Charlene Sands - Stranded And Seduced

“Cold?” he asked.

“A little.”

He fiddled with a dashboard dial, and soon a flow of warm heat pushed out of the floor vents.

“Better?”

She nodded. “Yes, thank you. As long as it’s not too hot for you?”

He gave her a sideways glance. “I’ll let you know if it gets too hot.”

Was that an innocent comment? She never knew with Risk. But she had to give him the benefit of the doubt, since he’d been put in his place the other night after she’d told him she was engaged.

Thank you again, Jenna Mae.

They drove a few more miles in silence, and then Risk gestured to the basket. “Since Aunt Lottie packed us up some food, why don’t we have a muffin?”

“Sounds like a good idea.” She lifted the basket onto her lap and then folded back the lid. “Oh wow. Your aunt Lottie sure knows how to make a care package.”

“Why, what’s she got in there?”

“Well, let’s see. There’s about eight muffins, a coffee thermos, protein bars and two apples.”

A grumble rose from Risk’s throat. “She still thinks we’re twelve.”

“It’s sorta sweet that she cares so much.”

April picked up a muffin, peeled back the cupcake paper, removing it entirely, and handed it over to Risk. It seemed an intimate gesture, but it was easier for him to eat that way. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” A few bites later, the muffin was gone.

“Want another?”

He nodded. “One more will do. Make sure you have one, too.”

“Oh, I intend to.” April took a bite of her muffin. Warm and fresh, packed with cranberries, it was just the right amount of sweet and tart. “These are good.”

“It’s a family recipe. That coffee smells good.”

“Want some?”

The wipers were at top speed now, and April hoped Risk wouldn’t suggest they turn back.

“You first,” he said. “Have some. It’ll warm you up inside.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

She unscrewed the thermos and poured coffee into the cup. As she took a sip, the pungent aroma comforted her and made her smile. She handed the thermos over to Risk, and their fingers brushed again. “H-here you go.” The contact wasn’t lost on her. She quelled her racing heart and watched his throat work as he gulped down coffee.

Risk slid a glance to her left hand. “When’s the wedding?”

Whoa. She wasn’t really prepared to answer him. She’d hoped that wearing the ring was enough. Apparently she was wrong. “Uh, we haven’t set the date yet.”

“No?”

“No. A...a lot goes into planning a wedding, and my fiancé and I are very busy.”

“Does he have a name?”

“Everyone has a name,” she said rather evasively.

Risk scratched his chin. “So, you’re not willing to tell me? He must not be—”

“He’s amazing, okay? I met him when I was living in Willow County, and we’re very happy.”

“Bob? Bill? Toby? Or maybe it’s more like Hector or Bubba?”

Bubba? Lordy. She folded her arms over her middle but still couldn’t hold back a belly chuckle. “Risk, what are you doing?”

“Just making conversation. It’s a long drive to the lodge. Especially with the rain slowing us down.”

“Okay then, if you’re so willing to talk, why don’t you tell me about your love life?”

He grunted. “Or lack thereof.”

She raised her brows. “That’s hard to believe.”

“Tell me about it. After what happened with Shannon, I think I got gun-shy. No more permanent, all-in relationships for me.”

“Are you saying you don’t date anymore?”

He spared her a glance, his dark eyes meeting hers. “Now who’s being nosy?”

“Okay, you’re right. Forget I asked.” It wasn’t fair of her to ask such pointed questions of Risk when she’d barely given him the time of day about her fake engagement.

He was silent for a while. “The truth is, I haven’t had a date in three months, maybe longer. I guess I lost count.”

“I see. So, you must be really into your work, the way I am.”

Risk’s mouth twisted, and he gave his head a small, almost inconspicuous shake. “I’m trying to help out. The truth is...”

“What?” She gave him a pointed look.

“Nothin’.”

She let it drop, because anybody with eyes in their head could tell that Risk wasn’t the tycoon his brothers were. If he was, he wouldn’t have become a rodeo rider.

“What did you think about the history of the lodge?” she asked, steering the conversation out of personal territory.

“Kinda crazy...neither one of them wanted to give in for the sake of success.”

“So, you did read the articles.”

“I surely did. That brother and sister team mixed as well as oil and water.”

April nodded. “I don’t have a brother or a sister, but I would think one of them could’ve given in rather than see the lodge fail.”

“Yeah, those two were doomed from the get-go.”

It was sort of like her and Risk. Doomed from the beginning.

Luckily, because of the ring on her finger, all she had to think about was convincing Risk that the lodge was worth the investment.

* * *

Halfway into the drive, Risk turned to April. “The storm’s not really letting up. Let me know if you want to turn back.”

“No,” April said firmly. “I don’t think we need to. We’ve come this far.”

“Okay, fine by me.” Risk didn’t want to turn around, either. He wasn’t opposed to driving in the rain, and he was sort of enjoying the adventure with her. He’d been in a rut lately, trying to figure out where he fit in the world.

He liked listening to April’s melodic voice as she went into detail about JoAnna and Joseph Sutton, the twins who’d inherited the lodge some sixty years ago from their great-aunt. Her take on it was certainly more passionate and animated than any conversation they’d had before.

“JoAnna was a woman of the earth,” she said, “a free spirit who wanted to use the lodge as refuge for the enlightened of heart. She wanted bonfire parties and folksy dances, while Joseph was a hard-core outdoorsman who wanted to keep the rustic tone and promote it as a boating and fishing lodge.”

“Must’ve made for some crazy interaction between the guests,” he said. “Can you imagine the hunters and fisherman going head to head with the vegetarians? I’m sure it wasn’t pretty.”

“It was a total failure. Finally, they sold the lodge to a recluse. He liked the fact that it was remote, off the beaten path.”

“Is he the one selling the lodge?”

“No, he passed on. We’d be dealing with his grandson, Michael Hall. I can’t wait to show it to you. If we ever make it there.”

“We will, trust me,” Risk said, just as he hit a pothole in the road. The SUV bounded up in the air and landed with a huge muddy splash.

April gripped the handrail, color draining from her face.

“You okay?”

She gave him an unsure nod.

He reached for her hand clutching the seat and gave it a slight squeeze. “We’ll be fine. The SUV can take it.”

She slid her hand from his and slunk back in her seat, warily folding her arms across her middle.

There wasn’t much else he could say, so he shut his trap. It was better to forget the solid connection he’d felt when he grabbed her hand a few seconds ago. She was pretty and intelligent, and touching her quickened his pulse. For a man who hadn’t had sex in a while, it was dangerous territory.

And he wasn’t forgetting about that engagement ring on her finger. No, sir.

Rain pelted the windshield, and he concentrated on driving through the storm, the wipers giving him glimpses of what was ahead. He came to a low-lying bridge just around a curve in the road and slowed the car as the long wooden planks rattled under the tires. “It won’t be long now,” he told April and took a right-hand turn down a tree-lined road. April’s face relaxed in relief.