One Winter's Night

by Brenda Jackson

  He nodded. “So what were you doing before you became an event planner?”

  “I was a veterinarian.”

  “Wow. That was some career change.”

  She smiled. “Yes, it was.”

  He looked ahead, thinking that if she thought she would not have to explain why someone would stop being a veterinarian to become an event planner, she could think again. “How does a person go from being a vet to becoming a party planner?”

  She pushed a lock of hair from her face and said, “Becoming a vet was my parents’ idea, and I went along with it.”

  “Why?” He couldn’t imagine going to college for anything other than what he wanted to do in life. He did, however, know how a person could get their dream career waylaid, as in the case of his cousin, Ramsey.

  Ramsey had always wanted to be a sheep rancher, and he’d gone to school to study agricultural economics. The only reason Ramsey had taken a CEO position at Blue Ridge Management after school, instead of going into farming, was to work alongside Dillon to keep the company afloat when their parents had died in a plane crash. But once Ramsey and Dillon had made it into a million-dollar company, Ramsey had turned full management of Blue Ridge over to Dillon to become the sheep rancher he’d always wanted to be.

  Riley’s truck came to a stop at the traffic light, which gave him the opportunity to glance back over at Alpha just in time to see her gnawing her lips again and fidgeting with a sterling silver Tiffany bracelet on her wrist. Umm, it seems “why” was another uncomfortable question, he thought.

  “I became a vet mainly to satisfy my parents. They own a veterinary clinic and figured I would join them and make it a family affair. I did so for a year, but discovered my heart just wasn’t in it. They knew it, but still, they weren’t happy when I decided to switch careers. However, they accepted that being an event planner was my calling when I put together their thirtieth wedding anniversary celebration.”

  “Did a good job of it, huh?” he asked.

  She looked over at him and the smile that touched her lips extended from one corner of her mouth to the other and was simply breathtaking. “Yes, I did a bang-up job.”

  He laughed. “Good for you.” He paused a second and asked, “Are you the only child?”

  It seemed to take her longer than necessary to answer. “No. I have a sister.”

  He didn’t say anything for a long moment and decided to change the subject. “So what do you have in mind for our employees’ holiday bash next month?”

  He listened as she went into the details. Some he was able to follow and some he could not. He was a visual person and couldn’t use her words to produce mental images. He needed to see actual photographs to get the full effect.

  She must have detected such from the expression on his face. “I had prepared a PowerPoint for today. But since we’re meeting at the restaurant instead of your office, I—”

  “Can still show the presentation. I called ahead and asked for a private meeting room.”

  “That’s great. I have everything I need in here,” she said, tapping lightly on the messenger case in her lap.

  That caused him to glance down. She was wearing over-the-knee boots, a cute, dark brown leather pair. He glanced back up to her face and saw she was looking out the window, studying the scenery they were passing.

  “I never come this way when going to McKay’s.”

  He returned his gaze to the road. “It’s a shortcut.”

  “Oh.”

  She got quiet again, and this time he decided to let the silence rule. He figured whenever she had anything to say, she would say it. In the meantime, he was perfectly satisfied to sit back and listen to Jill sing her heart out.

  * * *

  Alpha couldn’t stop the fluttering in her stomach as she continued to look out the truck’s window, trying hard to ignore the man behind the steering wheel. She would have to deal with Riley Westmoreland soon enough when they got to McKay’s. She should have known he was drop-dead gorgeous, given Dillon wasn’t bad on the eyes. And he seemed to be full of questions. At least he’d already asked two that she wished she could have avoided answering. The reason she had left Daytona was still too painful to think about and after the heated conversation she’d had with her parents last night, she preferred not to think of them right now, either.

  Forcing thoughts of Daytona from her mind she saw that they were pulling into the parking lot of McKay’s. It seemed the weather was not a deterrent for people wanting to dine at the popular restaurant. The parking lot was full, and Riley had to drive around back to find a spot.

  She flexed her hands, liking how the gloves were keeping them warm, and tightened the coat around her as she prepared to get out of the vehicle and confront the cold again. She glanced over at Riley. He wasn’t wearing gloves and it seemed the jacket was all he had. She couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t you cold?”

  He smiled over at her. She wished he wouldn’t do that because every time he did, he reminded her how long it had been since a man had smiled at her without her questioning his motives.

  “Not really. Unlike most, I enjoy cold weather. For me, the colder the better.”

  She sat there and simply stared at him. He had to be kidding. “Why?”

  He shrugged his massive shoulders. “Not sure. I guess I’m too hot-blooded to be bothered.”

  “Evidently,” she said under her breath. If he heard her, he didn’t let on. Instead, he opened the door to get out and she released her seat belt and opened her door to do the same. That’s when she went sliding and would have fallen flat on her face if Riley hadn’t acted quickly to catch her.

  “I should have told you to be careful. The ice on the parking lot makes things slippery.”

  Yes, he should have told her. But if he had, there would have been no reason for his arms to be wrapped around her or for her to be holding on to him for support, feeling the heat of a hot-blooded man so close to her. And that same male scent that had nearly driven her crazy on the ride over wouldn’t be doing a number on her.

  “I think I can make it now,” she said, releasing her tight grip on him.

  He kept a firm hand on her arm. “I’ll make sure of it.” He then swept her off her feet and right into his arms.

  Two

  Riley entered the restaurant carrying Alpha in his arms. The place was packed with a lunchtime crowd, and Alpha was certain she would die of embarrassment when a number of people watched them.

  One man, who was on his way out the door, patted Riley on the back, chuckled and said, “You’re still sweeping them off their feet, I see, son.”

  Riley grinned and replied, “Seems that way, Mr. Daniels.” Riley then glanced down at her. “You should be okay from here,” he said, putting her on her feet.

  “Thanks.” She refused to look up at him, but out of the corner of her eye she saw him take a step back. He was probably wishing he was someplace else since she hadn’t cost him anything but trouble today.

  “Welcome, Riley. The room you requested is ready,” the hostess said, smiling, in a way that was a little too friendly, Alpha thought.

  “Thanks, I appreciate it, and make sure we aren’t disturbed, Paula.”

  Alpha shouldn’t be surprised that the woman knew his name and that he knew hers.

  “No problem,” Paula said, gesturing for them to follow her. “We gave you the best room in the house.” She looked over her shoulder, gave a dismissive glance to Alpha, then looked at Riley directly and said, “Because you deserve the best.”

  Alpha tried not to frown, wondering if that had been a deliberate dig. Didn’t the woman know they were holding a business meeting? So why had she extended her claws?

  Alpha felt a thrumming heat in the center of her back when Riley placed his hand there. Even through her coat and all the clothes she had put on to stay warm, she felt his touch and wondered if there would be a permanent handprint on her back.

  She blinked when the door closed behind them
, and it was then that she glanced around. The room was nice and spacious with a table for two in one corner. There was also a pull-down screen, a projector, speakers and everything else she would need to provide visuals of her plans for the party. And then there was the wall-to-wall window that provided a beautiful view of the mountains. How was anyone expected to work in here with such a gorgeous view?

  “Do you want to do it first or eat?”

  She swallowed deeply and drew in a deep breath, certain he hadn’t meant “it” the way it had sounded. “Whichever you prefer—it’s your call.”

  “In that case, I’ll let Paula know we’ll eat first. I’m starving.”

  She nodded, getting distracted watching him slide his jacket off his shoulders. Those massive shoulders were even more broad and powerful than she’d thought. At that moment, she saw firsthand how well his jeans fit his body, especially his tight, masculine thighs, and how they tapered down to his booted feet. He was definitely a hunk if ever there was one, a fine specimen of a man, hands down. He was a sample of pure masculinity, as raw as it could get.

  Following his lead, she unbelted her heavy coat and shrugged it off. Then she peeled off her thick, wool sweater, unwrapped the scarf from around her neck and removed another bulky sweater. She had worn as much clothing as she could in order to stay warm.

  Walking over to the coatrack to hang up everything she had taken off, she worked the kinks out of her neck and shoulders. Putting on so many garments had weighed her down and stiffened her muscles. She was flipping her hair back off her shoulders when she turned around to find Riley staring at her with an odd expression on his face.

  She swallowed, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the way his penetrating dark eyes nearly swallowed her whole. She nervously licked her lips. “Is something wrong?”

  Suddenly, a guarded look appeared in his gaze before he glanced out the window. When he switched his gaze back to her the look was gone. “No, nothing’s wrong,” he said in a brisk tone. “Excuse me for a minute while I let Paula know we’ll eat first.”

  Alpha watched him leave while wondering what that had been all about.

  * * *

  Unnerved to the core, Riley closed the door behind him and leaned against it, releasing a deep breath. Every muscle in his body was thrumming with a need like he hadn’t felt in a long time. He was glad the room he’d been given extended off a corridor for privacy…because at that moment he needed it.

  Where in the hell had that curvy figure come from? He’d heard of a woman having an hourglass shape, but in all actuality, he’d never truly seen one. Until today.

  He couldn’t believe what Alpha Blake had been hiding underneath all those clothes. He’d almost dropped his chin to the floor when she started taking off that coat and those sweaters and then stood there in a pink, formfitting sweater dress belted at the waist, with over-the-knee boots. She looked so damn feminine that he’d been jolted with a degree of lust he’d never felt before.

  Not only was she a looker, the woman had a body with luscious curves that could make a grown man weep. Lust, as sharp and keen as it could get, was taking over his senses, and the thoughts running through his mind were totally inappropriate, undeniably unacceptable and definitely X-rated.

  Her waist was so small that if he blinked he might miss it. And her chest was a perfect size with nice perky breasts. The way the top portion of her dress pressed against those breasts had almost made his eyes pop out of their sockets. And then there was the way her hips flared from her small waist. They were smooth and shapely.

  When she had walked over to the coatrack, he had taken it all in. He heard the heel of her boots clicking on the wooden floor and watched with deep male interest how her hips swayed with each step. He was convinced he’d never witnessed anything so sensual. And the shape of her backside filled his mind with all sorts of ideas.

  Then she’d turned around and caught him staring. The look in her eyes had been unsettled, and he was sure the look in his had been cautious. That’s usually the way it was with him when he’d been caught off guard and had to rebound. He was a man who, under no circumstances, mixed business with pleasure. But he’d wanted that rule to go rolling out the window the moment she’d taken off the coat and those sweaters. Okay, he would admit that it was a physical thing for him, but he couldn’t help it. Westmoreland males enjoyed the physical.

  “Need help with anything, Riley?”

  Paula’s question immediately snatched his thoughts back to the present. His gaze roamed up and down the short black hostess outfit she was wearing. Paula Wilmot had a nice body, but even hers couldn’t hold a light to Alpha Blake’s.

  He and Paula had dated a couple of years ago. When it was time for him to move on, she somehow thought some injustice was being done. He had explained up front—as he did with all women he became involved with—that he didn’t do long-term flings. Sex with no commitment. One month, six weeks at the most, was all the time he would put into an affair. Not enough time to get sentimental and clingy. That’s the way he operated. He called it Riley’s rule. Women knew up front what to expect—or not to expect—from him, and he liked it that way.

  And the one thing he wouldn’t tolerate was someone who agreed to his terms and then decided somewhere along the way to make getting a ring on her finger her number-one goal. All it had taken was a month with Paula to see what her intentions were. For some reason, she’d assumed she would be the woman capable of changing him. It wasn’t happening. He’d wasted no time ending things and placing her on his Never Date Again list.

  “Yes, please tell our server that my lunch guest and I have decided to eat before getting down to business.”

  Paula tipped her head to the side as a frown creased her brow. “And I can just imagine what kind of business you intend to get down to, Riley,” she said curtly.

  His gaze held hers intently. “Can you?”

  “Yes. Do I need to remind you that I’ve been there with you and know just how you operate? So tell me. What does Ms. Frumpy have going for her? Good grief, Riley, I’m sure you can do better.”

  Frumpy! A vision of the ultrafine body of the woman he’d left in the room floated through his mind. He doubted he could do better. “First of all, this is a business meeting, Paula. Blue Ridge has hired Alpha to handle our holiday party. Secondly, none of my affairs, business or otherwise, are any of your concern.” The only reason he’d told her the former was because he knew better than anyone about that vindictive tongue of hers. He refused to have her tarnish Alpha’s reputation in any way.

  Paula placed her hands on her hips. “One day a woman is going to come along and break your heart. I hope I’m around to see it.”

  Riley rubbed his hand down his face. Where was all this drama coming from? And why today? Hadn’t he woken up in a good mood? “Fine, you’ve put a curse on me. I guess that means I won’t sleep most nights worrying about it,” he said, reaching out to open the door.

  She quickly reached out and grabbed his hand. “Sorry, Riley, I shouldn’t have said that, but you never returned my calls,” she said in a frustrated tone.

  He stared at her. “No, I haven’t, and it’s been almost two years, right?”

  “Yes.”

  He nodded slowly, lifting a brow before turning to open the door, hoping she got it that time.

  * * *

  Alpha looked up from her laptop when she heard Riley returning. He glanced around and saw that she had set up the room for the presentation. “I thought we were going to eat first,” he said.

  “We are. I thought it would save time if I had everything ready so I can move right into my presentation.”

  He nodded as he sat down at the table. She was about to ask if he could see the huge screen from where he sat when the door opened and a waiter entered, carrying a pitcher of water and menus. Deciding she had wasted Riley’s time enough for one day, she moved toward the table when the waiter began filling their glasses with water.

  She t
ook the seat across from him and was glad when the waiter handed her a menu. She needed something else, anything else, other than Riley to occupy her attention. She might be wrong, but he seemed upset about something. Was he upset with her?

  She placed her menu down. “I’m sorry, Riley.”

  He glanced up from his own menu and arched a brow. “For what?”

  “For getting off to such a bad start with you—having a flat tire, taking you out of your way to come get me, and then having our meeting place changed to accommodate me.”

  He gave his head a little shake. “No apology necessary. You haven’t gotten off to a bad start with me, Alpha. I’m fully aware there are days that don’t go quite as well as you’d like. You didn’t ask for that flat tire, did you?”

  “Goodness, no.”

  “Then don’t worry about it. I’m just glad I was able to help. And as far as having to change our meeting place, McKay’s is a favorite of mine, and I’ll think of any excuse to get some of their chicken noodle soup. Have you had any?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’ve only eaten their burgers and fries.”

  He smiled. “Then you don’t know what you’re missing. You need to try it, if for nothing more than a cup as an appetizer.”

  He had her curious. “Okay, thanks. I think I will.”

  She picked up her glass of water to take a sip and then she said, “So you come here often?”

  “Yes. Tony McKay and I were good friends all through high school. We went to different colleges and he ended up taking a job in Phoenix. When his father died, he returned to Denver to help his mother close down the restaurant, but decided to stay and run it instead. He wasn’t crazy about the job he’d landed after college and his management degree gave him plenty of ideas on how to take this place to a whole new level.”

  He paused to take another sip of his water. “Old man McKay would not have approved of the changes Tony made, especially with the expansion and keeping the place open until midnight. He didn’t believe in change and fought it tooth and nail. Tony and I tried to convince him for years that the only constant was change, and so he might as well get used to it. We told him to embrace it like everyone else so he could stay competitive.”