some coffee, and then crawled back under you. You’re like a furnace.”
Through tired eyes that were barely open into slits, he peeked at the time on her laptop.
“What time you say it was?”
“Six-thirty,” she repeated. “What time do you want to head out?”
“Let me get off you so I can think straight.”
“You’d have that erection regardless of who’s lying beside you,” she said with a smile. “But thanks for trying to make me feel attractive and for insisting we sleep together. Last night was the first time in weeks I slept without waking up with tears dried on my face.”
He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I need the toilet. Stay under the covers until the room heats up more.” He stumbled to the bathroom. Once inside, he cursed under his breath. Simone was turning out to be a temptation he didn’t need.
Seeing her huddled on the sofa after coming back from the bathroom, he wanted to jump under the covers and stay there for the rest of the day. She looked so damn soft, skin flushed from sleep. He was screwed. He had to step away from her.
