Christmas on 4th Street

There was more color in her face and she was shivering less. She opened her eyes and looked at him.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Foolish. I’m sorry we’re stuck out here. I guess I cared too much about the window contest.”

“You’re not giving up,” he told her.

“We’re stuck in a snow storm. It’s Sunday. Even if we get out tomorrow, that doesn’t give us much time. And if we’re here until Tuesday, there’s no way I can get anything done.”

“I thought you were the one who had faith. Aren’t we supposed to be having this adventure with joy in our hearts?”

“I’ll find my joy when I’m a little less cold.”

He walked over to the sofa and sat next to her. He pulled her close and ran his hands up and down her arms.

“Don’t give up. You’re the one who believes.” He kissed the top of her head.

The blankets smelled of cedar, while her hair had a floral scent. Probably from her shampoo. Even through the layers of blanket, he could feel the outline of her body. While he couldn’t see anything, he happened to know she was wearing very little. A fact that had a predictable effect on his blood flow.

She raised her head and looked at him. “I’m sorry I got you trapped in a cabin,” she said. “I know this isn’t your idea of fun.”

“A romantic cabin in the woods, where I’m alone with a beautiful woman? Yeah, you’re right. This sucks.”

She gave him a smile. “I appreciate the effort. You’re being really sweet. I should have thought this through. I should have—”

He didn’t know what she was going to say and he wasn’t sure he cared. What he didn’t like was her beating herself up over something that wasn’t important. He only knew one sure way to quiet her, so he lowered his head and pressed his mouth against hers.

Her lips were as soft as he remembered. Warm, which was good, considering how cold she’d been. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t pull back. As he leaned in, she parted her lips for him. At the same time she wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed.

He moved his tongue inside her mouth and was met by hers. Each sweet stroke was like throwing gasoline on an already roaring fire.

With her arms around him, there was nothing holding up the blankets, which meant they fell and settled around her waist. The siren call of bare skin was too great, he thought. He couldn’t resist knowing what it felt like to move his hands up and down her back.

He danced his fingers along her spine and over her bra strap. He lightly traced her shoulders, then slipped down her sides.

She tilted her head and shifted her torso in what could only be called an invitation. It would take a much more morally strong man than himself to resist. He eased his hand from her side to her rib cage, then up to her breast. He cupped the curve, feeling the silky softness of her bra and tight bud that was her nipple.

As he ran his thumb back and forth across the sensitive tip, Noelle pulled back. Her blue eyes were darker, her mouth parted and swollen from their kisses. She reached for his other hand and brought it to her breast, then held his palms against her.

He’d been with women before—lots of women. He’d been seduced and done the seducing. But this was different. He didn’t know if it was the damn cabin or that he was back in the civilian world or something about Noelle. He wanted her with a heat that stole his will. At the same time, he wasn’t going to push, wasn’t going to take. Wasn’t going to hurt her in any way. He’d seen her happy and he’d seen her broken and he never wanted her to be in pieces again.

He’d told her he wasn’t staying, that while he believed in love, he wanted no part of it. If she was willing to accept that, then the choice had to be hers. And gratitude for what she probably saw as saving her life wasn’t the same as making an informed decision.

Reluctantly, painfully, he drew back. He allowed himself a brief image of her straddling him, letting him fill her as she rode him, his fingers between her legs, rubbing her until they were both lost to the moment. Then he drew the blankets back up around her shoulders and forced himself to look away.

* * *

“Still the gentleman?” Noelle asked lightly, her body tingling from a combination of warming and Gabriel’s touch.

“Did you bring condoms?”

She opened her mouth then closed it. “No,” she said. She hadn’t even brought her purse.

“Me, either.”

So stopping made sense, even if it wasn’t what she wanted. Being in Gabriel’s arms had made her feel strong and powerful. She’d liked the way he touched her and how she’d responded. But...and there was always a but...she wasn’t sure she was ready to hand over her body when she knew the circumstances were temporary. One thing she’d learned while she was healing was that she didn’t want regrets. She’d assumed most of them would be about what she hadn’t done, but some could go the other way.

He lightly kissed her, then stood. “I’m going to go outside and see if I can get a cell signal. I want to tell Melissa what happened so she can close up the store and let the authorities know we’re staying out for the night.”

“There goes my reputation,” she said with a grin.

He didn’t smile back. “Are you worried about what people will think?”

“I meant it the other way,” she assured him. “I have wild friends. Knowing we spent the night together in a cabin will impress them.”

He stared at her intently. “Was that a joke?”

“Yikes, I must be doing it wrong if you have to ask.”

He surprised her by hauling her against him and hanging on tight. “You’re better.”

She could barely breathe. “Excuse me?”

“You were sad when we couldn’t find a tree, then freezing after the snow attack. You were barely talking. Defeated.” He drew back and looked at her. “I didn’t like it.”

His concern was kind of sweet. She touched his face. “You’re really weird, you know that, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve been told that before.” He stood. “I’m going to try to call Melissa. Then I’ll get firewood. You rest. That’s an order.”

“You’re not the boss of me.”

“In this situation, I’m your doctor and you will listen.”

“Ooh, tough-guy doctor. I’m trembling.”

Something flashed in his eyes. Something hot and hungry that made her very aware of her seminaked state.

If he took, she wouldn’t say no, but Gabriel had already proven he needed more than that. He needed her to be the one asking. To be sure.

“I’ll be back,” he said as he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. “Stay warm.”

She nodded and he left. When she was alone, she stood and found her legs were steady. She was cold but no longer chilled. Wrapping one of the blankets around her like a cloak, she explored the small cabin.

The furniture was worn, but looked clean. There were bookshelves with paperbacks ranging from spy thrillers to romances. A deck of cards sat on a stack of board games. On a shelf by the kitchen was a glass paperweight with a rose inside. A little Statue of Liberty sat on a windowsill.

The bathroom had running water, which was great. There was food and even a small portable radio. She checked for batteries and when she found them, turned it on. Sure enough, the local Fool’s Gold FM station came in. She grinned. Later, they could listen to music. Although she doubted Gabriel would find the oldies station very romantic. Not with his brother acting as DJ.

She crossed to the small window and tried to see through the falling snow. The tree hunt had been a good lesson for her. It was easy for her to fall back into her former competitive spirit, she thought. Determined to win, no matter what it took. That drive had propelled her through law school and later had given her the inner strength to defeat her illness. But it didn’t make her a restful person. She wanted to maintain her Zen self. Which meant that she probably should have taken one of the first trees she’d seen in town instead of making Gabriel go up into the mountains with her.

She saw movement outside and watched him walk to the woodpile. He brushed off snow, then lifted the tarp. She turned back to the interior of the cabin and crossed to the sofa. As for what was going to happen that night, she still hadn’t decided. She knew what her body wanted, but her heart and her head were different matters.

The front door burst open. Gabriel stood in the entrance, his head and shoulders covered with snow, his expression oddly agitated.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“You’re not going to believe it. I can’t believe it.”

She got the feeling she didn’t have to panic, but still. “You’re not a very good storyteller. What is it?”

“A mother cat with kittens. By the woodpile.”

He continued talking, but she didn’t listen as she reached for her wet clothes.

“What are you doing?” he demanded. “I can handle it.”

“You’ll need help. Sometimes cats are afraid of men.” She pointed to the door. “Go keep an eye on her. I’ll be right there.”

He hesitated, but then looked her over, nodded and went back out into the storm.

She pulled on her jeans and shrugged into her T-shirt. The sweater was too wet to be any good. She struggled with her damp socks, pulled on her boots and jacket, then stepped out into the frigid afternoon.

Gabriel was pacing by the woodpile. As she approached, he faced her and shook his head. “The babies are really small. Their eyes are barely open. She’s cold and starving. We’ve got to get her inside.”

He raised the tarp over the wood and Noelle saw a mother cat had tried to make a bed by the vent from the cabin. She would guess that was the warmest place she could find. Four little kittens were huddled up against her, mewing as if they were uncomfortable.

The mama cat was small and thin, with big eyes. Her coat wasn’t very long and seemed to have some tabby mixed in. She watched Noelle warily, no doubt afraid of what would happen next.

Noelle dropped to her knees, ignoring the cold and soaking snow, and pulled her gloves off her hand.

“Hey, pretty girl,” she murmured, holding out her fingers to the mother cat. “It’s okay. Are you lost? Do you live out here by yourself? Because it’s really cold. I think you should come in with us.”

The cat stared at her for a long time before finally sniffing her fingers. The action told Noelle she had to have belonged to someone at some time. Wouldn’t a feral cat simply take off?

“Go inside,” she told Gabriel in a low voice. “Back up slowly so you don’t startle her. Look for canned meat. There’s probably tuna. Open the can, then bring it to me.”

Noelle stayed where she was, speaking softly, offering reassurance. He returned with an open can. She took it from him and scooped up a little with her fingers, then held it out to the mother cat.

She gulped the tuna flakes in a single bite, then stood and meowed. Noelle saw she was horribly thin and obviously exhausted.

“What happened to you?” she asked, then stood. “Come on, sweet girl. Let’s get you and your babies inside.”

She held out the can so the cat could sniff it, then dropped a little on the snow. The cat ate it and took a step toward her. They repeated the procedure a few times, then the cat retreated to stay by her babies.

“Get a towel,” Noelle told Gabriel.

He raced back inside and returned with a hand towel. Noelle put it on the snow and reached for the cat’s first kitten. The mother watched her intently but didn’t try to stop her. Noelle collected all four tiny kittens on the towel and started toward the house.

“Get the tuna,” she said as the mother cat followed her inside.

It didn’t take long to create a bed for the mother cat and her babies. They placed it close to a vent so she would be warm. While Gabriel poured her a bowl of water, Noelle dumped the tuna onto a dish and fed her. The mother cat inhaled her meal, then returned to her babies and began to wash them. By the time Noelle had struggled out of her clothes and was wrapped in her blanket again, mother and kittens were sound asleep.

Gabriel returned with the wood he’d gone looking for in the first place. He put it by the fireplace, then slipped out of his jacket and removed his boots.

“How old do you think they are?” she asked in a soft voice.

“A couple of weeks. They have their eyes open, but they’re still blind.”

“You know a lot about cats.”

“My ex had a couple. One got pregnant, so I heard all about the process.”

He sat on the sofa and angled toward her. Noelle watched the cats sleeping. “Did you get in touch with Melissa?” she asked.

“I did. I told her we were going to stay put until it stopped snowing. She was fine with locking up the store. She said the roads into town are temporarily closed, so no one is getting in or out.”

“It’s a real snowstorm.”

“Does that make you happy?” he asked.

She nodded. “We’re warm and safe and we now have a cat with kittens.” She glanced at the sleeping family. “It’s so cold out there. I don’t know how she survived this long.”

“Look at how thin she is. I doubt she’s been eating. She probably wouldn’t have made it much longer.”

Noelle didn’t want to think about that, but knew he was right. “If we hadn’t come along,” she began.

Gabriel took her hand in his. “See? Your tree obsession served a purpose.”