A Winter’s Tale by Carrie Elks (14)

Kitty had been kissed before. Her first was a stolen peck in the playground from Tom Jenkins, the seven-year-old Lothario who stole her tender heart in primary school. Since then she’d had chaste brushes and drunken snogs, duelled with tongues and sucked at necks. Oh yes, she’d been kissed…

But she’d never been kissed like this.

Adam held her close, one arm circling her waist, the other still cupping her neck. He kissed her as if he was a dying man seeking his final breath, stealing hers away as he plundered her mouth, taking and giving in equal measure. His lips were softer than she’d thought they would be, moving assuredly against hers, his tongue coaxing her open before he slid inside her sighing mouth. Her arms were snaked around his neck, clinging on as he dipped her backwards, still kissing her deeply as if he was fighting some kind of battle.

He smoothed the stray hair from her face, then curled his fist around the hair at the nape of her neck, pulling at it as if it were a rope. The motion moved her head back further. Dragging his lips to the corner of her mouth, he kissed a trail to her neck, nipping and caressing the sensitive skin just below her ear.

The feel of his bristles against her skin made Kitty moan softly. With every movement of his body, Adam was dominating her. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her firmly against him, until all she could feel were the hard planes of his muscles against her.

Her senses were full of him. The scent of warm pines filled her nose, while her skin shivered at the touch of his lips. She could hear his breath as he was kissing her neck, fast yet even, and though her eyes were tightly closed she swore she could still see his face behind her lids.

‘You taste so good,’ he murmured, pulling her sensitive earlobe between his teeth. Though it didn’t hurt, she gasped at the feeling it created, sending pleasure shooting straight down to her toes. She pushed her fingers through the dark hair at the nape of his neck, her breath coming in short gasps as he continued to kiss at her throat. Beneath the layers of her coat and sweater, her nipples tightened, her body becoming desperate for more.

As if he sensed her need, Adam tugged at the zipper of her jacket, still kissing at her as he pushed the quilted fabric from her shoulders. Releasing her hair, he moved his hands to her waist and pushed up beneath the cotton fabric of her sweater. Feeling his rough hands pressed against her skin, Kitty opened her eyes, looking straight into his dark brown stare. She could see desire there, a need as great as hers. She swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry.

‘Kiss me again.’

The second time he lowered his mouth onto hers was as intoxicating as the first. With the added sensation of his palms stroking her sides, Kitty thought she might combust. His tongue slid against hers, soft yet firm, and she dragged her teeth against it. Her heart felt as though it was growing in her chest, pressing against her ribs until her whole torso ached for him. With every caress of his hand it felt as though she was coming home.

Then the world exploded above them with the sound of a thousand flapping wings. The lodge started to shake, pictures moving on the wall, fine china rattling in the cupboards. Adam wrenched his face from hers, a look of consternation on his face, eyes narrowed as he started to look around the room.

‘What the hell?’

The noise increased, along with the tremors. For a moment Kitty wondered if it was an avalanche. Adam was still holding her tightly, though she could feel his agitation growing. Finally he pulled his hands away and ran to the window, gazing out to the meadow outside.

‘Asshole,’ he murmured, still staring out.

‘What is it?’ Kitty ran to his side, peering out through the misted glass. The tops of the trees were bending downwards, as if being blown by a great force. The snow that capped their peaks was blasted down to the ground in a sudden flurry.

‘It’s a helicopter.’ Adam’s voice was still low, though laced with anger. ‘The fucker’s going to land in the meadow.’

Even in her short stay in Cutler’s Gap, Kitty knew the town wasn’t exactly teeming with money. There weren’t many people who could afford to land a helicopter in the middle of rural West Virginia.

Not unless they happened to be wealthy movie producers.

‘Is it Everett?’ she asked.

Adam’s laugh was short and devoid of any humour. ‘Of course it’s Everett. Who else would be that insane?’

The helicopter landed in the middle of the meadow, its blades slowing as the engine cut off. A few moments later the door opened and two figures climbed out, running the length of the meadow until they emerged from the downdraught. The one in front – Everett, she presumed – was looking back and shouting. The other person was carrying a holdall and a briefcase, half sliding in the snow as if they didn’t know how slippery it was. From his height, Kitty guessed it had to be a man, and as he came closer she could make out that he was wearing a tailored business suit, with no snow jacket to keep in the warmth. He was shivering, his leather brogues still stumbling in the snow, and as he came closer still she realised she recognised him.

‘That’s Drake,’ she whispered. Adam’s arms were still circling her waist, holding her against him.

‘Who?’ Adam’s reply was sharp.

‘Drake Montgomery, Everett’s assistant,’ she replied, staring at the two figures as they approached the cabin. ‘What on earth is he doing here?’

‘I’ve no idea. But I’ve a feeling we’re about to find out.’

While they waited for Everett and Drake to clear the distance between the helicopter and the cabin, Kitty was aware of the atmosphere growing between her and Adam. It was almost tangible, like a dragon hissing and snapping in the air. Something almost impossible to ignore.

Adam was rubbing his lips with the rough tip of his index finger, his eyes narrow as he kept a watch on his brother’s progress. Everett stumbled among the snowdrifts created by the helicopter’s beating blades. Then they were at the door, rapping impatiently, and Adam sighed audibly before letting go of Kitty and heading to the entrance.

Wrenching it open, he did nothing to hide his irritation. ‘Was that really necessary?’

Kitty hung back, hoping to stay invisible. She really didn’t care to explain her presence at Everett’s brother’s cabin. The dog had no such qualms, barking loudly as he ran across the floor, stopping at Adam’s heel as if he were his protector.

‘Was what necessary?’ Everett asked, motioning for Drake to follow him in.

‘The helicopter landing. You could have just taken your dick out and shaken it everywhere. It would have had the same effect.’

Everett stared at his brother as if he was talking in a foreign language. ‘I heard about Mom coming home and decided to get here the fastest way I could.’

Each time Everett opened his mouth the dog barked loudly, making Everett have to almost shout his words. Kitty remained in the shadows.

‘She’s not at death’s door, you could have arrived normally.’

‘What’s normal?’ Everett shrugged. ‘Anyway, Drake and I have some work to do here, there’s some locations I want to take a look at.’

‘Hey, I recognise you. It’s Kitty, isn’t it? The girl who’s named after a cat.’ Drake’s valley-boy accent cut through the lodge. He smiled, revealing an expensive set of white, perfectly even teeth. She opened her mouth to tell him that it was thanks to him she was here, and his passing her details on to Mia. She wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or grateful to him.

Maybe she was both.

Drake walked over to her, shaking her hand as if the last time she saw him he hadn’t been stalking out in the middle of her interview. He was staring at her cheeks – was her face as flushed as it felt? Her lips were stinging, the memory of Adam’s kisses making her whole body tingle. Drake leaned closer to her, until his face was only inches from hers. ‘What kind of hellhole is this, anyway? Tell me there’s at least a Starbucks nearby.’

Kitty smirked, remembering how similar her own thoughts were when she arrived in Cutler’s Gap. Funny how quickly she was able to change her mind. She was about to dash Drake’s hopes when she looked up at Adam, who was staring angrily at them. Immediately she stepped back from Drake as a fresh flow of blood rushed to her cheeks.

‘Are you staying here long?’ she asked, as much to hide her embarrassment as anything else.

Drake gestured at the bags he’d placed on the scratched wooden floor. ‘Everett had me bring the mobile office so we could be here for a while. I’ve packed enough to see me through to the 27^th.’

Though she knew that Everett would be itching to get back to LA after Christmas, the 27^th seemed so close. Too close. For some reason, knowing that the cosy little movie show of last night wouldn’t be repeated made Kitty feel sad.

And yet in a strange way it was a relief to see Everett’s assistant. Like her, he was an outsider to this family, and he clearly saw her as an ally right now. If her sisters were here, they’d tell her to work on him, see if he could help her find an internship, but right then her mind was too muddled to even think straight about that. Plus, when he wasn’t dodging screaming phone calls from Mia, he actually seemed like he might be a nice guy.

‘This isn’t where we sleep, is it?’ There was horror in Drake’s voice. ‘This place looks like something out of a Davy Crockett episode. It’s a tourist attraction, right?’

She felt her hackles rise. Drake might not have meant to criticise Adam’s self-made home, but she still felt herself get defensive, wanting to protect the man who was standing only a few strides away. OK, maybe Drake wasn’t that nice.

If she protested too much, would Everett notice? There was no way she wanted her boss to find out about her feelings for his brother. Not to mention the fact she’d just experienced the hottest, most sensual kiss of her life. So she laughed lightly. ‘Don’t be silly, there are no tourists here. Just us and a puppy.’

She was more than aware of Adam’s disapproving gaze burning into her skin. Every cell inside her screamed, wanting her to turn and look at him, to shoot him a reassuring smile that would tell him she was only pretending. That she wasn’t anywhere near as vapid as she was pretending to be. But she also felt Everett and Drake’s eyes on her, and knew that any hint of a relationship between her and Adam would only complicate this situation even further. She was a child tiptoeing through cornflakes, trying not to make a noise.

‘Well, it might just work…’ Drake’s murmur trailed off as he stared around the room. ‘This could be the hideout we’re looking for, Everett. Just the sort of place a man would escape to.’ He looked eager to please his boss.

Everett cleared his throat. ‘Let’s not talk business now. We should make our way up to the big house and get settled in.’ He glanced at his brother before gesturing at Drake to gather their things. ‘You and Kitty can take the luggage up, I’ll join you in a few minutes.’

There was no reason she should feel embarrassment about being ordered around by Everett. He was her boss and paid her salary, after all. Yet Kitty’s face reddened further, knowing that her status as a paid servant had just been confirmed in front of Adam. She had no option other than to follow Everett’s command.

‘Come on, I’ll show you the way through the woods,’ she told Drake. ‘Though you may want to put on something warmer, it’s quite a trek.’

‘I haven’t got anything warmer.’ Drake’s face fell as he glanced at the pile of luggage in the corner. ‘I had no idea it was going to be so cold. Maybe I could borrow your scarf or something?’

Adam’s loud sigh was impossible to ignore. ‘A scarf isn’t going to do anything to fend off hypothermia, you can borrow some clothes from me. And if you can wait for five minutes I’ll get the snowmobile out. It will be faster than walking through the trail.’

‘I’d really appreciate that.’ He looked around him, eyes wide as he took in the landscape. ‘I’ve never been anywhere with non-fake snow before.’

She would have found Drake’s reaction funnier if she hadn’t had a similar one herself when she’d first arrived in the mountains. Her clothes had been as inappropriate as Drake’s and her response had been equally infuriating to Adam. But now she felt at home here, used to the cold weather and the warm clothes. She was even getting used to the family, learning their ways, becoming accustomed to them.

Had she become used to Adam, too? No, that wasn’t right, it would be almost impossible to get used to him. But she was drawn to him, wanting to know him, to feel him, to taste him.

The only problem was, since Everett and Drake walked through the door, he hadn’t once met her eyes.