Christmas on the Last Frontier (Last Frontier Lodge #1) (26 page)
Read Christmas on the Last Frontier (Last Frontier Lodge #1) Online
Authors: J.H. Croix
Garrett cleared his throat again. She looked up to find his sharp blue eyes on her. Fighting the flush that heated her face, she met his eyes. “We have tea and hot cider. I was just finishing up when you got here.”
Garrett nodded. “Your hot cider?” he asked, the corner of his mouth kicking up into a way-too-charming smile.
Heat swirled in her belly. She nodded.
“Perfect. You think it’ll be okay if I crash on the couch in here?” He gestured to the couch along one wall in her office.
She shrugged. “Probably your best option unless you want to wake Gage and Marley.” She turned to stride into the kitchen and quickly poured him a mug of cider. It had been cooling, but was still warm enough.
When she handed it to him, Garrett took a swallow and sighed. “Damn. Gage made me try your cider at Christmas. I’m not really a cider guy, but this…” He held his mug up. “…is amazing. It’s got a hell of a kick.”
Delia flushed and shrugged. “It’s my mother’s recipe.” She fiddled with her necklace and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “I’ll get out of your way now. Some of the kitchen staff will arrive as early as five, so don’t get startled.”
Garrett took another gulp of cider and grinned. “Right. I’ll make sure I’m up and out of the way.”
She nodded and pulled her apron off. She quickly covered the pastries and slid them in the refrigerator. Garrett wandered out to the empty restaurant. She glanced in to see him standing by the windows. When she called goodbye, he turned and waved. For a second, she thought he was going to say something, but he remained silent. She left, making her way out to her car in the dark, cold night. Stars glittered above, sharp in the crisp air. She drove home, wondering why Garrett affected her the way he did. After her youthful tease with love in college, she’d discovered not much in life was guaranteed, most definitely not the fluff of fantasy. Out of the ashes of that painful lesson came her son Nick. He was the single best part of her life, but she’d learned her lesson quite thoroughly and steered clear of relationships.
She hadn’t fantasized about a man in years. Until Garrett showed up at the ski lodge over the holidays. His presence was like a lightning bolt. She couldn’t help but wonder about his unannounced visit now. With a sharp shake of her head, she turned down the driveway to her father’s house. She’d moved home with Nick after barely finishing college. Being a single mother was a financial challenge beyond anything she could have imagined. While she didn’t feel great about staying with her father, it was the smartest option she had. She had free child care, and while Nick might not have his father around, he had hers. Her mother had passed away a few years ago. She knew it helped her father to have her and Nick around, so she figured while she may have stashed her dreams of independence and happily-ever-after, at least she could make sure her son and father benefited from each other’s presence.
***
The moon was high in the sky, its silvery light bright on the ski slopes. Garrett looked out into the darkness and took another hearty swallow of Delia’s amazing cider. She didn’t scrimp on the alcohol content, and he savored the burn. The mountains loomed in the darkness, hulking shapes in the night. The waters of Kachemak Bay rippled under the moonlight. Garrett took a deep breath and turned away from the view. He strode back into the kitchen and refilled his mug. He returned to sit by the windows and let the quiet settle around him.
His mind wandered to Delia and he chuckled. Damn, she had no idea what she did to him. When Gage had introduced him to her over the holidays, he’d had to resist the urge to flirt with her. He knew it would annoy Gage, and for some reason, he’d known it was a dangerous place for him to go. She was just so damn sexy and cute. When she answered the door tonight, he wanted to tuck those loose honey gold curls behind her ears and kiss her full lips. But she was not the kind of girl he could do that with. For starters, Delia Peters worked for his brother. She also happened to be a single mother, and the consensus from everyone Garrett encountered in Diamond Creek was that she was just about the nicest woman in the universe. No matter how tempting Delia was, the truth was they were worlds apart. She was a wholesome, small-town single mother. He’d spent years cultivating his reputation as the go-to corporate lawyer in Seattle. That translated to work, work and more work. Relationships were low on his priority list.
He was the master at brief and casual—precisely why the attraction he felt toward Delia confused him. He preferred things to be on his terms. Translation: under his control. Delia was the first woman he’d met who ruffled his composure. For God’s sake, he wanted to tease her about the smudge of flour on her cheek. He couldn’t remember if he’d
ever
contemplated kissing a woman impulsively. But he’d stood by the window right here and looked across the room at her and wanted more than the quick brush of her soft curves when she bumped into him in the office. He wanted to know how her plump lips felt under his and wanted to see what happened when she let loose. Because he’d bet anything she was something else.
Garrett swore softly and gulped down the rest of his cider, forcing his thoughts away from Delia. He looked around the shadowed restaurant and felt a prick of pride at the work Gage had put into this place. When Gage told him he was moving back to Diamond Creek, Alaska, Garrett had thought he was half-crazy. Garrett had only fuzzy memories of coming to Last Frontier Lodge to visit their grandparents over the holidays. Now that he’d seen what Gage had done, he was impressed. Last Frontier Lodge was well on its way to being the premier ski destination it had once been in its heyday. As for Diamond Creek—well, it was so beautiful it made his chest tighten. He was so accustomed to the bustle of Seattle and the hustle of work, the awe-inspiring beauty of Alaska made him crave the quiet it offered and the way it took him out of the relentless turning wheels of his mind.
He stretched out on the couch in the office he’d commandeered and stared at the ceiling. He pondered how he’d explain his surprise visit to Gage. A bit of a challenge when he wasn’t so sure what had driven him to book a flight to Alaska at the last minute. For the first time in years, he’d walked out of a courtroom and instead of being gleeful at the case he’d won, he felt bitter and tired. He’d looked across the room at the woman who’d lost her lawsuit against the insurance company and couldn’t even meet her eyes. Next thing he knew, he’d told his assistant to rearrange his entire schedule for the next month and booked a flight to Alaska.
Hours later, Garrett blinked his eyes open and looked around. The wispy light of a cold winter morning filtered into the office. He stretched and stood. Swiping his bag, he quickly stepped into the tiny bathroom adjacent to the office, which conveniently had a shower. He had no idea why, but it worked for him. In record time, changed and refreshed, he walked into the kitchen, glancing at his watch to see it was just past six-thirty. Though there was no one in sight, fresh coffee scented the air. He walked in the direction of the coffee pot when the door beside it swung open.
Delia collided with him. Garrett looked down into her blue eyes. Her honey gold hair fell in tousled waves around her shoulders. The door was behind her now, so she couldn’t step back. For the life of him, Garrett couldn’t either. Her breasts rose and fell with her breath, the lush curves grazing his chest. Without a thought, he closed the distance between them and brought his lips to hers. She gasped, and he dove into the warm sweetness of her mouth. Lust surged through him as he slid his hands down her sides, his thumbs caressing the full curve of her breasts, and around to cup her bottom. He tugged her against him, unable to resist the urge to arch into the cradle of her hips.
She moaned into his mouth, and it was as if she struck a match inside of him. Lust coiled and tightened, the heat of his want for her so strong, all he knew was he wanted more.
Now
. He couldn’t have imagined that she’d become a living flame in his arms, her tongue tangling wildly with his, her hands stroking roughly up his chest and dragging down his back. Distantly, he heard voices and tore his lips from hers. He opened his eyes to find hers locked onto him. She took another breath and he had to fight to get his body leashed. He had a raging hard-on and wanted nothing more than to drag her to the office couch and tear her clothes off. So much for control. He took shaky breath and stepped away.
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Diamond Creek Alaska Novels
Last Frontier Lodge Novels
Christmas on the Last Frontier
Catamount Lion Shifters
Acknowledgements
Every book I write happens with great support from my husband who manages to make me laugh every day. Gracious thanks to Laura Kingsley, editor extraordinaire. Clarise Tan at CT Cover Creations is responsible for my beautiful covers. The biggest shout out goes to my readers – thank you, thank you!
Author Biography
Bestselling author J. H. Croix lives in a small town in the historical farmlands of Maine with her husband and two spoiled dogs. Croix writes sexy contemporary romance and steamy paranormal shifter romance with strong independent women and rugged alpha men who aren't afraid to show some emotion. Her love for quirky small-towns and the characters that inhabit them shines through in her writing. Take a walk on the wild side of romance with her bestselling novels!