try and be as gentle as possible.”
No answer. Her eyes drifted shut once again.
He smiled as his hands moved to her small waist and he lifted her up and over his right shoulder in a fireman’s carry. He heard her groan and regretted his roughness, but this was the only way he could get her back to the cabin.
By the time he reached the door, they were both soaked to the skin and his legs were cramping from exhaustion. He stumbled inside and went straight to the couch in front of the fireplace and gently laid her down. Then he began tossing wood onto the grate, and set a match to the kindling. Once the fire caught, he turned back to his charge. She looked pale, and when he touched her face her skin was ice-cold.
Jake stripped off the blanket, then went to work on the expensive little blue suit that hadn’t provided much protection against the heavy rain. He unfastened the zipper, and slid the soaked material down her narrow hips, revealing long shapely legs. Next came the jacket and fancy silk blouse.
He drew in a breath when he got to the lacy underwear. Suddenly the room seemed warm. Lord! He’d been in the mountains too long if he sunk to ogling an unconscious woman. He went into the bedroom, stripped the dry blanket off the bed. Returning, he draped it over her.
With her covered, he took off the remainder of her wet clothes. After placing the articles of clothing by the fire, he took a few minutes to change into a pair of fresh jeans and a flannel shirt, which he left unbuttoned as he busied himself getting a pot of coffee started on the woodstove. He dried off Max and gave the dog some food, but decided to check the horses later.
Suddenly the woman cried out and he rushed back to the couch.
“No! No! Rory!”
“Hush,” he coaxed. “It’s okay.” She finally settled down. Who was Rory? Her husband? He looked down at her ringless finger, which didn’t mean she wasn’t married or engaged.
He cleaned and bandaged her head wound, then poured some coffee into a mug and went back to her. He managed to get a few sips into her, but she wouldn’t stop shivering.
After securing the blanket around her, he picked her up and carried her closer to the fire. He sat down with her on his lap. When he went to lay her on the rug, she moved closer against him.
“C-cold,” she whispered through her trembling. “So cold.”
“I know, I’m trying my best to remedy the situation.” He reached out and brushed the damp hair from her face.
God, she was beautiful. Her oval-shaped face was only perfected by her features, her large blue eyes, straight nose and delicate jaw adorned with a slightly dimpled chin. His gaze lowered to her mouth. Full and pouty, her lips had a rosy hue that was not only inviting…but way too tempting.
He fought off the enticement and discovered a fine gold chain hanging around her slender neck. Attached to it was a charm of some kind. He picked up the amulet to discover the finely scripted letters, A-N-A.
“Is Ana your name or your initials?” He checked her pupils again. They were dilated. “Come on, Miss Ana, you need to wake up for me.”
She groaned again, but only burrowed deeper into his chest. Somehow she worked the blanket from around her slim body and her bare skin pressed against the opening in his shirt. He sucked in a breath, trying not to think about the last time he had held a woman in his arms. But his body told him it had been far too long.
As much as he longed for some company besides Max, something told him that this beautiful woman was trouble for him. Suddenly the storm intensified. The sound of rain pounding on his roof let him know he was going to have a houseguest for a while. There was no way anyone was leaving this mountain any time soon.
She moved against him again. He closed his eyes and held back a groan as her breasts brushed against his chest. There was no breathing exercises in the world to help him now.
“Come on, sugar,” he said as his southern breeding slipped out. “Have a heart. I’m only human. Wake up and save yourself. Save the both of us.”
She could hear a man’s voice. A deep voice that was calling to her, but she couldn’t move, and her head hurt, so much that she felt tears in her eyes. Why did he want to hurt her?
She heard his voice again. “Ana, wake up.”
Ana? Who was Ana? She tried to remember, but her mind couldn’t recall anything. Another pain shot through her body as she tried to move. She cried out and felt a gentle touch accompany the man’s soothing words, along with the warmth of his breath against her face.
She fought to make her eyes open, but she couldn’t manage it. Frustration exhausted her when she couldn’t perform that simple task. She wanted to scream but was too weak. More tears made their way down her cheeks. Again she felt them being brushed away.
“Ssh, don’t cry. I’m here.”
Who was here? Please, let me wake up, she pleaded as the man’s voice faded in and out. Finally she managed to force her eyes open. Things were blurry, but she could make out the outline of a man’s head topped with black hair. She blinked again and he started coming into focus.
The first thing she noticed about him was his nearly black eyes, deep set with tiny lines fanning out from the corners. More lines etched his forehead, showing his concern.
“So you decided to wake up.” He smiled and her breath caught in her throat.
“What happened?” she asked as panic filled her. “Where am I?” She tried to look around, but the slightest movement caused her pain.
“Whoa, slow down. You had a rough time of it. You have a concussion.”
Again she tried to move and that was when she realized she was naked and he was holding her against his body. Instantly, her breasts tingled with the contact and her nipples hardened. The startled look on his face told her that he was aware of the situation, too.
Fighting the pain, she pushed against his chest. “Get away from me,” she ordered. “How dare you?” She grabbed at the blanket and covered herself as best she could, not wanting to lose any more dignity. “I demand to know why you took off my clothes.”
The man stiffened, then slowly relaxed. He raised his jean covered leg and draped his arm across his knee and nodded to the fire where her wet clothes were spread out on the bricks drying.
“By the time I got you back to the cabin, you were soaked from the rain,” he said. “The only way to keep you from getting hypothermia was to remove your wet clothes and bring your body temperature up to normal. You’d been exposed to the elements for over an hour.”
She was confused. What was she doing out in this weather? She looked around the small room. It was roughly furnished with a sofa and rocking chair, and a multicolored braided rug covered the plank floor. She had no idea where she was.
She turned back to the stranger. “Who are you?”
“My name is Jake Sanderstone.” He offered his hand. “And you are…?”
She blinked and thought, but try as she might she couldn’t come up with a name…nothing. “I don’t know.”
