KIDNAPPED COWBOY (7 page)

She groaned.

“What?”

“I was afraid you might say that.  You don’t really like me.”

“I don’t?”

“No.  You just think you do, because you’re experiencing Stockholm syndrome.”

He looked at her, arched a brow, and then grinned.  “Okay, this time in English, without the fancy psychological mumbo jumbo.”

“Sorry.  What I’m trying to say is that this is one of those cases where the captive – being you - finds himself falling for his captor.  That being me.”

“Is that so?” he replied, laughter rumbling in his chest.

She gave a determined nod.

“Well, darlin’, let me be the first to tell you that the only falling I’ve done here tonight was onto the floor.  So your Stock-whoever theory is way off base.”

She pushed an auburn strand from her face and sighed in relief.  “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that.”

“You are?”  Why did that bother him?

“Yes.  I’ve got more important issues to deal with at the moment than trying to make you realize you’re not really attracted to me.”

She was plenty wrong there.  He was attracted to her, but it wasn’t because of some psychological babble.  Caitlin was unlike any woman he had ever met.  Then again, he had never crossed paths with a real live kidnapper before.  Especially one so unintentionally sexy.

“Kidnappers do eat, don’t they?” he asked, his grin edging up further. 

“I’m not a kidnapper,” she said tiredly.  “I merely borrowed you by mistake.  It should’ve been your brother I brought here tonight.”

“I’m glad it wasn’t.”

She looked up at him in surprise.  “What?”

“If it had been him you ‘borrowed’ tonight, you would have ruined any chance you had of saving this place.” 

              “I had to take the risk,” she said, her green eyes misting over.  “Stoney Brook is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a home, to feeling like I belong somewhere.  And those troubled kids are like my family.  I couldn’t give it up without a fight.”

“So you became a
borrower
?” he said, hoping to lighten the mood.  Smiles were a hell of a lot easier to deal with than tears when it came to women.

“I guess so.”

“Hmm...I don’t recall any law against doing that, so I reckon you’re in luck.  And, since I was an innocent victim of your
borrowing plan,
I’d say the least you can do is agree to have dinner with me.”

Caitlin hesitated in giving him a reply.  Dalton Barnes was a dangerous distraction for any woman and Stoney Brook had to remain first and foremost on her mind right now.  Only this sexy cowboy’s being there was making that almost impossible task. 

“One dinner,” he prompted.

One dinner.
  That was all he was asking for.  And she did owe him after all she’d put him through that night.  “All right, I accept.”

“Good,” came his husky reply.  “Now that we have that settled, come to bed.”

“Dinner is all I agreed to,” she reminded him, her cheeks warming.  “Not sleeping with you.”

The corners of his blue eyes creased in amusement.  “Darlin’, after the night I’ve had, I wouldn’t even have the energy to—”

“Don’t you dare say it,” she said, cutting him off.   

“Disappointed?” he teased, folding his arms behind his head.

Yes. 
“No!”
 
It irked her to no end that he was right, but she wasn’t about to let him know that.  “Contrary to what you may believe, not every woman you flash those baby blues at wants to jump into bed with you.” 

Just then, something slammed into the wall outside.  The window shattered, sending glass shards everywhere.  With a terrified shriek, Caitlin jumped onto the bed with Dalton.

He wrapped his arms around her in a protective gesture, a slow grin moving over his face.  “What was that you were saying about jumping into bed with me?”

“Someone’s busting into the cabin and you’re thinking about sex!” she whispered in a panic as she clung to him, wintry air and large icy flakes gusting into the tiny room.

“Yep,” he muttered.  “But then I’m not afraid of trees.”

“Trees?” she mouthed and then turned to see a long, jagged, ice-covered branch protruding through the broken window.  The fire in the hearth snapped and hissed as more icy wind swept in through the broken window. 

Releasing her, he stood and shrugged back into his leather jacket.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna fix the window best I can.  Seems we’re gonna be needing that saw you mentioned after all.  And, if you can scrounge up a hammer and a few nails while you’re at it, that’s be great.”

Nodding, she shot to her feet and raced to the oversized utility drawer.  Yanking it open, she rummaged through the items inside until she found the items he needed.  Then she hurried over to him.  “Here you go.” 

“Thanks.”  He set the hammer and nails on a nearby table and then raised the collar of his jacket as he made his way to the cabin’s front door.  He opened it, the action sending a swirl of snow gusting into the cabin.  He glanced her way.  “Keep an eye on the fire while I’m gone.”

She nodded her reply as she reached for her coat, pulling it on with a shudder.  The temperature in the tiny cabin room was dropping fast.  “I’ll go grab the broom and get this glass cleaned up.”

“Whatever you do,” he added, “stay away from the other windows.  The trees around here are old.  The wind could easily bring another one down.” 

“Be careful,” she called out as he closed the door behind him.

Shivering, she hurried over to the wood box and grabbed another log for the fire, hoping to ease the icy chill that now filled the room.  Then she went to get the broom and dustpan.

Once she had cleaned up as much of the glass as possible, she turned to stare at the gnarled limb protruding into the tiny cabin.  This was all they needed. 

The rhythmic sound of the handsaw carried into the cabin as Dalton worked to remove the fallen branch.  After what seemed like forever, it cracked loudly and fell, clattering across the snow-coated floor below.

A second later, the cabin door swung open with another blast of icy air as Dalton stepped inside.  He was covered from head to toe in thick, white flakes.  “Damn, it’s cold out there.”

She put a hand to her mouth to muffle her snort of laughter.

“Something funny?”

“Yes.  You look like the Abominable Snowman.”  But so much sexier, she was tempted to add.

He shouldered the door shut.  “Well, I feel like the Abominable Ice Cube.”  He turned and stomped the excess snow from his boots. 

“I’ll grab you a towel to dry off with,” she said, her teeth chattering.  Outside wasn’t the only place it was cold.

“That’ll have to wait.  I have to get this window sealed first or we’re both gonna end up a couple of human popsicles.  Hand me one of those leather pillows by the fireplace.”  Reaching down, he yanked the plug of an old brass floor lamp from the wall outlet and carried it with him across the room.

She grabbed up the pillow and followed him, admiring the way he had taken control with undaunted confidence.

“Watch your step,” he warned as pieces of the broken glass she’d missed crunched under his boots.  Kicking the sawed off piece of branch aside, he stepped up to the window.  Then he pulled on his gloves.  Cold wind whipped his dark hair over his thick brows as he plucked the remaining shards from the snow-encrusted pane.

“Need any help?” she asked, her teeth chattering even more.

“No, I’ve just about got it.”  He reached back for the pillow she was holding.  “Go stand by the fire and get warm.” 

“I’m not that cold,” she said, wanting to help him. 

His gaze dropped to her breasts.  “Tell that to your bra.”  That said, he turned back to the window and stuffed the large leather pillow through the opening, wedging it there with the floor lamp.

She looked down, immediately folding her arms across her breasts while heat danced up her cold cheeks.  “A gentleman wouldn’t have mentioned that,” she said indignantly.

Grinning, he grabbed a throw rug from the floor and began nailing it over the damaged window, blocking out any cold that was still seeping in.  When he was done, he stepped back to survey his work.  “That should do the trick.”

“Nice work,” she muttered.

“Thanks.”  He removed his coat and crossed the room to the bathroom.  Pausing, in the doorway, he said, “Oh, and Caitlin...”

She met his gaze.

“I never said anything about being a gentleman.  Feel free to be cold around me anytime.”

The second the door closed behind him, she let out a stream of curse words she hadn’t used since her rebellious teen years.

The bathroom door swung open, Dalton’s dark head popping out from behind it.  Grinning, he clicked his tongue.  “Such language from a lady.” 

Before she could respond, he slipped back inside, his deep, husky laughter drifting out through the closed door. 

A tired smile curved her lips as she sank down onto the sofa bed.  Even with everything that had gone wrong for her that night, her chance encounter with Dalton Barnes had turned out to be the most fun she had ever had.

Dalton came out of the bathroom to find Caitlin sound asleep on the sofa bed.  Stepping lightly, he made his way back to the bed where he stood staring down at her.  She was curled up on the bed beneath a dark blue and cream striped throw.  Lips slightly parted, her hair with those shimmering copper strands gleaming in the firelight as it lay across her cheeks.  She looked so...keepable. 

Before that thought had a chance to settle in his mind, the slender form on the bed shuddered.  Caitlin was chilled.  And it was no wonder.  Despite the fire, the room was still freezing.  Frowning, he walked over to stoke the fire then went in search of something more substantial than an afghan. 

After a thorough search, all he came up with was one thin cotton blanket which he draped over Caitlin’s slender form before easing onto the sofa bed beside her. 

The room slowly warmed, but Caitlin was still shivering beside him, even with the blanket.  Rolling onto his side, he moved up against her, wrapping his arms around her.

She stirred, mumbling sleepily as her head settled into the crook of his arm.

“Shh...” he soothed with a whisper, his lips brushing over her silken hair.  “It’s all right.”

“W...we can’t...” she mumbled, forcing her eyes open to look up at him.

“Darlin’,” he said with a low chuckle, “the only thing I intend to do right now is get some sleep and keep you warm.  Nothing more.”  The tension in her body remained.  Scooping up the discarded handcuffs, he dangled them over her.  “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll wear these.”

A sleepy smile moved across her face.  “No need.  I trust you.”  That said, she closed her eyes and drifted off once more.

She trusted him.

Knowing that stirred something deep inside him.  Those words played over and over in his mind until exhaustion wore him down and sleep finally claimed him.

CHAPTER FOUR

“Morning.”

Caitlin blinked the sleep away and looked up to find Dalton smiling down at her.  Her cheek rested against the front of his partially unbuttoned shirt as she snuggled into him, his strong arm curled firmly around her.

“Dalton!” she gasped, pushing away. 

A chuckle rumbled in his chest.  “Can’t say I’ve ever had that sorta reaction from a woman waking up next to me.”

She fought the urge to frown.  It shouldn’t surprise her that a man like Dalton Barnes would have had lots of women in his life.  And it shouldn’t bother her either, but it did.  Tossing the blanket aside, she scooted off the bed. 

“Was it something I said?”

“I’d rather not hear about your rodeo flings,” she shot back over her shoulder as she crossed the room to inspect the storm ravaged window in the morning light.

“Jealous?”

She glanced back over her shoulder at him.  “How long does tequila stay in the bloodstream?”

“I take that as a no.”  He swung his long legs off the mattress and stood, looking so undeniably sexy in his sleep-rumpled hair and whisker-stubbled jaw.

She tore her gaze away.  Maybe if she didn’t look at him, she’d stop thinking about waking up in his arms, even if they were fully dressed.  Or about the kiss they’d shared the night before.  One that had carried over into her dreams. 

The floor creaked as he moved toward her.  “For your information I wasn’t drunk last night.”

He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on the sensitive flesh at back of her neck.  She squeezed her eyes shut.  Part Ogre, part ogre, she chanted over and over in her mind.  But it wasn’t lessening her attraction to her very hunky cabin mate.   

“Cold?”

She looked back at him.  “What?” 

“You look like you’re cold.  I can add more wood to the fire if you are.”

Her gaze dropped down to her arms which were folded tightly in front of her breasts.  Not because she was cold, but because she was trying to cover up the fact that she was aroused.  By him.  Something he was bound to notice if she let her arms fall away.  Then again, maybe claiming to be cold would be better than Dalton finding out the truth.

“Maybe a little.”  She stepped past him, away from the drafty window.  “But we’d best use the firewood sparingly.  I didn’t plan on being here this long.”

“That makes two of us.  And, from the look of things outside, the storm’s decided to settle in for a spell.”

Why did she suddenly have the urge to smile?  “You mean we might be stranded here another night?”

“Looks like a possibility,” he replied.  “If the storm lets up some today, I’ll hike back to town and get help.”

She spun around.  “You can’t leave me here!”

He arched a dark brow, a smirk sliding across his face.  “Afraid I might not come back for you?”

Yes!  She certainly wouldn’t blame him for leaving her there to freeze to death after all she’d put him through.  “No.  I just think it’s safer to wait the storm out.  You could get halfway to town and the weather could get bad again and then you’d be stuck out in it with no shelter.”