Werewolf in Denver (6 page)

“Well, there was one time when I thought the lass wanted me to stop, but it turns out I was mistaken, so we went on to have a very satisfactory time of it.”

“Incredible.”

“But I’d hate to think my successes have made me arrogant.”

“Why else would you insist on taking the blame for making me forget myself just now? Rest assured that if I hadn’t wanted to be seduced, no seduction would have taken place. I don’t care how good a kisser you are.”

“But you did want to be seduced.” He shouldn’t emphasize that point. He should let the entire matter drop. But she’d accused him of arrogance, and he needed some balm for that wound.

She gazed at him without speaking for several seconds. Then she cleared her throat. “Yes, I did, past tense. I no longer do.”

“Are you sure?” Because he wasn’t. Her eyes told a different story.

“Let me put it this way. We seem to have chemistry, which, as you mentioned earlier, is damned inconvenient. So although I might still want you, I don’t wish for
you to seduce me. I lost focus while we were working on the window together. I won’t lose focus again.”

“Good. That’s very good. All we have to do is get through the night. Then tomorrow we’ll be caught up in the conference and that should take care of…everything.”

“Yes.” She consulted the time on her phone. “It’s a little after six. We only have twelve hours or so, and if we’re smart, we’ll spend part of that time sleeping.”

“Separately.”

“Extremely separately. We should also eat something. While I was looking through the cupboards, I noticed they’ve left some canned food here. But I’d like to contact the Stewarts before we dive into their supply.”

“I don’t know how you’re going to do that. Why would they leave their number somewhere? They don’t need to. They know what it is.”

“I realize that.” Tapping her phone against her chin, she began to roam the kitchen, opening drawers, sorting through whatever she found there. “Here we go.” She pulled a small booklet out of one of the drawers. “It’s an address and phone book. They won’t be in here, but friends will. I’ll call around until I get the number.”

“They’ll simply give it to you?”

She looked surprised that he’d ask. “The Stillman name is very well-known in Denver, so if I pick somebody local, no worries. It would be the same as you using the MacDowell name back in…what’s the name of your little town?”

“I bide in Glenbarra.”

“Right. I’m sure the MacDowell name opens doors in Glenbarra. Besides, I don’t have to tell the friend that we broke in. I can just say there’s a problem with the cabin
and I need to get in touch with Bob and Edith.” She flipped a page in the address book, but then she glanced up. “While I’m doing this, I wish you would
please
soak your feet in that turkey roaster.”

“It seems I won’t need to be soaking my feet, after all.”

“Of course you will. You said yourself they were cold.”

“They were. But they’re not now.”

“Why not?”

He smiled at her. “That kiss warmed me all the way down to my toes, lass.”

Kate took one look at that smile and quickly began studying the address book as if it contained the secrets of the universe. Now that he’d made that comment, she realized her feet weren’t cold anymore, either. In fact, not a single cell in her body was cold.

Earlier she’d watched him cross to the thermostat and turn up the heat, but that had nothing to do with the warmth that had spread through her system. The next twelve hours were going to be a huge challenge. Ironically, although she ran a dating site, she hadn’t used it herself in months. Organizing HOWL and writing her book had taken up every bit of her spare time.

Being tucked away with a virile Were like Duncan had reminded her of what she’d been missing. In some ways, even though their interaction had been at a distance until today, he was the male she’d had the most significant contact with recently. Her attraction to him wasn’t at all surprising, even given their differences.

But she was strong enough to subdue her urges. She had to be. Taking several calming breaths, she searched
the names and addresses in the little book until she found one that looked promising. Someone, probably Edith, had scribbled names of the couple’s grandchildren in the margin, so they must be good friends.

Sure enough, the woman who answered was eager to help and supplied a phone number for the Stewarts immediately. Kate thanked her and punched in the number. All the while she was aware of Duncan sweeping glass and using paper towels to soak up water on the hardwood floor. He’d taken off his shoes and socks and she needed to follow his lead so she wouldn’t track any more water around.

Sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, she began unlacing one boot as she waited for someone to answer the phone. But it was hard to unlace one-handed. Sticking the phone between her ear and her shoulder, she tackled the laces again and managed to get a stubborn knot in the left boot.

About that time Edith answered the phone, and Kate temporarily gave up on the knot. “Hello, Edith, it’s Kate Stillman calling from Colorado.”

“Kate! We saw on the news about the blizzard and it looks just awful. Are you calling about the cabin? Please say it’s okay.”

“Your cabin is fine, Edith.” She started working at the knot again with her free hand. “But there is a little matter I need to tell you about. I was returning from the airport with a resort guest when I hit a patch of ice and buried the nose of my SUV in a snowbank.”

“Oh, no! Are you all right?”

“Fortunately my passenger and I weren’t hurt, but there’s no way we’re getting a tow tonight. We happened to be right by your cabin, so we—”

“I hope you found a way to get in.”

She tugged harder on the knot, but it wouldn’t give. “Yes, we did get in. But I have to apologize because we had to break a front window to do it.” As she reached down to unlace the other boot, Duncan walked over and knelt at her feet. She waved him off.

“Don’t worry about the window,” Edith said. “At least you’re in out of the storm.”

“We’ll get the glass replaced tomorrow, I promise. And we’ve taped a garbage bag over the window. I’ll reimburse you for the extra electricity, too.”

Duncan wouldn’t be waved off. He started working on the knot she’d created, his dark head bent over the task. Unless she wanted to get into a tussle with him while she was on the phone with Edith, she had to sit still and let him finish the job.

“Heavens, don’t even think about paying for the electricity,” Edith said. “You’ll need food. Eat whatever you can find. It’s only canned stuff, not very exciting, but there are a couple of bottles of red wine in a cabinet in the living room. Oh, and some beer in the refrigerator, I think. Make yourselves at home.”

“Thank you. That’s very sweet of you.”

Duncan lifted his head and smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“Not you,” she muttered, frowning at him.

“Excuse me?” Edith sounded confused.

“Nothing, nothing. Just trying to do two things at once. I appreciate the offer of food and drink, and we’ll replace that, too.” She tried not to imagine Duncan undressing her, yet his attention to her boots felt like that. After she’d made such a big deal about his feet, he must assume she was desperate to get out of her boots.

“Please take whatever you need and don’t
worry about replacing it,” Edith said. “None of it’s gourmet fare, I assure you. We don’t have TV reception, but there’s a DVD player and the bookshelf’s loaded with movies. I’m afraid there’s only one bed, though. I don’t know if you feel chummy enough with your guest to share it, but there’s also the couch.”

“We’ll work it out, Edith. I’m so grateful for your understanding.”

Duncan finished with one boot and pulled it off. Then he rolled down her wet sock and tossed that aside. The combination of his capable hands working on her feet and Edith’s comment about bed sharing put Kate in the very state of mind she’d been trying to avoid. Why did she have to be snowbound with the sexiest Were she’d met in years when he was also the last one on earth she should lust after?

“Of course I understand, dear. There’s a reason we only spend summers at the cabin. It’s gorgeous there, but we’re not up to battling that winding road in the winter. I’m just glad you’re going to be okay. You and your guest, that is.”

“Thank you. We’re feeling very lucky, too.” So long as neither of them
got
lucky tonight, all would be well.

“You’ll need a key to lock up when you leave, and also when someone repairs the window. There’s a metal key box in the flowerpot by the back door.”

“Too bad I didn’t know that before. We could have spared the window.”

Duncan grasped her calf and pulled off the other boot. After he removed her sock, he began massaging her feet. She told herself to resist, but his touch felt like heaven and she couldn’t make herself draw back.

“You can file that information away for next time,”
Edith said. “Also, there’s a small supply of firewood under a tarp on the back porch. You should make a fire and thaw yourselves out.”

Kate was more thawed out than she’d been in ages. A fire might be overkill. But the offer was generous, and she told Edith so. “And be sure and say hello to Bob for me. I’ll be talking to you soon.”

“Don’t rush out into that storm again, Kate. Take all the time you need.”

“We will—thanks. Good-bye.” She pushed the disconnect button and sank against the back of the chair with a groan. “I thought we agreed on our course of action.”

He looked into her eyes. “We did, but you seemed to be having trouble with your boots, and I couldn’t stand watching you struggle to get them off.”

“I appreciate that, but now they’re off.”

“And your feet were icy.”

“They were?” She found that hard to believe.

“Well, chilled. Definitely chilled.” He continued his massage.

He had very talented hands, and she was rapidly losing all interest in being strong, good, and true to the cause. For one irresponsible moment, she considered inviting him to join her in the bedroom so he could put those hands to good use elsewhere on her body. The thought of that made her damp and achy with needs that hadn’t been satisfied in too long.

But she’d hate herself later. Summoning what little willpower she had left, she pulled her foot away. “That was terrific. But it needs to end, and I think you know why.”

He sat back on his heels and gazed up at her. “Kate, while you’ve been talking on the phone, I’ve been thinking.
We’ve already made a pledge not to reveal what’s happened here.”

“As in what happens in the cabin stays in the cabin?”

His gray eyes flashed with amusement. “Believe it or not, that expression has made it over to Scotland. Aye, that’s exactly what I mean.”

“I think I know where you’re going with this.” Her heart thumped crazily at the implied suggestion. She was so tempted to say yes and scratch this maddening itch. But then she’d have to live with herself, and she wasn’t sure she could do that.

“The answer is no.” She stood and walked away from him.

“I know what this is all about.” He got to his feet and swung to face her. “You think it’s time some female rejected me, for my own good.”

“It’s not about that, but now that you mention it, perhaps it will do you some good. However, I’m saying no for me, because I am the leader of Honoring Our Werewolf Legacy, and that means I need to display some dedication and backbone.”

He sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that. I admire you for it, lass, but it’s going to be a very long and frustrating night, I’m afraid.”

“Think of it as character building.”

“Aye.” He glanced down at his trousers. “But try telling that to my wee man.”

“Wee man? Surely not, Duncan MacDowell, seducer of females.”

His smile nearly undid her. “Not so wee, then. But you won’t be finding out about that, will you, now?”

Chapter 4

WERECON 2012:
STILLMAN AND MACDOWELL SNOWBOUND!

Exclusive
Wereworld Celebrity Watch
report
by Angela Sapworthy

DENVER—Following a harrowing auto accident in the midst of the worst snowstorm to hit the city in decades, HOWL leader Kate Stillman and WOOF leader Duncan MacDowell have taken refuge in an unoccupied cabin several miles from the conference site. This reporter talked with a visibly shaken Elizabeth Stillman, Kate’s grandmother and the Stillman pack alpha.

“I’m so relieved they’re all right,” Elizabeth said. “This is a killer blizzard and I feared the worst. Thank goodness they found a safe haven.”

Other conference attendees echoed that sentiment, although several wondered whether a storm might take place inside the cabin as well as
outside! After a summer of battling online, these two are face-to-face at last, with no referee! Emma Wallace, Aidan Wallace’s lovely mate and a fellow writer, was heard to say that she would love to be a mouse in the corner of that cabin. This reporter would, too! With luck, Kate and Duncan will inform their followers of the details on Sniffer!

Duncan had made his case and lost. As he’d unlaced Kate’s boots, he’d been struck by this new thought—that the snowstorm had isolated them completely. No one could barge in on them to interrupt…whatever might be going on. He had some vivid mental images of what could be going on if they allowed themselves full rein.

They’d already vowed to keep their interaction in this cabin private, so they could do whatever they wanted tonight. Maybe that wasn’t a noble conclusion to reach, but he wasn’t convinced he could be noble for another twelve hours given their circumstances. He wasn’t sure that she could, either, and so why make themselves miserable if, in the end, they’d succumb?

Better to succumb sooner rather than later, in his opinion, and reap the rewards of more time alone together. Once they arrived at the conference, they wouldn’t dare step out of line. This would be their one and only chance, maybe literally, forever and ever.

He’d even begun to convince himself that fate had thrown them together tonight. They were unlikely partners, and reason said they wouldn’t get along. But on one level, the purely physical, sexual level, they could be a perfect match. Now he would never know.