Tina Beckett - Flirting With The Boss

Shivering, Lori walked to the fireplace and added some logs. With the aid of the gas starter, flames shot over the wood. She sat on the hearth, feeling warmth begin to seep through her chilled body.

Once warmed, she got up and looked around. The kitchen was tucked in the back side of the structure, revealing granite counters and dark cabinets.

She checked out the two bedrooms and a bath on the main floor. Then she climbed up to the loft and found another bedroom. One of the walls was all windows with a view of the forest. She walked into the connecting bathroom. This one had a soaker tub and a huge walk-in shower.

“I guess if you have to be stranded in a snowstorm, a mountain retreat isn’t a bad place to be.” At least she’d stay warm until someone found her. When? Next spring?

She came back downstairs trying to think of a plan to get her back to town, when a sudden noise drew her attention. She froze as the door opened and Jace Yeager walked in.

“Jace!” she cried and leaped into his arms.

He held her close and whispered, “I take it you’re happy to see me.”

Jace didn’t want to let Lori go. Thank God, she was safe. When he found her deserted car, he wasn’t sure if she would find cover.

He pulled back. “Are you crazy, woman? Why did you go out in this weather?”

She blinked back the obvious tears in her eyes. “It wasn’t this bad when I started out. Besides, I didn’t think it was that far. I tried to go back when the weather turned, but my car got stuck. How did you know where I went?”

“I stopped by the bank. Erin was worried because she couldn’t get ahold of you.”

“No cell service.”

Jace pulled out his phone and examined it. “I have a few bars.” He walked toward the front door, where the signal seemed to be a little stronger. “I’ll call the Keenans.” He punched in the number and prayed he could get a message out. Tim answered.

“Tim. It’s Jace.” He went on to explain what had happened and that Lori was with him. Most importantly they were safe. He asked Tim to keep Cassie, then to call Lori’s sister and let her know they wouldn’t be back tonight. “Tell Cassie I love her and not to worry.”

He flipped the phone closed and looked around the large room, then he turned back to Lori. “Tim will call Gina and let her know you’re okay.”

Lori’s eyes widened. “We’re not going back now?”

He shook his head. “Can’t risk it. The storm is too bad so we’re safer staying put.” That was only partly true. He glanced around, knowing being alone with Lori wasn’t safe anywhere. “I’d say this isn’t a bad place to be stranded in.” He looked at her. “This is one of your properties?”

She nodded. “I think my father came here … to get away.”

Jace grinned. “So this was Lyle’s secret hideaway?”

Lori frowned. “Please, I don’t want that picture in my mind.”

Jace looked around at the structure. “Well, whatever he used it for, it’s well built. And it seems to have all the modern conveniences.”

He went on a search, and found two bedrooms, then a utility room off the kitchen. There was a large generator and tankless water system. “Bingo,” he called to Lori. “All the conveniences of home. In fact, it’s better than back home.” He nodded to the fire. “Propane gas for the kitchen stove and most importantly there’s heat.”

Lori looked at him. “You really think my father used this place for his own personal use?”

Jace shrugged. “Or he let clients use it. Come on, Lori, did you think your father lived like a monk?”

She shrugged. “Truthfully, I hadn’t thought much about my father’s personal business in a long time. So what if he came here.” She walked to the kitchen. “Maybe we should look for something to eat.” Opening the cabinets, she found some canned goods, soup, beans and tuna.

Jace opened the refrigerator. Empty, but the freezer was filled with different cuts of meat, steaks, chicken. “I’ll say one thing about Lyle. He believed in being prepared.” He pulled out two steaks. “Hungry?”

She arched an eyebrow. “Are you cooking?”

“Hey, I can cook.” He took the meat from the package, put it on a plate and into the microwave to defrost. “I’ve been on my own for a long time.”

Lori had wondered about his childhood since he’d mentioned that he’d been in foster care. “How old were you?”

“At eighteen they release you. So you’re on your own,” he told her as he found a can of green beans in another cabinet. “I got a job working construction and signed up for college classes.”

Jace didn’t have it much better than she did, Lori thought. “That had to be hard for you.”

“Not too bad,” Jace said. “I found out later, I had a small inheritance from my parents. It was in trust until I turned twenty-five.” He turned on the broiler in the oven then washed his hands. “I used it to start my company. Yeager Construction.”

Lori found she liked listening to Jace talk. He was a confident man, in his words and movements. Okay, so she more than liked him.

The microwave dinged and he took out the meat. “How about a little seasoning for your steak?” He held up a small jar.

“Sure.”

He added the rub to the meat. She watched as he worked efficiently to prepare the meal. She couldn’t help but wonder about how those broad hands and tapered fingers would feel against her skin.

She suddenly heard her name and looked at him. “What?”

He gave her an odd look. “How do you like your steak?”

“Any way you fix it is fine,” she said, not really caring at all. Then he smiled and she couldn’t find enough air to draw into her lungs.

He winked. “Medium rare it is,” he said and slid the tray into the broiler.

Pull it together, girl , she told herself then went to the cupboard. She got out two plates and some flatware from the drawer, then set the table by the fire. No need for candles. She glanced around the room. It looked so intimate.

She went and found a can of pineapple and opened it, then heated the green beans just as the steaks came off the broiler.

Jace added another log to the fire, then they sat down to dinner. “Man, this looks good. Too bad we can’t do a salad and some garlic bread.”

“I find it amazing that there’s so much food here.”

“Your father struck me as well prepared. Hold on a minute.” He got up, went into the utility room and came out with a bottle of wine. “In every way.”

He opened the bottle and poured two glasses. He took them to the table, sat in his chair and began to cut his steak. “If he used this place, he wanted all the comforts money could buy,” Jace said, nodding to the wine.

“I’m wondering who he shared all this with.”

Jace took a drink. “You might never know. One thing for sure, Lyle had good taste.”

She took a sip from her glass, too, and had to agree. Then she began to eat, discovering she was hungry. “I guess I’m still the daughter who wonders why he was such a loner, not even finding time for his only child.”

“We can spend hours on that subject.” Jace continued to eat. “Some people aren’t cut out for the job of parenting.”

She hated that her father’s rejection still bothered her after all these years. She wanted to think she’d moved on. Maybe not.

She turned her attention back to the conversation. “Shelly hated anything to do with being a mother,” Jace said. “That’s why I can’t let her have Cassie.”

“Does Cassie want to live with her mother?”

“Cassie wants to be loved by her mother, but my ex is too selfish. She’s been jealous of her daughter since her birth. And I’ll do anything to prevent Cassie from taking a backseat to that. I know how it feels.”