Cabin Fever (16 page)

T
hree weeks
later

“Folks, get your snow gear ready, ’cause we have a doozy of a storm heading our way—” The announcer’s voice was cut off as Genevieve hit the dial on her brand-new HD radio. The thing had been dropped on her doorstep yesterday, the latest in a series of presents.

It joined the ranks of a brand-new shortwave radio, a prepaid cell phone that received amazing coverage even out here, a case of ammunition, brand-new pots and pans, a box full of gourmet canned foods, and—her favorite—a box of lacy lingerie, the exact same brand she’d loved to wear in her old life.

The gifts had started showing up in the middle of the night twenty-four hours after she’d sent Alex packing. She’d cried over the shortwave, the first one, knowing it was a gesture to show how concerned he was over her safety. Then, a few days later, she’d gone out in the morning to find the next one.

There was no rhyme or reason to how he was staggering them out, or what his point was. That he could make her life easier? Maybe. That he was up to the task of protecting her? Probably. That he was thinking of her? Absolutely.

And she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Everything in her home screamed his name, from her bed to the shower to the kitchen. She couldn’t get away from it. Nor did she really want to. She wanted him back. In her life. In her bed.

God, yes, in her bed. Who said love couldn’t start from good old animal attraction? She stared into the fire and curled her legs deeper underneath her in the armchair.

The fact that he was coming so physically close to her to leave her the little presents was driving her crazy too. Though she might have to wait a while for another visit. The forecaster had confirmed what the little flurries she’d noticed while eating dinner had told her.

The thump on her porch had her heart jumping in her throat before she darted a glance at her wristwatch. It was dark, but barely nine. Besides, Alex had never made any noise before.

A bit nervous, she crossed to her bureau to remove her handgun before she walked to her window, twitched the curtain aside, hit the light and peered outside.

A box. A large brown box sat on her porch. And it was…moving?

Intrigued, she opened her door to hear a plaintive howl come from inside the thing.

She had her suspicions and they were confirmed when she opened the flaps to find a tiny golden puppy staring up at her and shivering. Mostly lab, she guessed, though there was definitely some pure mutt running through his veins.

The pup mewled again, and she couldn’t take it. As she reached in to pick him up, he went into a frenzy of excitement, his small body wriggling, the heat of his heart warming her hands. She brought him up to stare into his deep eyes. The poor guy just about stroked out trying to reach her nose with his tongue. “A radio, I understand. What’s your practical purpose?”

“He doesn’t have one.”

Even though she was half expecting it, she jumped as Alex stepped onto the porch. He looked tired and…hot. She realized she was seeing him fully dressed for the first time, and wasn’t that a kicker? His jeans fit him perfectly, a battered leather jacket hiding the rest of him.

“I figured you had enough practical gifts. You needed something unpractical.”

“Impractical.”

His dimple, that beloved dimple, winked. “That too. Anyway, I couldn’t come up with anything more impractical than that goofy mutt.”

Without thinking, she brought the puppy closer to her chest. “He’s not goofy. He’s a baby.” She jumped when the dog tried to burrow under her shirt.

Alex smiled. “He’s cold. So am I. May we come in, Genevieve?”

He was so polite, it seemed weird. As if he was reading her thoughts, he raked his hands through his hair. “I didn’t ask the first time. Figured you deserve a choice.”

Though she was finding it a bit difficult to breathe, she nodded. After collecting the dog bowl in the box, she held the door open for him. When he came inside, she noticed that he was holding two duffels.

He raised the smaller one. “This is everything you’ll need for the dog. If you want to keep him. If not, I’ll take him back.”

She looked down at the guy, cradled like a baby in her arms. He watched her with complete trust and blind adoration already and gave a tiny bark. “I’ll keep him.”

To give herself something to do, she filled up the bowl with water and set it down. When she deposited the dog on the ground, he gave a growl and attacked the bowl as if it were his enemy.

They laughed at his antics, and it seemed to break the tension and weird formality of the moment. When she looked at him, he was smiling, a sheen of moisture in his eyes. “Reynolds and Leonie are both behind bars. Leonie didn’t get bail, and Reynolds’s is too high. He seems to have lost all of his friends.”

Satisfaction flowed through her. “Good. I hope Reynolds is finding out what they do to cops behind bars.”

“I’m sure he has. I’ve missed you.”

“Me too.” She couldn’t help the admission. She cleared her throat. “So what is the deal with the presents?”

The tips of his ears turned pink. “I was courting you.”

“With radios and canned food?”

“I figured you’d appreciate that more than flowers and candy.”

She smiled. He had her pegged. “And the lingerie?”

“Well, yeah, so not everything was practical. But everyone needs panties, right?”

“The thong isn’t considered a necessity.”

His eyes flared with heat. “Depends how you’re looking at it.”

Her breath caught. Forget how good his rangy body looked in clothes, she wanted to do nothing more than tear them off. Her brain taunted her with how good he’d looked lying on her bed in nothing but a sheet.

“Anyway, the weather kind of derailed my plan. I couldn’t stand the thought of you spending another snowstorm here by yourself. So…” He lifted the larger bag.

“So you’re planning on getting snowbound with me?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Did you use your vacation days for this?”

“Kind of. Every day’s a vacation day for me. I quit my job.”

“What?”

He dropped the duffel on the floor and shrugged out of his jacket. Underneath, the white long-sleeved shirt molded to his muscles and brought out the tan of his skin. “I handed in my resignation. I’m done.”

“But…you can’t do that. You love being a cop!”

“Yeah, but you made me realize something. I loved being a cop because I felt like I was making a difference in the world. I’m not doing jack shit here except sort paper.”

“There’s different levels of—”

“Genevieve, I get that. I have nothing but respect for small-town law enforcement. This timeout has been good for me. I needed it, but Harrison doesn’t need me. When I handed in my resignation…I’m officially no longer a cop, and ask me how I feel.”

“How do you feel?” she asked cautiously.

He grinned. “Like me. I thought I couldn’t live without this job, without this title. But I don’t need it. I’m still me. Thanks to you, I feel confident in a way I didn’t before. I don’t think I’m magically cured, but it’s like a weight was lifted off me. Like I’ve been redeemed. I don’t need to be a cop to feel like a hero, because when you look at me, I’m already there.

“When I came here, I was so desperate to find any way I could to remain a cop, even if I was unhappy doing it. If I get another job in law enforcement, it will be because I really want it and I’m able to handle it, not because I can’t do something else.”

She smiled back, thrilled for him. “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”

“So, you see, you don’t need to stay away from me to protect my precious job. It’s fine.”

“That’s not the only reason…”

“It was a big one. Admit it.” When she hesitated, he pursued. “If you still can’t leave here, Genevieve, I’ll move in with you.”

“You’d do that?”

Alex’s face was very serious. “We all sacrifice stuff for the people we love, don’t we?”

“You really love me?”

“I think I fell the second I opened my eyes on your porch. One way or another, Genevieve, we’re going to end up together. Call it fate or magic, but I know we were meant to meet. It may not have been the most ordinary circumstances, but I know you better after this experience than I would have ever gotten to know you through a month of scheduled dates. Don’t tell me you didn’t feel something special the first moment you touched me. Tell me you didn’t feel a spark when we kissed. Tell me the world didn’t move when we made love.”

“I can’t tell you any of that.” She looked up at him, certain her heart was shining in her eyes. “You want the truth? I have my own bag packed and ready to go. Once the storm cleared out, I was planning on hunting you down. Life’s not much fun without you.”

He looked a bit stunned. “You would have come to me, even though you thought I work in a town you despise?”

“Yeah, well. We all sacrifice for the ones we love, don’t we?”

He stilled completely at the word love. Then his relieved grin just about split his face and he walked over to crush her in his arms. “Lucky for you, we don’t have to. We can live here if you want. If you need to.”

“I hate it here, and I know you wouldn’t be able to stand the isolation.” She turned her head so her voice wouldn’t be muffled. “Life’s too short to bring yourself misery. I don’t know if I’ll ever completely forgive myself for the part I played, but I keep replaying what you said, about how my mom didn’t sacrifice herself only for me to throw my life away.” It was time to grow up, and grasp the happiness he offered. She’d wasted years trying to atone for what she’d done, but she realized now how deeply upset her mother would have been if she knew how she’d been living. She’d been ready to sacrifice herself for Alex, not once, but twice. She could empathize with what her mother had done out of love for her. She’d do the same for her own child.

He nuzzled her hair. “I told you, there’s nothing for you to feel guilty—”

She brushed a light kiss against his jaw, and he shuddered. Against her stomach, his cock hardened and lengthened beneath the denim of his pants. She really did resent his clothes. Genevieve slowly stroked his pecs, loving the feel of him, now familiar but no less exciting.

Alex was a risk, yes, but it could have huge payoffs. She started to unbutton his shirt. “So we’re both technically unemployed and don’t know where we’ll live. How does that sound to you?”

“If you’re in the equation? Perfect.” Alex smiled. She glimpsed happiness and relief in his eyes before his head swooped down on her lips. “You won’t regret it. I’m going to keep you too satisfied to regret it,” he promised her as he stripped her shirt off with such force she heard buttons snapping. He lowered his head, pushing her breasts together and burying his face between them. He licked and sucked, causing her to moan loudly.

“Alex, let’s get in bed.”

His mouth drove her crazy, working her nipple through her bra. “We can finish in the bed. We’ll start here.”

He fell to his knees and grabbed the waistband of her loose jeans, pulling them and her panties down with a quick tug. He nibbled and licked the insides of her thighs.

Just that easily, her body was ready for his. “Take off your clothes too.”

“Whatever you want.” He stood with a rakish grin and yanked off his shirt, unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, dropping them to his feet along with his boxers and standing before her wonderfully nude. Ahhh, yes. She might insist he stay naked for the rest of their lives.

She took a second to rest a hand over his unscarred shoulder, where his wound had once marred the flesh. He looked down and covered her hand. The silence between them was full of unspoken gratitude and relief. He rubbed his thumb over her hand, the stroke bringing her back to the here and now. She caught his gaze and tried to lighten the suddenly heavy mood. “I love it when you follow directions.”

His smile widened. “I live to serve.”

“Ooooh. I like the sound of that.” She slapped a hand on his naked chest and walked them backwards until the back of his knees hit her bed. He sat down with a thump. “You know, in all the craziness we forgot all about those dominatrix fantasies of yours.”

Alex snorted. “Let’s be honest as to whose fantasies they are.”

“You got me. Lie down.”

His expression was full of condescending amusement as he lay back on her mattress. A rush of possessive need flowed through her at the sight of his hard brown body spread before her like her own personal banquet of sex.

“Put your arms above your head.”

He obeyed, still wearing that irritating manly smirk. Her eyes narrowed. Did he honestly not comprehend her power yet?

She put a little extra sway into her hips as she turned away, and she knew his gaze was all over her. She opened her bureau drawer and found exactly what she needed.

A
lex didn’t think
he’d ever been so happy in his life. His body was whole, he was in a warm place, the puppy had flopped down to sleep by the roaring fire, and he was with the woman he loved. Sure, their future was uncertain, and as she’d noted, they were both unemployed and essentially rootless, but he couldn’t quite lose his optimism. They’d make it, one way or another.

He hadn’t entirely planned on jumping into bed with her tonight. He’d had some vague idea of them having a very adult and mature conversation the whole night long. Unfortunately, she’d had to go and breathe. That was apparently all it took for him to lose all rational thought.

Her body was lit by the light of the fire and her reading lamp. Her plump thighs rubbed together when she walked away from him to her chest of drawers. He wished he could insert his cock between those legs, let that silk rub him to orgasm. He loved how completely at ease she’d become in being naked with him. He loved her basic sweetness, her gentleness, which she kept hidden under a prickly exterior. Loved…her.

His sweet, gentle woman turned to him.

With scarves in her hands.

“Stretch your arms above your head and don’t move them. No matter what.” A dimple winked. “Please.” The request was actually more of an order and Alex balked.