Chapter Eighteen

Lorn

I’m glad Rayne agreed to come with me, because I would have hated to have yet another fight with her while dragging her to safety for her own good. The snow has picked up, and an inch or two has already settled on the ground since I started my trek out to find her.

“Come on then, let’s get you warm.”

“That sounds wonderful,” she says, through chattering teeth.

I nestle her a little closer against me and drag her suitcase behind my other side. It’s slow going. She’s injured, and the trails are slick with fresh snow. The last thing we need is a full-on ankle break and an emergency trip down the mountain in dangerous conditions.

I slow a little more.

“We can get there before the sun sets, you know.”

“We can also get in a car crash while attempting to get you medical care. That’s not a scenario I’m willing to risk. Are you?”

That bit of common sense sinks in, and she stops pushing to move us forward faster. It is easier to get cold when the body isn’t exerting itself, but I try and cover as much of her as I can while we walk.

“You know, we still haven’t enjoyed those hot springs,” she says.

The thought of her naked, legs spread around me while I bury myself between her thighs rises right to mind, and I clear my throat. The woman is in danger. She is injured. The last thing I should be thinking about is fucking her.

You hear that, brain? Stop thinking about fucking her!

“It might not be a bad idea for your foot in a little bit, though we’ll want to ice it first.”

Rayne chuckles, and I’m glad to hear it. It’s a far better sound than her tears. “I think my foot has been iced up plenty, don’t you?”

“It doesn’t count when you’re walking on it when you should be resting.”

She nods. “Point conceded. A bit of rest does sound pretty great right about now. It’s been an eventful morning.”

“I should say so,” I agree.

Memories of our fight appear in my head. Once again, I was ready to cut this woman out of my life for good. There’s something about her that I can’t seem to let go of. She’s vibrant and radiant, but her light is being doused by a psychopath who’s left her cast in shadows and fear.

Her anger, while infuriating, now makes sense, and I want to make sure that Rayne is taken care of. After all, I am the proprietor of the resort. It’s my job to keep her safe at this point, isn’t it?

“I think it would be wise for you to stay with me from here on out. If you need to go somewhere, I’ll go with you as your escort. I don’t think it’s safe for you to go around alone at the moment. We don’t have enough information to know what could happen.”

“Not to mention the few times I have been alone, I’ve gotten injured,” she says.

I glance down at her in surprise, and she smirks up at me. Her lips are round and full, and I want to run the pad of my thumb along the corners before I take a little bite of that delectable flesh.

Injured. Frightened. Woman.

Get it together, man.

“I’m willing to admit that I may have been a little bull-headed through all of this. The truth is, I’ve been running on my own for so long that it’s hard for me to accept help when it arrives.”

“It’s hard for anyone who is used to making it on their own to take help when it’s offered, I think.”

My cabin comes into view, the warm plume of smoke a welcome sight in the wet cold. A wave of relief pours through Rayne’s body as her tense muscles relax a little, and I feel a certain amount of satisfaction in that. I am responsible for that relief. I am responsible for her safety.

We hobble together up the porch steps, and I open the door. The inside is cozy and comfortable, and the scents of wood smoke and the faint odor of fried eggs from breakfast greet us as we walk inside.

“Here, let’s get you on the couch. I’ll make a hot cup of tea.”

“That sounds amazing,” she breathes. She winces as I set her on the couch and then rise. I think I should check on her ankle first, but during my preliminary check, she didn’t seem to be in any immediate danger. The swelling should go down a little by tomorrow. She may be able to hobble around soon, if I can convince her to stay off it.

I stride into the kitchen and set the teapot on a burner. I pull out a pair of tea bags and mugs and prepare the hot brew before I bother sliding out of my jacket. I hang it on the back of a kitchen chair then pull out a jar of sugar.

“Green tea OK?” I call out.

“If it’s warm, I’ll drink it!” she calls back.

For such a wealthy woman, Rayne is wonderfully low-maintenance. Steam shoots from the spout of my teapot, and I remove it from the heat and pour us two healthy mugs full before I spoon in sugar and bring them over to the living room.

Rayne has managed to strip out of her jacket and gloves as well, and she leans forward, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to stave off the chill from a frosty and frightening morning. I hand her a mug, and she accepts it with a grateful smile. She cradles it in the palms of her hands as she blows on the hot liquid to cool it enough to drink.

“You never told me what happened to you after your father died,” I say.

I know I probably shouldn’t pry, but I’m curious, and she’s finally opened the doors to herself for me. I want to know more. Rayne’s gaze grows distant as she stares into the flickering flames of my fire.

“I stayed with an aunt and uncle after my father’s death. My father’s will stipulated that I was not entitled to his fortune until my eighteenth birthday.” Rayne sighs. “I’m grateful for those years, though. I learned a lot about hard work and how to get by on my own. Trust me when I say my aunt and uncle weren’t the pampering type. I met my assistant, Helen, through them and we pretty much became fast friends.”

An image of Rayne cuddling two beautiful small children on her lap, smiling beatifically down upon them dances along the edge of my mind’s eye. She would be such a beautiful, wonderful mother. Wait, why am I imagining Rayne with babies?

I take a sip of my tea, and it burns my tongue. It’s the reality check I need to bring me back to the present.

“Let’s take a look at that ankle,” I say. I can’t stop worrying about it. I can’t stop wanting to touch her.

“It’s fine.” Rayne tries to pull her foot away and winces.

I shoot her a knowing look. “We both know this needs to be looked at. Now sit back and cool your tea while I get this boot off.”

“It’s going to hurt,” she squeaks.

Rayne never fails to confuse me. One moment she is Super Woman, the next she is Lois Lane falling through the sky, desperate to be rescued.

I nod. “It might, a little. I’m fully trained in CPR and first aid, though, so don’t worry. I’ll be more than gentle. I think we should head into town down the mountain tomorrow to speak to the police.”

“Really?” she asks, and her eyes brighten. I remove her boot, and she doesn’t even notice.

Expert-level distraction.

“Yes, really.” I peel off her sock as I continue speaking. “When the snow clears and we’re able to get down there, I think the folks around here will be much more amenable to hearing your story.”

“Why do you suppose that is?” she asks. I roll her foot around and she goes a little pale, but she says nothing. It’s sound enough, but she’ll need to stay off it for a little bit.

“The local police don’t get a lot of crime around here. The most they typically get to do is pull over a tourist for speeding, and a lot of times they don’t even like to do that. Seems unfair on roads where no one drives anyway. This is an actual case they can work on. I think you’ll find them eager to help.”

I rise and walk into my kitchen. After these past few days, I certainly haven’t had much time to do anything but keep Rayne from hurting herself.

And, of course, keep Rayne coming.

My cock tingles, and I fetch a cold pack for Rayne. I’m not going to let my lurid thoughts get in the way of her recovery. I’ll simply have to take care of myself when I have the time.

“Here. Put this on it for the rest of the evening. It should help.” She accepts the pack and places it on her injured foot, then looks back up at me. “You really think that we’re safe up here? That the local police can help us?”

“Of course, I do. On that note, though…” I walk over to the front door and bolt it shut. I then make a sweep of the entire cabin, slide a lock over every single window and my back door. I’ve never had to use these before, but they were built-in when I bought the place.

I sit next to Rayne and wrap my arm around her shoulder while she ices her foot before the fire. It’s good to be locked in while the snow continues to pile up outside. The sun sets behind the clouds, though the only hint that we have of it is the cabin darkening around us.

“Dinner?” I ask.

I glance over and realize that Rayne is nodding off against my shoulder. I slide out from under her and lower her onto the couch. She’s still wearing her other boot, so I slide it off and pull a blanket over her. In sleep, her face is slack and peaceful, and I watch her for a long time.

Whoever this Larry Corker is, he’s going to be in for a hard time when he meets me.

I guarantee it.