Page 4 of Holiday Heat

Ryker

My heart is racing eventhough I’m soaking wet and freezing. This storm caught me by surprise. I missed all the signs this morning when I decided to take a long hike and catalog some of the animal signs and other problems that might crop up. The resort next to me causes me no end of problems. I hate those people.

I glance down in my arms at the little angel lying curled into my chest and can’t help but smile. If she’s at the resort, she’s the first good thing I’ve seen come out of that place. Her long, dark hair is plastered to her head and she’s shivering uncontrollably. I frown and hold her tighter.

I pick up the pace. I’m only about five minutes away from my cabin. The faster I get to it, the faster I can get her warm and comfortable. A picture of her in my clothes, lying in my bed has my body raging harder than the rain. My cock is practically knocking on my zipper and I can’t get a deep breath, it hurts so bad.

I need her. I don’t even know her name but I know she’s mine. I know that I’ll do anything to keep her. Hell, I don’t even know what she looks like although the curvy body pressed against mine is like heaven in my arms.

I run the last few hundred yards and hold her curvy, soaking wet body with one hand while I throw my door open and then kick it shut with my foot.

I draw in a deep breath when I turn my lights on and find myself staring into brown eyes shot with gold, like whiskey backlit by the sun. Her dark hair cascades down my arm like a river of ink, impossibly soft and cool on my suddenly heated skin.

“You’re so tiny,” I breathe out, enthralled.

She snorts at me then covers her mouth with her hand. “I’ve never been called that.”

I smirk down at her. “Baby doll, you’re quite a bit smaller than me. I think I can call you tiny.”

“I’m five foot five and way more pounds than I want to be. I think you’re crazy.”

I shake my head. I should put her down. I should get her warmed up. But I don’t want to let her go. Don’t want to give her the chance to get away from me. She’s the woman I’ve been looking for for years.

“You’re not. And I’m not.”

She nods and puffs her lips out, shifting in my arms like she’s catching a chill.

I shake myself out of the spell she cast on me and sit her on the couch. She immediately tries to stand up and I shake my finger in her face, smirking when she glares at me, her eyes flashing gold fire. “What are you doing? I need to get back. My friends are going to be worried about me.”

I shake my head. “You’re not going anywhere.”

She flounces back on the couch and glares at me, her arms crossed on full breasts that I can’t help but see since her green t-shirt is sticking to her like glue.

“Are you kidnapping me? That’s a pretty tired trope. Can’t come up with anything more original than that?”

I stare at her, my mouth hanging open. “I’m not sure what you’re babbling about, sweetheart. But I am not kidnapping you. However, the storm is still pretty bad and I can’t let you go back out in that. What kind of gentleman would that make me?”

“The kind that’s not really interested in what everybody else is doing. He just does his own thing.”

Ordinarily that is me. But for some reason I want to be all up in this woman’s business. I want to know everything about her. Want to stalk her and eavesdrop on her conversations with other people. And I want to make sure that those other people never get beyond the bare surface with her. Because that part of her is only meant for me.

She shivers again and I see how pale and damp her skin is, her dark hair hanging limply against her alabaster cheeks.

“We need to get you warmed up, princess. I’ll run a bath for you and find you something to change into while I dry your clothes.”

Shaking her head, she pouts at me and my teeth want to nibble at those lush pink lips until she opens her mouth and I can drink in her sweet, soft sounds.

“Hey!” She snaps her fingers in front of my face. “You zoned out on me there, Mr. Mountain. I said I don’t want to be that much trouble. Perhaps you can just give me a ride back to Mountain Ridge Resorts where I’m staying.”

“No can do.” I smirk when her full bottom lip pushes out further. Damn, she’s a bit of a brat. And I like it. “My truck is in the shop for a few days getting some repairs done on it. And I’m not going back out until that little spritzer out there clears up.” I shake my head and droplets of water fly off my beard and body. “I’ve had my fill of rain today, thank you.”

Her amber eyes darken to brown earth. Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, she has my dick knocking at my jeans yet again. I turn away from her and shift, trying to make my raging body settle the hell down.

“I’m sorry if I’m a bother. I didn’t even know it was supposed to rain today.” Her cheeks darken to pink. “Of course if I had my phone I would have known, no thanks to Caitlyn,” she mutters.

“Who’s Caitlyn?” And should I find her and kick her ass or kiss her senseless?

“She’s my bestie. She is under orders to make me relax and my brother told her to strip me of all my electronics so I couldn’t work.”