The Charmer (3 page)

“I’ll call the auto club.” He paused. “I don’t have the phone number. It’s on my BlackBerry, which is in the snowbank.”

“I’ll call Jesse. He has the garage in town.” She walked over to the phone and dialed. Alex watched her from across the room, studying her features. She really
was quite pretty in an unconventional way. Alex drew a slow breath. She had a really nice mouth, her lips full and lush.

When she turned to face him, he blinked, startled out of a brief fantasy about the body beneath the layers of winter clothes. “He won’t be able to get to you for a while,” she said. “Maybe not until the morning.”

“Did you tell him that wasn’t acceptable?”

This caused a tiny smile to twitch at the corners of her mouth—the first he’d managed. “No. He’s busy. There are more important people than you stuck in the snow. You’re safe and out of the storm. Your car can wait. Now, if it’s acceptable to you, I’ll make us something to eat.”

Alex cursed beneath his breath. He hadn’t gotten off to a very good start with Tenley. And hell, spending the evening in her company, sharing an intimate dinner, was far more intriguing that sitting alone in his room at the local bed-and-breakfast. “Can I give you a hand?” he asked, following her to the kitchen.

H
E SAT ON A STOOL
at the kitchen island, his elbows resting on the granite counter top, his gaze following her every move. The tension between them was palpable, the attraction crackling like an electric current.

What had ever possessed her to bring this man in from the storm? She thought she was doing a good deed. He probably would have survived just fine on his own. She could have come home, called the sheriff and let law enforcement ride to the rescue. But now it
looked like she’d be stuck with him for the rest of the night.

Tenley was accustomed to a solitary existence, just her, the dogs, the cats, the horses and those occasional demons that haunted her dreams. Having a stranger in the house upset the delicate balance—especially a stranger she found so disturbingly attractive.

In truth, she wasn’t sure how to handle company. Since the accident almost ten years before, she’d made a habit of isolating herself, always maintaining a safe distance from anything that resembled a relationship. It was just easier. Losing her brother had sapped every last bit of emotion out of her soul that she didn’t have the energy or the willpower to engage in polite conversation. And that was what people expected in social situations.

“Stop staring at me.” Tenley carefully chopped the carrot, focusing on the task and trying to ignore Alex’s intent gaze. She felt her face grow warm and she fought the urge to run outside into the storm to cool off.

There was work to do in the barn; the horses had to be fed. She didn’t have to stay. But for the first time in a very long time, Tenley found herself…interested. She wasn’t sure what it was, but his curious stare had her heart beating a bit quicker and her nerves on edge. From the moment he’d offered his hand in introduction, she’d felt it.

Maybe it was just an overreaction to simple loneliness. She had been particularly moody this winter, almost restless. In years past, she’d been happy to hide
out, to take long walks in the woods, to spend time with her animals, indulging in an occasional short-lived affair. But this winter had been different. There had been no men and the solitude had begun to wear on her.

She handed him a carrot to munch on, using the opportunity to study him more closely. Alex Stamos. For some reason, the name sounded familiar to her, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. He was here on business. Maybe he was one of those real estate developers from Illinois, interested in building yet another resort on the peninsula. She’d probably seen his name in the local paper.

And she didn’t understand this sudden attraction. Tenley was usually drawn to men who were a little rougher around the edges, a bit more dangerous. She usually chose tourists who were certain to leave at some point, but she had indulged with a number of willing single men from some of the nearby towns. Her grandfather called them “discardable,” and Tenley had to agree with his assessment.

Tenley looked down at her vegetables. There weren’t many women who’d kick Alex Stamos out of their bed.

Tenley glanced up again, to find him still staring. She drew a deep breath and met his gaze, refusing to flinch. For a long time, neither one of them blinked.

“I like this game,” he said. “My sister and I used to play it when we were kids. I always won.”

“It makes me uncomfortable,” Tenley said. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it wasn’t polite to stare?”

He shrugged and looked away. “Yeah, but I didn’t
think that applied in this case. I mean, it’s not like you have a big wart on the end of your nose or you’ve got two heads. I’m staring because I think you’re pretty. What’s wrong with that?”

“I’m not pretty,” she muttered. She grabbed an onion and tossed it at him, then shoved the cutting board and knife across the counter. “Here, cut that up.”

She didn’t invite this attraction. In fact, over the past year, she’d done her level best to avoid men. The last man she’d invited into her bed hadn’t been just a one-night stand. She’d actually found herself wanting more, searching for something that she couldn’t put a name to.

She knew the risks. Physical attraction led to sex which led to more sex which led to affection which ultimately led to love. Only love didn’t last. It was there one day and gone the next. She’d loved her brother, more than anyone else in the world. And when he’d been taken from her, she wasn’t sure she’d ever recover. She wasn’t about to go through that again.

“I’m wondering why you wear all that makeup. I mean, you don’t need it. I think you’d look prettier without it.”

“Maybe I don’t want to look pretty,” Tenley murmured.

Alex chuckled at her reply. “Why wouldn’t you want to look pretty? Especially if you are?”

The question made Tenley uneasy. She didn’t tolerate curious men, men who wanted to get inside her head before they got into her bed. What business was
it of his why she did what she did? He was a complete stranger and didn’t know anything about her life. Why bother to act as if he cared?

She turned and tossed the chopped carrots into the cast-iron pot on the stove. Maybe the town’s speculation about her would come true. She’d slowly devolve into an eccentric old spinster, living alone in the woods with only her animals to talk to.

“Do you like peppers?” she asked, turning to open the refrigerator.

“Do you ever answer a direct question?”

“Red or green? I prefer red.”

“You don’t answer questions,” Alex said. “Red.”

Tenley gave him a smile. “Me, too. They’re sweeter.” She handed him the pepper, then grabbed a towel from the ring beneath the sink. Bending over the basin, she quickly washed the makeup off her face, wiping away the dark liner and lipstick with dish soap.

When she opened her eyes again, she found an odd expression on his face. “Better?”

“Yeah,” he said softly, his gaze slowly taking in her features. “You just look. different.” He paused. “Beautiful.”

She swallowed hard, trying to keep herself from smiling. “Thank you,” she murmured. “You’re beautiful, too.”

The moment the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back. This was what came from spending so much time alone, talking to herself. She expressed her thoughts out loud without even realizing it.

He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. “Thanks.”

“I’m not just saying that. You are. Objectively, you’re very attractive.” Oh, God, now she was just digging a deeper hole. “I just noticed, that’s all. I’m not trying to. you know.”

“I don’t know,” he said. He picked up the pepper and walked around the island to the sink, then rinsed it off. “But you could try to explain it to me.”

There was no going back now. “The way you’re looking at me. I just get the feeling that you’re…flirting.”

He turned and leaned back against the edge of the counter. “I am. Is there something wrong with that?”

“It’s not going to work. I—I’m not interested in…that.”

“What?”

“Sex,” she said.

He frowned, then shook his head. “Is that what you think I’m doing? I was just having some fun. Talking. I didn’t mean to—”

“I didn’t want you to think that I was—”

“Oh, I didn’t. I guess, I’m just used to—”

“I understand and I don’t mean to—”

“I do understand,” he said softly. He took a step toward her and she held her breath.

This was crazy. She wanted him to kiss her. With any other man, she would have already been halfway to the bedroom. But Alex was different. All these strange feelings stirred inside of her. She longed for his touch, yet she knew how dangerous it would be. Need mixed with fear and she wasn’t sure what to do.

But then Alex took the decision out of her hands. He smoothed his hand over her cheek and bent closer. An instant later, his lips met hers and Tenley felt a tremor race through her body. He lingered over her mouth, taking his time, waiting for her to surrender.

With a soft sigh, Tenley opened beneath the gentle assault. A delicious rush of warmth washed through her body. Lately, she hadn’t felt much like a woman. It was amazing what one kiss could do to change all that.

She pushed up on her toes, eager to lose herself in the taste of him. It didn’t matter that they’d just met. It didn’t matter that she knew nothing about him. He made her feel all warm and tingly inside. That was all she cared about.

He drew back slightly, his breath warm against her mouth. “Maybe we should get back to dinner,” he suggested.

With a satisfied smile, Tenley stepped out of his embrace. They did have the entire night. With the blizzard raging outside, there was no way he’d be able to get into town. “There’s white wine and beer in the fridge and red wine in the cabinet above. Pick what you want.”

“What are you making?” He stood over her shoulder and peered into the cast-iron pot steaming on the stove. “It smells good.”

“Camp supper,” she said. “It’s just whatever’s at hand, tossed into a pot. There’s hamburger, potatoes, peppers, carrots and onions. I think I’ll add some corn.”

It wasn’t gourmet. Cooking had never been one of her talents. In truth, Tenley wasn’t really sure what she
was good at. Right about the time she was ready to find out, her life had been turned upside down. Her grandfather was an artist and so was her father. And her mother was a poet, so creativity did run in her veins.

But like everything else in her world, she’d been too afraid to invest any passion in her future for fear that it might slip through her fingers. So she chose to help her grandfather further his career by running his art gallery. At least she knew she was good at that, even though it was more of a job than a passion.

Alex retrieved a bottle of red wine from the cabinet and set it on the counter. She handed him a corkscrew and he deftly dispatched the cork and poured two glasses of Merlot. “This is a nice place,” he said.

“It belonged to my grandparents. My great-grandfather built it for them as a wedding gift. After my grandmother died, my grandfather moved into town, and I moved here.”

“What do you do?”

“I was just going to ask you the same thing,” Tenley said, deflecting his question. “What brings you to Door County in the middle of a blizzard? It must be something very important.”

“Business,” he replied. “I’m here to see an artist. T. J. Marshall. Do you know him?”

Tenley’s breath caught in her throat and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. This man had come to see her grandfather? How was that possible? She was in charge of her grandfather’s appointments and she didn’t remember making one for—Oh, God. That was where
she knew his name. He’d left a string of messages on her grandfather’s voice mail. Something about publishing a novel. Her grandfather already worked with a publisher and he didn’t write novels, so she’d ignored the messages. “I do. Everyone knows him. What do you want with him?”

“He sent us a graphic novel. I want to publish it.”

Tenley frowned. Her grandfather painted landscapes. He didn’t even know what a graphic novel was. She, however, did know. In fact, she’d made one for Josh Barton, the neighbor boy, as a Christmas gift, a thankyou for caring for her animals. “Do you have it with you?” she asked, trying to keep her voice indifferent.

“I do.”

“Could I see it?”

“Sure. Do you like graphic novels?”

“I’ve read a few,” she replied.

“This one is incredible. Very dark. The guy who wrote this has got some real demons haunting him. Or he’s got a great imagination. It’s about a girl named Cyd who can bring people back from the dead.”

Alex walked across the room to fetch his briefcase. Tenley grabbed her glass of wine and took three quick gulps. If this was her work, how had it possibly gotten into Alex’s hands? Perhaps Josh had decided to start a career as an artist’s agent at age fourteen?

Alex returned with a file folder, holding it out to her. “The story is loaded with conflict and it’s really edgy. It’s hard to find graphic novels that combine great art with a solid story. And this has both.”

Tenley opened the folder and immediately recognized the cover of Josh’s Christmas gift. She sighed softly as she flipped through the photocopy. What had he done? He’d raved about the story, but she’d never expected him to send a copy to a publisher. It had been a private little gift between the two of them, that was all. Josh had shared his love of the genre with her and she’d made him a story of his very own. She’d never intended it for public consumption.

Tenley had always had a love-hate affair with her artistic abilities. Though establishing her own career in art might make sense to the casual observer, Tenley fought against it. She and her brother had always talked about striking out on their own, leaving Door County and finding work in a big city. She’d wanted to be an actress and Tommy had been interested in architecture.

But after the boating accident, Tenley had given up on dreams. Her parents had been devastated and their grief led to a divorce. There was a fight over where Tenley would live and in the end, they let her stay in Door County with her grandparents while they escaped to opposite coasts.