Colton's Rescue Mission. Karen Whiddon
and even the streetlights had taken on a magical glow. The deep, powdery snow had begun to make walking difficult, even though a few intrepid shop owners appeared to have attempted to shovel the sidewalk.
By the time they reached the No Doze Café, they were both out of breath. Luckily, the inside appeared to be only moderately crowded, rather than packed.
The instant they stepped through the door, Vanessa pulled her hand out of his and removed her gloves. “Oh, it smells wonderful in here,” she said, inhaling deeply. “And look—a table just opened up over there in the corner!” She made a beeline for it, grabbing a chair and taking a seat before anyone else could. Grinning triumphantly, she beckoned Remy over.
Entranced by her, he went. “Do you mind ordering while I guard our spot?” she asked. Rummaging in her pocket, she pulled out a crumpled five-dollar bill and slid it across the table. “Here. This will take care of mine. I’d like a large hot apple cider with whipped cream.”
“I’ve got this,” he said, ignoring her money. “I’ll be right back.”
At the counter, he waited in line. Finally, he placed their order—the cider for her and a black coffee for him—and paid. The drinks were ready quickly and he carried them back to the table, noticing how a group of twentysomething guys were eying Vanessa. He had to love the fact that she appeared to be oblivious as she scrolled on her phone.
As soon as he approached her, she put it down and reached for her drink. “Thank you so much.” She took a deep sip and made a throaty sound of pleasure that had him aching with desire.
Damn. He reminded himself to focus. He sat, wrapping both hands around his coffee cup. “Are you ready to tell me what’s going on with Seth?”
Her eyes widened. “Wow, you clearly believe in getting right to the point.”
“I do,” he admitted, aware he couldn’t tell her he’d simply needed a distraction from the way he couldn’t stop wanting her.
She sighed. “I came here because I felt I owed Seth an explanation for the way I broke things off with him. I was abrupt and…” Expression rueful, she shrugged. “I was wrong. Not for ending it, but the way I handled it. I wanted closure. I forgot guys don’t seem to get that word.”
Her comment made him smile. “Truth. We—or at least I—tend to see things a bit more cut-and-dried. Either something is or it isn’t.”
Considering him, she shook her head. “Despite my best efforts, Seth seems to believe I’m here for another reason—to get back together. He’s hurt and angry…understandably so.” She took a deep breath. “He’s your brother, but I’ll be honest with you. Seth’s taking it to another level.” Leaning forward, she met his gaze. “He’s frightening me.”
“Me, too,” he admitted gruffly. Then, because he was curious, he asked her how long she’d known his brother.
“A couple of years. We met on the slopes. We were friends, just that, nothing more. Then I went through something…” She bit her lip, her dark blue eyes huge. “Both my parents were killed in a car crash. Seth was there for me. He became my port in the storm.”
Surprised, Remy simply nodded, hoping she’d continue. Maybe his brother had matured in ways he didn’t always reveal. For Seth to stand by Vanessa while she endured her own private hell, expecting nothing in return… That showed the sort of personal growth, the kind Remy had long wished Seth to have.
She fell silent. He didn’t press her, and instead drank his coffee in silence.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, getting up quickly and heading toward the restroom. Right before she reached the short hallway that led to the ladies’ room, she turned and looked at him. “Please wait for me.” And then she disappeared behind the door.
For reasons he didn’t entirely understand, that broke his heart.
Had she said too much? Or not enough? Standing in front of the washroom mirror, Vanessa put her hands to her flaming cheeks. She needed to remember that Remy and Seth were related by blood, while she was merely a stranger who’d come to town for what now seemed to be entirely selfish reasons. Clearly, Seth would have been better off without her attempt at obtaining a respite from her guilt at the knowledge that she hadn’t handled their breakup well.
Turned out maybe that had been all in her head. She should have left well enough alone. And she couldn’t believe she’d almost revealed the fact that she and Seth had never even been intimate. If she had, then Remy would know what a cold fish she was.
During her brief engagement to Seth, she’d managed to deflect every attempt he made to get her in his bed. At first, she’d chalked it up to her sheltered upbringing, but she’d come to the realization she didn’t want him at all that way. She’d seen the way other women looked at him—he was a handsome man, after all. So it had to be her. With that bit of awareness, she’d understood they both deserved better.
But she’d lacked the courage to say that to Seth. Of course, the fact that when she’d called off the engagement, he’d been so furious that he’d punched a hole in the wall might have had something to do with it. He’d scared her so badly, and after he’d stormed out she’d had all her locks changed so he couldn’t come back.
He hadn’t. He’d hightailed it back to Roaring Springs, which had given her both relief and peace. Until she’d gotten the foolish idea that she needed to make things right with Seth so they could both move on.
All she’d managed to do was make everything worse.
Though she had learned one thing about herself. Apparently, she wasn’t as much of an ice princess as she believed. One look from Remy Colton’s hazel-green eyes set her on fire. She craved his touch, wondered about how his lips would feel on hers and imagined carnal scenarios she’d only previously read about.
Had she lost her mind? Seriously, she needed to get a grip on this ridiculous attraction she felt toward Remy. Talk about creating a huge mess! That’s what it would be if she even considered acting on these forbidden desires.
So nope, nope, nope. Luckily, Remy seemed oblivious to her feelings. Thank goodness. She needed to remember she simply needed his help to find a place to stay for one or two nights and then she’d be out of this town for good. Hopefully before she managed to make an even worse mess out of things.
Once she managed to regain her composure, she left the sanctuary of the restroom and went back to her table. Remy looked up from his phone and smiled. The warmth of it went straight to her heart.
Shaking her head at herself, she sat back down and took a sip of her hot cider. Though it had cooled down significantly, the drink still tasted delicious.
“I’ve done some checking,” he said. “We keep a family suite at The Chateau and since no one is using it at the moment, it’s yours.”
She stared. “A suite? That’s amazing.”
“And in case you’re worrying about the cost, we’re not going to charge you anything. You can have it for as long as you need it, within reason.”
Within reason. His caveat made her smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t be moving in or anything. I’d just like to ski the mountain once it reopens. And then I’ll be out of your hair.”
Gaze steady, he shrugged. “How long is up to you. No one will be using the suite until after the holidays.”
“Wow. Okay, thanks. I confess I’m a bit surprised you don’t have family coming in for Christmas, though.”
“We do. But they’ll be staying at Colton Manor,” he replied.
“Colton Manor?” She couldn’t help herself. “That sounds like something out of a movie about royalty or something.”
He