“Do you use cream or sugar? I don’t have cream, but I have milk.”
“No, black is fine.” Brady gratefully accepted the mug and started to take a sip, but it was scalding, so he gently blew on the hot liquid, waiting for it to cool before taking another.
“You’ll have to excuse the coffee grinds,” Ella said, grabbing her mug from the counter and sitting back on a barstool. “I’m afraid it is a bit… rustic.”
Brady finally tasted the coffee and winced. “Umm, it’s also pretty strong. I think I will take some of that milk.”
“Well, you’ll find it in the cooler over on the counter. This morning I took some of the perishables from the refrigerator and packed them in the cooler with blue ice I had in the freezer. Later, if necessary, we can use snow. While the refrigerator is still cold, I’m a little concerned about spoilage, and if we are stuck here for a few days, the idea of eating just canned food does not thrill me.”
Brady helped himself to some of the milk in the ice chest, adding a splash to his coffee. After returning the carton of milk to the cooler and replacing the cooler’s lid, he joined Ella at the breakfast bar.
“It tastes good, coffee grinds and all,” Brady told her as he took another sip.
“Yeah, coffee is a morning necessity. If we didn’t have a fireplace, you’d find me outside making a campfire. Or in my snowshoes, heading to town for a cup at the diner.”
“About those snowshoes, do you think we’ll be able to get my things from the Jeep?”
“Yes, but I think we should do it this morning. I really don’t like the looks of those clouds. I have a feeling we’re going to be in for an afternoon storm, and I’d rather be back here before it hits. Hey, where are the keys to your Jeep?”
“I think I left them in the ignition, why?”
“Well, maybe we can get it unstuck and you can drive it back here. That way you can try to make it to your rental cabin when it’s safe or even head off the mountain if this isn’t the kind of getaway you were planning.”
“My only problem,” Brady began, feeling embarrassed. “I can’t remember how to put it in four-wheel drive. That’s why I got stuck in the first place.”
“You don’t know how to put your Jeep in four-wheel drive?” She asked, sounding incredulous.
“Remember, it isn’t my Jeep.”
“What kind of Jeep is it?”
“A Wrangler,” he told her.
“No problem. My old boyfriend had one of those, and we used to go four-wheeling. I’m sure I can remember how to put it in four-wheel drive.”
“That would be great,” Brady took another sip of his coffee and then looked at Ella, studying her expression. She was looking out the kitchen window, and he wondered what she was thinking.
“You mention an old boyfriend; do you have a current boyfriend? I don’t know why, but I assumed you weren’t married. You aren’t, are you?”
Ella laughed at his question. “No, no husband. I almost made it to the altar once, right out of college. How about you? When I looked you up on the Internet, I saw no mention of a wife or girlfriend. Yet, lots of pictures with you and hot celebrities,” Ella said in a teasing voice. She was now looking at Brady instead of out the window.
“I really don’t have the time for a relationship,” Brady told her.
“I also imagine it must be hard for you,” Ella noted, silently considering his situation for a minute.
“What do you mean?” He finished the last of his coffee.
“I don’t know, living in hotels, going from one concert to the next. Having naked chicks show up, uninvited in your bed and paparazzi snapping your picture at every turn. If you did find someone you wanted to start a relationship with, it wouldn’t be easy with all that going on.” Ella shook her head, as if she couldn’t imagine such a life. Brady suddenly realized she felt sorry for him.
“So what about you, have a current boyfriend?” After asking the question, Brady stood up from the barstool and walked to the fireplace to help himself to another cup of coffee. On his way there, he snatched Ella’s almost empty mug and took it with him to refill it. Ella turned around in the barstool so she could watch Brady.
“No. I dated my last boyfriend for about a year. We broke it off about a month ago.”
“How come?” Brady asked while bending down by the hearth and pouring the coffee.
“Aren’t you nosey?” Ella laughed.
Brady just smiled and waited for her answer.
“Oh, I don’t know. He was a nice enough guy. But it really wasn’t meant to be. Plus, I caught him in bed with another woman.”
By her tone, she didn’t seem upset, or if she had been upset at the time, she appeared to be over the breakup.
“Maybe it wasn’t his fault. Maybe he came home and found her in his bed. That does happen.” He walked back to the breakfast bar and handed Ella her mug. Ella noted the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. She started to giggle.
“Um, I don’t think so. For one thing, it was the woman’s bed, not his. Yet, now that you mention it, the scenario wasn’t all that different than what you describe. The main difference, you kicked her out. You did kick her out?”
“The blonde? Yes, or rather my bodyguards removed her. So tell me, how was it similar?”
“She was someone who I thought was a friend. She called me one morning and asked me if I could come over for lunch. Told me there was something she really needed to talk to me about and it couldn’t wait. I’m naturally curious, so I agreed. She told me she was repapering her bedroom, so to let myself in when I got there and go to her bedroom.”
“Oh, no, are you saying…” Brady moaned, already knowing where this was going.
“Yep. I walked into her bedroom, and there she was with my boyfriend. Both of them buck naked, rolling around on her sheets. If you think my expression was utter horror, you should’ve seen his. It was obvious he had no idea I was on the guest list. When I think about it, I should have realized something was off when she mentioned she was repapering her bedroom. Who wallpapers these days?” Ella laughed.
“Why did she do it? Aside from the fact she’s a bitch.”
“Well, I stormed out before anyone said anything. Craig showed up at my house that afternoon, pleading with me. He insisted she’d ask him over under some innocent pretense. I don’t recall what it was—who knows, maybe to look at her plumbing or something. According to him, she seduced him, and him being a red-blooded man, how could he resist? He insisted it had nothing to do with how he felt about me. Insisted he loved me.”
“So why did she do it? Did you ever find out?”
“I always knew she was a little…eccentric. And I’m sure it happen just as he described. As for why, I imagine she wanted him and figured it was a way to kill two birds with one stone. It would break us up, while push him into her arms.”
“Is he still seeing her?”
“According to my friends, no. Craig tried calling me a few times after that, asking me to forgive him. He finally stopped calling when I pointed out, not only did the episode prove he wasn’t committed to our relationship, the fact I got over the breakup relatively quickly, showed I wasn’t committed either. Perhaps she did me a favor.”
“I feel a little sorry for the guy.”
“Why? You kicked the blonde out of your bed, and you didn’t even have a girlfriend.”
“That’s true, Ella, but she was not the first blonde that showed up in my bed. I wasn’t so noble the first time it happened. So I do understand the temptation your boyfriend felt.”
“Hey! You can’t take my ex-boyfriend’s side in this! You have to be on my side!” Ella exclaimed with mock outrage.
“Why? Don’t guys have to stick together?”
“Not when I’m the one with the warm—semi-warm—cabin, hot coffee and food. Before you answer, remember how cold it is outside.”
“Okay, okay!” Brady laughed, “That guy was a major douche!”
“That’s bette
r!” Ella said with a smile, then stood up. “How about we have some breakfast then head to the Jeep before the clouds get any worse.”
“I confess I woke up thinking of bacon this morning, but I don’t imagine that’s going to happen,” Brady said with a sigh.
“Sorry. Maybe if I wasn’t anxious to get out of here early, I’d try cooking some in the Dutch oven. Maybe tomorrow morning. And who knows, the electricity may be on by then.”
“What can I help you with?” Brady asked.
“Nothing exciting for breakfast, just cold cereal and juice. Sorry.”
“You know what they say.”
“What’s that?” Ella grabbed two boxes of cereal from the pantry.
“Beggars can’t be choosers.”
“How true!” Ella agreed, still smiling.
She offered Brady his choice of Cheerios or generic shredded wheat. He took Cheerios. Ella scolded him when he spooned sugar over it.
“That stuff will kill you,” she warned.
“Then why did you buy it?” he asked before he shoveled a spoonful of sweetened cereal into his mouth.
“It has its place. Just not on your cereal.”
“Coffee?” Brady asked.
“Oh, never coffee. The only thing you should ever put in coffee is milk or cream.”
“You’re pretty opinionated,” he teased.
“Of course not. Opinions have nothing to do with it. I’m just right. That’s all,” she playfully insisted.
Sitting side by side at the counter, they ate their breakfast of cereal, orange juice and coffee. Brady silently considered the fact that yesterday at this time they were strangers, having breakfast at the same diner, at separate booths. He found it difficult to believe that less than 24 hours ago he had imagined she was some deranged fan who’d followed him up to the mountain to insinuate herself into his life.
Meeting Ella was like stepping back in time, before his career, when no one aside from his small circle of family and friends knew who he was. While his childhood was not a period he enjoyed reflecting on, it was not all bad. When he was in junior high school he and his mother lived in a trailer park. It was one of the three trailer parks they stayed at during his adolescent years. In that particular park, a girl name Melissa had lived next door. They were the same age and she had been his best friend.
Talking with Ella reminded Brady of Melissa. He never imagined he would feel that sense of ease with a female ever again. To Melissa, he was just regular old Brady, her pal and buddy. He wasn’t yet a famous rock star whose picture regularly appeared in the scandal sheets and celebrity magazines. Until this time with Ella, Brady hadn’t realized how much he missed this—enjoying a woman’s company without his celebrity coloring the moment.
Chapter Eleven
“Craig left this in my closet the last time we were here,” Ella handed Brady a plush ski jacket. He stood in the downstairs hallway wearing the clothes he’d worn the day before, along with two pairs of wool socks from the attic and the borrowed boots and gloves. “I think it’ll fit, and will be much warmer than what you have on. There’s also a knit hat in the pocket.”
Brady took the jacket and slipped it on after removing his own coat. It fit perfectly and it was much warmer than his. Taking the hat from the pocket, he hesitated a moment and just looked at it.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Ella laughed, “that’s one of mine, and I promise it’s clean. No lice.”
Brady smiled at Ella, then slipped the knit cap on his head and down over his ears.
“Plus,” Ella added, “it works much better than the blond wig.”
Brady chuckled and followed Ella to the garage, where the snowshoes waited. His gaze fixed on her backside.
Her snug black ski pants hugged her curves, leaving little to the imagination. Under her pink parka she wore a pink and orange-striped turtleneck sweater. The ends of her blonde-streaked hair peeked out from under a white knit cap. Brady thought she looked incredibly sexy in the outfit, but withheld comment. Her boots, covered in faux fur, were more stylish than the old ones he wore.
Sam tried to follow them into the garage, but Ella made her stay in the house.
“She isn’t going?” Brady asked.
“No, I really don’t want to end up bringing her back in the sled. Walking in the snow, even for a dog, can be tiring, especially for one like Sam, with leg issues.”
Once in the garage, they closed the door behind them to keep Sam inside. Ella pressed the control to the automatic garage door opener. Nothing happened.
“I think that needs electricity to run,” Brady teased.
“Oh, yeah, that was pretty lame of me,” Ella grumbled, feeling embarrassed. She walked to the other end of the garage, pulled the red handle hanging from the ceiling to release the automatic opener, and then manually pulled the double garage door up and open.
Brady was about to ask if she needed help, but she had the door open before he made his offer.
“I think I’ll leave it open while we’re gone. I’m not really concerned about someone breaking in. And coming and going will be easier for us if the door is open, especially with the sled.”
Ella picked up the sled and set it outside on the snow, just beyond the garage door opening. A red rope was attached to the front of the sled. Brady hadn’t noticed the rope before, and assumed Ella must have added it sometime that morning.
Along one inside wall of the garage was a bench. Ella told Brady to sit there. After he was sitting, she knelt before him and began fastening one snowshoe onto his right boot. Brady looked down at the top of Ella’s head. Her attention was focused solely on fastening his boot. Seeing her kneeling before him, indecent and carnal thoughts flashed through his mind. He shifted restlessly on the bench.
“Hold still,” Ella scolded, without looking up. Brady closed his eyes briefly and prayed she keep her attention fixed to his feet. He moved his arms, awkwardly covering his lap, to prevent Ella from noticing his body’s response. The fact the ski jacket was already covering the area did not make Brady feel any better, and he told himself he needed to stop having those thoughts about his host.
After she secured the first snowshoe, she fastened the second. She sat down on the bench, next to Brady, and put on her own snowshoes. She failed to notice how quiet he had become.
Ella stood up and walked toward the garage door opening. She waddled slightly, keeping her feet widely spaced, to prevent one snowshoe from stepping on the other one. Brady was so fascinated by her interesting waddle that he followed her without paying attention to the placement of his own feet. He soon learned the error of his way when he landed the right snowshoe on his left, sending him lurching forward straight into Ella.
She had just stepped onto the snow covered driveway when Brady came tumbling into her, landing them both outside, sprawled on the frozen snow. Ella landed face first with the deep cold powder cushioning her landing. It wasn’t the initial fall that caused her to let out an unfeminine grunt; it was Brady’s body landing atop her, slamming his weight into hers, sending her deeper in the snow.
He immediately rolled to one side, off her body. Once he realized he hadn’t inflicted any real damage, he regretted his hasty departure and wished he could enjoy a few minutes with Ella under him. She felt good there and while having sex in the snow might freeze off some vital body parts, he found the idea intriguing.
“What the hell?” Ella cursed, rolling to one side, away from Brady, while trying to sit up. She brushed the snow off her face and the front of her jacket.
“I’m really sorry, Ella. I tripped,” Brady told her. He managed to get to his feet first, and extended his hand to help her up. She accepted his gloved hand and awkwardly stood up. Miraculously, the snowshoes were still attached.
“I guess that was my fault,” Ella told him, sounding apologetic. She continued to brush snow off her clothing.
“Your fault?” Brady was surprised she wasn’t furious with him.
“I should’ve
warned you,” Ella explained, “You need to keep your feet slightly apart, or…or what just happened will happen again. Be careful not to step on your own snowshoe. It’s fairly easy to walk in them, but you need to pay attention and take deliberate steps.”
Ella clomped her way to the sled and picked up the red rope. “I’ll pull this,” she told him. “You just concentrate on staying upright. When you walk and place one foot on the ground, keep the toe up a bit. You don’t want to put the toe down first. That can make you stumble.”
Instead of walking down the driveway, Ella made a wide turn and walked toward her backyard, pulling the sled behind her. Brady followed, keeping a safe distance from Ella, not wanting to further embarrass himself by knocking her down again. Focusing his attention on every step he took, Brady didn’t have the luxury to admire Ella’s backside as they walked out from her backyard, cutting through the woods.
The first thing he noticed, once he fell into a comfortable stride, was the lack of sound. Occasionally, snow would fall from a tree limb and break the silence. The air was frigid on his face, and his nose was cold, but fortunately, the rest of his body was comfortably warm.
“It’s beautiful out here,” Brady said at last. Ella stopped walking and turned to face him, smiling.
“It is, isn’t it?” She paused for just a moment, before starting back on her trek.
Surrounded by pine trees, Ella’s cabin was no longer in sight. Brady spied several other cabins in the distance. At one point, they crossed over a road and back into the wooded area, but Brady didn’t notice, because everything was covered in snow. It was impossible to tell where a road began and the wilderness ended.
With his breathing slightly labored from the exertion, Brady tried his best to keep pace with Ella, who seemed quite at ease on the snowshoes. While traipsing through the mountains after a blizzard wasn’t on his to-do list when he planned this getaway, he had to admit he was enjoying himself. He loved the fact no one was following him. No one was watching him. If he fell on his ass again—or on Ella’s—no one would be snapping and tweeting his picture. He also loved the fact Ella was treating him like a person—not a rock star. Until he met Ella, he never hated the moniker rock star.
While Snowbound (Sensual Romance Series) Page 8
