Page 3 of Protecting Vidalia
“Most of my friends call me Vi.” She went to the suitcase and laid it on its side to unzip it and take out a sweatshirt. Then she took her flashlight and went into the kitchen area to light the lantern he could see on the counter.
Jake got up and followed her. “I think I prefer Vidalia,” he replied. “Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
Startled, she whirled to face him and he realized she hadn’t heard him get up. Her fingers were trembling as she tried to light the wick. Probably more from the cold though, since the temperature was dropping fast and the cabin was barely getting warm.
“Here, let me do that for you,” he offered gently, taking the matches from her. “Your hands are freezing.You need to add jeans to that sweatshirt. Or at least some kind of warm pants.”
“I'm fine,” she said.
A stubborn girl, he decided. He shot her a disapproving look and was amused when her chin lifted in defiance. “Put some pants on, Vidalia,” he ordered quietly, unable to help himself. He’d become a commander in his medical unit and people’s safety had been a natural concern.
“I said I’m fine,” she retorted, although she shifted restlessly from one foot to the other.
Jake clenched his jaw and stared at her. He wasn't used to being disobeyed, and the urge to turn her around and land a few smacks on her shapely little bottom hit him hard. Obviously, he didn't intimidate her, and he supposed that was a good thing, it meant she wasn't afraid of him. On the other hand, a little intimidation wouldn’t hurt her, but he chose to back off. “Suit yourself then,” he said with a dissatisfied grunt and turned back to his task, ignoring the urge to sit down and pull her over his lap. She wasn’t his woman and he had no right.
***
THE LAST TIME VIDALIA'Sheartrate had shot sky high was when she’d run a three-mile race on New Year’s Eve with her dispatcher colleagues. It had been so cold outside that her breath had frozen to her muffler when she panted. The race had been for charity for one of the local hospitals in Fort Collins, and she and her friends had been determined to win. And they had, although it hadn’t been easy competing against the management team. Dax and his buddies had been good losers though.
She shot Jake a glance out of the corner of her eye as she started putting her supplies into the cabinets. For whatever reason, she was sure he’d wanted to challenge her refusal of help, but hadn't. She felt like challenging him too, and she couldn't explain why. She’d never taken an adversarial role towards a male before, but she found it surprisingly exhilarating.
“There we go,” Jake said, turning up the lantern to increase the light.
She pushed her hair back behind her ears with a nervous flutter. “Thank you, that is a lot better. Not as good as electricity, but at least I can see to put things away.” She reached into the boxes trying to ignore his intent perusal.
“I'll help you with that,” he offered, reaching for one of the boxes on the table.
“No. No, I don't need you to...that is...I can do it myself,” she finished lamely, his closeness stealing the air from the immediate proximity. He was having a very odd effect on her.
He ignored her and began taking things out of the box and setting them on the cabinet.
“I said I can do it,” she snapped. What in the world was wrong with her? He was only offering to help.
He stopped at the tone in her voice and pinned her in an unblinking stare. “You know, I'm going to start calling you onion if you keep this up.”
She flushed and lifted her chin. “I don't need any help—I’m used to doing things on my own.”
Jake set the items in his hands down on the table and walked around to her side. “Look,” he said grimly, “it seems we’re stuck with each other for at least tonight because I'm not going anywhere in this storm. So, I suggest you stop fighting me about every little thing, or you're not going to like the consequences when I get tired of it. And believe me, I'm almost there.”
“What do you mean?” Vidalia asked suspiciously, her body tensing. His closeness was affecting her ability to think, and her adrenaline was kicking into overdrive. She found herself wanting to push him and see where it would take her.Trying valiantly to inject some common system back into her overloaded sensory system, she argued with herself. Pushing a stranger beyond his limits could be dangerous. They were up here alone and she didn’t know a thing about him except that he was Dax’s friend. Something told her that Jake wasn’t dangerous, and he wasn't going to hurt her.But whatwouldhe do?
She studied him through heavy eyelids, gaging her options. There was something else hovering in the air, something she couldn't define. He was glaring at her, his eyes zeroing in on her lips. Would he try to kiss her into submission as they say in the romance novels? She focused on his lips in return and wondered briefly what they would feel like on her own. When he finally stepped towards her and spoke in a determined tone, she was so shocked and surprised she stepped backwards.
“I mean if you keep defying me at every turn, I'm going to put you over my knee and spank you,” he said.
Her breath hitched. “You wouldn't!”
“Oh yeah...I would!”
Fear and excitement coursed through Vidalia’s body, every nerve ending tingling in disbelief. “But...but...people don't do that in this day and age,” she sputtered.
“I do,” he replied. “And I'm right on the verge with you.”
“You'd damn well better not!”
Jake shook his head with a mocking grin. “You shouldn't have said that, little onion.”
Vidalia only had time to wonder how a man as tall as Jake was could move so fast. In a flash he was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs and pulling her down across his long thighs.
