Holiday Romance Collection - 6 Books Bundle (Erotic Romance - Holiday Romance) (13 page)

She came upon the cabin, set a few yards away from the tree line. She approached the house from behind but walked around to the front where she assumed visitors, like she, enter. The porch was large and wrapped three quarters of the way around the house, in the back of the house the porch was encased in glass where cords of wood stacked high against the walls and a few men's jackets hung on the coat rack by the door. There were two stone chimneys, one on each side of the house, and the front and back doors were rough-hewn oak that looked like they came from the surrounding forests. There were shutters, painted grey, and standing open to large bay windows that opened from every wall.
 
She got a vague impression of some of the furniture, she saw leather and wood. It was very tasteful and it was very masculine. No plaid patterned pillows screaming lumberjack just yet.
 

She walked to the front door and looked at the porch swing, it looked hand carved. She bet it was local. She fingered the detailing on the armrest and back. She made a mental note to inquire about these and see what other neat pieces were available. Her attention was caught by the rocking chair next to it, looked to be done by the same person who did the swing. She began to inspect a small porch table that sat near the rocking chair and bent down to look more closely at the carving that wound down the table leg.
 

"Can I help you?"
 

Rose started to right herself but whacked her head on the edge of the table as she tried to stand. She winced and grabbed the back of her head, her hair falling around her face. She rubbed a knot that was surely rising on the back of her head.
 

"I'm so sorry, are you ok? I didn't mean to startle you like that."

Rose looked up, a disheveled heap, rubbing her head and got her first look at the lumberjack. Except he was no lumberjack at all. He wore a non descript grey thermal shirt that stretched across the chest and arms just right. His waist and hips were lean and even with clothes on, she could tell he was well muscled. He had light brown hair, that was slightly long and shaggy that lightened to blonde at the ends, and scruff across his cheeks and chin that was brown and furry and Rose itched to rub her fingertips in it. Most guys she saw with scruff looked lazy or sleazy but this guy totally pulled it off. He had warm chocolate brown eyes that Rose swore she could fall in. His lips were full but masculine and quirked up a bit at one side in apparent amusement at her perusal of him. She finally recovered enough to answer him.
 

"Yeah, I mean, yes. I was admiring the craftsmanship on your porch furniture."

"Thanks, you must be Rose. The office told me to expect you today."
 

"I am. You must be Triston"

Her smile faltered a bit when they clasped hands in a polite handshake. His big hand folded over hers and she felt the calluses on his palm as they scratched pleasantly against hers. As their hands pumped up and down in greeting, Rose felt tingles originate from every nerve ending that touched him and shot right up her arm, across her breasts, butterfly across her tummy, and pool in her panties.

Whoa
. She thought there was a bit of a lingering caress before he released her hand. He took a step back, smiling at her.
 

"Did you find your cabin ok?"

"Yeah, it was fine. A bit off the beaten path but then again, that is sort of the point." she answered, trying not to gawk at him.
 

"Yes, it does seem to be. Do you need anything? Are all the supplies you need in your cabin?"

"Well, I wanted to know when you were going for a run into town. I needed some groceries."

"I am going in tonight, if you will leave a list, you can pick it up later on tonight or tomorrow."
 

"I really don't want to have to do one more thing today, so I will just relax tonight and pick them up tomorrow."
 

She felt exhausted, the flight, car rental line, then the long, secluded drive here had sapped her strength. She just wanted dinner, a bath, and a bed. The cabins had satellite so a movie was a possibility. She thought about eating in front of the big stone fireplace watching a movie and thought to ask about wood.
 

"Wait, what about wood?"

"Pardon me?" he looked surprised and sidestepped slightly behind the rocking chair.

"For a fire. Is there firewood at the cabin already?"

"Oh!" he looked a little sheepish, "I keep cabins stocked all the time. If you get low just let me know and I'll get some to you."

"Ok, thanks" Rose followed him in to his cabin as he indicated, "Anything I should know? Any advice from a seasoned camper?"
 

He chuckled, "The cabins are pretty nice, hardly roughing it. They each have a generator that has a full tank with back up tank in the garage. Losing power in heavier snowstorms isn’t uncommon and that would allow you to run the heat and fridge for days, just in case. The satellite is pretty good but during the heavier storms and due to the sheer winds we can get, they need frequent recalibration."
 

She nodded, trying to remember everything. She was familiar with generators, plenty of storms in
Miami
. Gauging the amount of firewood she was going to need would be a bit trickier. She followed him in to the living room/kitchen area. It was large and open; almost one room, but a large stone pass thru fireplace divided them. It was large enough to heat the entire room without being opulent. It was brilliantly placed because it would heat the majority of the house and use very little electric heat. In it sat a kettle of what she bet was that chili she smelled earlier. Her stomach growled loudly and she grabbed it in embarrassment.

"Sorry, airplane food mostly sucks," she giggled nervously.
 

He chuckled, opened a pantry door, grabbed a bowl, and handed it to her.
 

"Go ahead, eat some, it's pretty much done anyway. We will call it an early dinner before you unpack and I run to town."
 

"I can't eat your food Mr. Triston-"

"Just Triston" he interjected

"Triston, I couldn't,"

"Are you a vegetarian?"

"No"

"Do you like chili?"
 

"Yes" her stomach growled again in agreement.

"Then eat, I make too much so that I can freeze it and reheat it when I am feeling too lazy to cook. I was about to stop and have a bite myself, why not eat a bowl while you make out a list and you will have a full belly for your walk back and all your settling in?"

She was considering it when her stomach howled again; he simply placed the bowl in her hands and pointed her towards the chili pot. It was an odd feeling dishing up food from a pot in the fireplace. She had been camping before but that was marshmallows and hot dogs on open fire, not chili in a fireplace. It did smell good. She held her freshly filled bowl under her nose and inhaled. It smelled better than good; her mouth immediately began watering and her stomach growled again. She hoped she could wait till it cooled enough to eat.
 

She sat at the table next to a large window with a breathtaking view of the valley and distant mountain peaks. A cloud like hazy writhed like a snake around many of the peaks she could see. It looked to her like a fairy tale cloud kingdom.
 
She was still gazing somewhat fancifully out the window when he sat his bowl across from her. He returned with drinks and partially leaned over her while placing a glass of watering the table. He brushed against her shoulder.

"Would you like anything else to drink?"

She was surrounded by his scent; he smelled like woods, clean smelling soap, leather, and a male musk underneath, all that was inviting. Yeah, inviting me to jump in your pants. He brushed against her shoulder causing a fissure of awareness to tingle down her spine. She looked up and was brought to the present peering back at his expectant face. He looked like he needed an answer for something,
what was the question again?

"Oh, no thank you water is fine"

She grabbed a few crackers and held the spoon in front of her mouth, blowing softly. She took a bit and moaned a little. The tomato sauce was tangy and salty, the peppers were spicy, and he had used small cuts of steak instead of ground meat, which was tender and juicy in her mouth. She didn't realize how hungry she was, until she was groaning around every mouthful of chili. She was so wrapped up in the flavors in her mouth she didn't stop to think about how all her moaning and groaning sounded. She looked up and saw a flash of naked desire in his eyes before he masked them with amusement.
 

"You sound like you are enjoying that" he said with a knowing smile and an exaggerated wiggle in his eyebrows.

She looked up at him with a naughty little grin as he took a swig of his beer.
Oh we're going to play the innuendo game, eh?

"Oh yes, I'm told I am very noisy when I enjoy what I am putting in my mouth."
 

She licked her lips and smiled smugly at him while he coughed a bit, choking on his beer. She leaned toward him, laughing.

"Are you choking? Do you need..." she lowered her voice and gave an exaggerated wiggle of her brows, "mouth to mouth?"

Her outrageousness was rewarded when he threw back his head and laughed. The deep, masculine sound washed over her, it tickled between her shoulder blades and burst throughout her stomach like a jarful of butterflies. She laughed as well, it felt good to not have to worry that she was laughing too loudly, too unsightly, too enthusiastically, and she just laughed with him. She looked at him smiling and, for the first time, noticed his dimples. She was a sucker for dimples. He had a handsome crinkle around his eyes and when he smiled it was genuinely reflected in them. He has great eyes.

"How long are you visiting up here?" he looked at her curiously.

"I will be here till mid February." She answered and he looked a little surprised. Vacations here usually lasted a couple weeks, a couple months was a bit longer than the normal visit. Except this visit is a working visit, must finish book.

"I am a writer and needed to get away from
Miami
to finish my next book by deadline." she continued, "There were too many unpleasant distractions and disruptions. I just need to get away for a bit"

"Ah, I see." he said, nodding. "What kind of books?"

Here it comes
. She straightened her spine a bit and prepared. People always had an interesting reaction to her being a romance writer. Women either admired or judged her, men either dismissed her or thought she was some kind of smut queen porn star. She looked at him squarely and answered.
 

"Romance"

He nodded, "I can see why you came here."

She looked at him incredulously, "You do?"

"Well sure, you live on the beaches of
Miami
. The beach scene is pretty romantic but I would imagine being around it all the time can make it lose something, and every once in awhile you have to get away and appreciate something else for awhile." he pushed aside a half eaten bowl of chili, "What better place to go than the polar opposite of what you've been accustomed to"

She waved her spoon at him, "Pretty insightful"

He inclined his head, "I try."

"Not hungry?" she indicated his half eaten bowl.

"Appetite down a bit today. A bit of a headache too."
 

"Make sure to pick up some ibuprofen at the store too."
 

He chuckled and nodded. She handed him her list, secretly thankful she packed enough feminine hygiene products cause she had a hard time picturing this guy buying her tampons. He took the folded list and slid it in his back pocket. She suddenly wanted to be that piece of paper.
Yum
.