He watched her retreating form. His gaze traced the line of her hip and the curve of her bottom beneath the well-worn denim. The tightness spread across his chest, and the heat settled low inside him. Even his fingertips tingled from the brief contact with her cheek. Jessica McGuire was as tantalizingly desirable as any woman he had ever met, yet so unlike any woman he had ever been with. He shook his head as he followed her inside. He needed to add structure and purpose to his life, not complicate it by making a pass at this woman…who also happened to be his best friend’s sister.
Jessica purposely kept her distance from Dylan while they cleaned up the mess as best they could. By the time they finished, it was nearly noon. The entire morning had been devoted to one disaster after another. A new layer of anxiety built up on the already established base. Her neat and tidy existence had been turned into a shambles by Dylan Russell, and she did not like it. And worse yet, she didn’t know what to do about it. She could still feel his fingertips on her cheek and the heat of his touch.
Dylan was aware of her every movement and gesture, her body language telling him she was out of patience with the series of minidisasters. He made the decision to retreat and give her a little bit of time to calm down. He adopted the facade of the world-weary traveler who had seen it all and done it all. He glanced around the room, satisfied that it was as orderly as possible under the circumstances.
“Things here seem to be under control. I think this would be a good time for me to grab a quick shower.” He disappeared into the bathroom.
Many years ago an awkward fifteen-year-old Jessica had followed him around for an entire weekend like a lovesick puppy, and he had not been able to get rid of her. He remembered how funny Justin thought it had been. Then a year later he saw how much the sixteen-year-old Jessica had blossomed. A four-year age difference wasn’t much, but the difference between a sixteen-year-old high school girl and a twenty-year-old college man was considerable. He had not had any interest in asking for trouble by making a pass at an underage girl and especially not his best friend’s sister.
His mind drifted back to early that morning as he lay in bed watching her pick up her clothes—the way her T-shirt clung to her curves, her long bare legs, the sexy abandon of her mussed hair. The fifteen-year-old Jessica had been a nuisance. Funny how drastically things had changed. He allowed a brief thought about how he might be able to get her to follow him around like that again.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror, ran his hand across his whisker stubble, then heaved a sigh of resignation. Absolutely nothing had gone in his favor since he had gotten out of bed that morning. Actually, nothing had gone in his favor for the past three months. He clicked on his electric razor, hoping the battery had enough charge left for him to shave.
Jessica heard the shower go on. Finally, a chance for some peace and quiet without the distraction of Dylan Russell to set her heart pounding and her pulse racing. She poured herself another cup of coffee, turned on the battery-operated radio, then curled up in the corner of the couch. She reflected on the morning’s activities. All she had wanted was a couple of days of quiet and solitude. That was not asking too much, was it? Instead everything seemed to be conspiring against her. She had found herself enmeshed in one calamity after another. First it was the rain as she drove to the cabin, then finding the power out when she had arrived and finally total bedlam masquerading in the person of Dylan Russell.
It was an impossible situation. He would have to leave as soon as he finished in the bathroom. It was bad enough to wake up in the same bed with him by accident, but to allow him to continue to stay in her cabin was out of the question. Determination took a strong hold. Her mind was made up. She would be tactful, but firm. Maybe Justin had promised him the use of the cabin, but even Dylan should be able to recognize what an impossible situation they had.
Then that same determined mind drifted back to the moment when she woke that morning to find his arm curled around her waist and his body snuggled against hers. She could still feel the sensual warmth that radiated from his bare skin in those moments of half sleep and half wakefulness. She vividly recalled each and every plane, angle and line of his well-defined torso when he had propped himself up on his elbow and flashed that deliciously wicked grin. Rogue, scoundrel, playboy, charmer—whatever word you wanted to use, it personified Dylan Russell to a T. No way was he the type of man she could ever be seriously interested in, the kind who would be happy to settle down with a home and family—no way at all.
She shook off the thoughts and the mental image, then took another swallow of her coffee as if trying to drown out her errant musings. She reaffirmed her resolve. Her mind was made up. He definitely had to go, and the sooner the better. Her decision was final. There was no way she would change her mind—no way at all.
A second later, in an act of total defiance against her conscious wishes, her mind drifted to what it would be like to kiss him. The idea had come uninvited and did nothing to calm the desires she had been trying to deny. She set down her empty coffee mug with a resounding thump and busied herself closing windows to keep out the cold air.
A few minutes later she heard the bathroom door open. She fought the urge to look in his direction. She could not allow him the opportunity to sucker her in again with those green eyes and that devastating smile. But as before, her heated desires overruled her intentions. Against her better judgment she glanced in his direction. That was all it took. Her resolve instantly melted away. He looked casual, comfortable and far too sexy.
Three
Jessica knew she needed to say what was on her mind before she totally succumbed to the suggestion of untold pleasures hidden in the depth of Dylan’s eyes and behind that smile.
She turned her gaze away from him, preferring to focus her attention on an inanimate object. She chose the table lamp. A nervous tremor made its way through her body. “I…uh…I’ve been giving this some thought. Before anything else happens, we need to settle the problem of who is going to use the cabin. I do understand that Justin promised the cabin to you based on the fact that I was supposed to be in New York, but it should be obvious to you that the circumstances have changed. I’m not in New York. And…well, what with the electricity being out and all…”
She drew in a steadying breath in an attempt to quell her rising anxiety. “Well, I just think you’d be more comfortable at the lodge. It’s only a few miles from here, down on the main road.”
“No. I wouldn’t be more comfortable at the lodge.”
“What?” She snapped her head in his direction as the shock spread through her body. His words caught her totally off guard. His unwavering gaze provided no hint of what he was thinking, yet it set her anxieties on edge. She stared at the lamp again, unable to hold the directness of his eye contact. There was nothing tentative or unsure about his attitude or the physical stance of his body language.
She forced her words, even though she knew they sounded less firm than when she started. “The lodge is very nice. I’m also sure it will be much more to your liking than being here without any activities or other people to socialize with.”
He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall. His voice was calm and very matter-of-fact, his words firm without being argumentative. “This cabin is only half yours. The other half belongs to Justin. You informed him you would be in New York for three weeks. So, taking you at your word, he promised use of the cabin to me. Since you’re the one who showed up without checking first, I believe I have the right to stay.”
She grabbed the fireplace poker and jabbed at the remnants of the morning’s disastrous fire in an effort to play for time as she carefully chose her words. She didn’t want to get into an argument, but she wanted to make her position clear. She turned to face him.
“Whether I’m supposed to be in New York or not isn’t the point. The fact is that I’m not in New York…I’m here.” She caught the edge surrounding her voice and took a steadying breath
in hopes of smoothing it out. “I’m truly sorry this unfortunate situation had to occur, but I really do feel that the lodge will be far more to your liking. This cabin certainly can’t be the kind of place where you would usually stay. This type of isolation must be quite different from your normal routine.”
She wrinkled her brow in concentration for a moment. “In fact, I can’t imagine why you would want to stay here at all.”
A spark of anger flared with his words. “My normal routine has its times of isolation.” He paused and took a deep breath before muttering, “But I’m sure you wouldn’t understand that.”
She saw something in his eyes and heard it for a brief moment in his voice. A hint of vulnerability? As quickly as it materialized it quickly disappeared, to be replaced by a facade of calm control. It was just a glimpse, but enough to tell her that there was more going on inside his head than he was saying or willing to show. What was he hiding? Then another thought occurred to her. Rather than hiding something, could he be hiding from someone?
She had no idea what he had specifically been doing over the years, only what her brother had told her. Perhaps his “business deals” were really scams to fleece unsuspecting people out of their money. A sick churning in the pit of her stomach told her just how much she hoped that wasn’t true. She studied him for a moment. He looked so calm and collected, as if nothing could ruffle him. She wished she felt as in control as he looked.
It didn’t matter to Dylan how much she pushed him, there was no way he had any intention of staying at a lodge surrounded by the distraction of vacationing people who were there to enjoy themselves. Nor did he want to end up confined inside the four walls of a hotel room in order to have quiet and solitude. And the small apartment he maintained in Los Angeles wasn’t as large as the cabin. It was hardly anything more than a place to change clothes and grab a night’s sleep between flights to some exotic vacation locale or an international business meeting. The idea of pacing the floor of his apartment surrounded by other buildings in traffic-congested Los Angeles didn’t work for him at all. Justin’s mountain cabin in the middle of the forest was the ideal solution to his needs. And even with Jessica there, it was still much better than any of the other options.
Or perhaps it was because of Jessica being there.
A little shiver of panic darted through his body in response to the unwelcome thought. It was more than wanting the use of the cabin, he needed it. He hadn’t even informed Justin of exactly how much he needed to be away from everything, to think out his life and make decisions. He knew his best bet was to offer her a compromise, to try to convince her to do it his way, even though her expression projected a stubborn determination that left him uneasy.
He relaxed his stance, unfolded his arms and softened his manner as he crossed the room toward her. He turned on the charm that had served him so well over the years. “There’s no reason for this to be causing such a big problem. This cabin is large enough to easily accommodate both of us without our being crowded together.” He warmed to the idea, his voice taking on a seductive quality. “You have your bedroom, and I’ve already moved my things to the other one. I think we can coexist without any problems.” He flashed his best trust me smile. “Don’t you agree?”
She stared at him with her mouth hanging open. She finally managed to say something, but her tone was more stunned than aggressive. “You’re actually suggesting that we share the cabin? Stay here together?”
“It worked out okay last night when we shared a bed. I would think sleeping in separate rooms would make it even easier.” The memory of their bodies nestled together under the blankets came rushing back to him full force. He managed to hide his decidedly lusty thoughts and feelings. The last thing he wanted to do was give her cause for alarm.
“We didn’t share a bed!” The crimson flush of embarrassment spread across her cheeks, her features expressing shock and concern.
He couldn’t stop his amused reaction. “We didn’t?” He shoved back the chuckle that tried to escape. “Then what would you call it when we both woke up in the same bed? And remember, I was the one in there first. You crawled in bed with me, not the other way around.”
She mustered all the reserved control she could pull together, looked him squarely in the eyes and said, “I’d call it a miscalculation.”
This time he couldn’t stop the laugh—an open, easy laugh tinged with a sexy undertone more in line with fun than a threat. “You can call it whatever you’d like, but facts are facts. I’m willing to trust you to behave properly during the next few days. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?”
“You’re willing to trust me?” Her words came out in an angry rush. “Don’t you have that a little bit backward? After all, I’m not the one with the reputation as an international playboy and globe-trotting wheeler-dealer out for a quick buck wherever it can be found.”
It was all he could do to keep from outwardly flinching as the barbed sting penetrated his composure. Her words scored a direct hit. He didn’t want to hear them. He knew there was more truth to it than not, but that didn’t make it any easier to take. He swallowed down the discomfort her words had caused.
“Well, Ms. McGuire,” he tried to maintain a brisk attitude even though the sting of her words continued to ring in his ears, “I’m not the only one here with a reputation. Yours is different from mine, but it’s a reputation nonetheless…organized, no nonsense, compulsively all business—” he eyed her curiously “—and no spontaneity or fun?” He knew he shouldn’t be antagonizing her. He tried to soften the edges on what he’d said. “We’re both adults, and I’m sure we can behave accordingly. I’m willing to take a chance.”
He forced the practiced smile that had never failed to elicit confidence from those on the receiving end, something that had always worked in his favor when putting together one of his business deals. “How about you?”
“That’s absurd.” Jessica did not know what to make of this strange turn of events. She needed a moment to think. She didn’t know which disturbed her more, the circumstances or his comments about her reputation. Did she really come off that way? An up-tight workaholic who didn’t know how to enjoy herself? She pushed the disagreeable notion away. There wasn’t any truth to it. He was just trying to put her on the defensive with his comments. She filled the awkward lull by taking a couple of oil lamps from a cupboard in preparation for nightfall should the electricity not be restored.
She finally turned her attention to Dylan again. “I just don’t see how this can—”
The announcement on the radio grabbed their total attention. Because of the high water and debris washing downstream, the bridge over the creek—the only way back to the main road by car—had been closed until further notice. They stared at each other for a moment as the reality sank in, neither of them knowing what to say.
Her anxiety sprang to the forefront and her throat went dry. An unwanted quaver crept into her voice. “It…uh…appears that the decision has been taken out of our hands.”
He saw the wariness in her eyes and felt it in the unsettled nervousness tugging at his senses. A hard band tightened across his chest. He didn’t know whether to be pleased or apprehensive by the unexpected turn of events. The words tried to choke off in his throat as the full implication hit him. “So it seems.”
Jessica’s gaze locked with Dylan’s, sending a shiver up her spine. She rubbed her hand across her nape in an effort to still the unwanted sensation, but couldn’t break away from the magnetic pull of his presence. She experienced a shortness of breath and her heartbeat increased noticeably, much to her regret. She couldn’t stop the hint of panic that grew with each passing minute. The news about the bridge was the last thing she wanted to hear.
She tried to gather her composure in spite of the uncertainty that had invaded the very core of her existence. Being temporarily marooned was not of major consequence, but being confined to a cabin with someone who was undeniably the sexiest man she had ev
er met—a man who was wrong for her in every way—was quite another. His allure was far too tempting. The prospects of what could happen and where things could go truly frightened her.
Her thoughts returned to that morning in her bedroom—the warmth of his body snuggled against hers, the feel of his hand sliding across her waist. A rush of excitement surged through her, suppressing her attempts to deny her desires.
If she had any hopes of making it through this awkward situation, she needed to keep her wits about her and not allow his presence to sway her determination. Regardless of how attractive she found him, she had to resist those desires. In order to ignore the obvious charms of Dylan Russell she needed to pull herself together…and quickly.
“Well, as long as we’re stuck here temporarily—” she shot him a warning look that said she was in no mood for any arguments “—I think we need to establish some rules.” If only she felt as confident as she tried to appear. Yes, they needed some rules, but more to bring logic to her confusion about Dylan and how it was possible for her to be consumed by thoughts of someone she knew was so wrong for her, than anything else.
She watched him for a moment. He did not show any outer reaction to her statement. Her confidence started to rebuild. Maybe she was making more out of this than it deserved. Could it be the same as all those years ago when he asked her to lunch? Was he just trying in his own way to be nice to his friend’s sister and make the best of the unusual circumstances? As he’d said, they were both adults. True, they were stuck with an unusual situation, but that didn’t mean…
Another shiver of trepidation confirmed what she already knew. It didn’t matter how much she tried to lie to herself and how much she wanted to believe that lie, she knew the crush of that teenage girl from many years ago had been resurrected from its dormant state. She had never fully gotten Dylan Russell out of her system. He was the wrong man for her in every sense of the word. In fact, he was the wrong man for any woman who wanted a stable, lasting relationship. But knowing it didn’t change the way the tingle of excitement raced through her body every time he looked at her.
Stormbound with a Tycoon Page 4
