Sigh. This man was completely out of her league. And yet she couldn’t help but stare at the abundance of honeyed skin on display. He was huge, with a near seven-foot tall frame that was heavily corded with muscles that seemed to be naturally acquired as opposed to gym-made.
He made her mouth water. She knew she shouldn’t be staring, but she couldn’t help herself. Suddenly she felt warm, warmer still as she took in his sculpted torso and bulging arms in one long, sweeping glance.
A rumbling sort of noise escaped his lips and her eyes flashed back to his. His features appeared sharper, more distinguished than before, and she had to hand it to him, the man could’ve been a model with those chiseled good looks.
Her pulse started to race and the heady masculine scent of him invaded her nostrils at the same time. He smelled like pine trees and clean, fresh snow. She didn’t know how she recognized it, she just knew she liked it.
Dean parted his lips and that slow rumble became more pronounced, a sexy growl of a noise that made something inside of her stand up and take notice. Desire flared to life between them, she knew for certain that he was interested and that only served to fan the flame of her own yearnings.
Kiss him. Touch him. Claim him. She shook her head, not understanding that last bit of advice from her inner voice. What the heck did that mean anyway?
It was as if her need was a sentient thing, she scoffed at the thought, and shook her head to clear it. This whole thing was truly bizarre, but her awareness of him seemed to grow by the second.
She stilled, watching him intently. In that one, drawn out moment, Violet felt as if the entire universe had stopped. Every inch of her seemed to be aware of him and only him. Down to the tiniest little molecule, she stifled her moan and looked down.
Violet licked her lips, fighting her increasing need with everything inside of her. No longer hungry for the imported ham and cheese, she wiped her hands on one of the small festive napkins he’d provided and tried to ignore the naughty little voice inside of her head.
She didn’t want food, she wanted something else. Something warm and alive. She wanted him. She wanted to climb that mountain of a body and take him deep inside of her.
To mark him with her scent. Give him her bite. Stake her claim. What? Holy shit!
“Are you okay, little one?” his voice interrupted her inner monologue and she blinked away the voice inside of her.
“Sorry, uh, yeah, I’m fine. I guess I ate too fast.”
“Here, have some more water,” he said and held her bottle to her lips.
His eyes held hers for a moment and it was as if some strange, wonderful understanding passed between them. She felt safe there, with him. More than safe, she felt cared for, and wasn’t that wonderful?
Is this what they meant by love at first sight? His eyes flashed at hers and she decided then and there to accept whatever happened.
Violet leaned forward and pressed her lips to the opening. It felt cold and wonderful as she sipped from the glass bottle.
She moved to take it from his fingers, but Dean shook his head and grinned.
“I got it,” he said and actually insisted on holding it for her, so Violet gave in and drank her fill.
Swallowing down a long sip of the icy cold liquid, Violet moaned in gratitude at how good it felt sliding down her throat. It was a noise Dean seemed to follow quite closely, licking his lips as he watched her.
Chapter Five
Mine, a strange yet familiar voice whispered inside of her, and Violet almost choked.
What was happening to her? She backed up and Dean removed the bottle from her mouth, placing it on the table with a low click. Violet had to distance herself before she really did something embarrassing she thought and set her feet on the smooth wood floor.
She stood up and ignored his outstretched hand. Touching him now would be a mistake. Looking down she realized that someone, him, must have taken her shoes off she thought idly as she tried to get her emotions under control.
She felt hot and restless. Like something inside of her was itching to get out and take over. Her heart squeezed inside of her chest, her stomach flip-flopped, and she was having trouble breathing. She tried to suck in a deep breath but was too close to panicking to succeed.
“Easy. Slow breaths.”
Oh my, she thought as more of his incredible scent filled her nostrils. Pine trees and cool, clean snow.
She loved the way it tickled her senses and made her want to bury her nose close to its source. She wanted to strip off her clothes and rub herself all over him, to absorb his scent into her skin.
Wait. What? Since when did she want to roll around with a complete and total stranger?
Not stranger. Mate.
“What is that?”
She whimpered and clutched her head while her heart hammered rapidly inside her chest.
“Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not. Uh, I think I might be sick. Thank you for taking care of me, but I need a doctor, an ambulance, something. Did you call someone?”
Okay, she was getting hysterical but Dean just held his hands up in a calming gesture.
“Easy, little one. It’s okay. I am sorry but I specifically did not bring a phone this trip because I wanted to get away for the holiday and I didn’t want anyone to find me.”
“Oh, I am so sorry, I ruined your vacation.”
“Not at all. You have made it completely worthwhile. The snow is really starting to come down and even if I did have a phone, you’re not going to be able to get anyone out here now,” he continued reasonably.
“I, uh, maybe I can walk?” she said and knew from the expression on his face that it was a bad idea.
“Sweetheart, we are twenty miles outside of town, in the woods, and in the middle of a bad winter storm on Christmas Eve. The roads are all closed already, I saw State Troopers closing them when I arrived here and that was about six hours ago,” he pointed to the windows and she could see the snow falling and wind howling outside.
It was a veritable blizzard. Shit. That meant Violet was stuck indoors with a sexier-than-any-one-man-should-be-allowed-to-be stranger and a weird, possessive, sex-crazed voice talking to her from inside her head.
OMG! Maybe she was nuts or dying? Maybe she’d banged her head harder than either of them knew?
“Look, I don’t mean to sound crazy, but I, I’m hearing voices, I really think I need to go to the hospital.”
“If you just calm down, I will explain, okay?” he said and looked very concerned about her well-being.
Of course he does, I’m a raving lunatic, and this is his house. Shit. Shit. SHIT!
“It’s so weird because I feel fine, I mean I know I should be hurt or aching, I mean look at my shirt,” she pulled the ugly Christmas sweater she’d worn to work that day and looked at the blood-splattered thing in horror.
“Easy, it’s okay, love. Look there is a bathroom at the end of the hall. In the cabinet you will find a bathrobe and slippers and some brand new pajamas still in the package. Please, help yourself to all of it. I will grab some of my own clothes from the bedroom, and meet you back here when you are finished and we will talk this all through, okay?”
Oddly enough, Violet nodded at him, suddenly calm though she had been close to hysterics mere moments ago. For some reason, the big man with his deep voice and glittering seafoam eyes had the strangest effect on her.