Page 12 of Frost and Felines

"That house is quite isolated." Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Sounds perfect for what you need - someone who won't have obvious conflicts in their story."

"If she agrees," Kieran said, his voice tinged with skepticism. "Which she probably won't because who in their right mind would say yes to pretending to be married to a stranger?"

"A practical woman who's stuck here for weeks and being offered free room and board?" Charlotte smiled knowingly. "Don't sell yourself short. You can be quite charming when you want to be."

"I'm always charming," he protested.

"And humble too." Charlotte patted his cheek. "Now stop brooding and go do some actual work. She'll find you when she's ready."

Kieran adjusted a crooked wreath on the wall of the main hallway. His tiger instincts suddenly picked up a familiar scent before he even turned around. Vanilla, rain, and ozone - an intoxicating combination that made his inner beast purr. He spun to find Mallory approaching, and his carefully prepared greeting died in his throat.

The cream cashmere sweater she wore hugged curves he hadn't noticed yesterday under her winter coat. Dark jeans highlighted long legs that seemed to go on forever. Her platinum hair fell in waves around her shoulders, and those crystal blue eyes fixed on him with fierce determination.

"I've thought about your proposition," she said, cutting straight to the point.

His pulse quickened. "And?"

"I'll do it." She crossed her arms, drawing his attention to the way the sweater stretched across her chest. "But I have conditions."

He forced his gaze back to her face, grateful his tiger genes gave him better control than most men. "Name them."

"First, no physical contact beyond what's absolutely necessary to sell this charade."

"Agreed." Though his tiger disagreed vehemently.

"Second, I keep my own schedule. I won't be at your beck and call for every little event or dinner."

"Within reason." He stepped closer, using his height advantage to make his point. "If we're supposed to be newlyweds, we need to be seen together regularly."

A slight flush colored her cheeks, but she held her ground. "Fine. But I need advance notice."

"Anything else?"

"Yes." She tilted her chin up. "When this is over, we go our separate ways. No complications."

"Deal." He grinned, unable to contain his satisfaction. "Now, how about we get you moved into that larger room I promised? We can discuss the finer details of our arrangement there."

"Lead the way, husband." The word dripped with sarcasm, but Kieran's tiger preened at hearing it from her lips anyway.

"After you, wife." He gestured down the hall, admiring the view as she walked ahead of him. This arrangement might be fake, but his attraction to her was becoming very real.

Kieran soon swung open the double doors to the Moonlight Suite with a flourish. "Welcome to your new temporary home."

The tiger in him preened at the way Mallory's eyes widened as she took in the spacious living area. Rich hardwood floors stretched beneath plush area rugs in deep blues and silvers. A stone fireplace dominated one wall, while floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the snow-covered cliffs.

"This is... excessive," Mallory said, but her fingers trailed appreciatively over the velvet armchair near the fireplace.

"Wait until you see the bedroom." Kieran grabbed her bags before she could protest. The scent of vanilla and rain wrapped around him again, making his inner beast rumble with satisfaction. "Through here."

The bedroom featured a king-sized bed draped in high-thread-count linens and a private balcony. But it was the ensuite bathroom that drew a genuine gasp from his fake wife.

"Is that the jacuzzi?"

"Complete with therapeutic jets." He set her bags down, enjoying her obvious appreciation. "The bathroom's bigger than some of our standard rooms."

"I can see that." Mallory ran her hand along the marble countertop. "This must be your most expensive suite."

"It is. But my wife deserves the best." He winked, earning an eye roll that somehow managed to be both exasperated and amused.

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