Read Online Snowbound by Kristianna Sawyer - Free Book Online Page A

away or holding himself stiffly
aloof from her.
    She swallowed and spoke as soon as she could.
“Sorry. I think the whole experience has left me freaked out. I’m
not the crying type.” Beth didn’t try to see his expression in the
gloom, not wanting to read skepticism in his gaze. She truly wasn’t
used to crying. With the exception of the traumatic experience of
being locked in the attic, the death of her favorite horse when she
was eleven, and the passing of her grandfather two years ago, she
couldn’t remember crying about much of anything.
    “It’s okay, girl. Sometimes, you just need a
good cry.” He rubbed his palm over her back in a circular
motion.
    She giggled, which sounded a bit wet, but
relieved most of her remaining tension. “Yeah, I’m sure you cry all
the time, Reed.”
    A trace of amusement touched his words. “Hell
yeah. I get out the bonbons and pop in a Lifetime move at
least twice a month.”
    She laughed harder. “You don’t have any
bonbons.”
    “’Course not. I ate ‘em all.”
    Before she could reply, the same crashing
sound jarred her again, and she jumped. “What is that?”
    “Sounds like one of the shutters blew open. I
can go close it.”
    “No.” She tightened her arms instinctively,
knowing if he left now, he wouldn’t be back. His version of common
sense would have a chance to take hold, and he’d talk himself into
staying away from her. “That’s okay,” she said more softly. “I
don’t want to be alone yet.”
    “All right.”
    Silence fell between them, but he didn’t move
farther away. His hand continued the same circuitous route across
her back, and she continued to cling to him. Beth realized he was
grasping her hip almost hard enough to hurt, but she made no move
to wiggle away. They were frozen in a single minute, and the wrong
move could end everything. The trouble was, she didn’t know what
the wrong move was. Or the right one. He’d rejected her overtures
too many times for her to feel secure enough to attempt to initiate
anything.
    “I should go,” he whispered, though he didn’t
move.
    “No,” she said again.
    “You still scared, girl?”
    “No,” she whispered, and she didn’t even
twitch when the shutter crashed against the house again.
    “I am,” he said in a hoarse whisper.
    Beth stiffened, raising her head enough to
try to see his features in the gloom. “What? Why?”
    “You’re dangerous.” He jerked his head in the
direction of the window. “Lot more dangerous than that storm out
there.”
    Beth licked her lips, uncertain about the
right words, which was an unusual affliction for her. “I promise
not to kung fu you.”
    “I wish you would.” His hand stopped moving
in circles and began applying pressure to her upper back, urging
her closer. “Knock some sense into me.”
    Feeling a bit more confident, Beth tangled a
hand in his overlong hair. “I don’t want you to be sensible, Reed.
I just want to feel.”
    “Feel what?” He sounded as uncertain as
her.
    “This.” She put a hand over his heart,
finding it beating strong and steady against her palm. “You.
Everything.”
    “You’re a virgin. You deserve better’n some
dirty old bastard for your first time, honey.”
    Beth laughed softly, letting her hand slide
lower, to rest across his flat stomach. “You don’t feel old.” She
sniffed his chest, inhaling his heavenly masculine scent. “You
don’t smell dirty.” Leaning a bit closer, she rested her head on
his chest. “And I couldn’t care less if your parents were
married.”
    He stiffened for a long second, and she
cursed herself for mentioning the obviously forbidden subject. Then
he relaxed and pulled her closer. “Guess I’m not a bastard in the
technical sense, in that case.”
    “Then what’s the problem?” she whispered
against his neck.
    “Too many to count,” he muttered. “Ah, hell,
math never was my strong point.”
    Beth had no time to savor her victory as he
lifted her onto his