Sweet taste of a woman. Haley rested her hands against his chest, unmoving, as her lips parted and her tongue licked spice into his mouth.

Maddox’s heart thumped so hard he couldn’t hear anything, not that there was much to hear. In the silence of the barnyard, he could stand and kiss Haley, unaware of everything but her mouth, her heat, her body against his. She might be ultra-rich and unattainable, but she was one hell of a good kisser.

Haley made a little noise in her throat, which sent his temperature high and made his body rock hard. He had the sudden vision of her with him under his sheets, the room hot with their lovemaking, she giving him a languid smile. She’d brush her fingers across his face, then pull him down to her to drown in her warmth.

Back in the real world, Haley’s nose was cold against Maddox’s cheek, her mouth seeking, her hands sinking into his coat and pulling him closer. She wasn’t shoving him away. She wanted the kiss, sinking into his embrace and giving him a deep kiss in return.

Maddox firmed his hands on her back, getting lost in her. Her mouth held heat, her body lithe as she swayed against him. Her tight breasts, curved hips, and strong legs pressed him through their coats.

The kiss gave him everything he needed, her lips smooth and warm, her body supple under his hands. Their biting words floated away on the wind, their anger’s power dying as they communicated in a much more basic way.

Lance smacked into Maddox’s thigh. Maddox stumbled, his mouth bumped Haley’s, and she pulled hastily back. Her eyes were wide, brown and gold, lashes flecked with snowflakes, her parted lips red.

Lance wagged his tail hard. He was looking past Maddox at Buddy, who was on his way up the path toward them.

The man grinned hard, which meant he’d seen Maddox kissing Haley. Lance had broken them apart in time for Buddy not to have to shove his way past them. Good dog.

“Morning,” Buddy sang out. He paused as he reached them. “Need a leg up?” he asked Haley.

“I’ve got it,” Maddox said abruptly, but at the same time, Haley said, “Would you mind? Maddox keeps throwing me off the other side.”

Buddy’s mouth quivered as he moved to Haley’s side. Maddox would have to kill him later.

Buddy wrapped his arm around Haley’s leg before Maddox could object, and had her up and safely in the saddle in the space of a moment. Haley landed solidly on the seat, sending Maddox a look of triumph.

Buddy adjusted the stirrups then waved a hand at her thanks and discreetly walked on toward the barn. Maddox positioned Haley’s feet in the stirrups, trying not to enjoy the firm feel of her calves.

“You’ll follow me,” Maddox said, mounting his horse, a tall gelding with a thick black coat. “Just hold on to the reins and let Sammy have his head. He knows what to do. He won’t spook or bolt. Lance, stay here and take care of Aunt Jane.”

Lance sat down, looking disappointed, but he stayed. Maddox pulled his horse in front of Sammy, who waited patiently for him to pass.

“What’s your horse’s name?” Haley’s voice behind him sounded strained. Regretting the hot kiss? Or embarrassed by it? Maddox’s lips still tingled.

“Boone,” Maddox said as he led the way to the path to town. “He was a stunt horse. Retired now. Sammy was the same.”

“What kind of horses are they?” Another question to fill the space. “I’ve never seen any this shaggy.”

Maddox patted Boone’s neck, his glove sinking into the wiry fur. “All horses have long hair in the winter. If you’ve only seen horses in shows or on TV, they get clipped for that, regardless of the season. Up here, we let them keep their natural coats in winter.”

“Oh.” Haley sounded fascinated. “I never knew that.” He heard her pat Sammy. “I like them with long hair.”

Maddox did too. He’d never admit it, but he loved burrowing his bare hands into his horses’ warm winter coats.

Their conversation didn’t so much drift into silence as cut off abruptly. Maddox couldn’t think of a damn thing to say to her, and Haley ceased asking questions.

Maddox didn’t regret the kiss at all, no matter what she thought about it. He’d do it again. In fact, he would do it again, as soon as he could. Haley would disappear into her world soon enough, but not before Maddox tasted her once more.

If it led to nothing, then it didn’t. If it did—well, he’d work that out later. Maddox had learned a long time ago to live from day to day. Don’t anticipate the future; don’t hold so tight to the past that you can’t walk on.

It was five miles over the fields to Starlight Bend, ten by road. Maddox led Haley along paths he’d known since he could walk, through stretches of woods and open ground, the mountains a constant backdrop.

The town nestled on the edge of a lake, which was iced over now, but in the summer, the lake was deep, deep blue, as though sky and water melded. Mountains towered to the north and west, Starlight Bend in a bowl of beauty. Summer saw the lake full of boats for fishing or just gliding on the water; winter brought ice fishing and snowmobiles.

Maddox rode down into the town, the residents moving around briskly, snow never slowing them down. There was the Lakeside Cafe run by Becky Smith, who made a mean breakfast and killer pies. The scent of fresh-roasted coffee drifted in the air, making Maddox’s mouth water.

The bar everyone called Stan’s that overlooked the lake was a fine place to hang out with friends after a long day. The sporting goods store, Big Sky Living, where residents of Starlight Bend bought their fishing and hiking gear, could be seen in the distance, dominating the skyline. Lights that were strung up every Christmas hung glittering in the dim winter morning, twinkling like fireflies.

Cars crawled through the main street that had been somewhat cleared, though side streets were still blocked with the snow that continued to fall. A little snow never kept residents of Starlight Bend down for long. The weather was overcast and misty, sending gloom over the town, but when the sun finally came out again, Starlight Bend would glitter with a diamond hue.

Maddox lifted his hand to those they passed, calling greetings. The few who’d met Haley at the party last night included her in their good-mornings. More than one person was on horseback, that being a handy way to get around in heavy snowfall.

Riding horses through town was so common here that the store Maddox headed for had hitching posts in the front. Andy Baldwin ran a fixit shop, simply called Andy’s, where he repaired everything from refrigerators to the latest handheld gadgets. He had an uncanny knack with electronics and mechanics that no one could match. If something broke in Starlight Bend, Andy could fix it.

Maddox dismounted, clipped lead ropes to the halters his horses wore with their bridles, and tied the ropes with quick release knots. Then he went to help Haley down.

She came off Sammy stiffly, her arms going around Maddox to steady herself. She flushed as he set her on her feet and quickly stepped away from him.

Maddox hid his frown and led the way into the shop. He noticed Haley looking around in bewilderment, which was what most people did the first time they came in here.

Every inch of floor space was covered with shelves that reached high overhead, and every shelf was piled with every device ever made. Microwaves, toaster ovens, toasters, butane stoves, electric can openers, coffee makers, coffee pots, mixers, computers, monitors, keyboards, motherboards, CD players, cassette decks, turntables, and radios and consoles that hadn’t been used since Maddox’s grandmother’s childhood. All were in a jumble on the shelves, dusty five-and-a-quarter floppy disc drives next to the latest versions of tablet computers.

Of Andy there was no sign, but that didn’t worry Maddox. He was in here somewhere.

Haley gave Maddox a look of amazement, then she started wandering around the shelves. The gadgets were strewn about in various states of decomposition—Andy routinely harvested old devices to fix new ones. Wires spewed from metal and plastic, screws and bolts lay haphazardly, computer chips of all sizes and colors were gathered into piles.

Maddox peered down the labyrinth and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Hey, Andy!”

“I heard you.” A deep voice came out of the back, like a bear waking from hibernation.

Andy kind of looked like a bear too. He lumbered from his office, a cubbyhole buried in the back of the store, a giant of a man with the build of a wrestler and a shock of dark brown hair the same color as his trimmed beard. His large hands, which dwarfed every one he shook, could manipulate the tiniest pieces of metal with the delicacy of a master jeweler. Andy was ten years older than Maddox and had been interested in what made things work ever since Maddox could remember.

“How you doing, Maddox?” the big man asked. He switched his gaze to Haley and became admiring. “Hey now, what’s a good-looking thing like you doing with a loser like him?” Andy gave her a friendly grin. “Ditch his ass, honey, and I’ll show you the town.”

Maddox expected Haley to bristle but she only smiled politely. “I think I’ve already seen it,” she said.

Andy roared with laughter, the sound rattling the air. “I like her. Yeah, Starlight Bend isn’t a metropolis, but it’s a nice little place.” He switched to Maddox, became businesslike—well, as businesslike as Andy ever was. He’d turned his hobby into his profession and never looked back. “What you got for me today?”

“Phone.” Maddox held out his hand to Haley, who reluctantly placed her smartphone into his palm. “Haley’s doesn’t work, and she wants to get in touch with her folks. Our land line is down, and my cell phone won’t do anything but text.”

“Yeah, snow is messing with a lot of things. My phone’s out too and I lost power for a while. I heard Trevor Jones and his wife got stuck in their SUV all night, so I’m guessing there’ll be another little Jones coming along next fall.” Andy gave a deep laugh and reached for the phone.

Haley watched worriedly as he turned it around in his big hands. “Won’t fixing it violate the warranty?” she asked. “You don’t have to repair it—I can always pick up another one when I get home.”

Andy shrugged, his eyes on the phone. “Why throw something away when you can fix it easy? Wasteful. Come over to my workbench, honey. I’ll see what I can do.”

Haley threw Maddox a look of trepidation. Maddox ushered Haley in front of him, leaning down to say to her, “He might not look like it, but Andy’s a genius.”

“Thanks,” Andy rumbled. “I think.”

His workbench was nailed-together two-by-fours with a plywood top. It was filled with wires, screws, screwdrivers, pliers, saws from tiny to huge, hammers, files, washers, bolts, and various metal bits Maddox couldn’t identify.

Andy seated himself on a stool and popped the back off Haley’s phone. He did it without any effort whatsoever—one moment it was in a single piece, the next, the phone’s innards were exposed.

Andy swung a magnifying glass over the insides. “Computers are just electronics with switches that turn on and off. Once I figure out which switches won’t go on and off, I’ll have it fixed.”

Haley chewed the corner of her lip as though ready to snatch the phone away and run. Too bad there was nowhere to go.

“Hmm,” Andy said.

“What?” Haley asked nervously.

Andy looked up with a start, as though he’d forgotten they were there. “Why don’t you two go out shopping or something? Then have lunch. I’ll have this finished up by the time you get back.”

Without waiting for an answer, he returned to his study of the phone, blanking out the rest of the world.

Maddox indicated Haley should follow him out. The cold hit them as they exited the stuffy shop, the horses waiting patiently. Sammy’s rope had come loose from the post, but the horse hadn’t moved an inch. He’d taken the weight off one leg to rest, his eyes half closing. Any moment now, he’d yawn.

Maddox showed Haley how to fold the rope in her hand to lead Sammy—everything in town was close to Andy’s, so they wouldn’t need to ride.

“Why didn’t you bite Andy’s head off when he called you honey?” Maddox asked curiously. “I thought that riled you up.”

Haley sent him a serene look around Sammy’s nose. “I’ve learned to be patient with people’s quirks when I need to work with them.”

“Huh.” Maddox adjusted his hat against the wind. “Didn’t notice you adopting that policy with me. Why’s that?”

Haley’s brows came together and her mouth turned down. “I don’t know. I guess you rile me. Besides, I’m not working with you.”

“No, I just saved your ass from spending the night in the snow.”

“I know.” Haley gave him an acknowledging nod. “You still rile me, as you say. Like you’re doing it deliberately.”

“Well, you’re no sweet princess, darlin’. You expected me to kowtow to you the minute I met you.”

She scowled at him. “Were you expecting me to go all gooey-eyed and say, Ooh thank you for rescuing me, my knight in shining armor?”

She said the last in a high-pitched, girly voice that made Maddox want to laugh. “It’s dewy-eyed,” Maddox said. “Not gooey-eyed.”

“Well, I’m not going dewy-eyed over you either.”

“Good.” Maddox said firmly. “I’m glad we know where we stand.”

“I so can’t wait to get out of this town,” Haley muttered. She caught sight of the log-built sporting goods store at the end of a long street. It would be busy this morning as it was the biggest place in town to shop—Maddox guessed a lot of Christmas presents were being purchased inside.

“Can we swing by there?” Haley asked, pointing. “I’d love to see the gift tree. It sounds like a cool idea.”

“Sure.” Maddox turned away from it, heading up Second Street.

Haley’s footsteps quickened behind him, though Sammy plodded at the same pace. “You know you’re going in the opposite direction, right?”

Maddox didn’t stop. “There’s no horse parking at Big Sky Living. We have to leave them at the livery stable.”

“A livery stable?” Haley’s voice showed interest again. “You have a real livery stable in this town?”

“Sure do, ma’am,” Maddox said. “And on a day like today, I bet it’s almost full up.”

An enterprising woman, Liddy Talbot, and a friend of Aunt Jane’s—who wasn’t?—had taken over an abandoned stable in the middle of town and turned it into a boarding place for local horses. She took care of and trained horses for those who didn’t have time, and she provided stalls for those who rode to town and didn’t want to leave their horses exposed to traffic.

Liddy met them in the yard behind her office. She greeted Boone and Sammy by name, and one of her helpers, who happened to be Danny this morning, came to grab their reins.

Danny glanced shyly at Maddox and then at Haley. After Maddox introduced Haley, he glanced at her and touched his finger to his lips. Danny wasn’t supposed to know that Maddox had drawn his name on the gift tree.

Danny was a wiry kid, eleven going on twelve. The teachers at school shook their heads over him but around horses, Danny was calm, quiet, and smart. He didn’t say much, but he always had a hello for Maddox.

Haley was subdued when Maddox led her away and back down the street toward the sporting goods store.

“Have you decided what we’re going to get for him?” Haley asked.

“No.” Maddox bit off the word. He’d been caught off guard by Danny’s Christmas wish and still wasn’t sure what the hell to do.

“I’m happy to help.”

Haley’s voice had gone soft, filling with compassion. She was beautiful when she looked like that, her cheeks flushed, eyes sparkling. Maddox still tasted her on his lips, had a vivid memory of her beneath his hands, her breasts against his chest. Heat rocked through him at the memory, not only landing in his cock but flowing around his heart.

“I told you I welcome your help,” Maddox said, his words stiff. “I just don’t know what we can do.”

Haley’s sudden smile flashed, which blasted more fire through his body. “We’ll think of something. There’s always something you can do if you put your mind to it.”

Sure was. Maddox swallowed on his dry throat as Haley walked away from him. Her hips swayed, the borrowed coat brushing a fine ass in tight jeans.

Always something you can do if you put your mind to it.

Maddox was going to put his mind to exactly what it would take to keep Haley in Starlight Bend a little longer, as long as necessary. For what, he didn’t know.

But he and Haley were poised on the edge of something, like a breath of air that was hovering, waiting, for Maddox to take it in. He wanted Haley here long enough for him to figure out what was going on and to see her smile at him like that one more time.

* * *

The sporting goods store was crowded, the snow not keeping people from shopping. Haley took it all in with a professional eye. The walls and counters were full of fishing gear, as she’d expected, with hunting supplies locked behind glass cases. Heads of animals unfortunate enough to be brought down with those supplies studded the walls—moose, elk, pronghorn deer.

Her attention moved to the large Christmas tree in the middle of the store, decorated with glittering ornaments and lights, surrounded by gifts. She couldn’t tell whether the gifts were what people had already bought for the kids or simply wrapped empty boxes, but they gave the place a festive air.

A man in a red Santa suit was talking to a group of kids who looked to be about seven or eight. He played the part with gusto, putting his hands on his belt and saying “Ho, ho, ho,” or bending down and winking to make the kids laugh.

Whoever they had playing Santa truly looked the part. He had a ruddy face, blue eyes, snowy white hair, and a beard that Haley could tell was real. He could have stepped right out of ’Twas The Night Before Christmas.

Haley moved to Maddox. “Who is he? He’s great.”

Maddox shook his head. “No idea,” he answered, voice brushing heat into her ear. “Never seen him before this year. Our usual Santa retired, so he must have been asked to fill in.”

“Well, he knows what he’s doing. Do you think I could take a gift card?”

“Don’t see why not. We only have a couple of days until Christmas, though.”

Santa heard them. He was gazing at Haley with an unnerving stare, as though he could read every one of her thoughts. The kids had cleared out from around him for the moment, following two women, probably teachers, who were shepherding them. Santa waved her and Maddox over with a white-gloved hand.

“Take one,” he said to Haley in his deep voice. “A star on the tree means a young one in need.”

He studied Haley a little longer with his piercing stare then busied himself with his red Santa sack as Haley plucked a star-shaped card from the tree. She glanced inside, smiled at what the little girl wanted, and tucked it into her pocket.

“A dollhouse,” she told Maddox. “That will be fun.”

She started to turn away, but Santa was suddenly in front of her. “Not so fast, young lady.” He held up his red bag, letting it fall open. “What’s your hurry?”

“Oh.” Haley flushed. “I wasn’t hurrying—”

“She’s not from around here,” Maddox said, his voice light. “She likes to rush.”

“I can see that.” Santa gave Maddox a quelling look. “But she’s our guest. And because you’re a guest, you get to make a wish.”

“A wish?” Haley sent Maddox a puzzled look but his expression was blank.

Santa shook his bag. “Make a wish and reach inside. See what happens.”

Haley hoped there was nothing weird in there—but probably he had candy or lollipops or something like that. She closed her eyes, thought of what she was sure she wished for, and stuck her hand into the bag.

Haley came up with a simple business card between her fingers, which had red gilt around the edges and red foil writing.

Your wish has been granted.