That First Christmas
Meredith Gunter has always been Daddy’s little girl. Spoiled all her life, she’s never had to ask for anything and expects to get exactly what she wants. When she wrecks her car on the way home from college for Christmas break, she finds herself stranded on the mountain in the middle of a snowstorm, in a one-room cabin with a man she can’t help but want.
Travis Gregory has lived alone on the mountain for the last four years. He has little contact with the outside world and prefers it that way. When he spots a girl on the side of the road, his conscience won’t let him abandon her. The redhead captivates him instantly.
Worlds collide when Travis and Meredith try to co-exist in his one room cabin. Can they fight their growing attraction when the nights get longer and the storm isolates them from the rest of the world? Can two people, from such different worlds, ever truly be happy together?
That First Christmas
by
Lily Graison
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2008 Lily Graison
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
* * * *
Prologue
"This is the last one," Emily said, placing the box in her hands on the table. "It was in the corner of the attic. I almost missed it."
Meredith slid the box to her and opened it, taking a look inside. A ball of tangled Christmas lights lay on top and she tossed them aside before digging further into the box.
"Oh, this stuff is old," she said. A few mismatched ornaments she'd never thrown away lay within, old Christmas cards, crumpled wrapping paper, smashed bows and an assortment of ribbons and gift wrap tags. "I don't think there's anything worth using in this one. It's just rubbish. We'll toss it out with the other stuff."
"Maybe Nicholas could use some of it for that little tree he has in his room," Emily said, grabbing a snowman with a lopsided grin from the depths of the box.
Meredith smiled. "Oh, he'd love that. I'm sure he could find something in here to use," she said. "There's more than enough to decorate one small tree."
Digging to the bottom, Meredith's hand stilled when she eyed an old paper angel. Her eyes widened when she saw it and she reached for it, pulling it from the box.
The origami angel had been made with a page from a magazine, the colored ink faded over the years. The angel itself was crumpled and bent, but it wasn't the shape of the handmade ornament that sent Meredith's thoughts racing.
She smiled and held the angel in her hands as if it were made of glass. Of every holiday decoration she'd accumulated over the years, this one brought the best memories.
The memories of that first Christmas.
* * * *
Chapter 1
December 1998
Meredith Gunter sat stunned, staring out the front window of her car. The tree she'd run into laid across the cold, bent metal of her brand new car. Smoke billowed from under the crumpled hood and when she looked behind her, up the steep incline she'd just driven her car down, a bubble of hysterics surfaced and she let out a series of ear shattering screams.
With her lungs aching, her throat hoarse, and her entire body shaking, Meredith took deep breaths to try and calm down. She closed her eyes, hummed quietly to center her thoughts, and felt better when she opened them.
A quick glance around the interior of her car and she spotted her purse on the floor and reached for it. Digging her cell phone out, she dialed her father's number and waited.
Three long beeps later, a scream of frustration filled the air. "No signal" flashed on the screen and she threw the phone back to the floor before looking out her driver's side window.
"Nothing but trees," she mumbled while she stared out at the surrounding forest.
The day was overcast; the sky was gray and thick with heavy, low-lying clouds. Meredith glanced up, squinting as something fluttered by the window and her eyes widened a moment later. "Oh, please tell me that isn't snow!" she said, watching the small white flakes dance in the breeze. "This is just perfect."
Oh, take the short cut Meredith. It never snows this early in the year. The words she'd thought earlier mocked her now and she frowned before turning her head to look up the hill.
She unlocked her door, opened it, and climbed out, wrapping her coat around her body to protect her against the wind.
The climb up the hill was difficult. Her high-heel boots sunk into the soft ground and she grunted as she slipped and fell to one knee, cursing her now ruined white slacks, and was out of breath by the time she made it to the road.
There was nothing but wet pavement and trees as far as the eye could see.
The small furry animal that darted in front of her, and caused her to swerve to begin with, was nowhere in sight. "Figures," she said to herself, turning to look back down the hill at her car. The back of it wasn't even visible from the road unless you knew where to look. Trees surrounded it on all sides. It was dented and long sections of paint had been scratched off to the metal where she sideswiped the trees on the way down.
Her graduation present was now nothing but junk.
Meredith nibbled her bottom lip, looking at the surrounding forest. The last town she'd seen was at the base of the mountain and there was no way she was walking the now, snow covered roads.
She tried to remember if there were any houses near by. It had been almost a year since she'd taken this short cut. She cursed her stupidity. Why had she been in such a hurry to get home? She couldn't even remember, now.
The wind gusted and she shivered, pulling her coat tighter around her. She needed to do something. She couldn't stand on the side of the road all day. "I can't very well sit in the car either, can I? No one can even see it."
She groaned, her shoulders slumping, and felt tears burning the back of her eyes. "Dear God," she said, looking up and blinking the snow catching on her eyelashes away. "If you can hear me, it's Meredith. I know I've been kind of bad lately, and I really did want to go to church every Sunday, but if I had missed those parties on Saturday night, no one would have liked me, and you wouldn't want me to be a social leper now, would you? Anyway, I'm in trouble. Can you please send someone to help me?"
Meredith smiled into the heavens (just to be safe) and waited. The wind blew harder as the minutes ticked by and she bounced on her heels to try and keep warm. Her fingers were numb, her nose frozen to the point it was starting to run, and the snow on the ground getting deeper by the second.
Glancing at her car, she gave the road one last look before darting to the edge of the grass and started back down the hill. She'd made it half way down when she heard it. A vehicle barreling up the road.
She turned back, rushing up the hill and looked both ways, trying to see where the car was. She saw it seconds later. Only it wasn't a car. It was a truck. If you wanted to call it that.
A large, beat up, red pick-up truck was flying up the road. A roll bar jutted up over the cab and blaring music disturbed the stillness around her. It was missing the front bumper and the hood was a different color than the rest of it. She raised one eyebrow as it approached. If the truck were that ratty, what would the person inside be like? "Oh lord. It's probably some snaggle-toothed mountain man who hasn't seen a woman in years. Hide, Meredith, before he spots you."
She didn't have to worry. The truck flew past her like she wasn't even there, a wave of wet earth and snow slush splashing up and covering her in its wake. She gasped in shock, looking down as the brown water dripped off of her and shivered when she felt it soaking into her clothes. Her hair hung in long, wet tendrils in front of her face and she felt goose bumps pimple her skin as a sudden gust of wind chilled her to the bone.
Meredith stood stunned, staring down at her self before she blinked, raising a hand to wipe the gunk off her face and finally screamed in frustration. She looked to her right, the direction the truck had gone, and straightened her spine, yelling, "You asshole! I was standing here!"
The taillights flashed red and the truck slid to a stop. It idled in the road for long seconds and Meredith's temper flared hot by the time it started the slow, backward trek to where she stood.
When it stopped in front of her, Meredith raised her hand, pushing her wet hair out of her face and looked up.
The tires were huge. It lifted the entire truck up in the air, preventing her from seeing who was inside through the window.
The passenger side door opened a moment later.
"Are you all right?
"Do I look all right to you?" she snapped. "Look at me! I'm soaking wet, thanks to you, and probably catching pneumonia as I speak. What kind of backwards hillbilly drives past a woman on the side of the road like she isn't even there?"
"I didn't see you until it was too late."
"Obviously," she spat. "Now, I demand you take me to town."
He raised a brow at her. It was then Meredith took a good look at him. It was her first mistake. She'd seen many good-looking men in her life but never once had any of them made her pulse quicken with just a glance.
The man in the truck looking down at her was beautiful. His onyx locks brushed his shoulders and she could see a few curls where it lay on the collar of his coat. Big, bright blue eyes stared back at her, cheekbones she would have to pay to have graced his square face with a full, sensual mouth that looked like it was made for kissing. A shadow of dark stubble covered his chin and she tilted her head when a flash of straight, white teeth gleamed at her.
"Hey, I'm just trying to help, lady. What are you doing out here?" he asked.
"Huh?" she said, dreamily.
"On the side of the road? In a snow storm?"
Meredith felt warm all of a sudden and almost sighed at the perfection in front of her. How could any one man be so gorgeous?
A chill wind snapped her out of her stupor. She blinked when a cold drop of water hit her cheek and glanced down at her clothes. She was soaking wet. Standing on the side of the road looking like a drowned rat and what was she doing? Ogling the Adonis who ruined her clothes when she should be pissed at him instead.
She straightened her spine, lifted her head, and tried to give him the best, irritated, stern look she had. It didn't work. When she opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, a wave of dizziness weakened her knees and caused the world to spin.
"I don't feel so good," she said, dazed. Her vision blurred suddenly and she managed to say, "I wrecked my car," before the world tilted on its axis.
Meredith blinked several times, lifting her hand to the side of her head. It was throbbing all of a sudden. She heard the man say something and looked back at him. His eyes were wide, his lips moving, but all she heard was loud, screeching sounds inside her head.
A glance at her hand and her own eyes widened. Blood. Her blood. She looked up, startled. "I'm bleeding," she said.
The last thing she saw was him reaching for her.
* * *
"Feeling better?"
Meredith turned her head, looking for the owner of the voice. She saw him an instant later, kneeling in front of the fireplace, adding wood logs to the growing blaze.
"Where am I?"
"My cabin," he said, standing.
"Your cabin?" She looked around the room. There were two chairs, a sofa, which she was occupying, a table by the left hand wall, and a bed on the wall opposite the only door she could see. One room? She was in a one-room shack with.
She glanced at the man standing by the fire and her eyes widened. It was the Adonis from the road.
"Why am I here?" she asked.
"You fainted."
"Oh."
"You've got a cut on your head but it doesn't need stitches. I didn't see anything else wrong with you. Are you in pain?"
Pain? Meredith squinted, doing a mental check and shook her head. "No. Nothing hurts other than my head."
"Good. The cut will heal. You'll have a headache for a while, but other than that, you'll be fine."
He walked across the room and disappeared behind the sofa. She could hear him moving things around and lifted her head to see what he was doing.
A small kitchen was behind her and another door that was closed. She sat up and that's when she noticed her clothes. Or rather, her lack of clothes. "Oh my god, I'm naked!" she screamed, lying back down. Her head pounded instantly and she grabbed the blanket draped across her, holding it to her chin. "You perv! You took off my clothes?"
"They were wet and I didn't want you ruining my sofa."
"So you stripped me naked?"
"Not completely."
Meredith glanced under the blanket and noticed her bra and panties were still on. Not that that relieved her any. Of all days to wear her string bikini's, she thought. Lace, see-through at that.
Clutching the blanket to her, she leaned up and glared at him over the back of the sofa. "Why am I here? I distinctly remember telling you to take me to town."
He leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms over his chest. Meredith let her gaze travel the length of him. He was one big man. She'd bet her Gucci handbag he was well over six foot tall. His shoulders were wide and his torso tapered nicely to slim hips.
She looked back at his face when he spoke.
"Town is thirty-five miles in the other direction, down the mountain, and it's snowing. I wasn't taking a risk of getting stuck there, not even for you. Besides, you wrecked your car less than five miles from my front door. It made more sense to come here instead."
"You made it up the mountain in the snow. You can make it back down again." When he just stood there staring at her, Meredith added, "I can pay you."
"I don't need your money," he said. "And even if I did, it would be useless now."
"Why?" she asked, curious.
"The storm has picked up. It's almost a total white-out."
"What storm? What's a white-out?"
Meredith saw him roll his eyes before pushing off the cabinet and walking to the door. He yanked it open, pulling it wide, and the gust of wind that shot through the doorway caused the fire to hiss and sway and raised goose bumps on her skin.
The snow was blinding, falling in what looked like a steady sheet. She could hear the small pings of sleet hitting the floor as it fell inside the cabin. She looked at the mountain man, her face obviously showing him how defeated she felt, for he shut the door as quickly as he'd opened it.
"You've kidnapped me."
"Not hardly," he said. "More like the other way around."
"Huh?"
"I don't like visitors. Trust me when I say you being here is more trouble than I want. If it were possible, I'd be more than happy to escort you down my mountain."
Meredith frowned at the look on his face. "You don't have to be so sullen about it," she said. "I'm the one being put out here."
"If you say so, princess."
He walked back to the kitchen and Meredith watched him, curiously. For such a handsome man, he was moodier than all her sorority sisters with a severe cause of PMS. He puttered around the kitchen, putting things away, and Meredith finally noticed something was cooking. Her stomach growled an instant later.
"I'm hungry. And I want something to wear. I appreciate your hospitality, but I'm not giving you any more peek shows."
He turned his head, looking over his shoulder. "Are you usually this irritating or is it because of the head trauma?"
"I don't think I'm irritating. I just say what's on my mind."
"You demanded I take you to town three seconds after I set eyes on you. You're demanding clothes and, I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think you just demanded I feed you. Did I miss anything?"
"Yes," she said, lifting her chin. "Now that you mention it. I want a bath. You did splash, lord only knows what on me, with that hideous truck of yours."
He turned around to face her, leaning his head to one side. "What's your name?"
"Meredith Gunter. And you?"
"Gunter?" he said with a raised brow. "Any relation to Willis Gunter?"
Meredith smiled. "He's my father."
He glanced away and Meredith saw his jaw clench a second before he inhaled deeply. When he looked back at her, she shrank back. The calm, almost bored expression his face held earlier was now full of pain and anger. Did he know her father?
"Do you know him?"
He was silent for so long, Meredith didn't think he was going to answer. He turned his back to her, his shoulders lifting as he inhaled and his voice was dull and troubled.
"Travis Gregory."
"Huh?" she said. "Who's that?"
He laughed but there wasn't any humor in the sound. "Me. I'm Travis Gregory."
"Oh," she said.
Travis took another deep breath, letting his anger go before turning around. Meredith was peeking over the back of the sofa, her large, green eyes glistening in the low light of the room.
If someone had told him that Willis Gunter had fathered this girl, he would have laughed in their face. It just didn't seem possible.
Willis Gunter was tall and gangly with a stick up his ass so far he walked with a permanent limp. Not to mention, he wasn't much to look at. Completely gray headed, he looked too old to be this girl's father.
Her hair laid flat against her head and was coated with dirt from the road sludge he'd accidentally splashed on her, but from what he could tell, she had a long mane of auburn hair. He was almost positive it didn't come from a bottle. A light dusting of freckles ran over the bridge of her nose and her skin was a smooth, creamy apricot.
Maybe she was adopted.
Walking to the small portion of the cabin used for his bedroom, he pulled open a drawer on the dresser and found a shirt and a pair of sweat pants. They'd swallow her whole but it's the best he could do. She'd just have to deal.
Walking to the bathroom, he opened the door, flipped on the lights, and laid the bundle of clothes down on the cabinet. He looked under the sink, searching for the spare toothbrush he'd been saving while the other wore completely out. He found it and laid it with the clothes, along with clean towels and a washcloth before walking back to the main room.
"You're welcome to use the shower," he said, making his way to the kitchen. "Supper will be ready shortly."
She didn't move for a few minutes, but when she did, he almost laughed. She darted past him in a blur of blankets. He heard the shower come on a few minutes later. He busied himself with cooking; setting two plates on the table instead of one. He found the sight odd. He couldn't remember ever having anyone here for supper. He'd just finished setting the food on the table when the bathroom door opened.
"Is this the smallest thing you have?" she asked.
Travis looked up at her and couldn't help but smile. She looked like a child playing dress up. His t-shirt hung to her knees and the pants he'd given her to wear were being held up in her hand. He realized then how tiny she actually was. She couldn't be more than five-five, if even that. She was slim and looked like a porcelain doll, her milky skin glowing healthy and pink from the shower. Her hair was still wet but he could tell it was definitely a natural auburn.
He nodded and said, "Afraid so. As you can see, there's no one here but me."
She frowned and looked down at herself. "I look like a street person."
"Maybe so, but you're clean and about to have a full stomach. Complain about the clothes later."
She shuffled across the room, tripping twice on the pants legs, before cursing under her breath and opening her hand, letting the pants fall to the floor. She shrugged a shoulder at him when he raised a dark brow and stepped out of the pants before walking to the table and sitting down.
"Mmm… If this tastes as good as it smells, I'm going to be one happy girl, despite the fact you're holding me hostage. What is it?"
Travis gave her a small grin and filled her plate before filling his own. "Stew."
She was eating before he even sat down.
They ate in silence; the only sounds in the room were the firewood popping and the scrape of silverware on the plates. When Meredith ate the last bite, she sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair.
"That was the best beef stew I've ever tasted. I didn't think you could get good beef up here in hill country."
Travis looked at her, hiding a smile behind his napkin. "The mountain is full of meat."
"You have cows on the mountain?" she asked wide-eyed.
He laughed, tossing his napkin in his plate and stood. "No, we don't have cows on the mountain. It was deer."
He started clearing the table, making several trips to the kitchen before he noticed her complexion had paled. "What's wrong? You don't look too good."
She looked up and her eyes, he noticed, were glassy. "Deer?" she squeaked. "As in… Bambi? That kind of deer!"
"There aren't any other kind, are there?"
"Oh, I think I'm going to be sick," she whined, laying a hand to her stomach.
He laughed and finished clearing the dishes. She sat at the table, staring at nothing and taking deep breaths. When she raised a hand to her mouth, his eyes widened. "Do not get sick on my table," he said. "I may have rescued you, and fed you, but I won't play nurse maid because you have a sensitive stomach."
"You could have told me," she whined.
"I didn't think it would matter."
"Well, it does."
Travis stared at her for long moments before shaking his head. "Are you a vegetarian?"
"No," she said. "I just… well… oh, come on! It's Bambi. You've seen him, right? He's so cute."
"Bambi is a cartoon character," Travis grinned. "I prefer the live versions myself. They taste better."
"Ugh, you're such a crude, evil man."
She moved to the sofa and Travis caught himself staring at her. The t-shirt he'd given her was white and the firelight filtered through it, outlining her curves in perfect clarity. She had an hourglass figure. Wide flaring hips, a thin waist, and he saw just a hint of firm, round breast when she walked around the sofa he felt himself harden instantly.
When was the last time he'd seen a naked woman? A few hours ago, his subconscious reminded him. When you stripped her bare, right there in your living room. He clenched his jaw, seeing it all in his mind's eye. He'd tried to keep her covered as he slipped her clothes from her but he wasn't completely successful. He didn't see much but what he did was enough to make him wish he hadn't. He'd never get that vision out of his head. The tiny bra and panties she wore were see through and he'd tossed the blanket on top of her like she'd catch on fire if he didn't.
He shook his head and crossed the room, walking to the door. Grabbing his coat from the peg on the wall, he said, "We'll need more firewood. I'll be back in a few minutes."
He practically ran into the frozen world outside his small cabin. The biting chill instantly took control of his raging hormones. All the blood rushing to his groin was now traveling north, where it should be. He'd been on this mountain too long, apparently. Too damn long.
* * * *
Chapter 2
Meredith watched Travis drop his third load of wood into the bin by the wall with a raised eyebrow. How much wood could you burn in one night?
He'd been in and out of the cabin several times and never once had he looked at her. Had she offended him with her comments about supper? She doubted it, but he was suddenly acting strange. Well, not that she knew him well enough to know how he acted when being normal. Not that it mattered. The man could be a loon and she'd still want to look at him. It shouldn't be legal to walk around in public and look like he did.
Maybe that's why he lives up here alone. She laughed at the thought and turned her head when he walked back in. He did glance at her that time and paused for a second before shutting the door.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, why?" she asked.
"You were laughing when I walked in."
"Oh! I was just thinking," she told him.
He tossed the wood logs in his arms into the bin. "You don't have any history of mental illness in your family, do you?"
"No! I'm perfectly normal, thank you very much."
"A normal, spoiled little rich girl?"
She gasped. "I'm not rich. My daddy is, though."
Travis laughed. "So you're just spoiled?"
"No, I'm not spoiled. I deserve all my stuff."
"I'm sure you do, princess."
Meredith frowned at him and picked up the towel she'd been trying to dry her hair with. The wet strands still hung in clumps and she knew it would be nothing but frizz by the time it air-dried. What normal person doesn't own a hairdryer? she thought, running the thick cloth through her locks again. It would take hours for her hair to dry at this rate. She'd moved closer to the fire, leaning her head toward it in hopes the heat would speed the process along but so far all she'd managed to do was break a sweat. She'd need another shower before too long.
She watched Travis when he removed his coat, hanging it on the peg by the door, and crossed the room. He sat on the sofa, leaned down, and started taking off his boots. That's when the reality of her situation hit her. She was alone with a perfect stranger. In his home. In the middle of the forest.
Her pulse quickened an instant later. This is a horror movie in the making if I've ever seen one.
She took an admiring look at him from head to toe and her frown turned into a tiny smile. She'd never seen a horror movie villain look so damned yummy before.
Maybe this was one of those sappy chick-flicks instead, she thought. The lost heroine in need of rescuing. A cozy fire. The burly mountain man who'd been too long without a woman. Yeah, she liked this scenario better. Now if said mountain man would just strip off those clothes and show her what she could expect from their love scene, she'd have a better picture of how the happily ever after would play out.
She could only imagine what those clothes hid. He obviously did a lot of manual labor. That firewood didn't chop itself. He's probably cut like a diamond. All hard lines and lickable, with muscles where most men didn't even know they existed.
The thought made her mouth water.
"Whatever you're thinking about, stop."
"Huh?"
Travis gave her a brief look and stood quickly, walking across the room. He grabbed clothes and was in the bathroom a second later.
Meredith stared at the closed door and blinked twice before shaking her head.
* * *
The cold shower did nothing to stop the thoughts of her. It especially did nothing to erase the image of her, sitting there with the fire at her back, and a look on her face that sent chills racing up his spine. He'd seen that look before. Lord knew it had been ages since he had, but he remembered it. Lust wasn't easy to disguise. It quickened the breath and made a person's eyes go all soft and dreamy. Meredith had that look. For a split second, he saw it, and it was directed at him.
The fire at her back didn't help either. It caused the outline of her body to tease him through the transparent shirt she was wearing. When had his t-shirts become so thin? Maybe it was just the color. He should have given her black. He would tomorrow. And the day after that.
Leaning his head forward, he shivered as the water ran over his back. A glance down caused him to grimace. The sight of his hardened cock taunted him. The cold water did nothing to dissuade it. Of all the times to get a case of an uncontrollable erection. Of course, his cock wasn't to blame. Or even him for that matter. It was her. Meredith. With her flowing red hair, pert nose and large eyes that glistened like emeralds. Those soft pink lips, so full and lush… he could see them wrapped around his cock, pulling him into her mouth, and he moaned an instant before he realized he was slowly stroking himself.
He stilled his hand. How long had it been since he'd been with a woman? He thought back, trying to remember and shuddered at the thought. Five years? Six? Too damned long since the scent of perfume had stained his skin… since being able to feel soft flesh under his palms… since kissing someone and getting lost in the taste of them.
He shuddered and shook his head, sighing heavily and giving in to his desire. He could see her face so clearly, picture her under him, her body slick and wet while she screamed his name, and his long abstinence made the act last only seconds. He was almost ashamed at how quickly he came. He wasn't some adolescent boy, but as he watched his spendings wash down the drain, he felt like one.
He showered quickly, drying, and dressing in a t-shirt and sweat pants. He felt almost self-conscious as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
What did Meredith see when she looked at him?
He could definitely use a shave and his hair was too long. It probably needed to be cut. He ran his hand through it, pushing the wet locks back away from his face. He felt ridiculous all of a sudden. When was the last time he cared what anyone thought of him?
When a smart mouth redhead called him a backwards hillbilly.
Before he could question why, his chin was lathered with shaving cream and his razor was in his hand. He shaved away days worth of stubble and gave his appearance another look when he was finished. Would a girl like Meredith find someone like him attractive? Apparently she did, he thought, recalling the earlier look she'd been giving him. Did it matter though? She was Meredith Gunter. Daughter to the devil himself.
Bracing his hands on the sink, he stared down at nothing, letting the past replay in his minds eye. What would she think if she ever found out what he'd done? Did it matter? Once the storm cleared and he took her to town, he'd never see her again. She didn't need to know. Besides, girls like her didn't want men like him. He was nobody. A man so poor the only thing he could offer her was a drafty old cabin that should have fallen to the ground years ago.
"You're over thinking this, Travis," he said quietly to himself. "She's the first person you've said over ten words to in months. Don't let it go to your head. Either of them."
Shaking his thoughts away, he turned and opened the bathroom door and stopped. Meredith was lying in front of the fire, her mass of copper locks spilling out on the rug and dancing in highlights from the fire flames. The t-shirt she wore rode up her legs, giving him a glimpse of pale thigh. She looked like a woodland nymph. Soft curves and a beauty so enchanting he was sure she was beckoning him to certain doom. And she would. He knew in that instant that this girl would be his undoing. She'd build him up and tear him down, piece by agonizing piece.
Worst part was, he'd probably let her.
He sighed and walked across the room, stopping when he neared her. A look at her face confirmed what he'd thought. She was asleep.
Walking to the bed, he pulled down the blankets before crossing the room to where she lay. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently. She whispered something under her breath, snuggling into the mattress and tucked her hands under her chin. Her soft breaths the only sound in the room other than the hissing fire.
A tendril of her hair fell over her cheek, trailing across her lips. Travis lifted it, tucked it gently behind her ear, and sat on the edge of the bed, watching her.
One day, he thought. It took her only one day to destroy the cold exterior he'd constructed around his heart and make him wonder. To make him want things he shouldn't have. A simple smile at him and he'd been undone. Years of forced isolation and one wisp of a girl made him want. Made him want what he'd never had but gave up without a second thought.
He wanted… he wanted what everyone else had. He wanted to belong, to be accepted, to be wanted. He wanted her, he suddenly realized. All of her. The smart mouth, her ditzy ramblings, and the tinkling laughter he'd heard.
He wanted Meredith Gunter. But he couldn't have her.
* * * *
Chapter 3
Meredith woke warmed to the bone and her limbs felt languid and heavy. She sighed, burrowing down in the blankets and inhaled deeply. An unfamiliar scent assaulted her immediately.
Her eyes snapped open and she stared at the wall in front of her. A quick glance around the room and she remembered. She'd wrecked her car and was rescued by Travis, mountain man made by the gods.
She grinned and turned her head, taking in his scent from the pillows. It was earthy and strong. It smelled of fresh air and nature. She could get used to that scent. She could get used to him, or would like to.
Her smile widened and she sat up, pushing her hair out of her face and looked around the cabin. It was empty. A quick glance to the open bathroom door let her know he wasn't there either. "Probably out doing more manly stuff," she said, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and taking advantage of the bathroom.
Walking to the kitchen after tidying her appearance, she saw a note propped up on the stove.
Breakfast is in the oven. It's not deer.
She grinned and opened the oven door, pulling the covered plate from inside. It was still warm. Finding a fork in the fourth drawer she looked in, she walked to the table and sat. Bacon, eggs, fried potatoes and toast. He'd fixed all that and she slept the entire time? "Geez, sleep like the dead, why don't you, Meredith," she said, rolling her eyes at herself before digging into her breakfast.
She ate quickly, washing her plate and sitting it in the dish drainer by the sink. She smiled at the clean plate. For once, she didn't have someone standing by to do everything for her. Well, except cook. Travis would have to handle that. Lord knows she couldn't boil water without help.
Turning to the living room, she stared at the cabin. It was clean, she noticed. A little bare, but clean.
The furniture gave her pause when she looked at it. She'd seen similar pieces at the ski resort they'd visited last winter in Aspen. Made from real wood timber, the framing of the chairs and sofa looked like raw branches, their limbs curved in places and knotted. It looked more like art than actual furniture and she wondered what someone like Travis was doing with such expensive furnishings in his tiny, one room cabin.
Other than the furniture, there was nothing to see. No pictures, no whatnots lying about. No special touches that made a home… well, a home. There wasn't even a television. The only things adorning the walls were a calendar by the door and a mounted deer head over the fireplace. Why did that piece of adornment not surprise her? She grimaced at the thing. It was looking at her.
She stared at it for long minutes, easing around the sofa while keeping an eye on it. No matter where she went, the thing followed her every move!
Grabbing the blanket off the back of the sofa, she unfolded it and walked slowly to the fireplace. Holding the blanket at both ends, she tossed it up and smiled as it caught on the antlers. "Now who are you going to look at, huh?" she said, cheekily.
She nodded her head at her accomplishment and looked around the room again. She sighed at the sparse cabin. How did anyone live so.
There wasn't even a word to describe what she saw.
What this place needed was a woman's touch. She smiled and crossed her arms under her breasts. "Where to start," she said. There wasn't much to work with. Every thing was dark. The cloth on the furniture, the blankets, the rugs on the floor. Every thing was either brown, black or dark burgundy. Even the curtains on the two windows in the cabin were dark.
A little light would do wonders, she thought, walking across the room and pulling the curtain on the living room window back. Muted light spilled into the room. It was still snowing. The sky gray and uninviting. She could see Travis' truck covered in several inches of snow. A break in the trees, she assumed, led to the main road. What she didn't see was Travis.
Walking to the kitchen, she pulled the curtain back and looked out. Nothing but snow and ice covered trees as far as the eye could see.
Why would anyone want to live here?
Turning, she sighed and leaned back against the kitchen cabinet and once again stared at the barren cabin. "This place will drive me crazy," she said to no one. "It's so… boring."
Walking to the door, Meredith opened it, and looked out. Nothing. Just snow. No Travis. No sound other than the wind whistling through the trees.
"I think I died in that crash and went to hell."
Explain Travis then?
"Okay, nothing that fine could be in hell," she said and nibbled on her bottom lip while she thought. "Maybe I'm in a coma? I'm in a hospital, hooked up to life support, and my subconscious mind is projecting his image. And making you lust after him." She grinned. Yeah, that had to be it.
She shut the door, reaching out to grab the calendar on the wall when the wind blew it from the nail it was hanging on. A glance at the date and she smiled. Two more weeks until Christmas. Two more weeks until she'd be showered with love and gifts. Her father's annual Christmas party was probably all but planned by now with a guest list in the hundreds. The house would soon be filled with happy, laughing friends and family, bows and ribbons adorning every nook and cranny and making the house come alive with colored lights twinkling from the tree. Mouth-watering treats she'd indulge in until she felt ready to pop.
She frowned at the mental image an instant later. If I'm here, I won't have any of that.
Hanging the calendar, she turned. It didn't even seem like Christmas here. There wasn't a tree. No bright packages or ribbons. No festive decorations, no holiday music. Just… a bare cabin.
Longing for home flooded her instantly. She'd waited impatiently for Christmas break. To have a few weeks of no school work, no professors. And what did she get for that unbearable torment? A sparse cabin that didn't even have a Christmas tree.
She walked to the couch and fell back onto it, sitting with her shoulders slumped and a frown on her face.
That was the way Travis found her when he walked in the door. The look on her face alarmed him and sent him across the room with hurried steps. "What's wrong?"
She looked up at him and the look on her face nearly broke his heart. She looked so… lost.
"You don't have a tree."
He raised one brow. "A tree?"
She nodded her head. "You're supposed to have a tree. It's not the same if you don't."
Travis reached up and scratched his chin, giving her a curious look. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, Meredith. The forest is full of trees."
"A Christmas tree," she said. "Why don't you have one?"
He opened his mouth to speak but no answer came. When was the last time he'd even bothered with that tradition? Christmas was just another day to him. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "What use would it serve? There's no one here but me."
Her shoulders slumped further and she looked ready to cry any second. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me, but I'd like to go home now."
He stared down at her. She had a family waiting for her, people who loved her and would want her with them at Christmas. He smiled sadly and nodded his head at her. "As soon as the roads are passable, I'll take you to town."
Her eyes became glassy, tears pooling at the corners and he turned away. Away from her lovely face and the pain he saw there.
He shrugged out of his coat, hanging it on the peg.
"How long have you lived up here?"
Travis stilled and memories he'd just as soon forget flashed in his mind. "A few years," he said, quietly.
"Alone?"
"Yes."
He turned and faced her. She was staring at him, her arms crossed over the back of the sofa with her chin propped on them. A look of eager curiosity softened her features.
"Why?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Why not?"
"Have you ever been married?"
"Have you?"
"Lord no!" she laughed. "I'm only nineteen. I'm entirely too young for marriage."
"Nineteen?" Travis said, shocked. Nineteen! "God, you're practically a baby."
"I am not!" she said, outraged. "I can vote."
"Barely."
"How old are you?" she asked.
"Old," Travis said, walking to the kitchen and filling a glass with water.
"How old is old?"
"Thirty-one."
She gasped. "God, you are old."
Travis chuckled humorlessly. Of all the luck. He'd finally met a woman who tempted him and she was twelve years younger than he was. He felt ashamed of himself just thinking about what he'd done in the shower the night before. She was practically a baby. And he felt like a dirty old man for having lustful thoughts about her.
"Why do you live up here all alone?"
The answer to that made him wince. He turned to face her, sitting his glass on the cabinet. "What happened to the girl I walked in on? The one obviously distressed because I don't have a Christmas tree?" he grinned, trying to change the subject.
"She's bored out of her mind," Meredith said. "And since you brought it up, how long until the roads clear?"
"I didn't mention anything about the roads, but it could be days." Her eyes widened in shock. "Sorry," he said. "My truck is good on a few inches of snow but nothing could pass the mountain in this storm. Look's like we're stuck with each other for a little while."
He watched several emotions cross her face before she sighed and sat up straight. "Okay then, in that case, we need a tree."
"A tree?"
"Yes," she said, exasperated. "A Christmas tree? You really need to try and follow the conversation more closely."
"What exactly are you going to put on a tree? As you can see," he said, spreading his arms wide, "I've misplaced my holiday decorations."
"Just leave that to me," she said. "You'd be amazed at what I can do with so little."
He looked at her, ready to ask what exactly she would decorate with, but stilled a second later. His gaze landed on the fireplace. Or rather, above it. He nodded to the covered deer head. "I'll assume that's your idea of decorating."
She turned her head and looked behind her. "It was staring at me," she whined.
He laughed. "It's dead. I doubt very seriously it was staring at you."
"It was!" she exclaimed. "Every where I walked, it was watching me. It's creepy."
"That," Travis said, pointing to the now covered deer, "Is a 16-point white tail with a perfect rack. Do you have any idea how rare that is? I tracked that big bastard for ten hours after I shot him. He almost got away."
"Uh, and I care, why?" Meredith said. "You shouldn't kill animals."
"Did you enjoy your bacon this morning?"
"Huh? What does that have to do with this conversation?"
"Bacon doesn't grow on trees. It comes from a pig. Should they have left him alone too?"
"That's entirely different," she said, waving his comment away with the flick of her wrist. "Killing for sport isn't right."
"I didn't kill him for sport," Travis said. "I killed him for food. You had the pleasure of enjoying him last night, as a matter of fact."
Meredith gasped and turned a murky shade of green before paling completely. "Oh my god," she squeaked. "I ate… him?" she said, pointing to the wall.
"Afraid so," Travis said.
"I think I'm going to be sick."
Travis rubbed a hand over his face. "Has anyone ever accused you of being a drama queen?"
"No, why?"
"No reason," he laughed. He walked to the door, grabbed his coat, and slipped it back on.
"Where are you going?" Meredith asked, jumping up from the couch.
"Outside. I have work to do."
"What am I suppose to do?"
Travis looked around the cabin and frowned. "I don't have the foggiest clue," he said. "Take a nap?" He thought for a minute and looked toward the dresser. "There are a few magazines in the corner. It's the best I can do for entertainment."
An apologetic shrug of his shoulders and he was gone. Meredith sighed and turned, walking to the dresser and found the stack of magazines. She grabbed an armful and crawled back in bed, covering her legs with the blankets, and rummaged through the stack.
"They're all hunting magazines!" she yelled to no one. "My god this man needs to broaden his horizons. He has to be the most boring person on the planet."
But he's still pretty.
"Yes, he is that," she grinned. "Pretty…. and thirty-one." Wow. She never would have guessed that. Mid to late twenties, yes, but thirty-one?
Did it matter though? Age was just a number, right? It's what her mother had always said and she'd been almost twenty years younger than her father. It didn't mean they'd loved each other less because of it. Besides, it wasn't like she wanted to marry Travis. She just wanted.
Meredith blushed and ducked her head, admitting to herself that she really did want him and not just to cook her meals. She wanted what every girl wanted when she looked at a handsome man. To be in his arms, to be kissed like there wasn't anyone else in the world he'd rather have. To have strong hands cradle her close to him and make her body burn.
She couldn't count the number of frat boys who'd asked her out with only one thing on their mind. Or the number of them that walked away with nothing but a soft kiss on the cheek. She wasn't easy and never had been. Good girls didn't just hand themselves over to be some sweaty boys wet dream come to life. But Travis? Oh yes, she'd be his, in a heartbeat.
The realization of that fact stunned her. While all her friends were out bedding every cute boy they met, she'd done the exact opposite. She wasn't giving her virginity to some drooling boy who only wanted to get off. She was saving herself. For what, she had no clue.
Maybe for a drop-dead, gorgeous mountain man with mesmerizing blue eyes?
The thought caused her pulse to race and made her stomach clench in anticipation. What would it take to make him want her? She knew he found her attractive. She'd seen him looking at her in much the same way other men did. But just because he enjoyed the view didn't mean he wanted to get naked and sweaty with her.
She closed her eyes; imagining his nude body, sweat glistening on the muscles she just knew were hidden under his clothes. His big hands caressing her flesh, those luscious lips gliding over her skin, and his long, hard length dipping into her folds. She shuddered, her breaths uneven, and she moaned, clenching her thighs together to still the sudden throbbing between her legs.
Opening her eyes, she pushed the magazines away and crawled deeper into the bed. She stared at the ceiling, sighing before letting her muscles relax. "I'm trapped with the most gorgeous man I've ever laid eyes on. How does one properly seduce a man?"
She stared at the ceiling for long minutes, her thoughts wandering to what may turn his head. Several ideas came to her and she smiled as one in particular came to mind. "That might work," she said to herself. "It won't hurt to try."
Jumping from the bed, she went to the window, looking out. She wondered how long he'd be out there and decided it didn't matter. She'd wait. What else did she have to do?
* * * *
Chapter 4
Travis heard the shower turn off and felt instantly nervous. It was silly really. He hadn't been nervous around a woman in years. He certainly hadn't went out of his way to impress one either, but here he was, standing in his living room staring at the first Christmas tree he'd ever bothered to cut. It was a great tree, though. He'd found it on the ridge, sitting off to itself. It wasn't overly large but neither was his cabin. Anything bigger and they wouldn't have managed with the thing in the room.
He looked to the bathroom and turned, shrugging off his coat and hanging it on the peg by the door when he heard Meredith humming behind the closed door. It opened a second later and he could only stare when she walked out.
Her hair was pulled up high on her head, held in place by what looked like pencils. A few tendrils dangled down her back and rested on the only thing she wore. A very short towel. It was barely decent.
Water glistened on her ivory skin and all the blood in his body rushed south when she walked to the bed, turned her back to him, and dropped the towel.
Her perfect heart shaped bottom met his gaze and he must have made a sound, because she turned suddenly, flashing him a quick peek at pert breasts, and lower things, before she gasped, grabbed the dropped towel from the floor, and quickly covered herself.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were back," she stammered, clutching the towel.
Travis mumbled something he was pretty sure sounded completely stupid and turned, walking out the front door without a backwards glance.
Meredith bit the inside of her cheek to keep the smile wanting to form at bay. His hasty retreat made only more comical when the door opened again, his long arm snaking in and jerking his coat from the peg.
The door shut an instant later.
Her giggles came abruptly and before she could control it, she was laughing. Triumphantly. She raised her hand, covering her mouth to stifle the sound.
If the look on his face was any indication, her plan had worked perfectly. A good thing, too. She'd pulled her hair up and stood vigil by the window for over an hour, waiting for any sign of him. The minute she saw him, she'd rushed to the bathroom, stripped, and jumped in the shower. She'd stayed under the water until she was sure he was inside, promptly climbed back out, and wrapped herself in the smallest towel the man owned.
Acting like he wasn't in the room had been hard. The temptation to look at him when she'd walked out of the bathroom was like torture. It paid off, though. Him running out the door was an even better reaction than she thought. Not to mention the "hand through the open door" thing.
Priceless.
She picked up the boxer shorts she'd found in the dresser and slipped them on, folding and rolling the waist down until they fit snuggly on her hips. A t-shirt smaller than the one she'd been wearing was knotted at the waist and she felt almost like a girl again. Sure it wasn't a great ensemble but much better than what she had been forced to stay in all day. Not that having to wear his clothes was a burden. They smelled of him. His scent tickled her senses every second of the day and caused her hormones to stay in a constant state of arousal.
Now if she could just get him in the same state.
She turned when she was finished dressing. That's when she noticed the tree. It took up the entire corner and the smile on her face, she was positive, made her look completely insane. She didn't care. Travis had brought her a tree. A freshly cut, Christmas tree.
"Oh, Travis," she said, laughingly. "You great big beautiful man, you. I could kiss you!"
She stared at the tree before looking around the room. What would she put on it? She couldn't leave it bare. What was a Christmas tree without decorations?
* * *
It was almost dark when Travis stopped in front of the cabin. He'd been avoiding it, and Meredith, all evening, but knew he couldn't hide out in his workshop all night. They needed to eat for one thing and Meredith would freeze to death if he didn't get a decent fire going.
He sighed, laying his forehead against the cold wood of the door, and closed his eyes. No matter how long he'd been away, or what he'd done, he could still see her, naked as the day she was born, and his body ached with the need to touch her. He didn't know how many times he'd walked out of the workshop with full intentions of running into the cabin, grabbing her, and kissing her completely stupid. He'd made it as far as the front door only once, though.
His body had hummed with barely contained lust. The urge to cover her body with his and thrust into that soft flesh made his bones ache. It had been too long. He knew that now. He'd never wanted anyone the way he wanted Meredith, but he wasn't at all sure it was just his abstinence that was causing it. She'd gotten under his skin in less than a day. Her carefree attitude and quirky ways were endearing. She was like a breath of fresh air that he'd been denied. She made him feel… alive. Something he hadn't felt in some time.
But she's so young, he thought. And her father is Willis Gunter. He grimaced at the thought. Of all the girls to stumble onto his mountain. What were the odds? It had to be a cruel twist of fate. Or a complete set up. Had the old man found a way to repay him at last? Did he send his beautiful daughter up here to tempt him? To dangle her sweet ass in front of him, and then snatch her away?
"That's ridiculous," he said to himself. "You're thinking too much."