Snowbound Cinderella (13 page)

“Hiding out, maybe. She’s missing.”

“Then what makes you think she’s hiding out? Maybe she’s been kidnapped.”

The news crew glanced at one another nervously. “Could be.” The reporter seemed to be mulling it over. “Our theory is that she just wants the publicity. At any rate, our magazine is paying a hefty bounty for the first pictures of her.”

“A bounty, huh? You make it sound like the Wild West. Just how much is her hide fetching these days?”

“Quarter of a million.”

“Half a million,” a second reporter corrected. She had short lacquered red hair, and was wearing a red coat with a white scarf at the throat. The second reporter moved closer. “We’d be willing to share, of course, if someone were to show us where she is.”

“That’s a lot of money.” Jace dug a hand in his pocket, and came up with a handful of crumpled bills. “As you can see, I could use some. But…” He
shrugged. “I’m sorry to say I’m all alone at the moment.”

The reporter started up on the porch. “Mind if we look around?”

Jace’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah. I’d mind a lot.”

At the look in his eyes she backed up a step, moving so quickly that the photographer filming behind her had to duck to one side to avoid being bumped.

The first reporter was studying Jace with great interest. “You look familiar. Don’t I know you?”

Jace lifted a brow. “You might have seen me on TV. I’ve been covering the war in Eastern Europe for the past few years.”

“A correspondent?”

“That’s right. I’m here on vacation.”

“Some vacation.” The two reporters glanced at each other, then at Jace. “You picked a hell of a time to come to the mountains.”

“Yeah.” Jace managed a smile. “Pretty boring. No phone. No electricity. But at least I got plenty of rest.”

The first reporter stuck out his hand. “Look, we’re really sorry we bothered you. We had a tip that Ciara Wilde was friends with the owners of this place. It was just a wild-goose chase, but we have to follow every lead. You understand.”

Jace nodded. “Yeah. I’ve followed plenty of leads myself.”

He remained on the porch, watching as the reporters and photographers returned to their vehicles. As
they drove away he carefully locked the cabin door, then, with a look of fury, made his way to the shed.

When he yanked open the door, he saw Ciara cringe and turn away from the sunlight, as though it were the lights of dozens of cameras. He stood a moment regarding her. “So. That’s the price you pay for being a movie star. What are they after?”

She paused a moment, realizing that this was the perfect opportunity to tell him everything about herself and her reason for hiding away this weekend. A part of her actually looked forward to the cleansing that would come with a full confession. But another part of her recoiled at the thought of baring her soul. They had so little time left together. Why spoil even a minute of it with talk of a part of her life that didn’t involve Jace? Her engagement to Brendan was already over, at least in her own mind. Why drag it out for discussion now?

As the silence stretched out between them, she knew that the time for the truth had passed.

He was staring at her with such intensity, she had to look away. “Are you saying this happens all the time, Hollywood?”

She drew a ragged breath. “Often enough that I hate going out in public.”

Jace felt a wave of fierce protectiveness. He was beginning to understand just what Ciara had been enduring.

“These people call themselves reporters?” What they really were, he thought angrily, were bounty hunters. They were going after her as though she were
a hardened criminal. And the only crime Ciara had committed was to be beautiful and famous. That made her fodder for every magazine and tabloid that made its profit by stalking celebrities.

He glanced at a toboggan standing in a corner of the shed. He walked over and hauled it down, then caught her hand.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

“Taking you out for some fun, Hollywood. Come on. I know just what you need to put these people out of your mind once and for all.”

J
ace kept Ciara’s hand in his as they climbed the steep hill behind the cabin. For the first half of the climb, neither of them spoke. Jace kept a tight rein on his anger, knowing that if he said a single word, it would come spilling out. Instead, he let the magic of the day weave its spell. The sunlight reflecting off the snow was so blinding that it almost hurt. But there was no longer any bite to the breeze. Instead, it felt wonderfully clean and inviting.

By the time they reached the halfway mark, Jace’s anger had begun to evaporate. He glanced over at Ciara, and realized that her fear was slipping away as well. Hell, he thought, they’d both been trying to hold it all together while their little fantasy was falling apart around them. It was time to let it all go—and just relax.

“How long has it been since you were on a toboggan?”

She shrugged. “I’ve never been on one.”

“What?” He stopped and turned to her. “Are you telling me you’ve missed one of my most cherished childhood memories? Didn’t you get enough snow in Kentucky?”

“Sure. We got plenty of snow. But we never owned a toboggan.”

“How did you manage to slide down hills?”

“We used the lids off garbage pails. They made great sleds.”

“Well, a toboggan is even better. You’re in for a rare treat.” He caught her hand. “Come on. Let’s get moving.”

When they finally reached the top of the hill, they paused to catch their breath.

“Oh. Look, Jace.” Ciara pointed to the highway far below. It ran like a darkened ribbon through the blanket of white.

“Pretty impressive.”

“So are you.” She tucked her arm in his. “I didn’t know how you’d get rid of those news crews. I guess I figured you sent me to the shed so I wouldn’t hear you threatening them, or see you beating them mercilessly.”

“Well, I did neither. Why are you impressed?”

“Because you got rid of them so smoothly. A few words, and they just calmly got in their vans and rode away. That never happens when I’m around.”

“That’s why I sent you to the shed. I figured if they were any good at their business at all, they’d surround the cabin and aim those telephoto lenses through the windows, looking for some sign of you.”

“What makes you think they won’t come back?”

He sent her one of his heart-stopping grins. “Oh, they’ll be back. In fact, I figure right about now,
they’re sniffing around the cabin, trying to peek inside.”

Her eyes got as big as saucers. “Then, what are we doing up here?”

“Getting out of their way so they can satisfy their curiosity.”

“But, Jace, what if they see something of mine?”

“I drew all the draperies. I locked the door. And the shed has no window. They can’t see your car inside.”

She took a deep breath, considering. “You think that’ll be enough to satisfy them?”

“It better be.” Though he tried to keep his tone light, there was an edge of steel beneath it, leaving her no doubt that he’d do whatever it took to protect her. “Now come on. We’re going to forget everything except playing in the snow.”

“I like the sound of that.”

He laughed. “I wish I’d known that earlier. There are all kinds of ways to play in the snow.”

“I’ll settle for the toboggan right now.”

“Okay.” He leaned close. “Your way first. Then my way later.”

He hauled the toboggan to the very edge of the hill before he helped Ciara to sit down, showing her how to tuck her feet in front of her. Then he gave the toboggan a shove and leapt on, settling himself behind her. The wind whistled past their faces and they gathered speed until they felt as though they were flying.

Ciara leaned back in Jace’s arms and let out a scream of delight.

He pressed his mouth to her ear. “What did I tell you? Isn’t this fantastic?”

“I love it.”

Just then he shouted, “Okay! Lean to the left.”

She did as he said and the toboggan veered slightly, missing a cluster of trees and skimming lightly over the snowdrifts. Familiar landmarks, a fallen tree, a half-buried boulder, flew by.

By the time they reached the bottom of the hill, they were laughing and gasping for breath. They rolled to a stop, and Jace helped her up. “Want to go again?”

“Oh, yes.” Her eyes were shining with excitement. Her cheeks were bright red. Her hair was windswept and tousled.

Jace thought she’d never looked lovelier. “Okay, Hollywood.” He pulled her close and gave her a hard, quick kiss. Then he gathered the pull-rope and caught her hand in his. “Time to climb the mountain again.”

“I can’t wait.” She danced along beside him, oblivious to the drifts that made walking an effort. “What other things did you do as a kid?”

“I had a sled. And a pair of snowshoes. But mostly I rode horses. Summer and winter. And by the time I was a teen, I was into parasailing, and learning to fly a plane, and—”

She stopped him with a hand to his lips. “Wait a minute. Back up. You can fly a plane?”

He gave her a mock look of surprise. “Can’t everyone?”

“Are you serious?”

He laughed. “It was just something I’d always wanted to do. So I got a part-time job after school and saved enough for lessons.”

“Do you own your own plane?”

He shook his head. “I toyed with the idea when I was in college. Too expensive. Not only to buy, but to maintain. And then, once I left the country, I gave up the idea. Too many licenses in too many little countries. Not to mention all those guns going off. I may be pretty fearless, but I don’t harbor a death wish.”

Ciara shot him a sideways glance. “And you parasail?”

“You don’t?”

“Jace.” She tugged on his arm. “I’m serious. You can fly and parasail? When did you find the time to do all these things?”

“Those were in my younger days, when I wasn’t driven to work twenty-four hours a day. Didn’t you ever just do fun, foolish things to amuse yourself?”

She shook her head. “I never had the time. I was always working twenty-four hours a day.”

“See, Hollywood. That’s what’s wrong with you,” he teased. “You don’t know how to relax and have fun.”

They were at the top of the hill again, and Ciara settled herself into the front of the toboggan. “You’re right!” she called over her shoulder as Jace shoved
them both off again. “But I’m a really fast learner. So brace yourself, Jace. I might make you climb this mountain a dozen times before I’ve had enough.”

“I think every muscle in my body aches,” Jace muttered as he hauled the toboggan over a series of snowdrifts toward the shed.

“Do I hear you complaining?” Ciara caught his arm and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Isn’t this the man who boasted that he just wanted to have fun?”

“Fun is sliding down the hill half a dozen times. Anything over that is work. And after fifteen times, it’s definitely considered punishment.”

“I had the time of my life.”

“Yeah. I could tell. You made enough noise for a whole playground of kids.”

“Well, since I never got to do this as a girl, I had to make up for lost time.”

When he had finished stowing the toboggan, Ciara caught his hands. “Thank you, Jace.” She brushed a kiss over his lips. “I can’t remember when I’ve had such fun.”

When she started to pull away he drew her back and rubbed his lips over hers. “Hey, now I remember why I love showing you a good time. You have the nicest way of showing your gratitude.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Maybe that’s because you’re so receptive.”

“Yeah. Well, I’d hate to have you believing that your effort was wasted.” He lifted his hands to frame
her face. “Go ahead. Thank me all you want.”

She leaned into him, allowing the kiss to slowly deepen, while her hands slipped under his parka. “I really, really loved this afternoon, Jace.”

He nibbled her lower lip. “I’m glad. So did I.”

He could feel the heat beginning to spread. Just minutes ago he’d been chilled from the snow. Now he wanted nothing more than to slip off his heavy coat and take her, right here in the shed, with the fragrance of evergreen surrounding them.

“If you’re not careful, Hollywood, we might not be able to make it to the warm cabin.”

“I don’t mind if
you
don’t.”

He paused a moment to draw back and study her. Seeing that she was serious, he unzipped her parka and unbuttoned her flannel shirt, all the while staring deeply into her eyes.

She did the same, opening his parka, then tugging his shirt from the waistband so that she could feel the warm, firm flesh of his back against her palms.

His mouth fused with hers in a kiss so hot, so hungry, it left her gasping. His hands moved over her, weaving a magic of their own, until she could feel her blood heating, her head spinning in dizzying circles.

Before she could recover, he backed her against the wall, then lifted her, until her legs were wrapped around his waist.

“Jace.” His name was torn from her lips, and then the breath backed up in her lungs. Everything sped
up. Her pulse rate thundered. When she could breathe again, it was to moan with pleasure, to pant from between parted lips.

She wrapped herself around him, feeling like a volcano about to erupt. All seething steam and molten lava, moving faster and faster toward the surface until, without warning, she exploded at the same time he did, in a sea of bright color and unbearable heat.

Dazed, she clung weakly to him, knowing if he let go of her, she would slump, weak and boneless, to the floor.

He kept his hands at her shoulders, pressing her firmly against the length of him while he kissed her, long and slow and deep. Against her mouth he muttered, “I think you’re going to be the death of me, Hollywood. But at least I’ll die a happy man.”

Before returning to the cabin, they walked in a slow circle around the exterior. Just as Jace had suspected, there were dozens of footprints, especially near the door and windows. Fortunately, it was impossible to see past the heavy draperies that covered the windows.

“Looks like our news crews left empty-handed.”

“Do you think they’ll come back?”

He shook his head. “How much time can they waste following a dead trail? They’ve probably got a hundred more leads to check out. Come on. I think it’s safe to say you’re home-free.”

He unlocked the door, and they stepped inside. The fire had burned to coals, and Jace tossed several logs
on the hearth before slipping out of his parka and boots.

He filled the kettle with water and placed it on a burner. “This should be a novelty,” he said with a laugh. “We can actually use the stove.” He turned. “That reminds me.” He crossed the room and picked up the phone. Hearing a dial tone he said, “The phone line’s working. People must be worried about you—you’re free to call them.”

Ciara thought about Brendan, and wondered briefly how he’d been handling her absence. How he was explaining it to friends, and especially to the media. Knowing Brendan, he’d have come up with a plausible story. As for what she would tell him… She realized she couldn’t possibly discuss any of this in a phone call. She’d wait until she could do it face-to-face.

Then there were Eden and Emily. She owed it to her friends to let them know that the weekend at the cabin had been all she’d hoped for. And so much more. When she thought about the lunch with the two women, just over a month ago, she smiled. At the time, she’d been so tired, so confused about her engagement, her career. When Eden had offered her this sanctuary, a safe and private place to go to sort out her troubles, it seemed she might finally be able to think about the future without feeling hysteria well up inside her. It didn’t seem possible that she was now calm and centered and resigned to so many changes in her life.

But that admission would have to come later—when
she was alone and settled back in her own home. Then she would reassure Eden and Emily that this weekend had been the finest gift a friend could give another.

She shook her head. “I don’t have any calls to make. Help yourself to the phone.”

Jace looked at her a little suspiciously, but climbed to the loft and returned with his laptop computer, plugging the modem into the phone line. “I think it’s time I checked my e-mail.”

As he scanned his computer screen, he nodded. “Just as I thought. Brad has sent me dozens of e-mails, wondering where the hell I am and why I’m not answering him.” He glanced up and, seeing her questioning look, explained, “Brad Thompson is the one I told you about—the director of overseas news at the network. He’s also a good friend. It was Brad who suggested I take a leave of absence until I decide what I want to do with the rest of my life.” He bent to the keyboard and began typing.

For several minutes Ciara watched him. Then, feeling melancholy, she made her way to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She picked up her screenplay and walked to the chair, determined to keep her mind occupied. But it was impossible. As soon as she sat down she found herself staring out the window.

Jace’s words kept coming back to taunt her.
…what I want to do with the rest of my life.

She felt the way she had when she was that frightened little girl in Kentucky. Always wishing and
wanting and dreaming. And feeling trapped in a situation beyond her control.

She knew that their little idyll had just ended. She had to face the fact that she had no more excuses. No matter how badly she wanted to remain here, hidden away, she had no choice but to leave in the morning, and go back to the life she’d fled. There were decisions to be made that would affect her future. And she was the only one capable of making them.

As for Jace, he was already communicating with his co-workers, and preparing to deal with his own future. A future that, no matter how hard she wished otherwise, couldn’t possibly include her.

Through sheer force of will, Ciara managed to work on her screenplay for several hours. The mental exercise was good for her. She saw it as a test—one she passed with flying colors. She was relieved that she could still summon the discipline needed to complete a task when it was absolutely necessary. Her heart might not be in it, but she could force herself to concentrate.