It Must Have Been the Mistletoe(16)

He stared down into the fire, his thoughts consumed by the woman who slept in his bed. They’d made love again before they’d fallen asleep, the second time more slowly and deliberately. He’d had his share of one-night stands in the past, and though they’d served to quench an undeniable need, none of his sexual encounters had ever been as powerful as this one.

Drew cursed softly. There had been a time when he had something to offer a woman—a comfortable life, a nice home in the suburbs, and all the luxuries a doctor’s salary could afford. But here, in the mountains, he was living on nothing, working out of an old storefront in a town that was no more than a spot where two roads crossed. All he had to offer was good sex.

But then again, that’s all Alison really wanted from him. Good sex. That, and Ettie’s songs. And her dream job in Texas. Why was he so surprised? He’d been focused on his own career to the exclusion of everything else. And when he’d made the decision to move back to the mountains, he’d left behind a disappointed girlfriend or two. There was no difference between Alison and him. They’d both do what it took to find the right situation professionally.

Still, Drew wasn’t really sure of her motives when it came to Ettie Lee. Had she slept with him because she’d wanted him? Or was it simply a way to get him on her side with Ettie? He crossed the room and stood by the bed, staring down at her. Maybe she was right. Maybe Ettie’s songs did deserve to be sung. But that was his aunt’s decision.

Another crack startled him out of his contemplation. Grabbing a flashlight from the mantel, Drew walked over to the door and pulled it open. A blast of cold air hit his skin, causing an involuntary shiver. He shone the light outside, and immediately, it was reflected back at him from the trees. It was as if a million tiny lights twinkled on the bare limbs.

“Ice storm,” he murmured. The cracking sounds had come from limbs breaking under the weight of the ice. The front steps were coated, along with the railings on the porch. If the weather stayed cold, there wasn’t much chance the ice would melt anytime soon.

Drew closed the cabin door and leaned back against it. Maybe they’d have more than just one night together. Driving would be next to impossible until the ice melted. And there’d be broken branches and downed trees blocking the road off the mountain. She’d have to stay until it was safe to leave.

Drew walked over to the bed and carefully sat down on the edge of the mattress. He reached a hand out to touch her, then pulled it back. When she moved, he held his breath, and when she opened her eyes and looked at him, he wasn’t sure what to say.

“You’re awake?”

“Something woke me up. And then I heard you moving around. Is everything all right?”

“No.”

Alison sat up, brushing her hair from her eyes. “What’s wrong?” She drew the covers back and he crawled beneath the quilt and into the warmth that her body created. They lay facing each other, her face visible in the light of the fire.

“Hi,” he murmured.

Alison smiled. “Hi, yourself.”

“The rain turned to ice. I’m not sure you’re going to be able to get home until it melts. I think you may have to stay another night.”

“But I can’t.” She drew a deep breath. “After I talk to Ettie I have to get back. If she gives me permission, I’ll have to arrange her songs for the recital and get music to the other instrumentalists. And I have to revise the program and write program notes. I can’t stay another night. Tomorrow’s Sunday and I have classes to teach on Monday.”

“You might not have a choice,” Drew said. “I do have a small confession to make.”

Alison reached up and raked her hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face. “What?”

“You know when I said the road was washed out? And you couldn’t get your car over the gully? I might have exaggerated the problem a bit. There was actually a shallow spot where you probably could have crossed, but…”

“You wanted me to spend the night with you?”

“Yeah.”

“And that’s it?”

Drew nodded. “That, and now you might be stuck here for an extra day.”

She sighed. “Well, I would have had to come back to see Ettie again, anyway.” She spoke in a dramatic voice. “And it’s such torture sleeping in your bed. I don’t know how I’ll survive another night.”

With a playful growl, he pulled her against him and kissed her, his fingers tangling in her hair as he molded her mouth to his. “Neither do I.”

Drew rolled her on top of him, her hips fitting perfectly against his. The friction alone was enough to make him hard again. He knew that they wouldn’t stop until they were both completely satisfied. “When you said you had a box of twelve, I never imagined we’d use them all. Now, I’m thinking we might have to ration them.”