It Must Have Been the Mistletoe... (3 page)

“I wasn't asking,” Alison said, tipping her chin up. “I'm not interested in you. Only Ettie.”

“We're a package deal. I watch over her. If you take advantage of her, you'll have to answer to me.”

Their gazes met again and Drew fought the impulse to lean forward and kiss her. He might have given in and done it if he could guess her response. But she watched him with a wary expression and he decided to wait.

“I—I need to get my recorder from my car. I don't want to miss anything she says.”

“I can run out and get it,” he offered. Maybe it would be best to leave her alone. After all, she'd come here to see Ettie, not to be the subject of his own personal sexual fantasies.

“Just bring the messenger bag from the front seat,” Alison instructed. “That has all my things inside.”

He grabbed his jacket from the chair near the door and glanced back at her, only to find her staring at his butt. She blinked in surprise and then blushed. Her pink cheeks said it all. She was having a few little fantasies of her own.

When he returned with her things, Alison rose from her spot near the fire and crossed the room. Their hands brushed as she took the bag from him. “Thank you,” she said.

“No problem.”

They stood so close their bodies were nearly touching. He could feel the warmth radiating from her and he found himself drawn to it, tempted to pull her into his embrace and enjoy the feel of her.

Alison wandered back to the fire and sat down, then began to rummage through her bag. “Have you ever heard Miss Ettie's recording? I have it on my iPod.” She reached inside for the MP3 player and scrolled through the songs until she found what she was looking for, then handed it to him.

Drew held up the earbud and listened, adjusting the volume until he could hear clearly. He grinned as the older woman
walked over to them. “Miss Ettie, you sound like an angel. So young.”

“I was young,” she said as she crossed to the fireplace, a tray in her arms. “And everyone wanted to hear me sing.”

Alison stood and gently took the tea tray from her hands. “May I pour?” she asked.

Ettie sat down in her rocker across from them both and nodded. “Please do.”

“Here, Miss Ettie,” Drew said, handing her the iPod and earphones. “Put this next to your ear and you can hear yourself.”

 

A
LISON WATCHED AS
D
REW
knelt beside Ettie's chair and held the earphones for her. He was so sweet and gentle with her, yet somewhere beneath that calm facade was a man who probably knew exactly how to please a woman in the bedroom. Alison saw it in the way he moved, in the way he looked at her.

She rubbed her arms, her thoughts going back to the wild sensations that had rushed through her when he'd touched her. She was glad for the digital recorder taping Ettie's words, because her own mind kept wandering back to Drew. He was, by all accounts, one of the most handsome men she'd ever set eyes on. And that she'd found him here, in the backwoods of Tennessee, was quite a surprise.

She hadn't really thought much about men lately. Her last boyfriend had walked away six months ago, a victim of her work schedule and an uninspiring sex life, and she hadn't been anxious to replace him. He'd been needy and bossy and intent on turning her into someone she wasn't—a woman happy to take care of him while he focused on his academic work.

But that didn't mean she'd put aside her desires. Right now, all that seemed to be running through her head were naughty images of Drew in various states of undress. With his shirt, without his shirt. She'd even found herself contemplating his choice of underwear—boxers or briefs?

As they sipped their tea, Miss Ettie commented on the songs she was hearing. At times, her eyes misted over with tears, or laughter bubbled from inside of her. Alison held out the recorder, capturing everything and asking questions along the way.

Every word Ettie spoke was a treasure, a new insight into the music that Alison had loved all her life. But as the afternoon wore on, she could see that Ettie was growing tired. Though she didn't want to call an end to their time together, Alison didn't want to overstay her welcome.

“I think maybe I have enough for today,” she said when Ettie offered to brew a third pot of tea.

“No, don't be silly,” Ettie said.

“She's right,” Drew agreed. “You should get some rest. You still haven't regained your strength after being ill last month.”

“Oh, I'm so sorry,” Alison said. “I didn't realize you weren't up to this.”

“I'm fine.” Ettie waved her hand. “And there's so much more to talk about. You'll come back tomorrow.”

Drew looked over at Alison and she nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, I think that would be best.” She knelt down beside Ettie's chair and took her hand. “I'll come back. And I'll bring my dulcimer. Maybe we can sing together?”

Ettie smiled and nodded. “I'd like that, dear. Tomorrow. And you come back, too, Drew. I like having you both here.”

“Tomorrow,” Alison said.

She stood and picked up her things, stuffing them back into the messenger bag. Drew grabbed her jacket and held it out as she slipped her arms into it. He smoothed his hands over her shoulders, letting his touch linger for a long moment. Alison closed her eyes and leaned back into him. Then, catching herself, she slowly turned and looked up at him with a hesitant smile. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“No problem.” He called a goodbye to Ettie, then opened the door, stepping out onto the porch after Alison.

Outside, the rain was coming down in sheets. Though it was nearly Christmas, there hadn't been much snow. They stood next to each other on the porch, looking out at the weather. “Where are you driving to?” he asked.

“Johnson City,” she said.

“This rain is bad. The road back to town might be washed out. Why don't I drive ahead of you until you reach the main road? Just to make sure you get out safely.”

“All right,” she said. In truth, she would have preferred that he just invite her back inside to wait until the weather improved. “But what if the road is washed out?”

“Then you won't be going back to town,” he said with a shrug. He grabbed her elbow and pulled her along. “Let's go before it gets any worse.”

Alison drew a deep breath and started toward her car at a brisk jog. But she hadn't got more than twenty yards from Ettie's cabin when she slipped on a muddy patch and felt her feet go out from under her. Before she could regain her balance, she landed on her backside.

Muddy water seeped into the seat of her jeans as she sat there, pain shooting from her ankle to her knee. “Ow,” she cried, straightening the leg that had twisted beneath her. “Ow, ow.” The strap from her messenger bag twisted around her neck and she pulled it off and clutched it to her chest.

In a heartbeat, he was beside her. “Are you all right?”

“I—I think I twisted my ankle,” she said. She reached out to grab his arm, but her hands were covered with cold mud. “Help me up. I think I can walk.”

“No.” He scooped her into his arms, mud and all. “We'll go back inside.”

“No!” Alison cried. “I'm fine, really. Just put me down. I'm not going to impose on Ettie, especially not covered in mud.” He continued to hold her in his arms, his mouth just
inches from hers, clouds of vapor from their breath mingling in the damp air. “I—I can walk,” she assured him.

“I'm a doctor,” he murmured, his attention focused on her face. “I'll know if you're lying.”

“I think I can make it to my car,” she said, waving him off. Wincing, she put weight on her ankle, then gritted her teeth and pushed through the pain. He held on to her arm as they walked to the Subaru. Her ankle throbbed as if it were about to explode and she felt her cheeks warm with humiliation.

But then, Drew gently grabbed her arms and drew her toward him. A moment later, his lips came down on hers, warm and searching for a response. At first, Alison was too surprised to move. But the next instant, she surrendered to the kiss, throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her body against his.

When it was finally over, he stared down at her with a surprised smile. “Follow me,” he said, pulling the car door open for her.

Alison crawled inside and closed the door, then pushed her hair out of her eyes with her muddy hand. Her heart slammed in her chest and she found herself gasping for breath. Had that really happened? Had he just kissed her for no reason at all?

A few moments ago, she'd been ready to walk away from him, but now, she was prepared to stand in the pouring rain for just one more chance to kiss him. The heat from his lips was still fading as Drew's truck pulled up beside her. He honked the horn and drove ahead, waiting for her to turn around.

“Stop it,” she muttered to herself. So he'd kissed her. It wasn't as if it had come completely out of the blue. They'd been lusting after each other all afternoon. It was only natural that he'd act on those feelings. And that she'd respond.

But this kiss wasn't just an ordinary kiss, Alison mused. The moment his lips touched hers, she felt something powerful
rush through her body. Need. An aching need that couldn't be satisfied with only one kiss.

The car skidded and she was yanked out of her thoughts. It was raining so hard that she could barely see the taillights in front of her. She leaned forward and rubbed the fog off the windshield with her sleeve, leaving a streak of mud behind. Cursing softly, she tried to slip out of her jacket, but as she twisted in her seat, she saw the taillights flash in front of her. She slammed on her brakes, and the car skidded to a stop right behind Drew's truck.

A moment later, she saw him running toward her car. He jumped in the passenger side as she quickly threw her belongings in the backseat. Pushing back the hood on his jacket, he turned to her, little droplets of water clinging to his dark lashes.

“The road is washed out ahead. There's a big gully cut right across it. You won't be able to get through with your car.”

“It's four-wheel drive,” Alison said.

“Doesn't make a difference. You'll tear out the undercarriage and probably get so stuck it'll take a tow to get you free. We can try to go through with my truck, but I'm not sure even I can make it.”

“What other choice do we have?”

“We can go back to my place and wait for the rain to stop,” he said. “And then I can call someone in town to come out and fill in the road.”

“Your place? You live up here?”

He nodded. “We just passed the turn about a hundred yards back.”

Alison considered her options. Try to make her way down the mountain and spend the next couple hours, cold and covered with mud, driving through a rainstorm to get home. Or spend the evening with an incredibly sexy doctor, alone, in his mountain cabin. Should she waste energy thinking about
it? Or simply admit that his offer was just about the most intriguing prospect she could imagine?

“If you think it best, then I guess we could wait out the storm at your place.”

“Grab your stuff. We'll leave your car here and take mine.”

“But what if someone hits it in the dark.”

“Ettie and I have the only two cabins on this road,” he said. “And she doesn't own a car. So I think you're safe.”

Somehow, the word “safe” didn't seem to apply to being close to Drew. When she was near him, she felt that she couldn't think straight. And the kiss they'd shared. Maybe it would happen again, Alison thought to herself. Oh, who was she kidding? It would most certainly happen again. And after a few more kisses, they'd progress to other more interesting activities.

She swallowed hard and began to gather her things from the backseat. “All right. I think that would be best.”

T
HE CABIN WAS COLD AND
dark as Drew opened the front door for Alison. He circled around her and lit an oil lamp, which illuminated the rough interior. “I haven't spent a night on the mountain in a couple weeks. I usually stay in the apartment above the clinic.” He lit another lamp. “It's rustic, but it's comfortable.”

He watched her reaction carefully, a tiny sliver of guilt niggling at him. He'd seen the gully in the road. But maybe she could have made it across. There was a section that looked as if it might hold. Had he been quick to advise her otherwise because he wanted to spend the night with her?

Alison drew a deep breath and let it out, a cloud forming in front of her face. “It's cold.”

“I'll get a fire started,” Drew said, tugging off his damp jacket and crossing the room to the fireplace that dominated the west wall. “Take off that wet coat.”

She was slender and long limbed, yet not very tall. And she moved with such a simple grace that he couldn't help but fantasize about the body beneath the soggy clothes.

“I don't think I've ever been in a real log cabin until today,” Alison said as she wandered around, looking at his things. She picked up a picture of his family. “Is this you?”

Drew nodded. “I'm the oldest of four kids. I grew up here, at least until I was eight. Then my folks moved off the mountain and into town.”

“Town?”

“Knoxville. My dad got a job in a glove factory there and my mom worked as a maid in one of the hotels.”

“And you became a doctor. That's pretty amazing.”

Drew bent down and began to stack logs in the fireplace. “I guess it is. It would have been more difficult coming out of the tiny school system here. In the city, I had a chance to take advanced placement classes in science and that helped me get some scholarship money.”

“And you lived here when you were a kid?”

He lit a match and touched it to the paper beneath the wood. It flickered, then caught fire as he straightened. “My father grew up on the mountain. This land has belonged to our family for generations. My great-great-great-grandfather built this cabin with his own two hands. Except for me and Miss Ettie, everyone is gone now.”

“How are you related to Miss Ettie?”

She was the most curious person he'd ever met, always asking questions and so interested in the answers. He had a few questions of his own he'd like to ask. Was there a man in her life or was she free to enjoy his company? Did her lips really taste as good as he thought they did, or had he been dreaming? And what did she look like beneath those wet clothes?

Drew cleared his throat, trying to keep his mind on the conversation and not on the shape of her mouth or the curve of her neck. “Ettie's the youngest sister of my great-grandmother, so that would make her my great-great-aunt. My great-grandparents brought her to live with them after her parents died. She grew up a few miles from here.”

He motioned her closer to the fire and Alison joined him, holding her muddy palms out to the warmth as she knelt on
the rough plank floor. “Look at that,” she said, examining her nails. “I'm a mess.”

“I'll heat up some water on the stove and get you a basin to wash up in.”

“I could use a shower,” she said, staring down at her jeans. “And a washing machine.”

“No shower,” he said, his mind flashing on an image of her stripped naked and wet. “Or washing machine. After I bought the cabin from my parents, I restored it to its original state. Took out the electricity and the modern conveniences. We never had indoor plumbing. There's an outhouse in the back.”

What the hell had he been thinking, taking out the plumbing? He'd never planned to have a sexy, muddy woman to deal with.

“No plumbing?” she asked. “How did you take a bath?”

“A big copper tub. I know you're probably not used to roughing it but—” Another image flashed in his brain. A bathtub was even better.

“I grew up living out of a converted school bus. We had a portable toilet, but we were only allowed to use it in emergencies. We showered at the local Y or in a school locker room, anywhere we could.”

“Why a bus?”

“My parents were struggling musicians and they played every state fair and flea market in the lower forty-eight. I didn't live in a real house until I was nearly seventeen. Then we settled in Ponder Hill, near Nashville. My mother home schooled us until then. We had a very unconventional upbringing.”

“Interesting,” he said. His gaze met hers and he opened his mouth to speak, then snapped it shut, smiling crookedly.

“What?” Alison asked.

“Nothing.”

“You were about to say something.”

“I was about to apologize for kissing you earlier,” he said. “I don't know what made me—”

“No,” Alison interrupted. “It was nice. Really nice. I—I enjoyed it.” She paused, her gaze dropping to his lips. “And…if you wanted to do it again you could—”

Drew didn't let her finish the invitation. Instead, he slipped his arm around her waist and drew her to him. Her hands fluttered around his face, as if she was afraid to get him dirty. But Drew didn't care about a little mud.

They tumbled down onto the floor, their mouths searching and tasting, and she twisted her fingers through the thick, dark hair at the nape of his neck. A wave of pleasure washed over him and his mind spun with contradictory thoughts. How was this happening? He was kissing a stranger, yet it seemed so perfect, so right.

“If you don't want me to do this, just say so,” he said, his mouth finding a spot at the base of her neck.

“No, no,” she replied breathlessly.

“No?”

“Yes! Yes, yes. I'm good. I'm fine.”

Drew slid his hands beneath her jacket, running his palm from her belly to her hip, reveling in the feel of her skin. He waited for her to stop him, but instead, she arched closer, an invitation for more. And when he moved beneath her sweater and met bare skin, she moaned softly, the heat of his hand seeping into her body.

He slowly drew back and stared down into her eyes. Things were moving awfully fast. And the last thing he wanted to do was rush. “I can't seem to stop myself.”

Her eyes were wide. “I know how you feel. It's strange.”

Shaking his head, he sat up and crossed his legs in front of him. “Maybe I better get that water heated for your bath. And then I'll make us some dinner.” Drew got to his feet. “There are clean clothes in the wicker basket over there. A
sweatshirt and sweatpants, if you want to change. And some warm socks.”

He levered to his feet and walked away, wincing at the growing erection that pressed at the front of his damp jeans. This was crazy! He'd just met her. And yet, the attraction between them was overwhelming. He'd been too long without a woman in his bed. It was simple physiology. Self-gratification only delayed desire for so long.

But he felt more than simply a physical response to her. He found her intriguing—clever and stubborn and beautiful. And all this without knowing much more than her name and her occupation. Musicologist. What the hell did that mean? It sounded more like a medical specialty than something out of academia.

He had so many questions to ask, but the moment he came within a few feet of her, he didn't want to talk. They had one night together, one night to explore this attraction, and he planned to make it a night worth remembering.

 

A
S
D
REW STARTED A SECOND
fire in the woodstove against the opposite wall, Alison slipped out of her wet jacket. Her pulse was still racing from the kiss they'd shared and she could barely catch her breath.

What was she thinking? From the moment he'd first kissed her out in the rain, she'd wanted him to do it again. And now that he had, she wanted more! This was not like her. She was usually so careful when it came to passion. But there was something dangerous about this man, something she couldn't resist.

Her mind wandered back to her conversation with Tess and the little Christmas gift her friend had given her. Maybe she ought to let her naughty side out a little more often. When she was younger, she'd been much more open about her sexual feelings. Was it just a natural part of growing up that sex became more conservative? More…respectable?

She didn't want to be respectable! Alison wanted to be free to enjoy the pleasures that a man's body could give her. She wanted to be so overwhelmed with desire that she couldn't think straight, couldn't control her body or her mind.

Drawing a ragged breath, she kicked off her muddy shoes and socks, then joined Drew at the sink. She washed her fingers in the icy cold water he'd brought in from the pump. When he silently handed her a towel, she dried her hands, then rubbed the towel through her hair.

“I'll give you some privacy,” he said as he carried a huge pot to the back door. “You can change, if you like.”

The door clicked shut behind him and Alison stared at it for a long moment. It was odd that she didn't feel any reservations about spending the night in this man's cabin. She knew perfectly well where it all might lead and yet she didn't care. She felt drawn to him, to the two very different men he was—the devil and the angel.

He was kind and caring, quietly watching over Ettie, preparing a bath for Alison, helping her navigate down a slippery mountain road. And then there was the man who made her heart pound and her body ache with need. The man who could turn her breathless with just one touch. In all her life, she'd never met a man who was both a good guy and a bad boy.

She found clean sweats in the basket and then walked over to the fireplace and slowly stripped off her dirty clothes. She was cold to the bone and she turned her back to the fire and closed her eyes, letting the heat warm her skin.

Even her underwear was damp. She shrugged out of her bra and skimmed her panties over her hips, then turned to face the fire, hoping to warm the front of her.

Alison felt exhaustion overwhelm her and she stared down into the flames, her thoughts drifting. This had been the strangest day of her life, yet she didn't want it to end. The heady mix of fear and anticipation and desire was like some crazy carnival ride, so…liberating.

She wasn't sure what would happen next, but if it involved kissing and touching Drew Phillips, then she was ready. Men like Drew didn't come along often, especially in her life, and she was going to take full advantage when they did.

Bending over at the waist, she ran her fingers through her hair and wished for a brush. For a long time, she let her thoughts drift to the man who'd rescued her from the rain. He was so…sexy. The way he looked at her, with that lazy smile, and the way he touched her, as if he already knew what would make her writhe with pleasure.

Alison hadn't ever considered herself a sexual creature, although she put great importance on sexual compatibility. But in the past, sex had always come along with a relationship. Right now, though, a single night of toe-curling, mind-numbing sex with no strings attached sounded like the perfect thing.

The door creaked behind her and Alison slowly straightened, her hands still tangled in her damp hair. She glanced over her shoulder to find Drew staring at her, his gaze skimming her body. She fought the impulse to cover herself, curious as to what he'd do if she didn't.

“I—I'm sorry,” he murmured, quickly turning to face the opposite direction, the water sloshing out of the pot and dripping onto his boots.

Alison grabbed the sweatshirt and tugged it over her head, then pulled on the pants, smiling to herself. This time the good guy had won out. What would she have done if the bad boy had crossed the room and ravished her? “Sorry,” she said. “All done.”

Drew faced her again, sending her an apologetic smile. He cleared his throat. “You…you have a beautiful body…speaking purely as a physician.”

She laughed softly. “I'll take your word for it.”

He crossed the room and stood in front of her. “You don't
have to be afraid. Nothing will happen here that you don't want to happen.”

She nodded. “I know. I feel…safe. And much warmer. And if something happens, that's all right.”

He reached out and drew her into his arms, rubbing his hands over her back. It was a natural gesture, but once he'd pulled her into his embrace, Alison felt the familiar tug of desire. Their bodies fit so perfectly together and she didn't want him to let go. Drew hooked his thumb beneath her chin, making her gaze meet his.

“This is crazy,” he said.

“I know.”

“What do you want to do about it?”

Alison sighed softly. “Maybe we should just go with it and see what happens.”

“It's a completely physiological reaction, you know. Part instinct, part learned behavior. All of these electrical reactions are happening in our brains and everything feels so good that we can't stop ourselves.”

“I'm glad there's a logical explanation for it,” she said.

“You're seeing something in me that you desire in a mate. Maybe it's my intelligence or my physical strength or the fact that I can make a nice fire. You don't even realize what it is. You just know that if we mate, I'll be bonded to you. I'll protect you.”

“And what are you seeing?”

He grinned. “I'm seeing you're beautiful and I want to enjoy the pleasures of your body. And that's pretty much it for the male side of the equation.”

“There has to be more than that,” Alison said.

“Well, there is the whole procreation thing. You'll make strong babies. But I'm not really thinking about that right now.”

“What are you thinking about right now?” she asked.

“I'm thinking about how you looked in front of the fire,
with your hair all messy and your body so perfect. I'm thinking about how I'd like to take off those clothes and get another look.”