Read Holiday Bound for Free Online

with me from my car.”
    “I’ll go and get it in the morning, if the snow lets up. In the meantime, use whatever you want in the bathroom. There’s a new toothbrush in the drawer on the right.”
    “Thanks.” She grabbed one of the lanterns and started to walk away, but hesitated. “Where am I going to sleep?”
    He glanced down pointedly at the space in front of the fire. “I’ll bring out some sleeping bags and pillows for us while you clean up.”
    Her expectant expression collapsed.
    “Alex, I can’t sleep out here…not…with you .”
    “Where else? You’ll freeze trying to sleep in one of the bedrooms. With the wind chill factor, it’ll dip far below zero tonight. There’s no heat .”
    She glanced around, looking panicked.
    “I could take the kerosene heater, maybe? And you could stay by the fire?”
    He shook his head, holding her skittish gaze.
    “That heater isn’t powerful enough. It’s too cold, Angeline.”
    Her liquid dark eyes flashed fire and her chin went up. “I don’t care. I’ll be fine if you give me a few extra blankets.”
    Just like that, all his former irritation flooded back into him full force…even more potent than before. He flung himself off the couch and grabbed a lantern.
    “Fine. If you want to freeze off that gorgeous ass of yours, more power to you, sweetheart,” he muttered thickly as he headed toward the hallway.

Chapter Four
    Her teeth chattered uncontrollably. Her jaw ached from trying to stop the involuntary reaction. She’d tried to sleep for almost two hours now, as she grew progressively colder and colder.
    Alex would undoubtedly find her body in the morning encased in a huge ice cube.
    She longed for the warmth of the fire in the living room. She couldn’t even imagine what it meant to be warm.
    But she couldn’t go out there. Not with Alex.
    The howling wind mocked her.
    She jumped in her balled-up position beneath the covers as the door clicked open. Her eyes followed the looming shadow warily until it paused next to the bed.
    “Have you had enough yet?” he growled softly.
    She didn’t respond for a few seconds as she decided which was more of a threat—the frigid temperature or Alex Carradine. Basic survival took precedence.
    “Yes,” she whispered. “Alex, what —?”
    He ignored her weak protest as he whipped back the covers and slid his arms behind her back and thighs. She clutched his neck in alarm when she felt herself flying up through the air. He lifted her as casually as he might a grocery bag.
    “I don’t believe you,” he muttered angrily under his breath as he kicked the door wider and threaded her feet through the opening. “You’re half-frozen. You weren’t planning on coming out to the living room on your own, were you?”
    Soaking up Alex’s heat made her realize just how cold she’d become. She pressed her cheek against his chest and shivered uncontrollably. Her lips had gone numb. She found she couldn’t respond.
    He knelt before the fireplace and placed her in an opened sleeping bag. The warmth of the fire surrounded her like a blessing. She was distantly surprised when he pushed back the sleeves of her sweater and began rubbing her forearms and numb hands, chafing the blood back into her frigid flesh. After a moment, her skin began to prickle painfully and she pulled back, resisting his firm hold.
    “Is it tingling?” he barked.
    She nodded. She was glad when he let go of her arm, but then he reached for a sock-covered foot. Her voice returned when he whipped off the sock and pushed up her jeans to her knees.
    “No, Alex!” she protested as she yanked at her captive foot. He scowled and firmed his hold on her before he began chafing her foot and leg briskly. She sat up on her elbows, trying desperately to recall if she’d shaved her legs. A small measure of relief penetrated her anxiety at having his big, warm hands moving rapidly over her skin. The frictionless glide of flesh against flesh reassured her that