An image of Finn came to mind. With those amazing green eyes and the hint of dimples that appeared when he smiled, he was good fantasy fodder. And that voice? Deep and slightly rough, almost growly, it was perfect for dirty talk. She shivered, imagining the possibilities.
She looked up into the sky, finding only a blurred sea of gray and black instead of the northern lights. Not even the moon was visible through the clouds that had been building throughout the day. The air felt thick and heavy, suggesting that the storm Beau’s mom had mentioned might arrive a bit sooner than expected.
That was all right. According to Mayor Bill, Aurora Falls was well stocked and had everything they needed, and she had nowhere else to be.
No sooner had she had that thought than big, fat flakes began to fall. They didn’t quite make it into the hot tub, melting as they neared the steamy water. Lainey enjoyed them for several minutes before her rumbling stomach reminded her it was time for dinner.
She exited the tub, donned her robe, and went inside, using the remote control to cover the Jacuzzi and save some energy. Once the panel slid into place, she placed an order with room service and changed into comfortable flannels.
When the knock sounded thirty minutes later, Lainey was expecting to see Mark or Mike with her meal. She certainly wasn’t prepared to find the star of her recent fantasies, holding a large tray of delicious-smelling food at her door. Her stomach—and other parts—rumbled in hunger.
“Finn! What are you doing here?”
His smile sent tingles all the way down into her toes.
“Helping out. Mo has the boys treating the walkways before things get too bad, so I offered to deliver this. May I?”
“Of course.” She stepped back and opened the door, allowing him to enter her room.
“Over here okay?” he asked, pausing near the small, circular table.
“That’s fine, thanks. Does this mean you’re done with whatever you had to do tonight?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound too transparent.
“It does, and I am.”
“Can you stay for a while?”
He looked at the tray. “I don’t want to interrupt your dinner.”
She waved at the food. “There’s more than enough to share, and I’d like the company.”
“In that case, I’d love to.”
They shared a lovely meal in front of the fire along with a bottle of wine. Finn was so easy to talk to. She told him about her job at the animal hospital and how much she enjoyed working with the wildlife rescue as well as the directorship position for which she’d applied.
Over the course of the evening, they finished dinner and moved to the plush throw rug in front of the fireplace. Somehow, she ended up leaning against one of the flanking chairs with her toes tucked under Finn’s warm leg. He didn’t seem to mind, and she found the contact comforting.
“What made you decide to come to Aurora Falls for Christmas?” he asked.
The warmth and wine must have loosened her tongue because she found herself telling him about Henry and Vail and how things had changed since her brother had started seeing Vicki. How a vacation seemed preferable to spending the holidays alone at the farm or working.
“That makes me sound like a real bitch, doesn’t it?”
He chuckled. “Not at all. I get it. Hildie and I are pretty close too.”
“But it doesn’t sound like you have a problem with her husband.”
“No,” he agreed. “But Steve and I grew up together. Even if we hadn’t, he’s not the type to come between Hildie and her family. I’m sure there would have been problems if he had.”
With her belly full, wine warming her insides as effectively as the fire warmed her skin, and Finn’s calming presence, Lainey felt relaxed and couldn’t completely stifle her yawn.
“I should go and let you get your rest,” Finn suggested.
She didn’t want him to go, but she supposed she had taken up a good portion of his day. In the course of getting up, she looked out the glass-paneled doors, where the snow beyond had already accumulated several inches, and felt guilty. She’d been selfish, keeping Finn to herself instead of letting him get back to his place. She didn’t know how far away he lived or how he’d traveled, but the roads had to be a mess.
“It’s snowing pretty heavily out there.”
His confident grin was powerful enough to melt her bones. “A little snow doesn’t bother me.”
“Do you live far?”
“Not that far. A couple miles.”
A couple miles? In this weather?
“Do you have a car?”
He shook his head. “No.”
She looked out at the deck again. The snow was really coming down. She didn’t want him walking miles in that because of her, so she offered a reasonable alternative. “What if ... what if you stayed here?”
He stilled. “Here? With you?”
She felt the heat rise in her cheeks under his intense gaze. “Yes. There’s plenty of room. Unless ... you don’t want to.”
“Oh, I want to. Wanting to isn’t an issue. It’s whether or not I should.”
“Then, let me help you with that. You definitely should.”
His lips curled slowly into an incredibly sexy smile. “I should, huh?”
She nodded, feeling bolder by the moment.
Chapter Eleven
Finn
The sun wasn’t quite up when Lainey slipped out of bed, moving slowly and gently, as if not to wake him. She needn’t have worried. He hadn’t slept a wink all night. Her thoughtfulness was appreciated just the same.
Finn watched her as she padded quietly toward the bathroom, her shapely body a graceful silhouette in the low light.
Only when the door closed with a soft snick did he let out the breath he’d been holding and run a hand over his face.
He was in such deep shit.
When he’d shown up at her door the night before, it hadn’t been with the intention of sleeping with her. He’d just wanted to see her. To spend some time with her. Get to know her a little better.
Well, you’ve certainly done that.
In addition to learning about her brother, her practice, and her favorite flavor of ice cream, he now also knew exactly where to stroke and lick and bite to make her come apart in his arms.
He learned something about himself too: he didn’t have nearly as much self-control as he’d thought he did.
With great effort, he forced himself out of the bed, knowing that if he didn’t, he would take her again when she returned. They’d made love several times throughout the course of the night, and each time, it was harder to keep his bear from marking her.
That, he simply could not do. He’d broken several rules by sleeping with her, but he hadn’t done anything irreversible.
Not yet anyway.
What he needed to do was put some space between them to regain a proper perspective. Thinking clearly and rationally had proven impossible with her luscious body pressed against him and her addictive scent filling his lungs.
He was dressed and waiting when she exited the bathroom, smelling of minty toothpaste and warm woman. She paused when she saw him standing there, fully dressed and ready to go. Disappointment flashed in her eyes before she masked it, making it even harder to walk away.