Between the cold and the slick road, it took close to an hour to make it to the royal blue farmhouse that didn’t looked to actually have a farm attached to it. My feet were numb and my legs were frozen, and I sent up a prayer that I wouldn’t be greeted by an axe murdered when I knocked, or if so he’d let me warm up first. I inhaled a deep breath and knocked on the exhale.
And waited.
The locks disengaged and a stunning redhead appeared. Her eyes looked just as golden as the light above us as she took in the sight of me, wet and frozen and scraggly would be my guess. “Um, hello?”
Speak, Lee.“Hi. My car slid into a ditch a few miles back and yours was the first house I spotted.”
She stared up at me for a long time as if debating whether or not to let me in. “What kind of car?”
I frowned. “Excuse me?”
“What is the make and model of the car? And the license plate if you know it. Please.” She folded her arms across her chest, which drew my attention to the curves that were on full display in her fitted red and green pajamas with a DJ’ing Santa all over them.
I gave her the information she requested even though my fingers ached from the cold. “I’m Lee, by the way.”
She smiled, snapped a photo of the info I gave her and sent off what I guessed was a text message. “I’m Nix,” she offered with a smile before she snapped a photo of my face and sent another text. “Come inside.”
“Thank you.” I lucked out that anyone answered the door for a stranger, never mind let me inside. “I really appreciate this.”
“Just don’t make me regret it.” She closed the door and locked it behind her, gaze fixed on my face.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Good. Let’s get you out of those clothes.”
I wasn’t a stranger to forward women, when you were a reasonably attractive billionaire, they were everywhere. But this was a littletooforward.
“Come on now, we just met.”
Chapter 3
Nix
Iblinked, taking in the gorgeous Adonis the universe had apparently sent me for being a good girl all year. His thick blond hair, bright green eyes, broad shoulders, and long legs weren't even the main attraction. "Excuse me?"
"I said we just met. It's a little soon to be trying to get me out of my clothes isn't it?"
His words registered, and I mentally replayed my unfortunate choice of phrasing. Let's get you out of those clothes. I fought the urge to smack my forehead. "Funny, but your pants are soaked up to your knees, and I imagine those expensive shoes have turned your feet into icicles by now." I shrugged. "But if you're comfortable, that's fine too. Just don't track snow and slush into my house."
Every winter, tourists arrived dressed for city sidewalks, completely unprepared for mountain weather. Great for Lou's outdoor shop and the drugstore with its endless supply of frostbite ointments and blister treatments, but not so much for the unprepared visitors.
I headed toward the kitchen where my coffee waited, leaving him to sort himself out. He was a grown man—mostly—andcould manage to stay pneumonia-free without my supervision. When I turned to grab cream from the fridge, I slammed into a wall of hard, hot male. "Excuse me." I avoided his gaze until I realized my hand was splayed across his bare chest. His very bare chest. "Why are you naked?"
He laughed, the sound deep and rich like expensive dark chocolate. "I'm hardly naked."
"You're in nothing but a pair of skintight man panties!" Which fit nice and snug, showing off a bulge I really needed to stop staring at. Now. Right now.
"Man panties?" Another laugh rumbled through his chest. "That's not the official name, I'm sure."
"It could be. You don't know that for certain." My gaze betrayed me, sliding over his golden six-pack abs, rock-hard chest muscles, and those pale pink nipples. He was gorgeous, even with that hint of arrogance. "You plan to stay like this, or do you want to stay warm?
"I could stay like this, since I doubt I'd fit into your fun Santa pajamas."
"DJ Santa, thank you very much," I shot back, lifting my chin. "My brother stays here between deployments and secret Army missions, so I'm sure you'll fit into some of his clothes. Or stay in your man panties. Either way works for me."
His green eyes sparkled with amusement. "Dry clothes would be great, thank you."
"Follow me." I hurried up the stairs, telling myself I wasn't fleeing from Lee but rather creating a strategic distance between his face and my curves. I'd made peace with my round backside, but these cotton pajamas weren't doing me any favors, especially up close. "This is Ryan's room. Jeans and t-shirts are in the closet, gym clothes and loungewear in the drawers. I'll be downstairs."