Seduced by a Shifter(14)

Her knee once again protested as she stood, swiveling to take in the scenery. The slamming of car doors sounded overly loud in the near silence, setting off soft rustling and complaints of the night forest inhabitants. Beyond the cold and spooky quality of the sudden stillness, Willow had to admit her new home was beautiful, until an owl hooted and she let out an abbreviated girly scream.

“Just an owl,” Ben chuckled at her side, taking her arm and guiding her up the stairs of a single-story cabin. “Don’t worry about him. He’s just curious about his new neighbors.”

“So you say. I don’t believe I’ve ever actually heard an owl before, not in the wild.” Living in a city did have its drawbacks.

Ben pushed the wood door and held it open as he stood sideways just outside the doorway, his eyes a steady heat on hers. “Then this trip may very well hold many firsts for you.”

Something low in her belly tightened. Anticipation or fear?

Then Rome brushed impatiently past them. “Idiot. Did you check the cabin first? No. And you’re letting the heat out.”

The exasperated look on Ben’s face caused Willow’s lips to curve. She followed Rome inside, Ben behind her. “Relax, Rome. You know as well as I do that no one is within a mile of this place.”

Rome stood in the middle of the living area, glaring over his shoulder at Ben. “And sometimes a distraction can skew one’s perception of their surroundings.”

Ben’s eyes tightened a margin. A second later he gave Rome a short nod. “Agreed.”

Willow heard their exchange while peering about the interior. Rustic met charming and gave birth to simple and pleasurable welcome. She let out a sigh and scooted farther into the room.

“On this site we started on the three smaller cabins first.” Ben said as he took Rome and Willow through the interior, explaining how the town hoped to attract additional tourism by providing private and family-friendly accommodations. “Each has two bedrooms and two baths, while the next four will have three and four bedrooms for larger groups or big families.”

Both bedrooms were nicely sized, each containing the same simple and charmingly rustic furnishings as in the living room and kitchen, the beds covered with thick quilts that looked warm and inviting.

Rome left to get the luggage, leaving Willow alone with Ben. She swallowed nervously as she trailed her fingers over the wood dresser. “You said ‘on this site.’ Are you planning more cabins elsewhere?”

Ben leaned a shoulder against the door frame of the bedroom, his size easily filling the empty space. “About three miles from here, on the other side of the ski lodge, we’ll do another four cabins. Only those will be one-bedrooms with a Jacuzzi and will be spaced farther apart to ensure privacy.” His lips curled and he gave her a wicked wink. “For those romantic getaways.”

Willow nearly swallowed her tongue. “Oh.” She lifted a hand to her throat, feeling that strange warmth again, and suddenly found any sight but Ben fascinating. Until her eyes landed on the bed. Her eyes shot right back to Ben. “Um. I think that’s a wonderful idea for a honeymoon. I bet it’s beautiful here in the daytime.”

“The nighttime as well, especially when the full moon shines on virgin snow. It becomes a winter wonderland.”

“But really cold. Won’t you freeze out there?”

An easy smile. “No worries. Kaylie gave me a care package before we left and a huge thermos of coffee. And I enjoy the night.”

“I still think it’s a bit harsh to be stuck outside all night.”

Unperturbed at facing a night in what Willow considered the harsh elements, Ben shook his head. “Not all night. We’ll all be in shifts. Mack will relieve me later.” His lips pressed together. “But you’ll be asleep by then.” This said in a low, stern tone.

Confused by what seemed like a demand, Willow took a hesitant step back, right into the dresser. “Possibly. Sometimes I don’t sleep well.”

Ben edged away from the wood frame, moving toward Willow. Stalked, Willow thought irrationally, each step slow and steady, like a predator hunting down its prey. With the dresser at her back, she could only watch his approach with wide eyes.

A foot away, he stopped, tilting his head as if puzzling something out. Willow craned her neck to look in his eyes, her five feet, four inches of height placing her nose at the base of his throat. One little step and she could drop her weary head on his clearly capable broad shoulders.

Daunted by that strange and tempting thought, she tightened the hand on her throat and wrapped her other arm around her middle, as if to hold herself back from doing just that.