’Tis the season—for love!

Holing up in her isolated cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains is just what Lauren Gaines needs to get over a nasty divorce. But the blizzard that snows her in brings an unexpected surprise: a hunky stranger who shows up on Christmas Eve.

Spending the holidays alone in his North Carolina getaway could be the break high-powered businessman Colton Riley needs from his fast-track life. Until a storm strands him without power…and lands him on the doorstep of his knockout next-door neighbor. Instant attraction leads to a night of sweet lovemaking. Little by little, Colton starts earning Lauren’s fragile trust.

Then life throws him a curve that he never saw coming—one that could cost him a future with the Raleigh beauty. Or will the new year be filled with love’s sweet promise?

“There is no one special in my life,”

he assured her.

She was looking at him suspiciously. “I won’t be a party to some other woman getting hurt over infidelity.”

“Scout’s honor,” he said with a straight face.

She seemed to be satisfied with his answer. “Okay, then. What happens here stays here.”

“Done,” he promised.

“You can’t tell anyone about our hooking up tonight. No one at all.”

“Understood,” he wholeheartedly agreed. “That goes for you, too. Not even your girlfriends.”

“Not even your boys,” she countered.

“Not even your priest,” he said.

“Not even God,” she said with a smile.

“I think He already knows,” said Colton as he backed her against the wall and planted a sensual, bone-melting kiss on her sweet mouth.

Their bodies pressed closer and warmth ensued shortly afterward. By some silent consensus they agreed that this seduction would be slow and deliberate. When they came up for air from that first kiss, their eyes met and they smiled. It was confirmed: they were a good fit.

JANICE SIMS

is the author of twenty-two novels and has had stories included in nine anthologies. She is the recipient of an Emma Award for her novel Desert Heat and two Romance in Color awards: an Award of Excellence for her novel For Keeps and a Best Novella award for her short story in the anthology A Very Special Love. She has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award by RT Book Reviews and her novel Temptation’s Song was nominated for Best Kimani Romance Series in 2010 by RT Book Reviews. A longtime member of Romance Writers of America, she lives in Central Florida with her family.

This Winter Night

Janice Sims

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dear Reader,

This Winter Night is the first book in a new series. I wondered what effect a domineering mother would have on her five daughters. She believes her influence helped produce an architect, a zoologist, an accountant, a psychotherapist and a helicopter pilot. But was it at the detriment of personal relationships? It will take a special kind of man to reach the hearts of the Gaines sisters. I hope you enjoy Lauren’s story and will look for Desiree’s, Petra’s, Amina’s and Meghan’s stories in the near future.

If, after reading This Winter Night, you’d like to send me a message, you can email me at Jani569432@aol.com or visit my website, www.janicesims.com. You can also find me on Facebook.

If you’re not online, you can write me at P.O. Box 811, Mascotte, FL 34753-0811.

Best,

Janice Sims

Thanks to my usual support team: Shannon Criss for her editorial expertise; Maria Ribas and the rest of the staff at Harlequin who make writing a pleasure; Sha-Shana Crichton for ensuring I have interesting work to keep me busy; and my family for their love and encouragement.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 1

Colton Riley knew a fool when he saw one. At that moment, he happened to be looking at the fool in his rearview mirror. What had he been thinking? He had driven to the Great Smoky Mountains in the midst of winter without first checking a weather report.

It was snowing so aggressively visibility was practically nonexistent. If not for GPS, he would have gotten lost, even though he’d traveled this route many times before.

He put the SUV in Park as he pulled in front of the cabin with its headlights trained on the porch. He hadn’t been there in a long time but he knew there was a spare set of keys somewhere in the car. After a quick search he found them in the glove compartment, zipped his jacket all the way up to his chin and got out of the vehicle.

The fierce north wind whipped snow in his face. The temperature, which had dipped drastically since he’d left Raleigh, North Carolina, for Bryson City, a little town near the Tennessee border, chilled him to the bone. His father’s recent death had been such a shock to the system he wasn’t his normal rational self. Otherwise, he would have worn a heavier coat— perhaps rethought this entire trip completely.

He unlocked the cabin’s front door and took a couple steps inside where he automatically reached for the light switch. He pressed the flat panel but was rewarded with no illumination whatsoever. Then he remembered the alarm and rushed over to the unit but found even the green ready light was out. Power failure. He then made his way to the kitchen where he found a flashlight in the drawer next to the stove. Switching it on, he headed to check the breaker box in the laundry room at the back of the cabin. It was as he suspected—there was no electricity in the cabin. Probably downed power lines due to the blizzard, he thought grimly. He now regretted not having backup generators put in the cabin according to his parents’ objections. They liked the austerity of the place. Said they came to the mountains to get away from the modern world as much as possible. Besides, they frequented the cabin more often in warmer months than in the dead of winter, so they figured they didn’t need a generator.

Next he checked the cubbyhole in the mudroom where his parents kept logs for the fireplace. Empty. That did it. He would not survive the night in a cabin without electricity in the middle of a snowstorm, not when there wasn’t the remotest prospect of a roaring fire.

He made his way back through the cabin and out the front door. He suddenly remembered glancing at the fuel gauge in the SUV before he had gotten out earlier and again realized that the tank was nearly empty. He laughed roughly. His dad would have probably gotten a good laugh out of this experience for years. Be prepared for anything, he’d always said. Well, Dad, Colton thought, I wasn’t prepared for you dying. That kind of threw me for a loop.

He climbed back in the SUV. Luckily, he hadn’t been in the cabin long enough for the snow to freeze on the windshield. The wipers cleared away the accumulation, and he spied the cabin across the pond. Lights shone in its windows. The property belonged to Adam Eckhart. His parents had been reluctant to tell him of the purchase three years ago when his biggest business rival had “coincidentally” moved next door to the Riley family cabin. Colton had simply laughed at the time because he rarely went to the mountains. His parents had frequented the cabin more than anyone else in their family.

It made him wonder, though, just what kind of psychological games Adam was playing with him. The man clearly had no sense of business fairness. At least twice Eckhart had used underhanded methods to push Colton’s construction company out of the bidding for lucrative contracts.

One of the city officials whose palms Eckhart had greased had even come to Colton and boldly said things might go his way if his gift were larger than Eckhart’s had been. But the Riley family didn’t conduct business in that manner. So Eckhart had gotten the contract.

Looking at the Eckhart cabin now, Colton was resigned to the fact that beggars couldn’t be choosers. He would have to go knocking on his enemy’s door tonight, or freeze.

* * *

Lauren Gaines-Eckhart luxuriated in the warm, soapy water of the sunken tub. She had pinned up her long, wavy raven’s-wing-colored hair to keep it dry, and put a Ben Harper CD in the sound system in an attempt to banish all thoughts of Adam Eckhart. She peered up at the clock on the wall. They had now been divorced exactly three days, seven hours and thirty-six minutes. She grimaced. Sometimes she was too anal for her own good.

“Ben, Ben,” she moaned. “Take me away!” But the sound of Ben Harper’s beautiful voice wasn’t working tonight. Like bile, hatred for her ex-husband coursed through her taut body. The more she tried to relax, the more images of doing violence to Adam flashed through her mind.

She smiled at the thought and sank deeper in the tub as she laid her head on the pillow. Finally she relaxed. As Ben Harper’s sweet tenor soared she closed her eyes. Tomorrow she would think about making her way back to Raleigh for work, family and responsibility, but for tonight, Christmas Eve, she was fine with being cut off from everyone and everything in her life. She’d been in the mountains for two days and had stayed in spite of severe weather warnings that mentioned the likelihood of a blizzard. She felt safe here. As an architect, she’d designed the cabin with backup generators that would provide power for several days, insulated windows and a reinforced roof built to withstand the weight of heavy snowfall. This cabin was safer than some military installations. The daughter of a retired U.S. Army general, she knew a little about the military.

As an added bonus, her nosy sisters wouldn’t be able to travel up there to commiserate with her about her divorce. She adored all four of them and knew they meant well but they wouldn’t let her wallow and she wanted to wallow, at least for a few days. Then, like everyone expected of her, she would pull herself together and get on with her life.

She felt her muscles loosen and sighed contentedly. A delicious feeling of peace suffused her body. Then, just as quickly, her muscles tightened once again. Was that the doorbell? She glanced at the clock—9:25 p.m.? Who in their right mind would be out and about during a snowstorm?

She sat up in the tub and listened. There it was again, this time followed by someone pounding like crazy on her front door.

Curious, and a little ticked off by the intrusion, she rose. Tall and curvy, her brown body glistened with water droplets. Carefully, she stepped onto the plush bath rug and grabbed a towel to quickly dry off.

Pulling on her robe and slippers, she hurried into the adjacent bedroom and went straight to the closet. Pushing aside some clothes she revealed a wall safe. She quickly put in the combination, opened it and removed the semiautomatic she kept for self-defense.

Her father had made sure that all his daughters knew how to safely use a handgun. She loaded it and made sure the safety was engaged. She didn’t want to accidentally shoot anyone. She would fire the weapon only if it became necessary to defend herself—a woman couldn’t be too careful here in the isolated mountains. The nearest police station was miles away. And no one was going to come to her rescue in a blizzard.

* * *

Colton pressed his ear to the door as he strained to hear any forthcoming footsteps from within. Could Eckhart have programmed the lights to come on at regular intervals to deter thieves? If so, the cabin could be unoccupied. He tossed that theory aside. The power was out. If the power were out in his family’s cabin, the power would be out in Eckhart’s, as well. Even with backup generators, someone would have to manually start them up, right? At least he hoped so.

He was about to start pounding on the door again when a feminine voice yelled, “Identify yourself, and quickly!”

“My name is Colton Riley. My family owns the cabin across the pond...”

“I know Frank and Veronica Riley,” said the voice impatiently. “Stand back so I can see your face.”

Colton took a step backward. He was trembling with cold, his arms wrapped around his jacket in an attempt to hold in what little body heat he had left.

Inside, Lauren squinted as she perused his face. Yes, although they’d never formally met, she recognized Colton Riley’s clean-shaven chiseled features from various charitable events they’d both attended, and from family photographs his mother, Veronica, had shown her over the years. She was clearly proud of her son and had talked about him a lot. Also, it was hard not to recognize the man her ex-husband detested. He’d bought this cabin just to irk Colton Riley. Lauren had wondered about her husband’s sanity then—to buy a cabin just to rub somebody else’s nose in it. The fact that he was so rich that he could move right next door to a sworn enemy and they had no control over it whatsoever. On the other hand, gaining ownership of the cabin in the divorce was a breeze because Adam hadn’t gotten the rise out of Colton Riley he’d expected when he’d bought the property. He’d been summarily ignored. So when Lauren had said she wanted the cabin he hadn’t put up a fight.

Now his business rival was standing on her doorstep wanting to come inside out of the cold.

“Okay, you’re Colton Riley. What do you want?” she yelled.

Sure she recognized him, but who knew, he might moonlight as a serial killer on weekends.

Exasperated and freezing, Colton got riled. “Look, my dad died earlier today and, not thinking clearly, I got in my car and just started driving, going nowhere in particular. Then I looked up and realized I was headed here. So...”

Lauren had the door open and was yanking him inside before he could finish his sentence. Colton was so grateful to feel the rush of warm air on his skin he collapsed onto the floor in a snow-covered heap. Lauren shut the door but not before the blustery conditions blew snow onto the polished wood floor. She gazed down at her uninvited guest. “Frank passed away?”

Colton’s eyes met hers. In hers he saw shock and sympathy.

He stood up. He was at least six inches taller than she was and she wasn’t a small-statured woman—five-eight, maybe five-nine. “Yeah, of pancreatic cancer. Kept it quiet for years. He didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for him.”

There were tears in her eyes. She stood there with a towel wrapped around her hair and dressed in a bathrobe with pink bunny slippers on her feet. She should have looked comical, even ridiculous, but instead she looked beautiful to him. Not just beautiful—angelic.

It could have something to do with the fact that she’d just saved his life by letting him in, he thought skeptically. “Please, don’t cry,” he said softly as he rubbed his arms to speed up his body’s recovery from the cold.

Lauren wiped the tears away with her free hand and seeing he was severely underdressed for the weather outside and must be freezing, she sprang into action.

“Come with me,” she told him, and began walking toward the back of the cabin.

“Is that a gun?” he asked cautiously after catching sight of the weapon she held at her side.

“A girl has to stay safe,” she said offhandedly.

“So, it’s true what they say about you Gaines girls,” Colton said as he followed her.

Lauren smiled over her shoulder at him. She had been under the impression he knew nothing of her background. But apparently her reputation, or to be more accurate, her father’s reputation, had preceded her.

“What do they say about us Gaines girls?”

“That you don’t mess with the general’s daughters.”

She laughed shortly. “Damned straight, you don’t.”

She led him to the guest room and switched on the light. She gestured to the closet. “I’m sure some of the clothes in there should fit you. There are towels and toiletries in the bathroom. By the time you’re finished taking a hot shower I’ll have something warm for you to eat and drink.”

Although grateful, Colton hesitated to accept her generous offer. He stood peering down into her upturned face, an expression of surprise on his own. “Are you sure this is okay with your husband?”

He wanted to avoid being caught naked in the shower by an irascible husband who’d stalked in from somewhere else in the house.

“Ex-husband,” Lauren informed him tightly.

He looked confused. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Nondisclosure clause in the prenuptial,” Lauren said briskly. “I can’t speak to the media about our divorce or about anything that happened in our marriage. He thinks it might reflect negatively on him, from a business standpoint. Now, I’ll leave you alone.”

She left before he could say anything else, closing the door firmly behind her.

Colton looked around the spacious room with its pine floor, vaulted ceiling with exposed beams, and a natural stone fireplace. He’d heard she was an architect. As a builder he could see the thought and skill that had gone into its design.

Right now, though, a nice warm shower was what he needed. He wasted no more time peeling off his clothes and stepping into a steamy bath.

* * *

Having taken the time to put on jeans and a long-sleeved cotton shirt, Lauren stood in the kitchen, heating up some of her hearty beef vegetable soup she’d made earlier that day. As she stirred it with a wooden spoon, she wondered how Veronica was doing. Veronica and Frank had to have been married nearly forty years. What did you do when you lost someone you’d been with for that long? Someone you adored? Frank had a reputation for being a hardnosed businessman but with Veronica he’d been nothing but loving. The time Lauren had spent with them up in the mountains, sharing meals and playing chess with Frank who once told her that she and Veronica were the only women who’d ever bested him at the game, would now be dearly cherished memories.

Their son, though, was a mystery. She knew only what others had told her about him. He’d taken over the company when his father had retired. The Rileys had been in the construction business for more than half a century in the Raleigh area. They were known for being trustworthy and for producing quality private homes and commercial buildings. On the other side, Lauren had spent the entire length of her marriage listening to Adam complain about “those damned Rileys” who “have had a monopoly in this city for too long.” Adam was the upstart, and in order for the newcomer to triumph over the standard-bearer, deals were made that might be conceived as manipulative, perhaps even downright illegal. In return, Lauren had started to dislike her ex-husband long before she discovered he was having an affair.

Back in the guest room, Colton had showered and brushed his teeth, and then found a pair of jeans that would fit him and a soft denim shirt in the closet. No underwear, which was fine with him. Unless he found a pair of briefs fresh out of the package, he wouldn’t be wearing anything that had once been that close to Adam Eckhart’s body.

He did find a package of thick, white athletic socks, which he opened, selected a pair and pulled onto his feet. Appropriately dressed now, he went in search of his hostess. He let his nose lead him to the kitchen. Whatever she was cooking smelled wonderful. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was. He’d left Raleigh hours ago, his trip a meandering blackout until he recognized some familiar landmarks and realized he was headed to the family cabin, a place where he’d spent many an idyllic summer fishing, swimming, hiking and kayaking and generally making his older sister, Jade’s, life miserable. She’d been such a neat freak that he’d gotten a kick out of throwing her in the pond, or putting frogs, snakes and insects in her bed. He’d been a total jerk to her back then. It was a wonder they had such a close, loving relationship today. He’d left Jade in Raleigh with their mother. Which reminded him, by now they must be worried sick about him. He needed to call and tell them that he was fine. He felt bad for making them worry on top of the grief they were feeling due to his father’s recent death.

Where was his cell phone? He found his jacket by the front door where Lauren had hung it on the coat tree to allow it to dry. He rummaged through the damp pockets until he found it. No lit-up display indicated it was in need of a recharge.

A few seconds later, he was walking through the kitchen doorway. Spotting Lauren ladling soup into a bowl, he said, “Thanks. I think my body temp’s back to normal again.”

She looked up and smiled, “Good. You’re not a vegetarian, are you? I’ve got some beef vegetable soup. Would you like coffee? Or maybe hot chocolate?”

Colton sat down at the place setting she’d provided for him at the high-counter kitchen island. “No, I’m definitely not a vegetarian. That soup sounds good. And a hot chocolate, please,” he said. “Thank you...”

“Call me Lauren.”

She smiled again, and his heart skipped a beat. He hoped he wasn’t becoming infatuated with Adam Eckhart’s ex. It didn’t help that the woman was kind and generous to a fault. She was also drop-dead gorgeous with her fresh face, skin so clear and golden-brown with a hint of red as if she was blushing underneath. She’d taken the towel off her head and her blue-black hair fell in waves about her heart-shaped face. She was adorable without makeup. He’d seen her all dressed up at the Black and White Ball last year. She’d been on Eckhart’s arm with him beaming like an idiot, and no wonder—she’d been the belle of the ball. She’d been breathtaking then but not as appealing as she looked now, so vulnerable, as if her emotions were barely being contained. He supposed she was hurting from the divorce. Could that be why she was up here alone—contemplating her lost marriage? He would not broach the subject. Even if he’d known her for more than an hour, which he hadn’t, he would never bring it up.

“This looks good,” he said just before sampling the soup. It was savory with a tomato base, tender chunks of beef, and just the right amount of red pepper for spice. He looked up at her with appreciation. “You made this?”

“Homemade,” she confirmed with a smile.

“Delicious,” he said.

“I’m glad you like it,” Lauren said softly as she busied herself making hot chocolate.

Momentarily, Colton put down his spoon and regarded her. “I’m sorry for intruding on your downtime. But when I got to the cabin I found out there was no electricity, and no wood for a fire, so I had no other choice but to come knocking on your door.”

She was smiling as she poured hot milk into two mugs. “You don’t have to explain. I know Veronica and Frank never had backup generators put in. I tried to convince them to but they insisted their place was more rustic and somehow more romantic without the generators.”

She stirred cocoa, sugar and a touch of vanilla into each mug. “They were the perfect couple.”

Colton cleared his throat when he felt a lump forming in it, and tears at the backs of his eyes. He couldn’t start bawling in front of a stranger, even if she was a sympathetic stranger.

He took a deep breath. “Yeah, they were pretty devoted to each other.”

Lauren placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of him and sat down across from him at the kitchen’s island. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. I understand. I got out of Raleigh shortly after I got word my divorce was final. I wanted time to myself before my family began to smother me, wanting to know if I was all right.”

He noticed she spoke with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, which by contrast were sad. Because he didn’t like her ex-husband he couldn’t imagine a woman not being overcome with joy after being declared free and clear of the buffoon.

He ate his soup in silence as she sipped her hot chocolate.

Although neither of them actually looked at the other, there were a lot of quick secret glances. Lauren had noticed his short, naturally dark brown hair was still damp from the shower and he had strong hands. He ate slowly, savoring each bite, which made her wonder if he did other things in that manner, as well. No rush, just lingering and appreciating, enjoying the moment. His skin was the color of cinnamon, and his eyes were dark gray, like his father’s. His photographs didn’t do him much justice, and the few times she’d seen him at public functions she had not given him much thought because after all she had been a married woman.

Colton could not help inhaling the clean feminine scent of her. Fresh out of a bath, he figured since she had opened the door in her bathrobe. Even half-frozen, he hadn’t missed that. Her silhouette was classically beautiful, the slender neck, that square chin with the dimple in its center, angling up to a full mouth with lips that looked soft and inviting. Damned if a near-death experience didn’t make you more observant, and appreciative, of things you might never have noticed before. When she breathed in and out, he imagined her full breasts heaving with desire, for him.

Once or twice while he was finishing his meal they smiled at one another, but uttered not a word. When he was done with the soup, he looked up at her. “That was wonderful. You saved me.”

Lauren laughed nervously as her eyes met his. “What was I supposed to do, let you freeze to death?”

His gaze went to her mouth. Her tongue flicked out and moistened her lower lip. She rose and reached for his bowl. “Can I get you some more?”

Suddenly, his heart was thudding in his chest, and his manhood, already going commando in his borrowed jeans, began to stir. He knew he had to get out of her presence before he said or did something that would embarrass them both.

“Um, no, thank you. I think I’ll just go to bed. I’m more tired than I thought.”

If he wasn’t mistaken, she looked relieved at his announcement. Was she feeling the same attraction he was feeling?

“Of course,” she said, hurriedly crossing the room to put the bowl in the sink. “You know the way. If you need an extra blanket, they’re on the top shelf in the closet.”

“Good night, then, and thank you,” Colton said hoarsely.

“Good night,” she said softly, chancing a shy glance in his direction. “Hopefully, we’ll have better weather tomorrow.”

Chapter 2

Colton got all the way to the door of the guest room before he realized he hadn’t asked Lauren if the phones were working. He could not with good conscience go to bed without attempting to let his family know he was safe.

Lauren was washing dishes at the sink when he returned to the kitchen. She heard him enter and placed a dish on the draining board before turning to face him. “Is there a problem?”

“My cell phone’s out of juice and I have no way of recharging it. Do you have a working phone I can use?”

She was drying her hands on a dish towel as she walked toward him. “The landline’s down due to the storm, but I have a satellite phone you can use.”

“A satellite phone?” Colton mused. “You have to be outside when you use that, right, underneath open sky?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Lauren confirmed with a smile. “I take it with me when I hike in the woods or the mountains.”

She hung the dish towel on a rack attached to the oven door and walked over to the large window in the kitchen and drew aside the curtains. The wind had died down and it wasn’t snowing any longer. Colton joined her at the window.

“It’s not as bad as it was out there earlier,” he said contemplatively.

“There’s a hooded, insulated jacket in the front hall closet that should fit you. You won’t even feel the cold in that baby,” Lauren told him.

“All right,” Colton agreed, “I’ll go put on my shoes and try on that jacket.”

“And I’ll go get the phone,” Lauren said. He watched her walk away, the gentle sway of her hips a thing of beauty.

They met up again at the front hall closet where she helped him into the jacket, reminding him of his mother bundling him up for the cold when he was a child. Then she explained how to use the phone. “It’s simple, and it works anywhere in the world, so there shouldn’t be a problem reaching your mother.”

“How’d you know I wanted to phone my mother?”

“Your father just passed away and you’re missing, whom else would you want to phone? You’re not married, are you?”

“No, I’ve never been that lucky,” he said, marveling at how easy it was to talk to her.

She smiled sweetly as she handed him the phone and said, “Tell her my thoughts and prayers are with her.”

* * *

Lauren had been right, the phone was a cinch to use. He got his mother on the first try. She was sick with worry. “Colton, oh, my God, where are you?”

“I’m in Bryson City, Mom, at the cabin, or rather I’m at your neighbor’s cabin. Our cabin didn’t have power, so Lauren offered me her guest room.”

“That’s hours from here,” Veronica Riley cried. “And I heard there was a snowstorm expected in that area tonight.”

“Blizzard is more like it,” Colton said. He looked up at the sky. Stars were starting to peek through the cloud cover. “But things are clearing up. With luck, I’ll be home tomorrow.”

“Lauren is a sweetheart,” Veronica said. “Have you told her about your father?”

“Yes, and she cried,” he said, his throat getting full again. “She says her thoughts and prayers are with you.”

“Of course they are,” said Veronica fondly. “It’s not that I’m not glad she was there when you needed her, but why in the world is she up there alone in that godforsaken weather?”

“She told me she wanted to get away from well-meaning people sympathizing with her over her divorce.”

“She’s divorced?” Veronica sounded startled. “I didn’t hear anything about it.”

Colton didn’t want to go into the nondisclosure clause that Lauren had earlier told him about over the phone. “It was kept quiet,” was all he said. A moment of silence passed. “Mom, I’m using a satellite phone under the stars. I’d better go. I’ll call you again tomorrow.”

“Okay, baby, I’m glad you were able to let us know where you are and that you are safe. You’re in good hands,” Veronica said confidently.

“Good night, Mom,” said Colton with warmth.

“Good night,” said Veronica softly.

He’d gone a few yards from the cabin to make his call and now he turned and carefully walked back. The snow came halfway up his legs with each step. He took it slowly, not wanting to fall down in the powder. He’d had enough of the cold for one night.

He guessed Lauren had been watching him from a window because as soon as he reached the cabin, she was there in the doorway, wearing a hooded jacket as if she was ready to come to his rescue should he need her. “Hey, did everything go okay?”

“Yeah, no problem,” he assured her.

“Good,” said Lauren, “Then get in here. It’s freezing!”

Colton was more than glad to oblige. Feeling sure of his footing, he jauntily put one foot on the bottom step, slipped, lost his balance, and went flailing backward, arms windmilling in an attempt to regain his equilibrium. He wound up on his back in the snow. He was thankful the snow was all he’d landed on.

He found the whole situation ridiculous and started laughing uproariously.

Lauren, in her rubber-soled boots, was off the porch and by his side in a matter of seconds. Laughing, she helped him to his feet and brushed snow off his coat. “Are you all right?”

As they held each other upright, Colton peered into her beautiful face. “No, I haven’t been all right all day. My father’s gone and I seem to have lost my senses. I drove up here on a whim and ended up unknowingly intruding on your solitude. But now that I’ve met you and put a personality to the image of you I’ve seen over the years, I find that I’m strongly attracted to you. I’m definitely not all right.”

Lauren’s heartbeat accelerated at his admission. “Well, that’s normal,” she said, her voice warm and gentle. “We’re both hurting, needing comfort. And we’re here alone. The situation is rife with potential for sexual attraction. I’ve been checking you out, too.”

They took the steps together and made it to the door without another mishap. Inside, Lauren shut the door and they quickly removed their jackets. She then busied herself hanging the damp jackets on the coat tree, appearing to Colton that she wanted to drop the subject.

But he wasn’t ready to do that just yet. “And what do you think?”

She looked up at him with big brown eyes and said as innocently as she could muster, “About what?”

Colton smiled. “You know what.”

She turned away and began walking toward the back of the cabin. “I think you know you’re hot, Colton Riley. How could anyone not? You look in a mirror every day.”

“Are you saying I’m conceited?”

“No, I’m saying I’m hot, you’re hot, but we should just leave it at that. Any further discussion could lead nowhere good.”

“Oh, I think it might lead to somewhere good and something memorable,” he contradicted her. “And you think you’re hot, too?”

This made her turn to stare at him. “Are you saying I’m not?”

“Hell, no. I think you’re smokin’ hot. I like the fact that you don’t deny it and try, like a lot of women I’ve met, to fish for compliments. You’re confident in your sexuality. I like that.”

“Honey, there is nothing wrong with my sexuality. Just because my ex was a cheating bastard doesn’t mean I wasn’t holding up my end!”

“Touchy subject, huh?” asked Colton. “You don’t have to convince me that your ex is a bastard. I don’t like him, never have.”

“He doesn’t like you, either.”

There was a calculating light in her eyes that made him wonder something. “Did he tell you how he cheated me out of several contracts?”

She harrumphed. “I didn’t know and didn’t want to know anything about his business dealings. And if you think you can get back at him for some dirty deal by sleeping with me, think again. He doesn’t care about me. I’m a starter wife, his first wife, but apparently not his last. He’s already engaged to number two.”

“I don’t even think like that,” Colton vehemently denied. “My wanting to sleep with you has nothing to do with Adam Eckhart. Does your wanting to sleep with me have anything to do with the fact that he hates me and if it got back to him it might piss him off?”

“No!” Lauren cried.

“Then you do want to sleep with me?”

“Yes, but...”

He moved in. Lauren looked him in the eyes. Her stare was penetrating, as though she could see right through him. He found her scrutiny thrilling and invited it. He had nothing to hide. He wanted her to plumb deep and discover that for herself. He didn’t wonder why he was unafraid of being so vulnerable. He just knew she made him grateful to be alive at this moment.

At last, she spoke. “There have to be some ground rules. You don’t have a girlfriend, do you?”

“There is no one special in my life,” he assured her.

She was looking at him suspiciously. “I won’t have a part in another woman getting hurt over infidelity.”

“Scout’s honor,” he said with a straight face.

She seemed to be satisfied with his answer. “Okay, then. What happens here stays here.”

“Done,” he promised.

“You can’t tell anyone.”

“Understood,” he agreed. “That goes for you, too. Not even your girlfriends.”

“Not even your boys,” she countered.

“Not even your priest,” he said.

“Not even God,” she said with a smile.

“I think He already knows,” said Colton as he backed her against the wall and planted a sensual, bone-melting kiss on her sweet mouth.

Bodies pressed closer and warmth ensued shortly afterward. By some silent consensus they agreed that this seduction would be slow and deliberate. When they came up for air from that first kiss, their eyes met and they smiled. It was confirmed. They were a good fit. She unbuttoned his shirt, curious to know whether his chest was hairy or smooth. She was rewarded with a hairy, muscular chest and a washboard stomach.

He was patient as she ran her hands over his pectorals and admired his biceps after she had finished removing the shirt. “I like your guns,” she said.

“Speaking of guns, you don’t keep yours under your pillow, do you? I don’t like those kinds of surprises in bed.”

She laughed sexily. “No, it’s back in the safe. The only thing exploding in my bed tonight will be you.”

After that there wasn’t very much talk. She took him to her bedroom, which was two doors down from his. When he walked in the room, he saw that her bed had been turned down already, and there was a book on it. She had obviously planned to read until she fell asleep.

He watched as she began removing her clothing piece by piece.

First, her jeans, revealing long, shapely legs and a see-through pair of panties. Then her blouse, under which she wore a lacy cream-colored bra that matched her bikini panties. Her body was lush and feminine yet athletic and she had an ass that a man like him would love to hold in a fit of passion.

After she’d gotten down to her underwear, her gaze fell to his lower half. He unbuttoned the jeans he wore but did not pull them past his hips. “I’m not wearing anything underneath,” he warned.

“I’m a grown woman,” she told him. “You haven’t got anything I haven’t seen before.”

She removed her bra to make him feel more comfortable. Her breasts were full and everything he desired, not too big, nor too small, just right for palming in his big hands, and the erect nipples were ripe for licking. His mouth watered.

He pulled the waistband of the jeans down past his hips and heard the audible intake of breath from her. He was well-endowed, but not monstrously so. It was nice to know she liked what she saw.

Lauren, suddenly faced with the manifestation of her wanton desire, was having second thoughts. She was pretending to be someone she was not. Adam was the only man she’d ever made love to. She had made it seem to Colton as if she had more experience with men than she actually had. Adam was not nearly as blessed as Colton was when it came to sexual “equipment.” She wasn’t sure if she could accommodate him.

Too much time had passed with Lauren staring at him for Colton’s comfort. “Lauren, is something wrong?”

“No,” she denied.

He walked toward her, totally naked, his muscles flexing enticingly, his manhood semi-erect. She couldn’t help it. Her body reacted to the sensual image he made. The man was sex personified, and she’d been too long without a lover, a good lover. She was beginning to wonder if Adam had ever been a good lover. After all, she had nothing to compare him to.

There was only one way to find out.

She removed her panties, tremblingly. Colton stopped in his tracks and took all of her in. He sighed with satisfaction. She was not one to mow the lawn, so to speak. She was beautifully natural, which was refreshing as far as he was concerned.

There seemed to be nothing separating them now as he pulled her into his arms, and they fell onto the bed. She molded her body against his. He was fully erect now, and their bodies, his skin a darker cinnamon than hers, wrapped themselves around each other. Their kisses were deep. The taste was like a drug, and her body writhing beneath his worked him into a sexual frenzy.

The smell of her, the silkiness of her skin fed his need. When she opened her legs to him, somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered condoms. He didn’t know if she had any. He hadn’t even thought about them until now. But it wouldn’t do. No matter how much he wanted her he wouldn’t risk getting her pregnant just to satisfy his needs. “Do you have any condoms?” he asked huskily.

“They’re in the nightstand drawer,” she said with a gesture of her head. He got up and looked in the drawer she’d indicated. Once he had the condom in his hands he tore it open and put it on. He looked back at her to see that she was watching him. He supposed he should feel self-conscious. They were strangers in every sense of the word, especially in a physical sense, but this felt natural.

But he was a man who’d been brought up right. He was a gentleman. So when he pulled her into his arms once more, he looked into her eyes and asked, “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” she breathed. The expression in her eyes left him no further doubt.

Her willingness pleased him, and his penis grew harder at the thought of penetrating her. But first, her pleasure. He got on his knees and pulled her toward him to the edge of the bed. Her legs were splayed wide, and it was apparent that she was ready for him from the wetness of her sex. He’d been wondering what she tasted like and now he bent his head and devoured her. His tongue moved slowly around her clitoris, inciting a current of electrically charged sensual pleasure throughout her body. She felt it down to her toes. Her moans were low at first and grew louder as her impending orgasm drew nearer.

He left her clitoris and licked the sides of her labia. This made her thighs tremble. She whispered, “Yes, yes, yes...”

Though he was happy she was enjoying his efforts, he wasn’t satisfied with that reaction alone. He wouldn’t be content until she started calling on a deity. He redoubled his efforts. She rose up on her elbows, “Oh, my God, what are you doing to me?”

He merely smiled.

When she climaxed, she not only released pent-up sexual energy, but she also came to the realization that there was a lot she didn’t know about sex, and here was the man who could teach her.

Colton got up and while she was in that malleable state just after an orgasm, when your mind was blown and sensual pleasures were magnified, he entered her. She was just as he imagined she would be—hot, tight and more than capable of handling him.

Never had Lauren had such an enthusiastic, energetic lover, one who seemed to give even more than he got. Her body reveled in it. Felt as if it had been waiting for him all her life. She knew that this feeling was what people were trying to describe when they said that sex was the closest thing to heaven on earth. She’d never felt so alive.

Colton couldn’t believe his luck. This woman was his equal in every way. Not content to lie there and accept his thrusts, she was giving it back to him with as much fervor as he was giving it to her.

When he came it was a monumental moment for him. He didn’t know if it was because his emotions were so intense tonight after the day he’d had, or there was something unique about Lauren. She was smiling up at him. She looked exhausted but supremely happy. He was glad he’d had something to do with that.

Chapter 3

“I’ve done it now,” Lauren said jokingly as they lay in bed wrapped in each other’s arms. They’d gotten up and showered together and climbed back in bed.

Colton smiled. “What have you done?”

“I’ve become the Gaines girl who’s not only divorced but who, after the divorce, jumped right in bed with the first available man. I left Raleigh to get away from it all and a hunk shows up on my doorstep.”

“Life isn’t fair,” Colton said sympathetically.

Lauren laughed softly. “Darn right, it’s not. I was determined to give up men.”

He reached out and brushed a tendril of hair behind her left ear. “How long would that have lasted? You’re a vital, passionate woman, Lauren. I can tell that much from the little time we’ve spent together. Don’t let Eckhart turn you off men.”

“Please don’t say that name,” said Lauren.

“All right, I’ll just say ‘the asshole’ from now on,” Colton said.

“Don’t even refer to him at all. I came here to forget he exists.”

“Then why’d you come to a place you shared?”

“He was rarely here,” Lauren explained. “He bought the place and came a couple of times, met your parents who, as you can imagine, gave him a cool reception. Then after a while, he stopped coming at all. I didn’t care. What he didn’t know was that I had an ulterior motive when he announced he was buying the property.”

“Which was?”

“My granddaddy Beck, my mother’s dad, lives up here near the Cherokee reservation. He owns a lodge. I go to see him whenever I come up here. Grandma died about five years ago and he doesn’t have any family in the area. My sisters and I make sure one of us goes to see him at least once a month. I was delighted when my ex bought this place. And, thanks to you, I got it in the divorce settlement.”

“Thanks to me, how?” Colton wondered.

“Because he got no reaction out of you when we moved across the pond from your place, he lost interest and gave it to me without a fight.”

Colton understood. “So when you come up here, it’s like going home.”

“Exactly,” she answered with a contented sigh.

“The only place I’m able to feel that way is my parents’ home,” Colton told her. “I own a home but it’s just a house. A very nice house, mind you, but it has no sentimental value.”

“Maybe you haven’t been in it long enough,” she suggested.

“I bought it six years ago,” he replied. He smiled at her. “You’re an architect. Maybe you can come take a look at it and tell me what’s missing about its design that’s preventing me from caring about it.”

“That implies that we’re going to take this further than this nonreality bubble we’re presently in,” Lauren warned him.

“Is that what you think is happening here?” Colton asked, the humor gone out of his tone and his eyes. Up until now they had been talking good-naturedly. True, her insistence about keeping this a secret had indicated that she believed this was to be a one-night stand, but after making love he no longer wanted it to be just that. He envisioned seeing her again, slowly getting to know her. He had assumed she felt the same way.

“Wasn’t that what we agreed on earlier? That this remains our little secret?”

“Yes, Lauren, but I thought you were thinking of your reputation. I didn’t believe that you were really going to kick me to the curb afterward. Not if we both enjoyed ourselves. And I know you enjoyed yourself.”

“I did enjoy myself,” she confirmed as she freed her arms from his and sat up in bed. “I simply didn’t want to set myself up for disappointment. I wanted you to know that there were no strings.”

“Just pleasure,” he said as he sat up while maintaining eye contact with her. “I understand not wanting to be hurt, Lauren. Believe it or not, I’ve been hurt before, too. On the other hand, I don’t want you to sell yourself short. Of course I want more than a tryst in the mountains.”

“You say that now after sex, but you may feel differently when we get back to Raleigh and to our everyday lives. Plus there’s the trauma you are under due to your father’s death. People do strange things when they’re grieving.”

“And you’re worried that you might have slept with me just to get your ex out of your system, is that it?” he wanted to know.

Lauren shook her head, but her eyes told a different story. She was undecided. “I’m an emotional wreck right now,” she admitted. “I don’t know up from down. I only know that I enjoyed being with you tonight.”

“That’s an honest answer,” he said softly as he pulled her back into his arms.

Lauren smiled again as she got comfortable in his embrace. “Let’s talk about anything except what might happen after we get back to Raleigh. For instance, how old are you?”

“I’ll be thirty-five in October,” he easily replied. “And you?”

“I’ll be thirty next month.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“Same as I felt about twenty-nine—indifferent. I’m not afraid of getting old, I’m just afraid of not accomplishing what I want to in life.”

“Which is?”

“To be happy,” she simply said.

“What would make you happy?”

“To be successful at what I do,” she began. “To have a marriage that is as loving and lasting as my parents’ marriage or your parents’ marriage, for that matter.”

“They did it,” Colton reasoned. “I don’t see why you can’t.”

“The world has changed,” Lauren said. “What was important to our parents’ generation isn’t important to ours. Couples get married today knowing there’s an easy out. Couples from our parents’ generation actually did it believing they were in it for a lifetime.”

“I don’t agree with that,” Colton countered. “I think young people want the same things. We just go about it differently.”

“The odds are stacked against us,” Lauren said. “Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce.”

“Is it that high?” Colton asked incredulously.

“I’m probably quoting old statistics and it’s even higher by now,” Lauren said.

“You’re seeing the world through newly divorced eyes,” Colton told her. “Give yourself a few months and you’ll see things differently. Now, let’s talk Christmas. You know in a matter of minutes, it’s going to be Christmas Day. What do you want for Christmas this year?”

“I didn’t even bother to get the decorations out of the attic,” Lauren said. “I’m not in the Christmas mood this year.”

“Humor me,” Colton insisted with a coaxing smile.

“Peace on Earth, good will toward men?” Lauren ventured.

“Okay, besides that.”

“A warm, sexy man in my bed,” Lauren said, grinning at him.

“I think Santa already gave you that, young lady,” Colton said and kissed her soundly.

When they broke off their kiss, she asked him what he wanted for Christmas, “For a moment like this to last,” was his only reply.

* * *

The next morning Colton awakened before Lauren and took the opportunity to observe her while she slept. He could barely hear her breathing, she slept so deeply. She had braided her hair after they’d made love last night for the final time and now it fell in a single tress down her back. She slept on her side and was literally hugging her pillow. He smiled. She looked so young in repose, nowhere near thirty.

He was still watching her when she opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Is it morning already?”

The sun filtered through the sheers at the window. She squeezed her eyes shut against the glare. “Why didn’t I put up blackout curtains?”

“You obviously like sunshine in the morning,” said Colton as he swung his legs off the bed and stood up. “I have electric shutters in my bedroom that block out everything.”

“What are you, a vampire?” she teased.

“If I were, you would be one by now, as well,” he told her.

He got down on the floor and began doing push-ups without a stitch of clothing on. Lauren sat up in bed to watch. This was the strangest man she’d ever met. She stopped counting at a hundred.

Climbing out of bed, she said, “I’m exhausted just looking at you. The general would love you. I bet he’s out jogging right now.”

“I’d love to meet him,” Colton said.

But she was gone. He heard the bathroom door close as he switched and began the sit-up portion of his morning regimen.

Momentarily, he heard the sound of Lauren brushing her teeth. After a hundred and twenty sit-ups he got to his feet, gathered his clothing that he’d discarded in the heat of passion last night and went to the guest room to shower and dress.

When he emerged a few minutes later, dressed and ready for his day, whatever it might bring, he heard music and followed the sound to the kitchen where Lauren was cracking eggs into a bowl. She looked up. “There you are. The electricity’s back on and the phone’s working again but according to Grandpa who knows the guy who drives the snowplow, the roads won’t be cleared up here until tomorrow morning. I’m sorry.”

Before he said anything, he kissed her good-morning. “Why are you apologizing? You didn’t cause the storm.”

“I thought you might be worried about your mom being alone at a time like this,” she said, concerned.

For a few hours Colton had been able to allow his mind to rest from the constant assault of grief over his dad’s death. Lauren had given him that, and he was grateful to her. But now it all came rushing back. “My sister, Jade, and her family are home from Miami. They’re with her,” he said.

“Oh, that’s good,” said Lauren. She turned back around and resumed cracking eggs. “Scrambled eggs and toast all right with you? I don’t have any breakfast meats. I’m not a big eater of bacon or sausage and I wasn’t expecting guests.”

He smiled gently. “Why don’t you let me cook for you? You cooked for me last night.”

She readily agreed and moved aside to let him take over. He did appear as if he knew his way around the kitchen. He effortlessly whisked the eggs in the bowl and then placed butter in the skillet. At just the right temperature, he added the eggs. He didn’t cook them too long, turning off the stove before they congealed, and when he put them on two separate plates they were of a fluffy consistency.

“Where’d you learn that?” Lauren asked.

“The Riley men are all competent in the kitchen,” he said. “Grandpa Riley was a chef at a restaurant in New Orleans before he got in his head to come to Raleigh and start a construction business.”

“Cooking and building don’t seem to go together,” Lauren said as she put two slices of bread into the toaster.

“They don’t,” Colton agreed. “That’s only a bit of Riley family trivia.”

When the toast was ready, they sat down at the island where Lauren had already put two place settings. She poured orange juice in their glasses. “Coffee?” she asked with the carafe poised over his cup.

“Yes, please,” Colton said, smiling at the domesticity of the scene. It was as if they did this all the time. He was very comfortable in her presence.

A local radio station was on in the background. The announcer reported, “That was the worst snowstorm we’ve had in these parts in years. As our listeners know, we’re used to milder winters.”

Another voice broke in with “Yeah, Bob, let’s hope the temperature doesn’t rise too swiftly because if it does we’re going to have a muddy mess out there.”

“How’d your granddad fare?” Colton asked once music resumed on the radio program.

“He says the lodge is none the worse for wear. That place is built like a fortress,” Lauren said fondly.

“He lives alone?”

“Yes, but his business keeps him so busy he isn’t lonely. Hunters and fishermen stay there year-round. He has a great staff but I’m afraid at eighty, he’s getting a bit old to run the place. I’d never say that to his face because he’d probably bite my head off. He’s never going to willingly retire.”

“He sounds great,” Colton said.

“He is,” Lauren was quick to say. “Our mom, Virginia, is his only child. She’s been trying to get him to move in with her and the general for years but he says if he and the general lived under the same roof, one of them would wind up shot.” She laughed. “He was only slightly exaggerating. He and Daddy don’t get along. He never forgave Daddy for marrying his daughter and taking her all over the world. Daddy’s been stationed quite a few places and Momma followed him. But then she decided she wanted us to have a more permanent home and that’s when they settled on Raleigh. It was a fairly large city and not too far from her father. She got a degree in English and took a job as a teacher and worked her way up to principal. Daddy’s retired now, but she’s still working and like her own father, shows no signs of retiring anytime soon.”

“She sounds like my mom,” Colton said. “Only dad’s illness got her to slow down. She wanted to spend as much time with him as possible toward the end.”

Lauren squeezed his hand in sympathy, but didn’t say anything. She always felt that if you didn’t know what to say to comfort someone it was best to say nothing at all. Just be there for them.

Colton took a deep, trembling breath. “I feel so helpless. I mean, I’m usually the guy people go to when there’s a problem that needs solving. But with this one, I feel totally out of control, unable to cope. It took everything out of me to watch him die in the hospital. Then to see my mother appear to age twenty years right before my eyes after he was gone hit me even harder. Her pain was palpable. I had to get out of there, and I’m sorry to say, I took off. I’ll always regret leaving her alone with my sister.”

“I’m sure they understand.”

“They love me—” he paused “—so they’ll say they understand, but deep down I believe they’ll think I abandoned them.”

“No, no, please believe me, Colton. Everyone responds differently to the death of a loved one. You had to distance yourself for a while. Your family won’t hold that against you.”

“Even now,” he admitted, “I don’t want to go back. I was grateful when you said the roads wouldn’t be clear until tomorrow. There’s the funeral to plan, the casket to pick out, a suit for dad to wear. I should be doing that. I’m his son.”

Since Lauren had known Frank for several years, she felt she could now share with Colton an observation she’d made about his father.

“You’re worrying about insignificant things,” she said. “The Frank Riley I knew and was very fond of didn’t leave matters like his final requests up to chance. He probably left minute details as to exactly how he wanted his memorial service to progress. And even if he didn’t, Veronica certainly has in mind how she wants him to be honored. Couples who’ve been together that long usually have things worked out in advance.”

“You think?” Colton was hopeful that she was right because he was at a loss. A big, strong man like him was completely stumped.

“The phones are working,” Lauren reminded him. “Phone Veronica after breakfast and ask her.”

Colton breathed easier as he finished his breakfast. Lauren had a calming effect on him.

Twenty minutes later he had his mother on the phone.

“Everything’s been arranged for some time now,” Veronica told him. “Your dad left specific instructions. The only thing I haven’t been able to arrange is the New Orleans–style jazz band that’ll play him all the way to the cemetery. His words, not mine. Jade’s on it. You say you’re going to be stuck there another day? Today’s Wednesday. The funeral is on Saturday. That’s plenty of time for you to get back home.”

“I’m so sorry I’m not there with you,” Colton told her sincerely.

“I know you are, baby,” Veronica said with warmth. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve always been too hard on yourself. Your father used to wonder if maybe when he was teaching you to run the business he forgot to teach you when to let go. Life isn’t all about making money and living up to everyone else’s expectations. It’s about knowing yourself and knowing when to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You’re thirty-four and you haven’t fallen in love yet. What’s stopping you? Your father and I used to play this game whenever we met a nice young lady. ‘She would be perfect for Colton,’ I would say, and your father would laugh at me and say, ‘Let Colton decide who is perfect for him. Just like I decided you were perfect for me.’ That shut me up for a while, but I still wonder whenever I meet a nice woman whether or not she’s the one for you,” Veronica said with a sigh. Before she said goodbye she reminded him to give her best to Lauren.

Lauren was having her own conversation on the satellite phone as she walked outside on hard-packed snow. Her sister, Amina, a captain in the army who had recently finished a hitch in Afghanistan and was trying to get used to civilian life, was threatening to steal the general’s Hummer and come up there and collect her. “It’s Christmas,” she whined, making Lauren remember when they were kids and Amina, two years younger than herself, began to moan and groan until she wore her down. “No one should be alone on Christmas.”

Lauren told her about Colton’s unexpected arrival last night.

“It was the damnedest thing. I was in the tub at the time.”

Amina screeched with delight on the other end after listening to Lauren’s account. “Desiree says he’s man-candy. And you know she doesn’t say that about just anybody. Is he still there? We’re getting in the car now if he is.”

“No, you’re not,” Lauren said with some satisfaction. “The roads aren’t fit for driving and won’t be until tomorrow.”

“Damn!” Amina said disappointedly.

Apparently, Desiree took the phone from Amina because it was her voice that Lauren heard next. “Colton Riley, huh? Women in Raleigh have been trying to trap him for years. He’s either very wily or a confirmed bachelor. Be careful. You’re very vulnerable right now.”

Desiree was a psychotherapist who specialized in relationships. She had a diagnosis ready for any male her sisters came in contact with. She was so busy solving everyone else’s relationship problems she had no time for a relationship of her own.

“You don’t have to worry. I just offered him a warm place to stay last night,” Lauren said, mindful of the agreement she’d made with Colton. “There’s no relationship here for you to analyze, Desi.”

The next voice to speak belonged to her sister Meghan. “Hey, sis, don’t listen to these two. I hope you’re taking advantage of the isolation and getting to know Mr. Riley better.”

Lauren smiled at the naughty suggestion coming from Meghan. If any of her sisters could be stereotyped as bookish and a bit of a nerd it would be Meghan who was a history professor.

“It’s nothing like that, Meg,” she assured her. “He’s just the son of my neighbors.”

“All right, okay,” said Meghan hastily. “I’m just saying that if you let loose and went for it, you’re way overdue.”

Isn’t that the truth, Lauren thought. Her behavior had been exemplary up until now. She could be forgiven for one indiscretion, couldn’t she?

Amina was in possession of the phone again. “All right, we won’t come up there. But stay in touch and let us know when the roads are clear. We’ve got to go check on Grandpa. He says he’s fine, but he always says that.”

“Will do,” Lauren promised, “Bye, girls.”

She heard them call “Bye!” in unison.

She disconnected and put the phone in the deep pocket of her jacket. Around her the world was snow-covered and looked like a winter scene in a Currier and Ives painting. The pond was frozen over, the tiny dock layered with frost. The oak and pine trees that surrounded the property were snow-laden. They were definitely having a white Christmas.

“Everything okay?” she heard behind her.

Colton had walked out to meet her. She wondered how much of her side of the conversation he’d heard. “Yeah, my sisters threatened to come up here but I told them the roads weren’t clear yet.”

“You have four sisters, right?”

“Yes, but only three, Desiree, Amina and Meghan, are in the area. Petra’s a zoologist studying the Great Apes in Africa.”

“No kidding, like Jane Goodall?”

She smiled. There were many facets to him. “Yes, she’s been there for over two years now.”

“What does she do when she’s not studying apes?”

“Actually, she studied to be a veterinarian and worked at a big city zoo before deciding to specialize and become a zoologist. Now she lectures and has written a couple of successful books on the subject.”

“She sounds very accomplished.”

“Growing up in our household we were all told to aim high. And even if we didn’t hit the mark, we would be giving it our best shot.”

“That’s a good way of looking at things,” Colton said, smiling down at her.

They began walking back to the cabin. “What did Veronica say?” Lauren asked.

“Pretty much what you guessed she’d say,” he answered. “They’ve got it under control. The funeral’s on Saturday.”

“I’ll be there,” she said easily. “Unless you don’t want me...” She hated that now that they’d been intimate she was wondering if her presence at his father’s funeral would make him uncomfortable and perhaps make him relive their time together when he should be focusing on his father. But such were the repercussions of spontaneous sexual relationships. She figured she should expect some awkward moments.

“Please come,” he said. His tone was gentle and sure. “I’d like for you to be there and so would Mom.”

Chapter 4

“What would you like to do today?” Lauren asked once they were back in the warmth of the cabin.

Colton turned to her with a humorous glint in his eye. “I want to take you on a date.”

She laughed shortly as she shrugged off her coat and hung it on the hall tree. “A date, huh? Where are you planning on taking me?”

“A movie, dinner and then, dancing,” he said with confidence.

She looked at him as if he’d taken leave of his senses but she was excited by the idea, so she accepted. “What time will you pick me up?” she asked.

“Let’s make it six,” he said. “I’m eager to get to know more about you.”

“What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” she asked. She had thought they would spend their last day together in bed, like any normal snowbound couple.

“Do whatever you would do if I weren’t here,” he suggested.

So for the remainder of the day she worked in her office. She devoted a considerable amount of time to making a three-dimensional model of the building she was designing in Raleigh using a program on her computer. It allowed her to see the building from all angles and to visualize it more accurately. At around one o’clock her stomach growled, and she went in search of lunch to find Colton in the kitchen already fixing them sandwiches.

“Hello, Miss Gaines,” he said. “You don’t mind if I call you, Miss Gaines?”

“Not at all,” she said, going to him and planting a kiss on his cheek. She hadn’t kissed him since this morning. Colton put down the knife he’d been using to cut the sandwiches in two and pulled her into his arms for a proper kiss.

When he let her go, Lauren was breathless. “Are you sure tonight’s our first date? That kiss was kind of fresh if it is. Actually, we should only be shaking hands at this point. And don’t even think about getting lucky tonight. Sometimes I don’t even kiss a guy good-night on the first date.”

When Colton grinned, she noticed he had a dimple in his left cheek but not his right. How could she have missed that up until now? She peered closer. “What happened to your other dimple?”

“A genetic anomaly,” he said with a short laugh. “I’m the third Riley who has only one dimple. What can I say? I’m a freak of nature.”

“Another bit of Riley family trivia?”

“I’ve got a long list.” He handed her a smoked turkey sandwich on a plate. “Will you be having your lunch in here with me, or will you be taking it back to work with you?”

“Oh, I’ll have it in here with you if I’m not disturbing your date planning,” she said with a bit of skepticism.

He let it slide. She may not have confidence in his ability to pull this date off but he was having fun. They sat down at the island and ate their sandwiches. “What kind of movie are we going to see?” Lauren asked after swallowing her first bite.

“Unfortunately, this theater has a shortage of romantic films starring African Americans,” he told her regrettably. “However I trust the owner’s taste and I’m sure whatever’s shown will be worth watching.”

Lauren smiled. It was true. She hadn’t brought many DVDs with her on her visits to the cabin over the years. Her real collection was at home in Raleigh. “Well, how’re you doing on dinner and dancing?”

“The restaurant I’m taking you to has a wonderful menu. You’re going to dine on roast chicken, twice-baked potatoes and broccoli in a butter sauce.”

“Wow, the chef must be a genius,” she quipped. “The last time I visited that restaurant they didn’t have roast chicken on the menu.”

“Roast chicken, canned chicken, why quibble?” he asked good-naturedly. “It’s going to be a culinary masterpiece.”

“If you say so,” Lauren said. “And dancing?”

“Ben Harper, Ray Charles and Otis Redding are all appearing at this little club tonight,” he told her proudly. “I was able to get reservations.”

“How nice of Ray Charles and Otis Redding to make the journey back from the Other Side to entertain us,” Lauren said with laughter in her voice.

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