“In my cabin, about three miles from where your car ran off the road.” Hesitating only momentarily, he walked across the room to the window and drew back the curtains to reveal angry, swirling flurries and frozen trees blanketed in white. “Storm picked up again this morning—it’s Friday, by the way. All the roads are closed, otherwise I would’ve taken you into town.”
“Friday,” Katie whispered. It had been almost a week since she’d left Tahoe. No doubt her clients wondered where she was. Not to mention her parents and her older sister. Oh, God. Alarmed, she threw the blankets off her body and scooted to the edge of the bed. “Do you have a phone I could use? I need to let my family know I’m not dead—my clients, too. Everyone probably thinks I am.”
The man raised his hand and took a step closer. “I don’t have a phone. Listen, be careful. You’re probably very weak.”
No phone. That meant she was trapped in a cabin in the woods with a strange man, and with no way to let anyone know where she was. A very real feeling of helplessness overwhelmed her, followed by a jolt of stark fear. She didn’t know the first thing about this guy, who had apparently seen her naked already. Desperate to regain at least the illusion of control, she struggled to stand. “How about a computer? With Internet?”
“No, I’m sorry, but—“
He stopped talking and raced forward as she finally pushed up off the mattress, and caught her around the middle when her legs dissolved beneath her. Cradled in his powerful embrace, she felt instantly safe. Protected. The sensation triggered another burst of memory—being held in these arms, surrounded by this scent, his naked skin against hers. A hot surge of lust rocketed through her body and wrenched her back into the present. Gasping, she stared at him in shock.
He took a shuddering breath and carefully placed her back on the bed. Then he stepped away quickly. “Let me get you something to eat. You need to regain your strength.”
Katie wasn’t sure what frightened her more—her strange, uncharacteristic lapse, or the realization that she was completely dependent upon a stranger. Careful not to reveal her unease, she crawled back beneath the comforter and arranged the blankets over her chest. She had no idea whether her body’s memory of this man was delusion or reality, but the way she’d just reacted to his touch rattled her to the core. She’d never felt anything like it before. The fact that the guy acted like he couldn’t bear to be around her only made it worse.
“I know you want to contact your people, but there just isn’t any way to do that from here. As soon as the storm lifts, I’ll take you to town. I promise.” He turned away, but not before she noticed the impressive bulge in his jeans. That he was in a similar state of arousal didn’t comfort her in the least. The man was a stranger. Nobody knew she was alone with him in his home. She was having strange flashes of lying naked in his arms, yet she hadn’t been conscious in days. And apparently she was too weak to walk, let alone fight him off if it came to that.
“Are we all alone out here?” She wrapped her arms around her stomach and tried not to let on how terrified she suddenly felt.
He hesitated. “Yes.” For the first time since entering the room, he made brief eye contact. “But you’re safe here with me, Katie. I swear it.”
When he looked at her, she nearly forgot to breathe. It wasn’t just the impact of those piercing eyes finally landing on her, but also the way they seemed to see her in a way that she wasn’t sure she’d ever really been seen before. She knew it was ridiculous to feel this way—not even a minute ago, she’d been worried that he was getting ready to attack her—but that didn’t change how his gaze made her feel inside. He looked at her as though he loved her. As though he would even die for her. She couldn’t fathom what would inspire that level of devotion from a man who didn’t know her at all. It frightened her. So did the sudden realization that he’d called her by name.
“I looked at your driver’s license,” he said, answering her unspoken question. “Your purse is next to the nightstand, on the floor. And