Page 8 of Kaede
“No, but in that teddy, you looked like a doll.”
My boots slide on the slick ground. “What?”
“I’m just saying, I thought you looked… precious.”
I burst out laughing. “No one has ever called me, nor have I ever felt…”
And then I remember being in his arms dancing…
I mumble, “Guess I’m wearing my snowsuit to bed tonight.”
Anything to get him to stop looking at me like that. Those blue eyes sparkle with crystal stars in the floodlight from the front porch.
“Stop looking at me like that!” My head tips and I glare at him, trying to hide how my body is heating up and snowflakes are disintegrating on my lust blasted skin.
“Like what?” He grabs my suitcase out of the back of the car like it’s a piece of lint in his fingers.
“You know how. I’m only staying because my car’s not working. I think I left the dome light on and drained the battery. I’ll have my towing service out here in the morning.”
“Nope. They don’t come out here. There’s not enough room for a tow truck to turn around.”
“Oh.”
“Do you need this bag?” He lifts the bag. “Wow, what’s in here?”
“Gifts for Daisy, Boone and Maverick.”
I found the perfect bag for Daisy’s photography equipment, a leather wallet for Boone, and the softest baby blanket in theworld, something called a minky from Minksters.com. I almost kept it for myself, but my godson will have nothing but the best.
“I guess you’re stuck with me, Willow.”
I shiver.
He motions me inside, his hand on the back of my coat. “Let’s get you warm.”
The truth is I’ve never been hotter in my life. I’m almost boiling inside. This man, with his rolling muscles, long brown beard that hides some of his cherry-red lips, not to mention his smartass attitude that I can tell is covering for something, isn’t who I expected to come next, but maybe… just maybe… I’m the woman to tame the mountain man.
6
KAEDE
Having her in my house for even a night is going to be a test of my willpower. With that pink hair that looks like the frosting on a human cupcake and her blue eyes that look like pools of water to jump right into, I’m screwed.
But I’ve neveractuallybeen screwed. In high school I was the geek. I don’t look like it now, but I was that scrawny kid who couldn’t seem to put on weight. The military took me from a grunt of a boy to a hulk of a man. But when you join the military your life is theirs and doubly so when you’re in fulltime. I went overseas. And then I was done, and I liked being on my own. Not reporting to anyone gave me time to think and time to just be. There was always someone who needed information, details, report when I was in. I’ve gotten used to it being me and no one else.
I open the front door.
She smirks. I dare myself to swipe that snarky upturn of her lips off her face. “Butleranda doorman. I’m a lucky lady.”
I decide it’ll need to be a double-dog dare before I give her lips a try. I like her high-spiritedness and don’t want to turn it off.
“Actually, I just want to walk behind you, honey. The view is quite… inspiring.”
It’s not a lie, a part of me is completely inspired and if she just drops her gaze a little, she’d fully understand.
Willow ignores the comment and in fact, I think the woman starts swinging those hips with more gusto. A low growl rises from my chest.
She spins to me. “Did you just growl?”
