“I can fix the electricity,” I said.
Her head shot toward my direction on the couch.
She sniffed and swiped quickly at her cheek. “You can? I think the circuit breaker is in the basement.”
“Okay.” I stood up. “I will be right back.”
“Wait, do you—”
I walked loudly to the edge of the room and watched her slump into a chair. She could not know that I stayed watching her for a moment. Her head fell into her hands and she groaned. I glanced away, feeling as though I was intruding on something private. This woman was lonely and it made me furious. How could any man meet her and not do everything in their power to keep her warm and safe and sexually satisfied. What is wrong with the male species? Where was her family?
Family.
The memory tugged sharply at my throbbing head. Was that why I was here? Anxious feelings curled my fists. I was delaying my mission by staying here. Sadness tugged at me to understand that I must ultimately leave this woman, and soon. She was unlike anybody I had ever met.
But I could bring her some joy until I was fully healed and ready to move on. I went to the basement and, rather than find the box she spoke of, I placed my hand on the wall, closed my eyes and summoned the power back. I felt the power flow before waiting a moment to stomp loudly back into the now lit room.
“That was fast,” she stood up quickly, wiping at her face. She glanced around the room filled with the warm glow from the lights on the mantel of the fireplace.
“Wow, those weren’t even working before.” Light sparkled in her wide eyes as she took in the room around her. She gave me a soft smile. “Thank you.”
Pride like I’ve never experienced swelled in my chest. I brought her this joy. I put my hands on my hips, stood tall, and smiled at her. The blanket fell to the ground.
“Oh, lord help me.”
7
Anna
This night was not to be believed. I sat there, head in my hands, until I heard him close the basement door. After his footsteps descended and grew quiet I placed the fireplace poker back in its holder and retrieved the shotgun to put it away. I knew I would never be able to hurt him and I was afraid to discover why.
I know him.
The thought invaded my mind like wildfire, while every bit of logic I possessed turned to ash in its path as heat blazed through my body. He had me burning for him and I couldn’t understand it. He was definitely hot, but I wasn’t usually a ninny-headed fool ruled by my lust-fueled nether needs. I was having trouble understanding my physical reaction to him.
In a panic, I ran to the basement door and bolted it. My chest heaved as I stood there shivering with my heart pounding out of control.
“Never feed him after midnight,” squawked Alf from his aviary.
Now fully spooked, I whirled around, stumbling over the floral throw rug as I raced to his cage to lower its cover. “Be quiet, Alf.”
“Nobody puts Baby in a corner!” he shrieked.
“Damn it, Alf. Just shut your freakin’ beak!”
Okay. Okay. Maybe I just needed a second to myself, to get warm, to get a grip on reality and a cup of coffee and sober the rest of the way up. Anyone would be freaking out if they had the night I’d just had. I was out of sorts, damn it.
Or maybe I should let him out of the basement. It had to be frigid down there and he had somehow been hurt. It was obvious from the bizarre things he had said tonight he must have a head injury. I should check him out, examine him for injuries and do my freaking job—I was a nurse for crap’s sake.
I unbolted the door and dashed back to the living room. I sat back in the chair he had left me in hoping he hadn’t noticed that I had locked him down there, however briefly. Loud footsteps pounded up the stairs and I jumped up with a start. “That was fast.” I took a moment to look around the room, some of the lights that I could never get to work were now on. “Wow, those weren’t even working before.” I should have gone down to the basement when I first got here, flipping switches wasn’t that hard. “Thank you.” I smiled at him.
He merely shrugged, grinning as the blanket fell to the floor. “Oh, lord help me,” I muttered. “You know, now that I’m thinking of it, maybe I don’t know you. You kind of look like Dale? Are you his kid? Is that why I recognize you?”
“Yes,” he answered quickly, as one eyebrow quirked up. “Yes, I am the son of Dale and you have nothing to fear from me.”
“Are you still in pain? What’s your name? How did you get here tonight?” Questions tumbled out as I crossed the space that separated us to grab his hand and tug him toward the sofa. “Sit down so I can examine you,” I gently pushed him to sit, grabbing the blanket off the floor to cover him up before joining him.
“Perhaps I should examine you. You’re trembling.” He stopped to reach out and brush an errant curl out of my eye.
“I’m not hurt,” I whispered, backing away from his touch even though I wanted to lean in and feel it. “Um, where are you from? You don’t sound like you’re from around here.” My eyes narrowed. “Hey, Dale was born and raised here in Stars Crossing.”
“I attended a boarding school in the Swiss Alps.”
“Oh, wow. What was that like? Charlie always said Dale was cheap.”
“It was cold. Much like tonight. Lonely . . .” His eyes blazed as he sat back on the sofa, spreading his arms wide across the back. “Examine me if you will.”
“Uh—okay . . . So, um, tell me where it hurts.”
“I ache everywhere, Anna. Are you a healer? Touch me. Your hands will be soothing, I am sure of it.” His eyes drifted shut as his body relaxed against the cushions.
“I’m a nurse at the hospital in town. Stay here—I’m going to get my first aid kit.” I kept my eye on him as I crossed to the small bathroom near the basement door. Satisfied that he had done what I said, I smiled as I approached him.
“Your smile is lovely, Anna.”
Had I told him my name?
“Uh, open. Your mouth.” I stuck a thermometer in to keep him quiet. I needed him to stop talking. Everything he said turned my mind to mush and I needed to concentrate. I sat at his side, pointedly drawing the quilt over the one part that was clearly in perfect working order.
Logical Anna would probably lock herself upstairs and stare at the phone until she could call for help. But caught-in-a-storm-with-a-sexy-stranger Anna was nothing but a dumbass horndog, foolishly willing to chance it all to get a piece of that righteous booty. But why?
“Be still,” I ordered.
HIM
I shouldn’t be here. I needed to leave. But I had never felt so powerless as I did when her hands smoothed over my body. Each seemingly innocent scrape of her nails over my skin sent desire shooting straight to my core. My arms lay limp at my sides though my body was tense with fight to keep still. This reaction was not normal. She had been trying to help me. I would not scare her with my action.
But her hands continued to explore me. She murmured soft questions about where things hurt the most. My entire body hurt but not how she meant it. I kept my eyes closed, forcing control where there was none. My growing admiration for her was impossible to hide now. She sat next to me and my body shook with barely leashed desire. And then her hands settled on my shoulders. She looked up at me with the huge blue eyes, questioning and unsure.