He slid out into the knee-deep snow and went around to the passenger side of the truck. He opened the door, reached behind the seat, and slung Rindy’s backpack over his shoulder. When he reached across her, undid her seatbelt, and scooped her from the seat, he nearly groaned at the feel of her against him. She was as light as a feather, and her scent and the warmness of her body made him ache to kiss her.
“Hey! I can walk on my own.” She squirmed to get down, but he held onto her firmly.
He laughed. “No sense in us both getting soaked. Anyway, the snow would probably come to your waist.” He tapped her gently on her cute little nose.
“No short jokes,” she scoffed.
He carried her to the front door, fished his key from his pocket, and unlocked the deadbolt. He let her slide slowly down his body, wondering if she could feel what she did to him. “I wasn’t making a joke, merely a statement. I like your size.”
She sucked in a breath when he pushed some of the pale, golden strands of hair behind her ear. He couldn’t resist the urge to sniff her, and he leaned close to her ear before inhaling her scent deep into his lungs. His heart pounded, and his skin grew hot while his cock demanded to claim her. He cupped her face and was encouraged by the way her pupils dilated at his touch. She was not unaffected by him, and that pleased him more than anything.
Her full lips parted when he rubbed his cheek lightly against hers. He had to kiss her. He couldn’t deny himself that one small pleasure any longer. He placed his mouth a breadth from hers. “Rindy.” Her name rasped from his throat in a desperate plea for her acquiescence.
She must have understood what he was asking by simply uttering her name. “Yes.”
He took her mouth gently, wanting to savor his first taste of her, and groaned. Her sweetness hit his blood like a drug. He cupped the side of her face with one hand and her nape with the other, pulled her closer, and deepened the kiss. She gasped, and he took advantage of the moment to dip his tongue inside. Her tongue touched his tentatively at first, but it grew bolder with each stroke, nearly matching the aggressiveness of his own.
He wanted to devour her, ached to be inside her. But he knew she wasn’t ready, yet would it be so bad of him to touch her just a little before he stopped? He slid his hand from her nape to cradle the back of her head. His fingers tangled in her thick mane of hair and anchored her to him. He glided his other hand from her jaw down the side of her neck, over her shoulder, and down her back. She rested her hands on his chest, and he trailed his fingers lightly down her ribcage, back up, and around, grazing the bottom of her breasts. Fire shot through him and overtook him, and savage need blinded him to all reason. He shoved her against the wall and blanketed her with his body. He growled as he kissed her and rotated his hips against her, leaving her in no doubt of his desire for her.
His breathing came in pants, and pure lust tore through his body as his hunger for her grew. Instinct to claim her chased all chivalrous thoughts from his mind. He had to have her. He devoured her mouth while he snaked his hand up under her shirt and pushed at the lace of her bra, until one small but perfect breast was exposed to his touch. The delicate nipple was budded into a tight peak, and his mouth watered at the thought of tasting it.
He left her lips, bunched her shirt in his hand then lifted it, and bent to fasten his mouth over her breast, sucking the nipple deep. She cried out and arched against him. Her skin was nearly as hot as his own, and he was so lost in the touch, taste, and scent of her, it took him awhile to realize her small hands were pushing against his shoulders.
“Please, Brent. Stop,” she gasped through ragged breaths.
He let her breast pop free of his mouth and got his own breathing under control before he pulled the fabric of her bra back in place and her shirt down. Her gray eyes were wide, and he slowly placed his hands on the wall, resting them on either side of her head.
“Rindy?” Damn. Even her name on his lips shot fire to his groin.
Her breaths came in gasps, and she didn’t answer him, just stared at him like a lost, wild animal.
“I’m sorry. I got carried away. I only meant to kiss you, but once I tasted you . . .” He shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“Can you show me where my room is now?” Her voice sounded small, fragile.
He sighed, backed up, and took her hand, knowing she wouldn’t accept it if he simply offered his hand to her.
Rindy’s body quivered. She’d never been kissed like that before. In fact, her kissing experience had been limited to a few clumsy attempts by boys at school. Brent was no boy, and his touch had made her feel things she’d never felt before. Her body ached for something she did not understand, and it confounded and intrigued her.
The cabin was gorgeous, and she’d never seen any place as stunning. The snow-capped trees that made up the thick woods surrounding the cabin were at least eighty feet tall and towered over the log abode. She had imagined how lovely the sight would be if she sat on the wraparound porch.
It was no less impressive on the inside. The furniture was simple, yet comfortable- looking. Rich burgundy, green, and blue colored the rugs, couches, and chairs. And the woodwork was incredible. Everywhere she looked were hand-carved pieces, a table here, a chair there.
He guided her down a hallway past two doors on the left and came to a stop at the end in front of another door on the right. Her room was just as pretty with a bed that looked to be hand- made from logs, and matching nightstands and dresser with more of the same rich-colored blankets and rugs dotting the room.
“This is breath-taking.”
“Thank you. It took a long time to get everything just right.”
“You did all of this yourself?”
He nodded. “Yes. I built the cabin and all of the wood pieces you see.”
“Y-you built all of this?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
“People would pay a lot of money for your talent, Brent. Do you know that?” She could not believe that he’d done all of this. It was amazing.
“I don’t know about that. I wasn’t worried about what other people thought.” He furrowed his brows. “Well, maybe what one other person thought.”
He must be talking about his mate. She was beginning to think whoever she was, was going to be one lucky girl. Not only could he create some of the most gorgeous things she’d ever seen, but he was sexy as hell, and his kisses weren’t bad either.
“Well, it is stunning.” Brent Falls was one talented man.
He walked to a door beside the dresser. This is your bathroom. There’s another one down the hall, the second door on the left we passed. The first is my room. “Are you hungry again?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. I’d like to take a bath, if you don’t mind.
After that, I might be.”
“Okay. I’ll find something to cook for us.”
“You cook, too?” How had he not found his mate yet? He was almost too good to be true.
He gave her a lopsided grin that made her feel a little tingly. “Not all males are useless, you know.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
He chuckled, and she laughed. It felt really good to laugh. He watched her with those smoldering eyes for a few moments before he left.
He called over his shoulder. “I’ll see you in awhile.”
“Okay.”
By the time she’d unpacked and taken her shower—which was in the biggest walk-in shower she’d ever seen—she was getting hungry. She’d towel-dried her hair, and it hung in loose waves around her shoulders. She’d thrown on a pair of her favorite faded jeans and a black T-shirt, slipped on some socks and her sneakers, and was ready to explore some more. She walked down the hallway and into the living room. A pair of sliding glass doors was in the far corner, and she went to check the view out.