Chill Out (2 page)

Renata blinked at him, momentarily arrested by the kindness in his strikingly blue eyes. She took a deep breath and started toward them. When she was within touching distance of the dog, she stopped, afraid to take her eyes off him.

“Now what?”

“Hold out your hand and let him sniff it.”

“If I stick my hand under his nose, can you guarantee I’ll get all five fingers back?”

“I guarantee your fingers are safe.”

“Okay, you’d better be right.”

Tentatively, she reached out her hand. Spike sniffed it for a moment, then ran his wet tongue over her palm. Surprised, she pulled her hand back.

“It’s okay. He’s just saying he likes you,” Noah said with a grin. He had a nice smile with even, white teeth. For a moment Renata found herself wondering what he looked like under the whiskers.

She pulled her gaze away from Noah, and extended her hand to Spike once more. This time she was prepared when he licked it.

“Why don’t you try a scratch behind his ears? He loves that.”

Renata lifted her hand to Spike’s huge head, gently rubbing at first, then using her nails to scratch. Spike bowed his head and leaned into her hand. When she stopped, he looked up at her with adoring eyes.

“He really does like me!”

Noah grinned. “Sure he does, but don’t let it go to your head. He likes pretty much everyone.”

Renata ran her hand along Spike’s back. “Maybe, but we’ve got something special going on, don’t we, sweetie?”

In answer, the dog licked her hand once more.

“You’re right. Spike is a sweet guy. Like the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

She wondered if the same was true for Noah. Was there a sweet guy lurking under his hairy cover? Or was he the kind of guy who would take advantage of their situation?

The smile left his face. “Look, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going to push my way into your room in the middle of the night.”

Renata blushed and wondered if he’d read her mind. “Thank you.”

“I hope you’ll respect my privacy, as well.”

She stared at him, stunned. Was he actually worried about her making advances? “I wouldn’t dream of disturbing you.”

“Good. As long as we understand each other.”

“Don’t worry. Your message is loud and clear.”

She watched them climb the stairs, seething at his parting words. Spike turned his head halfway up and gave her a doleful glance, as if apologizing for his master’s rude remark.

She couldn’t wait to leave in the morning.

Chapter Two

Noah stared at the ceiling of his bedroom.
Stupid, stupid, stupid
.
What had prompted him to make such a rude remark to Renata?

One minute she’d been smiling at him, her lovely brown eyes full of amusement, and the next he’d panicked and opened his big, fat mouth. She was sweet and funny and, according to Tyler, wicked smart.
Exactly like Kendall
.

What had made him think he could come home?

It was too late to regret his decision. After two years, he was back in Canada. He’d meet his brother in Winnipeg and then decide whether to continue his self-imposed exile or make his homecoming permanent. His stomach knotted. Would Dylan even want to meet with him?

Spike rolled over and took most of the blankets with him. Noah tugged them back. Apparently Spike’s former owner had allowed him to sleep in her bed, under the covers, no less, and no matter what Noah did, he couldn’t persuade the dog to sleep on the floor. In the week they’d been together, on their drive from Toronto to Falcon Lake, Manitoba, Spike had pushed his way into his hotel room bed every night. When they got their own place, he was going to have to lay down some laws, and the first was going to be that dogs slept on the floor.

He changed positions, trying to make himself comfortable once more. Despite his discomfort, it was hard to stay mad at Spike. Noah smiled when he thought of the way his dog had won over Renata. Once more he saw her dark, expressive eyes, ringed by long, thick lashes. She was a nice woman, and he’d insulted her by insinuating she wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off him.

What a joke. He knew he didn’t exactly look his best these days, and until now his appearance hadn’t concerned him. Stroking his beard, he tried to remember when he’d last shaved. What about his hair? How long since he’d cut it? Two years? Three? Where he’d been, no one cared about his looks, and he’d stopped caring too. But maybe it was time to return to the land of the living. And good grooming.

****

Renata hit Caroline’s number once more, and her friend picked up immediately. “You can’t possibly be home already.”

“No, I’m still at the cottage. The weather’s really bad, so I have to stay the night.”

“Good. So did you and Noah hit it off?”

She told her what Noah had said. “I don’t think we’re going to be starting a mutual admiration society any time soon.”

“I don’t know why he made a remark like that, but he’s a good guy, Renata. I’ve known him almost as long as I’ve known Tyler. Don’t judge him too harshly. Things have been…rough for him.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not my story to tell. Just be nice and cut him a little slack.”

“I’m always nice,” she grumbled.

Caroline laughed. “That’s my girl. All sugar and spice.”

“I’m definitely taking you up on that spa day.”

“I’m counting on it. Call me in the morning and let me know if you decide to drive home.”

“I will. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

After ending the call, she trudged up the stairs to her room. Feeling a little silly, she stuck a wooden chair under the doorknob to prevent Noah from breaking in. She didn’t want to take any chances, even though he’d made it very clear he wasn’t interested in her.

As she dressed in warm pajamas and climbed into bed, she was surprised to find that his disinterest bothered her.

****

Renata woke abruptly, not sure what had disturbed her sleep. Then she heard it, a pitiful whimper accompanied by scratching on her door.

What the hell?
It had to be Spike. It sounded like he was sick, or wounded, or in some sort of distress. Did he need to go outside? Why didn’t Noah do something?

After a few minutes, she couldn’t take any more. Jumping out of bed, she rushed to the door and removed the chair from under the knob. Sure enough, when she opened the door, Spike stood on the threshold. He calmly pushed past her and climbed onto her bed.

“Hey, wait a minute! You can’t do that! Get off!”

Spike ignored her. He circled a couple of times and then plopped down, burrowing beneath the covers.

“Spike, come on. Get out!”

He looked at her with big, brown, adoring eyes.

“Oh, don’t do that.” She closed the bedroom door. “I can’t say no to you when you give me that look.”

The dog yawned.

“Seriously, Spike, this is too much.” She tried pushing him out of the bed, but there was no way she could shift him. He had to weigh at least a hundred and fifty pounds, perhaps more.

He answered with a snort and closed his eyes.

With a sigh, Renata slid into the space Spike had left for her and tried to make herself comfortable. Within minutes, the dog was snoring loudly, but rather than an annoyance, she found it oddly soothing. In a short time, she was fast asleep.

****

Renata woke with a heavy paw on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and found Spike cuddled close, his head on her pillow. Drool soaked the pillowcase. Renata quickly lifted her head.

“Gross, Spike,” she muttered as she got out of bed. “You’ve got to get the waterworks under control.”

Spike stretched and yawned, then climbed out of bed, unbothered by her words. After quickly dressing and throwing her things into her suitcase, she hurried down the stairs. Spike followed closely behind her.

The aroma of frying bacon greeted her on the main floor. Noah flipped pancakes on a griddle in the kitchen, and for a moment she watched him unobserved. He wore a pair of low-slung sweat pants and nothing else. A shiver vibrated low in her belly at the sight of his six-pack abs and impressive shoulders.

She forgot how to breathe. He was truly beautiful, like one of the Roman statues she’d seen during her trip to Italy a couple of years ago. Powerful muscles rippled across his back as he worked. This morning he wore his hair tied back in a low ponytail that accentuated the shape of his head. His hair brushed the middle of his back, partially obscuring an intricate tattoo that she couldn’t make out from this distance. Another tattoo decorated his right shoulder. Her fingers itched, longing to trace the lines of ink and listen to the story it told her.

She sucked in a breath, stunned by her visceral reaction. She’d dated Kevin for two years, and the sight of him shirtless had never made her want to drool like Spike. Now she knew why Noah felt the need to warn her off last night. Did he always have this effect on women, or was it just her?

Enough
.
She took a deep breath, then cleared her throat. He looked up and saw her, and for a split second she swore she felt a crackle of electricity as their eyes met. Then he grabbed a T-shirt from the counter and slipped it over his head, and the moment was over. Renata sighed in relief as the tremors racing through her body gradually stilled. What had just happened to her?

“Good morning. Coffee’s ready. Would you like some?”

Noah’s voice was steady, as if he’d been unaffected by whatever had just blindsided her. She cleared her throat once more, hoping she’d sound normal.

“Umm, no, thanks. I should start my car and brush off the snow. I’d like to get an early start.”

He glanced at her as he removed strips of bacon from the frying pan and set them on a plate lined with paper towels.

“I hate to tell you, but the storm didn’t exactly blow itself out last night.”

“Seriously?”

Renata hurried to the back door, but this time instead of opening it, she peered out the side window. If anything, the wind blew even stronger this morning. She’d been so preoccupied with leaving, and then with Noah’s body, she’d missed the sound of it howling and groaning over the cottage.

But she heard it now, and she saw the heavy drifts surrounding both their vehicles. With the wind blowing so hard, it was difficult to tell whether it was still snowing or if the wind was simply tossing around the existing snow. She couldn’t see beyond the two vehicles parked only a few feet behind the cottage. If visibility was almost nil in this sheltered location, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like out on the open highway.

It was pretty clear she wasn’t going anywhere.

With a sigh, she headed back to the kitchen. She climbed onto one of the stools at the counter.

“I think I’ll have that coffee now.”

Noah poured her a cup and set it in front of her. “Do you take anything in it?”

“A shot of rum might be nice.”

His lips curved. “Sorry. Fresh out.”

She was mesmerized by the shape of his mouth, by the sensuous curve of his full upper lip, visible even with the beard. Once more she wondered what he’d look like beneath all the hair.

Renata shifted her gaze to her coffee, staring into the dark brew. “In that case, I’ll have it with milk, thanks.”

“I’m sorry about this,” he said, pouring milk into her cup. “I know you wanted to get back to Winnipeg.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I’ll just have to roll with the punches.” She wondered about his reasons for being at the cottage. “Did you come here for some solitude? I’m sorry I’ve intruded on you.”

He waved his hand in dismissal. “No, not really. I needed a place to stay for a while, and I knew about Tyler’s family’s cottage, although it didn’t look like this when I was a kid.”

“Tyler and Caro tore down the old cottage a couple of years ago and built this one. This new cottage is great, especially since it’s fully winterized, but what really makes it special is the view of the lake.”

“Yeah, I remember.” He smiled and sipped his coffee. “I spent a lot of time here as a kid. We used to jump off the rocks at the edge of the lake.”

Rather than a sandy beach, the shoreline at the cottage was ringed by granite outcroppings, part of the vast rocky terrain of the Canadian Shield.

“I’ve always been too chicken to jump off the rocks,” she said.

“That was the best part,” he said with a grin. “I have a lot of good memories of this place. Maybe that’s why I accepted when Tyler offered the cottage. I needed those memories.”

She looked into his eyes and wondered why he needed the comfort of happy childhood memories. But then he looked away and headed to the door.

“I’d better take care of Spike. Can you set the table and bring the food?”

“Sure.”

While Noah let the dog out and then filled Spike’s bowl with kibble, Renata brought the food he’d prepared to the dining room table. She wondered what his story was. Who was Noah Brownlee? And what had transpired in his life to bring him to this place to cross paths with her?

Chapter Three

“Sorry about Spike getting into your room last night. He woke me in the middle of the night to go outside, and then he wouldn’t come back upstairs with me. I didn’t know he was going to break into your room.”

“It wasn’t so much a break-in as a stealth mission.” She told him how he’d whined at her door. “Aside from the drool, he’s not a bad roommate.”

Noah grinned. “Yeah, I’m still getting used to that.”

“Oh, really? Does that mean the two of you haven’t been together long?”

“No, not long. About a week now.”

Renata waited for him to continue, but instead Noah retrieved the coffeepot from the kitchen and refilled their cups. She took that as a sign to talk about something else.

“Thanks for breakfast. It was delicious.”

“You’re welcome. I enjoy cooking. It relaxes me.”

“I like cooking too, which was useful in my last relationship, since my boyfriend believed food magically appeared on the table at meal times.”