Snowy Encounters (7 page)

“What the hell are you doing here?”

She frowned. “We need to talk.”

He scoffed. The next thing she knew, the door
slammed shut.

Maddy stood paralyzed for a second before she
started to pound on the wooden panel with her fist. “Open the door,
Cole.”

“Go away.”

“I want to talk to you!”

“I don’t. Just go back to your damn city and
glamorous job.”

She stopped. Disbelief coursed through her.
No way was she leaving until she had her say. She rounded the porch
to the back of the house and tried to look for an open window. They
were all locked.

Maddy paused at the basement windows and
squatted. It was small and narrow, but she hoped she could slip
through since Cole had broken in this way the one time they’d been
locked out. Sliding her fingers under the frame of the metal rim,
she pried it open. Victory surged through her. Sitting down in the
snow, she used her boot and kicked the screen netting. Carefully,
she maneuvered her body through the small opening. Her thick jacket
caught against the frame, stopping her from moving any further. She
unzipped it and pulled her arms out, then continued. Once her
bottom slipped past the edge, she fell onto the concrete floor.
Standing up, she rubbed the dust off her legs and groaned when she
straightened. Her ankle throbbed.

With a determined breath, she made her way up
the stairs and threw the basement door open. Her eyes circled the
kitchen and an ache formed in her chest. The place was how she
remembered. Fear that Cole would allow another woman to change her
décor had annoyed her more than once. She shoved the kitchen door
open and strode through the dining room to the family room.

Cole sat in an armchair in front of the
blazing fireplace. She rounded his chair and slapped her hands on
her hips. “We need to talk.”

He jerked in his seat, surprise encompassing
his brooding features. “How the hell did you get in?”

“Through the basement, no thanks to you.”

“Get out.”

“No, not until we clear up some things.” She
sniffed the air and stilled, catching the hint of alcohol then
spotted the empty scotch bottle on the table next to him. “Are you
drunk?” Exasperated, she moved a step forward. Cole never drank
hard liquor. He may have a beer once in a while, but she’d never
known him to touch alcohol since his father had become an alcoholic
after their mother left.

He blinked and leaned back, hands clasped in
front of him. “Not enough.”

“You don’t drink normally.”

“I don’t, but things change. My wife left me
for the big city because I didn’t love her enough, even though I
worked my ass off to secure a future for the kids I never
wanted.”

Maddy frowned. Her hands dropped to her side.
“What? Are you telling me I’m wrong?”

His eyes narrowed then he shrugged. “Does it
matter now? You went off believing whatever you wanted.”

Her anger rose. “You never did anything to
stop me either!”

Cole smirked. “Was I supposed to when all
you’d done was push me away after the miscarriage? There wasn’t one
night that we didn’t fight over the stupidest things and even when
I had tried to do something nice, you flipped out.”

“Yeah, because you knew I was complaining
about how much you were working when I needed you the most.”

He surged out of the chair, a glare set on
his face. “Oh, bull, Maddy. You wanted out because you wanted to go
chase your dreams in the city. Everything I did was never right.
You told me often enough what you would have done if you weren’t
married. And all I did was try to provide for you and the baby so
we wouldn’t have to worry about our finances. But you wanted to
work yourself. Maybe you were the one who didn’t want to start a
family.”

She staggered back a step. Her throat
tightened. “That’s not true. You left me home alone all the time
and I sat waiting for you every night. You changed. You became
obsessed with helping rebuild the town with the lodge, with
becoming the town hero. I wasn’t going to stick around and compete
for your affections with the lodge!”

Maddy collapsed to the floor. She couldn’t
breathe. Sobs threatened to break free. Her head dropped into her
hands, her chest tried to pull in air. Strong arms wrapped around
her and she met with a warm wall.

“Dammit, Maddy. You were my everything and
then you went and broke my heart.”

Her gaze lifted. The vulnerability and hurt
in his eyes ripped a cry past her lips as she buried her face into
his neck.

“How could you think that I didn’t love you?”
Cole murmured, rubbing her back.

“We stopped making love after the
miscarriage. You didn’t want me anymore,” she said, softly.

Cole drew away, his hand held her chin so
she’d be forced to look at him. “You turned me away. That one time
I walked in on you in the bathroom, you pushed me out. So, I worked
more because I thought you needed time alone.” He hugged her
tighter, his voice cracked. “I wanted the baby more than
anything.”

She remembered. After two months of wallowing
in pity, she’d stopped caring for herself and had realized how
pitiful she’d looked. Insecurity had taken over the more Cole left
her alone. Her heart squeezed. Maybe she’d been selfish, thinking
only of herself. Maybe she’d overreacted at his abandonment. But
was it really abandonment? She tilted her head back. “You didn’t
think I was ugly?”

He glared. “Why the hell would I think
that?”

She shrugged in shame. “I thought you didn’t
desire me anymore because you started working more to avoid
me.”

His jaw hardened then his gaze softened as he
reached up and cupped her face. “Honey, I always desire you. I
still do. And you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever loved.”

Maddy sniffled. “I’m sorry. Deep down I knew
you wanted the baby as much as I did.”

He brushed his lips over hers. “I wanted the
baby, but I had always wanted you the most. The lodge was my only
sanity when you left. I almost died when I saw the divorce
papers.”

Her heart melted. She leaned in to him,
overwhelmed. His words raced through her, mending her doubts, her
uncertainties of the past. She paused. “Just how many women have
you loved?”

Cole drew back and grinned. “Just you.”

She let out a relieved sigh. Then she gulped.
The intensity in his eyes took her breath away. He lowered his
head, her lips parted. She should leave now that she’d had her
answers, but somehow she couldn’t bring herself to move. She
wanted, needed his touch more than anything.

Lifting up on her toes, she met him
halfway.

She hesitated, but Cole closed the distance,
his mouth settling over hers. All thoughts fled her mind as she
kissed him back. Warmth surged through her and she wrapped her arms
around him, holding him tight in her clasp. She missed this—this
closeness, his taste, the way he made her feel. She wanted to
belong here, again.

His hands worked its way up her sweater. Her
stomach tightened at the contact as her breasts filled his palms.
“Let me love you,” he said softly.

She whimpered, and allowed him to draw her
sweater off. His eyes trailed over her, her skin tingled under his
inspection. Cole drew her close, his mouth brushing over hers
before trailing down her neck, to her collarbone. He worked at the
hook of her bra and the flimsy lace fell off her shoulders. Closing
his lips over her nipple, he sucked hard. Maddy gasped. Heat singed
her core and she rubbed against his jean-clad erection. Her insides
melted, moisture pooling between her legs. An ache formed. Only
Cole could remedy that. No one else.

He laid her down on the floor in front of the
fireplace. Her breath caught at the burning desire in his gaze as
he moved lower. Dragging in deep breaths, she threw herself into
the moment. Cole slid her jeans off. He trailed his fingers of her
calves, her knees, and stopped at her hips, toying with the elastic
of her panties. Lifting her bottom up, she allowed him to slide the
lace down her legs. His eyes darkened as he lowered his head. Her
nails dug into the carpet at the first swipe of his tongue.
Delicious tension whirled through her. It’d been so long.

She cried out at the feel of his finger
penetrating her folds. Then another. Her inner muscles clutched at
him, needing him. He drilled his tongue over her clit. Squirming
under his ministrations, she pulled his head to where she needed
him and he continued his sweet torture. The coiled strain in her
stomach gripped her. Release rushed at her, and Cole sucked harder.
She fell apart. Her hips arched, body tightened as intense pleasure
pulsed through her. With the last tremor, Cole shoved his jeans
down, baring himself. Her eyes widened at his thick girth. Arousal
strummed through her again. She’d missed him so much and if he
didn’t fill her soon, she knew she’d go crazy. Pulling him down,
she rubbed her hot sex against the broad head of his cock. He
groaned. She tasted herself on his lips as he teased her, brushing
up and down over her folds.

The doorbell rang. Her head fought to clear
as she started to draw away. Impatient pounding sounded at the
door.

“Just ignore it,” he murmured.

Her fingers dug into the hair at his nape,
pulling him closer.

“Oh, Cole, sweetie!”

Maddy froze.

“I know you’re in there!”

Chapter Thirteen

Cole pulled his briefs and jeans up, not
bothering to button them, and stifled an uncomfortable groan over
his aroused state. His insides hurt. So close, he could have felt
her heat gloving him. He ran a shaky hand through his hair as Maddy
quickly jerked on her clothes. Her accusing glare pierced his
insides with frustration. “Just let me check what Brie wants.”

Maddy scoffed, wrapping her arms around
herself. “I need to go.” She whirled around, but he caught her
elbow before she could move any farther.

“Don’t.”

She jerked away. The doorbell rang again.
“Your waitress knows you’re home. You shouldn’t keep her
waiting.”

“She’s a friend.” He cursed Brie for showing
up at the worst times.

“Sure.”

Cole growled as he followed her to the front
door. Irritation coursed through him at her stony glance. Back to
indifference. He’d been drowning in his grief and anger, never
expecting she’d show up. And now, it was all ruined again. “We
still need to talk.”

“No problem, when you get a chance,” she said
with fake courtesy. She whipped the door open and there as he’d
feared, stood Brie, holding a brown paper bag.

The waitress eyed the both of them, surprise
drawing her mouth open. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

He glared at Maddy, who ignored him.

“I’m just leaving.” Maddy stalked past Brie,
and Cole watched her trudge through the snow to her car. The door
slammed and a second later, Maddy drove down the street, but
instead of stopping at her parent’s house, he watched her take a
right turn onto the main road. Where the hell was she going?

“You okay? Did I come at a bad time?”

Cole turned to Brie. Annoyed and angry, he
shoved his hands into his pockets and pasted on a smile. “What are
you doing here?”

She lifted the bag. “I heard you stayed home
from work. I figured I could make you something.”

Cole sighed. “Brie, I—”

“Don’t worry, I know where the kitchen is.”
She brushed past him, and headed down the hall. He stared after her
in disbelief. Why did Brie have to show up at the worst time? And
what was she doing here?

He closed the door, drew in a deep breath and
released it. Tempted to run after Maddy, he stood in the hall by
himself. Brie’s chatter reached his ears from the kitchen, but he
couldn’t make out anything, nor did he care. What was he supposed
to do?

His body tightened as he
recalled the taste and feel of his wife in his arms, her response,
her passion. And it was all just for him.
Dammit.
Now she was probably going to
go back to her big city and live her life without him again. Could
he allow that?

He needed to find her.

But where could she have gone?

A thought struck.

Maddy would only go to one place when she was
upset.

Grabbing his coat off the hook, he slipped
his arms through and pulled his keys out of his pocket.

“Where you going?”

He whipped around. “I’m going after my wife.”
His own words rang in his ear. No matter that they were divorced,
he’d always considered Maddy his wife. He couldn’t see anyone else
taking her position next to him.

She gave him a quivering smile. “I guess I
did come at a bad time, huh?”

Remorse lit through him at the hurt in Brie’s
eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Well go. I’ll let myself out.” Brie wiped at
her cheeks with the back of her hands.

He hesitated as he latched onto the door
handle, but stopped. “I’m really—”

“It’s okay, Cole. I know. I didn’t recognize
your ex-wife, but I had hoped it wasn’t her when I saw her the
other day. I understand. Some things weren’t meant to be.”

With a sigh, he crossed the room and hugged
her. “Thank you. You’re a good friend and whoever catches you will
be very lucky.”

She scoffed. “My dreams for the town’s
hottest bachelor just got crushed. I doubt there’d be another one
that would show up in this town.”

Cole chuckled.

“Go get her. Don’t let her go.” Brie shooed
him off.

Doubt swirled in his gut. “Hopefully.” He
turned to leave.

“Hey, Cole.”

He paused and threw her another questioning
glance.

“You might want to button up your jeans and
go put a shirt on under that coat. I don’t know how well the town
is going to take you running around partly naked in this
weather.”