Blindsided (5 page)

He helped her find the spaghetti noodles, sorting through a well-stocked pantry loaded with canned goods, probably against just such an emergency. While the pasta cooked and the sauce simmered, he got out plates and silverware and opened a second bottle of wine.

Instead of sitting at the counter, he suggested they sit by the fire, and when the sauce and pasta were done, they both took their plates and sat on the floor, using the low coffee table as an impromptu casual place to eat.

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Legs folded under her, Kerin sat down, the delicious smell of the food mingling with the comforting scent of the fire. He sat across, the dancing light reflecting off the planes and hollows of his face, highlighting the clean cut symmetry of his features. How on earth he’d never married, Kerin wasn’t sure. Whether it was the wine or her current state of relative safety after so many weeks of fear, she was sure he was one of the most attractive men she had ever met. What’s more, he also seemed polite and intelligent, which was a combination that simply didn’t happen often in nature in her opinion.

If the circumstances were different, she would definitely consider Jesse McCutcheon in a romantic way. No woman with a breath in her body wouldn’t.

Why the hell she was thinking about that was a mystery, because her life was in chaos, but it was a relief to actually feel some emotion besides apprehension and dread.

“That was wonderful,” he remarked as he took a last bite, his plate clean. His tone was sincere and his smile a slow, rueful curve of his mouth. “As if you can’t tell, I liked it. If I hadn’t happened on your car, I would be eating chili out of a can or something from the freezer.

Would you like more wine, Kerin?”

She only known him…what, a few hours? The sound of her name, said in his deep voice, made a small quiver of excitement clench in her stomach. The way he said it seemed intimate and warm, like they been friends a long time. “I shouldn’t,” she said truthfully.

“Well, you certainly aren’t driving anywhere,” he said dryly. “I would guess no one in Northern Wisconsin is on the roads tonight. So what’s the harm?”

That sentiment sounded logical, but it probably wasn’t. She didn’t object when he filled her glass again. In fact, all of it; the raging blizzard outside, the cozy dinner by the fire, the comforting food, the delicious wine, all of it evoked a long missed feeling of well-being.

The company of a gorgeous man like one sitting across from her didn’t hurt either. She hadn’t even been on a date in over a year. The
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last time she’d had sex…well, that had to be close to two years ago, before she and Michael had split and broken their engagement.

Good God, was she actually sitting there thinking about
that
with a perfect stranger?

“Would you listen to that wind?” Jesse leaned back, his lean body relaxed in the leaping firelight. The shadows did nice things to the chiseled planes of his features. His dark hair was tousled, but it suited the outdoorsy image of flannel shirt and old jeans. “I bet there are going to be eight foot drifts by the front door. It’s going to be fun shoveling out of all this when the storm is over.”

As if to emphasize his words, a particularly keening howl whistled past the house, the brush of the snow flung against the windows loud in the darkness. To conserve energy, he’d turned out the lights and shut off anything that would draw from the emergency generator, leaving on only the essentials.

Maybe that was it. A romantic fire and lots of good wine, Kerin pondered, curled up comfortably on the floor with her back resting against one of the chairs. She knew she was tired—she had to be tired after the long drive and all the strain she’d been under—but somehow felt content to simply sit there and talk.

What had started as one of the worst days of her life had turned out to be rather nice.

* * * *

The storm was a bitch, and there wasn’t much doubt it was going to be days before they could get out. Jesse wondered if the pretty doctor realized just how much time they were destined to spend together.

Thank God he hadn’t stopped to help an overweight redneck who didn’t believe in personal hygiene or a little old lady with a heart condition and a religious objection to the consumption of alcohol in her presence. He came up to the cabin to get away from people, and if
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he had to get stuck in the middle of a blizzard with another human being, he was damned glad it was a beautiful, intelligent young woman. Yes, she’d been uptight as hell at first, but that seemed to have passed. Since there was nothing to do but talk, she’d hesitantly given him a few more details about her life as she relaxed. The wine probably didn’t hurt either, he thought wryly.

The clock on the mantle chimed, and she glanced up. Her eyes were fringed with long lashes that sent shadows across her smooth cheeks. “Is it really that late?”

It was, and he’d been up early, splitting wood in case the storm became the reality the weathercaster predicted. “Yes. Let me make sure you have extra blankets. It’s usually pretty comfortable upstairs but the way the temperature is dropping, you never know.”

“I don’t think it’s fair for me to kick you out of your bed.” She shook her head, honey blonde hair brushing her shoulders. Her features were delicate, almost fragile, and her mouth soft.

His smile was crooked. “With only one bedroom, I don’t see how else to arrange things. Needless to say, I didn’t buy this place with the intention of having a lot of guests. It’s no problem. I can sleep on the couch and keep the fire going.” He got to his feet. “I think I have an extra toothbrush in the cabinet and I find you something to sleep in.”

She stood also, her slender body dwarfed by his flannel shirt, concealing those enticing curves, which was a damned pity because he’d liked what he’d seen before. “I feel like such an imposition.”

“You aren’t,” he said, and surprisingly meant it. It had been a while since he’d had a nice home-cooked meal with an articulate, interesting woman. Usually, women either dated him for his looks, or his bank account, and neither scenario turned him on. Sure, he was glad he was attractive enough that he got noticed, but he really just wasn’t out to get laid as often as possible.

Someday, he wanted more. Sex was great, of course, but casual sex felt all wrong. He didn’t do that often—in fact, almost never—and the few times he had, he’d regretted it. During the several serious
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relationships in his thirty-three years, he had learned that affection made all the difference in the level of pleasure when you made love.

So why was he thinking that way right now about the lovely but mysterious Dr. Kerin Smith? They didn’t even know each other.

She went up the stairs first, slender in the flickering inadequate light. He followed, intent on getting her the blankets, finding the extra toothbrush he had a in a drawer somewhere, and getting the hell back downstairs as fast as possible.

There were built-in cabinets in the pine walls, one of the features he’d been impressed with when he looked at the house, and he took out a couple blankets for himself and an extra, in case she needed it.

Rummaging through his dresser, he found her a tee-shirt that said University of Wisconsin across the front, the badger logo faded from years of washing. It was his favorite; the one he wore the most often in the summer, and why he wanted her to wear that particular shirt was some sort of irrational male fantasy.

He liked the idea of his shirt next to her bare skin.

What an idiot.

Kerin accepted the shirt with a soft murmur of gratitude. When he produced the toothbrush, she smiled at him warmly, the simple curve of her lips taking his breath away. Pale and disheveled, she’d even been pretty. When she smiled, she was positively gorgeous. He’d always been a sucker for a great smile.

“I can live without a lot of things,” she told him. “A toothbrush isn’t one of them.”

“Toothpaste in the drawer,” he said, still mesmerized, hoping she didn’t notice his stare. “If you need anything else, help yourself. I’ll be right down on the couch.”

She stood, looking back at him with a hint of uncertainty in her lovely eyes. “I feel terribly guilty about this. Are you sure?”

“Positive.” His reply was firm. “If you’ll let me brush my teeth first, the upstairs is all yours and I’ll get out of your hair.”

Jesse made fast work of the before bed essentials, glad he made it
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a point to keep everything neat and clean, considering his unexpected company. When he came out of the bathroom, he saw she’d changed already with a small twist in the pit of his stomach. The UWM shirt had been a good choice. It came to about mid-thigh, showing off her long slender legs, and the worn material molded nicely to the curves of her breasts. The swing of blonde hair over her shoulders contrasted with the dark blue material, and she looked like some delectable young college coed. She sat on the bed, obviously waiting for the bathroom.

Jesus, he was actually getting a hard-on, he realized, and it happened so damned fast his cock was already halfway to a full erection. He flushed slightly, hoping she didn’t notice the telltale bulge in his jeans. “Good night,” he said abruptly, turning for the stairs.

“Wait.” The word was soft. She added on a breath, “Please.”

He really needed to get out of his bedroom. The very tempting Dr.

Smith perched on the edge of his bed was a little too much apparently for him to ignore. At least his unruly body. His mind recognized damned well he didn’t know much about her.

Reluctantly, he turned around. “Yes?”

Her gaze shimmered and her mouth trembled, just a small quiver.

“I don’t have the slightest clue as how to say this.”

“Say what?” he asked, trying to seem nonchalant.

She brushed a stray lock of shining hair from her cheek and took a deep breath. “Would you like to stay? I mean, up here? With me?”

Jesse registered the offer with a sense of the unreal. Was she serious? Apparently she
was
serious, for her cheeks held high color, but her chin was lifted and she met his gaze directly. She added almost inaudibly, “Together.”

When he didn’t speak at once, the spots of embarrassment deepened, and she stammered, “I don’t do this sort of thing, I swear it, but—”

“Yes.”

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She stopped talking. “Yes?”

“Yes,” he repeated, almost tersely. “Yes, I want to stay up here with you. And I don’t do this sort of thing either, for the record.” He grinned, a wry twist of his mouth. “If you are at all observant, Dr.

Smith, you might see my thoughts aren’t exactly as pure as the white stuff outside either.”

At full mast now thanks to her invitation, his erection was obvious, and she finally realized it, her blue eyes widening slightly as she stared at his crotch. “I do see that.”

“It’s damned embarrassing.” His laugh was rueful as he moved toward the bed. “Just seconds ago I hoped you wouldn’t notice it and think I was some sort of pervert. You were a nervous wreck when I first picked you up.”

“I’ve been a wreck for quite some time and it has nothing to do with you.”

Later, he would have to pursue that cryptic remark, but right now he wanted nothing more than to touch her. Jesse reached down and took her hand, gently pulling her off the side of the bed and to her feet. He slid his arms around her slim waist and she leaned in willingly as he lowered his head.

Her mouth was silky and warm. She tasted like rich wine, and opened for his tongue, kissing him back with shy, but arousing, enthusiasm. He’d guessed already from just the few hours in her company that she wasn’t a novice when it came to sex, but not particularly experienced either. She’d been aware of him as a man, but not comfortable about the attraction.

Apparently she grew more comfortable all the time, he thought, kissing her deeply as he felt her fingers fumble with the buttons on his shirt. He helped her strip it off, breaking the kiss just long enough to shrug his arms out of the sleeves, before he pulled her close again for another open-mouthed kiss.

She felt wonderful, so soft and female against his bare chest. His cock actually throbbed, the beat of blood matching the rhythm of his
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heart. Moving his mouth to her ear, he kissed the delicate hollow beneath, and murmured, “Let’s take this off.”

She didn’t resist when he tugged the tee-shirt off over her head, lifting her arms in cooperation. Jesse couldn’t help but take in a ragged breath. Her body was pretty much how he had imagined: slender, her breasts not large but beautifully formed, and just the right size for her delicate frame. They were tipped with rosy pointed nipples he couldn’t wait to taste.

“It’s warm in the bed,” he suggested in a husky voice.

Her fingers slid down his torso and fumbled with the fastening at the top of his jeans. “Take these off and we’ll get warm then.”

“Gladly. You, too, though.” He ran his finger along the elastic of her bikini underwear, feeling her smooth warm skin, noting that though the woman currently lowering his zipper dressed conservatively, she wore very slinky black lacy panties.

What a turn on.

Jesse slid them down, his hands lingering on her bare ass. It was firm and nicely shaped. In turn, she shoved his briefs and jeans down his hips. Slender fingers brushed his erection.

His laugh was a short expulsion of breath and Jesse could feel his heart pound. He stepped out of his pants, watching her slip into the bed. Those same blue eyes that had been so wide and dark with fear earlier held an entirely different light, but he sensed what was happening at this moment was just as much fueled by whatever sent her running.

Because she
was
running from something. He didn’t have to be a genius to figure that out.

That meant he was probably really taking advantage of her and the situation even though she’d made the suggestion. They both had quite a bit of wine too, before, with, and after dinner.