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  “Maybe we…uh, maybe we should go downstairs—”

  He placed his fingertips against her lips to still her words. “We aren’t going to do anything. I’ll go downstairs and check. I’m sure it’s nothing serious. Even if someone could possibly be out and about, the doors of the lodge are locked and we certainly didn’t hear enough glass shattering for someone to have broken in. I’ll make a quick check of the perimeter just to confirm that it was nothing more than a couple of lights that burned out.”

  He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, stuck his feet into a pair of shoes and grabbed his master keys for the entire building and a flashlight. Pausing long enough to place a soft kiss on her lips, he extended a confident smile. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

  Afton had been trying to assimilate what was happening and made a decision. “I’m going with you. Give me a minute to get dressed.”

  His smile faded, to be replaced by a stern expression. “No, I’d really prefer that you wait here.”

  A little shiver of apprehension darted through her body. She made eye contact with him and held it for several seconds. “Then you do think there’s something wrong, don’t you?”

  “No, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be prudent to be cautious. All I’m going to do is recheck all the doors leading outside to make sure they’re secure. I’ll check in with you from the hotel house phone at the registration desk before I come back upstairs.”

  He placed another tender kiss on her lips. “I’ll be right back.”

  She watched from the loft as he left the suite. She heard the door click shut. A strange sense of loneliness settled over her. It wasn’t fearful trepidation, but it certainly wasn’t a calm sensation of well-being, either. She closed her eyes and tried to visualize where he was walking, the most direct route to check all the doors. He would have gotten to the lobby, checking the front entrance. She found herself nervously pacing back and forth.

  Suddenly she turned and went to the master bathroom where he had placed her overnight bag. She dressed quickly. She didn’t know what to expect but wanted to be ready for whatever might happen. The nervousness continued to churn inside her. She swallowed several times in an attempt to lessen the tightness in her throat and chest.

  It seemed that he had been gone forever, but glancing at the clock told her it had only been fifteen minutes. She kept glancing at the phone as if she could will it to ring so she could hear his voice saying he was at the registration desk and would be upstairs in a couple of minutes. But nothing happened. There was only silence.

  ****

  Gage was pleased to find that the private entrance from the outside by his elevator was locked as it should be. It had been his first concern. He moved quietly on a circuit of the ground level—the lobby entrance, the outside entrance to the restaurant, the doors from the outside terraces. All were intact. The elevators from the parking garage beneath the building were shut down. The door to the stairs leading down to the parking garage was locked, too. He entered the kitchen, then came to an abrupt halt.

  A quick adrenaline surge hit his bloodstream. His heart beat jumped up a level. The pantry door stood open, and the light shone from inside. He shined his flashlight toward the kitchen door that led outside. The floor inside the door was wet. His senses went on full alert. Someone had entered the building through that door. Then he heard the noise coming from the pantry, as if someone was going through the cupboards.

  He glanced around, frantically seeking anything he could use as a weapon. His gaze fell on the large butcher knife. He grabbed it and took a calming breath in an attempt to slow down his pounding heart. He moved stealthily toward the pantry. Before he got half way across the kitchen, a large form of a man appeared in the pantry door.

  It was a toss-up as to who was the most startled, Gage or Stuart, the lodge’s head chef.

  “Holy shit, Gage. You just scared the hell out of me.”

  “You didn’t do my nerves any good, either. What the fuck are you doing here? And just as important, how did you get here?” The street must be buried under maybe three feet of snow.

  “I only live a couple of blocks away. Once the snow stopped, I strapped on the cross country skies and here I am. I’ve been concerned about the power and whether the refrigeration and freezers were working okay. There’s thousands of dollars of food here, even more than normal because of the grand opening party. I wanted to see how much could be salvaged and start a damage assessment.”

  “At this time of night? Why didn’t you just wait until morning? I’m sure the road crews will be working all night to get the main streets in passable condition.”

  “I wasn’t doing anything else, and I was bored with television. What are you doing here?”

  “I didn’t make it out before they closed the airport. So I’ve been trapped…uh, along with Afton Pendleton.”

  Stuart cocked his head and raised a questioning eyebrow. “Just the two of you in the lodge all by yourselves? I’m surprised you’re both still alive.”

  “Wipe that look off your face.”

  A soft laugh escaped Stuart’s throat. “You misunderstood me. The way the two of you have been at each other’s throat from the day you arrived, without someone to referee, I thought one of you would surely have killed the other.”

  “We agreed on a truce.” He tried to suppress the slight grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth. “And we haven’t discussed or even mentioned the grand opening party plans. All and all, the time has passed pretty quickly.”

  “So you came down here to raid your kitchen?”

  “No, it was a couple of flashes of light that made us wonder if someone was here. I was doing a security check of all the doors.”

  “That was probably me when I came in through the kitchen door. It could have been worse.”

  Gage couldn’t stop the spontaneous laugh. “Yes, you could have set off the alarm and taken ten years off my life.”

  They talked for a couple more minutes before Gage started to leave. He turned back toward Stuart as he reached the door. “Give me a call on the house phone before you leave so I’ll know that the place is empty again.”

  “Sure thing. I won’t be much longer. So far everything appears to be in good shape except that it’s cold in here.”

  “We never did lose power, but I turned down the heat to most of the building. I’ve got it set at fifty-five degrees. Definitely too cold, but warm enough that it shouldn’t take too long to get all the rooms up to normal. I’ll kick up the heat first thing in the morning. I imagine most of the local employees will be straggling in some time during the day so we can get organized again.”

  Stuart threw a sly look in Gage’s direction. “I guess that means you and Afton will be on each other’s nerves again as you gear up for the rescheduling of the grand opening.”

  Gage chose to ignore the comment, but Stuart’s words continued to circulate through his mind as he climbed the stairs to his suite. So much had happened between them, things that could never be dismissed or relegated to the past. Would things change now that the circumstances would be returning to normal? And more important than that, exactly what was it that they had established? Hot sex certainly, but what else? There was definitely more, much more. They needed to talk seriously about what had happened and what it meant.

  He unlocked the door to his suite and was immediately struck by the eerie quiet and total darkness. His heart beat a little faster as he reached for a light switch. Light flooded the room, but he didn’t see Afton anywhere. He stepped inside and shut the door. Then it hit him. He was supposed to have called her before starting upstairs.

  “Afton…it’s me. Everything is okay.”

  He headed toward the stairs to the loft and the master bedroom. Half way up the stairs she appeared from his bedroom. He immediately noticed she had gotten dressed, as if she was about to leave. “Sorry I didn’t call from the lobby. I already had the door unlocked before I remembered
it.”

  “Did you find anything downstairs?” Her voice was less than firm.

  He reached out for her hand, grasping it and pulling her toward him. “Yes, I found Stuart in the pantry. We scared the hell out of each other.”

  A quick look of relief settled across her features. “Well, I guess that solves the mystery.”

  The look of relief was quickly replaced by a hint of disappointment. “I guess that ends our privacy.” A little sigh of resignation escaped her throat. “And it means I should return to my own room.”

  “Stuart won’t be here very long. He said he was almost through.”

  “Even so, I’m sure there will be others coming back to work first thing in the morning. It wouldn’t be good for anyone to know I spent tonight in your suite. In fact, it wouldn’t be prudent for anyone to even suspect it.”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “I suppose you’re right. And since it appears everything is about to return to normal, that means we’ll be dealing with the grand opening party as the first item on our agenda.”

  “Yes, I suppose so.”

  He pulled her body tightly against his. “Do you think we can do it this time without all the arguments?”

  “I don’t know. I imagine it would depend on whether you allow me to do my job this time or insist on butting into the middle of everything again.”

  “I was hoping we could get through this without arguing.”

  “I was just hoping that we could get through it. But if you’re going to—”

  His mouth came down on hers, putting a stop to whatever she was going to say. He didn’t want to be at odds with her. Quite the contrary. What he wanted was to be at one with her, his cock buried deep inside her pussy, their bodies moving together toward a repeat of the rapture they had already shared. He wanted to thoroughly explore every inch of her body again, to see the excited glow of orgasmic delight on her face, the passion burning deep in her eyes and knowing it was for him. Yes, they were definitely going to have to talk.

  But not right now. Scooping her into his arms, he carried her into his bedroom and set her down on the edge of the bed. After kicking off his shoes, he leaned on the edge of the bed and captured her mouth with a kiss that quickly escalated.

  Afton’s pussy muscles clenched in anticipation and her heart pounded. It seemed that all he had to do was touch her and she instantly throbbed with a need she knew only he could fulfill.

  The ringing of the house phone brought an abrupt halt to everything, allowing her a moment to catch her breath.

  He grabbed the extension next to the bed. “Yes, Stuart.” He listened for a moment. “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Gage returned his attention to Afton. “Now, where were we?”

  She tugged down the front of his sweatpants, allowing his rigid cock to spring free. Leaning forward, she flicked the tip of her tongue across his cock head as she cradled his balls in her hand. After flashing a teasing grin, she licked her lips with a slow deliberate action. “I think we were about here.”

  The soft moan of pleasure that escaped from his throat was exactly what she wanted to hear. He was every bit as turned on as she was.

  “Oh, yes.” A husky rasp surrounded his words. “That’s exactly where we were. I only have one suggestion.”

  She couldn’t stop the sly grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth as she seductively ran her tongue across her upper lip again. “And what might that be?”

  “That you get rid of all those nice clothes you decided to put on while I was gone.”

  A tingle of excitement accompanied her words. “I will if you’ll get rid of yours.”

  “You’ve got a deal.”

  Pieces of clothing quickly fell to the floor, then they snuggled into the king size bed. He teased her already puckered nipple with his tongue before sucking it into his mouth. Everything about her body excited him.

  Gage’s cock pulsed with need, but it was a need specifically for Afton Pendleton rather than sex just for the sake of whiling away the time by fucking a hot pussy. In fact, everything about her excited him. It was more than having his cock inside her, more than nibbling on her pussy lips and teasing her clit, more than the feel of her lips wrapped around his hard shaft.

  It was so much more than merely the physical. But how much more and exactly what did that more consist of? He wasn’t sure he was ready for the answer.

  Her nipple popped out of his mouth. The wet, pebbled flesh glistened in the soft light like an exquisite jewel. He kissed his way down her body, tasting the essence of her creamy skin. He inhaled the aroma of her sex, the intoxicating scent shooting a tremor of excitement racing through his body. Her engorged little clit beckoned to him, and he responded by flicking his tongue across it several times before teasing the edge of her pussy lips.

  Heightened anticipation shuddered through his body, accompanying the moment her hand caressed his balls. She gently nudged him to swing his leg across her body so that his hard cock bobbed in front of her face. And he gladly complied with her unspoken request.

  A moment later, her soft lips formed a tight seal around his rigid shaft and her tongue laved across his cock head. Her moan of delight hummed along the entire length of his dick, sending waves of excitement through his body. Her mouth worked magic, a sensation he knew he would never get enough of. He sucked her clit into his mouth. Something else he knew he would never tire of.

  Gage’s heart pounded. Her mouth did fantastic things to his cock, too incredible for him to be able to maintain his control for much longer. He reluctantly withdrew his throbbing shaft from her mouth and rolled over onto his back. He grabbed the condom packet from the nightstand and handed it to her.

  “Would you care to do the honors?” His words came out in a raspy whisper.

  Afton straddled his body with her knees on each side of his thighs. She ripped open the packet and rolled the condom on his hard pole. He watched as her gaze swept up the length of his torso from his sheathed cock to his face where they held a hot second of eye contact.

  He grasped her hips, lifted and slowly lowered her onto his cock. Ever so slowly he delved into the depths of her pussy tunnel. Once he was fully embedded inside her, she leaned forward and rubbed her clit against his pubic bone until she convulsed in orgasmic surrender. He bucked his hips upward, forcing her into a smoother rhythm. Her contractions continued to pull and tug at his shaft, propelling him toward his release.

  She was so hot and so remarkable. He simply wasn’t able to maintain his control as long as he wanted to. Hard spasms shuddered through his body. She fell forward into his arms. Her ragged breathing matched his as his chest heaved in an effort to catch his breath.

  It had been one hell of a day, totally unexpected, yet one he knew would live in his memory forever. He held her tightly as he gently stroked her hair, reveling in the sensation of their naked bodies pressed together…bare skin touching bare skin the length of their torsos.

  The morning would bring a return to reality. But would the light of day also bring an end of what had been rapidly developing between them?

  Chapter Four

  Afton stepped from her shower and grabbed the large bath towel. It was much later than she had wanted it to be. Spending the night alone in her own room had resulted in a restless sleep. It wasn’t as if she and Gage had ever spent the entire night together before, where she was accustomed to having his body next to her as she slept. And the intimate personal time they had spent together could be measured in hours, not days. Yet that time had been so incredibly intense, filled with the maximum amount of togetherness possible. And it had been so much more than merely physical. At least it had for her.

  But what about Gage? Had it been nothing more than a lucky interlude? A pleasurable way of passing the time until the weather cleared? As much as she had wanted to spend the night with him was equally as much as she knew she shouldn’t.

  Gage had walked her to her room after being unable to convince h
er to stay the rest of the night in his suite. When she had closed the door and stood all alone in her room, an incredible emptiness welled inside her. She immediately knew she was in over her head emotionally. She had wanted to run down the hallway after Gage and throw herself into his arms.

  She quickly dried off and dressed for the day. The sound of machinery reached her ears. She peered out her window and saw four people working at clearing off the above ground parking lot and the walkways. One person was behind the wheel of the four-wheel drive vehicle with a snow plow scoop attached to the front and was being followed by someone with a snow blower. Two other people had snow blowers and were working on the walkways.

  Afton allowed a little sigh of resignation, finished getting ready for a day of work, then left her room. She wasn’t sure exactly what she would find downstairs, but she knew it wasn’t what she wanted.

  She took the stairs rather than the elevator. When she emerged into the lobby, she found a flurry of activity. Ronald Stevens, the lodge’s manager, seemed to be having a meeting with the heads of the various departments…at least as many of them as could make it to work. The obvious exception was a missing Gage Brennan. Whereas it would be logical that the general manager would be holding the meeting with his employees, from what she had experienced of Gage during the days prior to the storm, he seemed to prefer being a hands-on owner. So, where was he?

  A moment later, her question was answered when he strolled out of the office behind the registration desk. He had a computer printout in one hand and was talking on the cell phone in his other hand. Once again he appeared to be all business. He concluded his phone call and glanced around the lobby, taking in everything as his practiced gaze swept the area. A quick heated look passed between them when he spotted her, then he turned his attention to Ronald.

  “The airport should be open in another two hours. We will have guests registering this afternoon so we have to be open for business and ready to provide guest services. I want the grand opening party rescheduled for next weekend. That means a lot of work to put everything in order.”