Chapter 2

Two

Evie

G abriel's hand came out in offering for me to follow and I batted it away.

"Are you insane? What the everloving hell are you doing?"

The mountain of a man towered over me in this crazy expensive suit looking like he walked off a photoshoot for GQ and maybe he did. I haven't seen Gabriel Dyson in over three years, so who knew what the man did nowadays.

Bounty hunting didn't seem like his cup of tea, but then again, I never was a good judge of character.

Back when I first started appreciating the male physiques and husky voices he would come around the house and spend hours with my father talking business. My father even went as far as to call him a friend, but right now he was being a major pain in my ass.

Pain or not, he was also a six-foot-three-inch perfect specimen of muscled manhood. His dark hair has fully grown out from the close-cut I last saw the former Marine sporting. I much preferred this version.

The second he entered my personal space and shielded me from the beating those boys took, my body tingled. A dark, forbidden part of me surfaced with buried fantasies. Between me and my journal, it was no secret I lusted for him and his gorgeous rugged, bad boy looks. The same buried part of me that craved for him to be the one to show me the world, teach me how a man loved a woman, and all that rom-com movie mushy stuff my fifteen-year-old heart thought the world revolved around.

Then I grew up and realized while the lusting was real, the fantasies would stay my filthy secrets. Locked away between the pages of some book I scribbled in years ago.

But I'm no longer that young girl. I'm a woman now.

I smile to myself. And he's still unlike any of the boys in my life who want to be men. No, Gabriel is the real deal, all male and right this second he has those sexy dark eyes of his pinned to mine in a battle of wills.

This ought to be fun.

I flick my sunglasses into place and reclaim my spot on the lounge, stretching my legs out, with no plans on moving anytime soon.

"You don't even have to tell me. My father sent you to fetch his petulant child." I move my hand to shoo him away. "You can run along now, Captain. I have no intentions of going with you. But nice try. Merry Christmas."

The temperature inside the atrium sat around a balmy eighty degrees when I first claimed my spot. But as the afternoon wore on the faster the heat faded and the more I wanted to return to my room. My brow furrowed for a minute because Mr. Suit here was making it damn hard to enjoy my vacation.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted hotel security attempting to do their job. Might as well have been cardboard cutouts. One scowl from Gabriel and they all tucked tail and skittered away.

Great.

Alone but for all twenty pairs of eyes on us, Gabriel leaned in so close I could see his face beyond his mirrored sunglasses. And the way his eyes slid over my body in a wicked glide. Apparently, he thought the scowl would work on me too.

I sipped my cherry sangria, savoring the mixture of tang and sweet, hoping to God he couldn't see the way my body shivered and my nipples puckered under his intense stare.

With all the calm I didn't feel, I placed my drink on the little table next to me. I rested my head against the lounge chair, rolling my eyes, ready for the fight to come.

Hindsight told me I should have taken my best friend up on her offer for a seat on her private plane to Ireland. But no, stubborn me wanted the amenities of a hideaway five-star hotel instead of a small cottage on a hillside overlooking the sea. At least no one would have found me there.

Unknown to my father, I worked hard tutoring classmates and this trip was the first I personally saved up for and earned. Nothing came out of daddy's money. Merry Christmas to me.

I don't know what all the fuss was about. My father spent the holidays off closing one deal or another. He wouldn't be home for the holidays so I don't see why I had to be.

Same thing every year. Well, not this year.

This was my Christmas vacation, and I wasn't having it ruined by my controlling father or his fucking lackey.

"Ms. Davidson. Don't make me repeat myself. Now, please." Gabriel's husky tone stroked against my senses. Hearing his gravelly voice say my name like he wanted to kiss me made my nipples turn hard as ice. I ignored my body's reaction, pretending it was just the dropping temperature.

I opened my eyes to find my image reflected in his sunglasses. I worked hard to fight my addiction to carbs and pies but who am I kidding. I never turned one or the other down. And my running shoes paid hell for my additions. But still, I wasn't as thin as the wannabe models around me. I carried a little extra weight around my stomach and hips. My boobs were ample and most people would say I belonged in one-piece at best.

Well, fuck ‘em.

This Christmas I picked a two-piece the color of Santa's hat and I'm working it.

From what I could see outside his mirrored sunglasses, the front side of my father's friend/gopher and now my bodyguard was still hot. With that voice and the fierce expression, I'm sure he was used to everyone obeying his orders, too.

Good luck with that, Captain.

My eyes slid up his perfect body, and I fought a blush to no avail. "You're not my dad, you know. Go boss someone else around. Me? I'm. Not. Going. Anywhere," I stated, trying for more cool and calm when a blizzard of lust whirled inside me. Damn man. And why the hell did I pull the not my dad card?

I knew why. To see that wild look cross his face and to see what he did next.

He doesn't even blink, and I fight against a shiver but it's a losing battle.

After a couple of seconds I'm sure he used to rework his mental plan, the arrogant bastard just smirked seconds before a dark look crossed his face.

I shivered and of course, that sent a false news flash to my nipples. Again.

His eyes darted over them, and I knew the second he noticed the hard tips pressing against the thin, red fabric.

He growled, "What is it, Ice Princess? Getting cold?"

"What do you care?" I flung at him, yanking on my pullover which isn't much more than a frilly lacy shawl. If he thought he was intimidating me like he did the rest of the people here, he was in for a big surprise.

I took a long sip, puckering my glossy lips around the straw into a pout as I peered at him over the top of my sunglasses.

Goosebumps pebbled my skin and I honestly don't know if it was the chill coming in from the fading light or his heated glare.

His lips tightened and a muscle in his jaw flexed.

My confused brain spun with all sorts of fantasies. Of what it would be like to sit up, run my fingers through his hair, and take his mouth in a hot kiss. What I would do if he kissed me back.

It would probably shock that scowl off his face.

"Is there alcohol in that?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Gee, I don't know. Care to smell my breath?" I set the drink down but helped myself to the fruit garnish. "Look, Gabe." He hated my nickname for him so I drew it out. "Take your three-piece and your scowl and get off this mountain while you can. A storm is rolling in. I hear there's a quaint town nearby. Maybe you can catch their tree lighting or something. I'll tell Daddy you did your best."

"The party's over, Ms. Davidson. Your stuff is packed and the only thing I need to get in my truck is you. Can we leave without a scene?" he growled, his nostrils flaring.

I'm not sure where it came from but a soft brush of cool air carried a hint of his cologne with it and made me gasp quietly.

I wanted to hate myself for noticing it, but how could I not? This one was definitely better. Not heavy but not flowery either. Almost like the sea and winter collided and they managed to bottle the power of both.

My pulse thundered in my ears. Oh. My. God. I've never gotten wet over a scent before, but damn, I'm pretty sure if I were to stroke a finger through my folds, I'd find myself drenched and ready.

Okay, calm down, girl, keep it cool.

He tightened his jaw and lowered his face to mine. An inch and I could kiss the man senseless. I sucked a cherry off my umbrella-topped toothpick. Sex in a suit or not, I was not going to make this easy.

Gabriel's lips pressed into a hard line. I held back a giggle. Maybe this would be more fun than I thought, after all.

"A scene, huh? We're way past that point unless you've forgotten all twenty girls staring at you for the past five minutes. Why don't you get yourself a drink, sit down and enjoy taking a break from being my father's errand boy for a bit? Maybe take off your jacket and shirt while you are at it."

A girl could try, right?

He folded his thick arms over his expansive chest. "Since you want to be treated like a child, I'll oblige you. By the time I've counted to three, that fine ass of yours better be heading through the hotel and straight to my truck." He started to pull off his jacket. "And you need to cover up."

Ouch. Burn. I threw up a hand. "Keep it, asshole. What, you don't like a curvy girl?" I sat up, squared my shoulders and narrowed my gaze so thin I knew he felt the daggers I shot at him.

I worked damn hard to look good in this bikini in my opinion. A little appreciation went a long way. Sure he referred to my ass as fine , but I was pretty sure that was his idea of humor.

I rolled the empty toothpick between my painted nails, considering my next move.

One, I could make a run for my room, hope he chased me, we both smash into my hotel room, we land on my bed and have the best sex ever.

Merry Christmas to me.

Or, two, I make a run for it, fall into the pool with these four-inch heels, make a big watery mess and it all ends up on Instagram. Which, sad to say, is more probable with my luck.

"One."

Oh, I liked that option better too. Too bad he was completely unaware of my inner dilemma.

I laid back against the chaise lounge and closed my eyes.

"Two."

"Goodbye, Gabriel. Run along, I'm sure my father has other errands for you."

The breeze smelled like cinnamon and I remember the holiday festivities the hotel had planned for guests this evening that ended with a gingerbread house contest which I planned on eating mine tonight with cheesy holiday flicks and a massage.

"You don't think I could convenience you?—"

"Three."

The shadow looming over me moved, and for a second, I thought maybe he would sit down beside me and we could work something out.

Then cold metal wrapped around my wrist and I'll tell you right now, that is not how I saw this going.

What the fuck?

I jerked upright as Gabriel slapped the second handcuff on my other wrist.

"What are you? A legit bounty hunter now? What a Scrooge!"

He grabbed me around the waist and threw me over his shoulder like I was no larger than a Victoria Secret model.

Ego boost!

I was so shocked by the contact of his hard body against mine, all I could manage was a tiny squeal.

Also, it was entirely possible I had a few more cherry sangrias than I thought because everything seesawed as he strode across the pool house deck with me hanging upside down over his shoulder.

"This is kidnapping! Call the police!" I pounded on his back with my cuffed hands, but it was like hitting a cement wall.

Nobody moved a muscle to stop Gabriel or our quick exit. Seriously, he moved like he spent hours surveying the layout all the while my so-called friends stood there and gaped as this overgrown ape hauled me out of the hotel I paid for.

"Put me the fuck down, you big suit-wearing thug!" I squirmed against him, but he ignored me and tightened his hold around my waist. Only this time, a hand came down on my ass.

I froze, my heart still hammering wildly.

"Stop, or I might drop you, damn it, woman."

Yeah, I didn't relish the idea of my ass hitting marble but I also didn't like the idea of being carted off like some cave girl being claimed by the mountain man.

I struggled against him again and of course, I realized too late my ass was in the air and being flashed to the most elite of America. My father would love this.

Not.

Steel-like fingers clamped down on my damn near bare ass cheek and holy hell.

I could feel my pulse sputtering and my blood roaring as his hand moved, this time sinking a little lower.

God this is so wrong but I'm actually turned on by how dirty this all is, too. I mean, his hand is gripping my ass. And with every step, I can feel the muscles of his shoulders sway and bunch beneath me.

Something about this cave-man act turned me on. I needed help. Or him between my legs. I couldn't help but feel the indignation of the whole scene he caused but at the same time…

No. I would not let my mind go there. I did not belong to him or anyone.

I fought a blush before it turned into an all-out wave of red but there was no use. I could feel the heat bloom throughout my entire body.

Well, I didn't have to worry about the cold at least.

Or not. "Fuck!" I cringe, burying my fingers into the back of his jacket the second he busted out the front door of the hotel and the real winter weather hit my bare skin.

"This trip sucks. I so demand a refund!"

My whole world froze when I noticed cell phones pointed in our direction, recording the whole thing no doubt.

See what I meant about my kind of luck?

Gabriel gripping my ass was going to show up on Instagram later, and damned if that wasn't a screwed up way to spend Christmas.

He swung the door open to a black SUV with blacker windows and deposited me in the front seat. Blasts of heat hit me. Thank you, sweet Jesus.

I basically threw myself across the vents like a window cling.

"Are you crazy? Who takes a person out in zero degrees weather in a bathing suit?"

He didn't say a word as he got behind the wheel and drove us away. He peeled off his jacket and wrapped it around me. And I won't lie. Another hit of his cologne had a different kind of heat rumbling through me.

I grabbed it with both hands. "Is this your form of an apology?"

A pure white blanket of snow covered every inch of the world around us and more swept across the windshield. It looked as cold as the man sitting beside me. But he sure felt hot a minute ago.

He slowed around a tricky curve, gripping the wheel when the wind picked up, whiting out the road in front of us.

I sat up. "Whoa. Maybe we should go back."

"Relax. And you need to know I don't apologize for much, Ice Princess. This is another case where you won't be getting one from me. I have a job to do and I intend on doing it."

"I'm just a job, huh? Makes sense. It's all I've ever been to anyone. A job."

His scowl slipped.

"Wow, so you do have another expression in your arsenal. Is that pity or irritation I see this time?" I twirled in the seat, brought my leg up, and his eyes flashed to my thighs for half a second.

I grabbed his jacket and slipped it over my shoulders. "Forget it. Don't answer. I don't really care. The second you deposit me on my father's doorstep I'll just leave again. He won't be there anyway. He never is."

We quickly reached the main road but visibility wasn't any better. The roads were largely deserted and he kept driving while I filled him in on what I thought of him, my father, plus Marine brutes in general.

He finally spoke when I paused for breath.

"I've got a gag, Ice Princess, and I'm not afraid to use it. It's going to be a long ride back to New York."

As if the cuffs weren't bad enough he thought he was going to gag me?

"In your dreams, gopher," I snapped.

Just then we passed a flashing road sign that read "Blizzard Warning. Total whiteout. Seek shelter immediately."

"Fuck," we said at the same time.

"Take me back to the hotel. I'll be fine there. Just tell my father you couldn't find me. You can even wait out the storm in my room with me."

"That's not happening," Gabriel bit out. "We would never make it and I'm not going to let you freeze to death in my truck because ice sent us into a ditch. There's a small town ahead I know pretty well, Ice Princess."

"Stop calling me that."

He smiled that smug grin again. "Why? It suits you."

I ignored his taunting and went with another question he was more likely to answer. "Small town, huh? It's Christmas Eve and my dad wants me home tonight. What are you going to do? Sprout wings and fly us home?" My tone was snotty but I didn't care.

He took a second to look at me, brow arched. "What the sign says. Take shelter. I don't think we'll make it to the town after all. Either way, you need to trust me. I won't let anything happen to the Ice Princess," he rumbled in that low voice that dripped natural confidence other people pay thousands for in therapy.

My mouth snapped open. "Trust? After what you did?" I slapped his shoulder but it didn't seem to faze him.

Brute. "I'm not staying with you!"

"Right, because you were so safe with the attempted rape crew back there at the hotel, right?"

"You sound just like my father. They were just going to dunk me in the pool or some stupid game like that."

"You're wrong on both accounts. I know how boys think—they had no intentions of that kind of playing." Gabriel's scowl deepened as we passed motel after motel with "no vacancy" signs.

"He babies me just like you're doing, and I think you're a little out of touch with people my age."

Instead of answering me, he jerked his chin toward a sign on the roadside. "Look, Christmas, Michigan. Fifteen miles ahead. There's hope."

Snow fell faster and the light faded. "Yeah, I don't think we'll make it another three."

"I'll take some back roads." We cut off the main road leading down the mountain and turned on to a double lane a little less covered in snow due to the overhanging pine limbs.

Wind rocked against the truck pushing us out of our lane.

"I think we need to pull over." I gripped the doorhandle and held my breath when a branch came down smashing into the side of the truck with a crunch.

"Hold on."

Another mile of nothing but white later, Gabriel turned off the road and bumped down unpaved roads filled with overgrown pines ladened with heavy snow. This was so far removed from the manicured hotels I was used to. It had a wild, untended feel that made me uneasy.

Gabriel slowed down at a faded and peeling "Snowbound Hotel Suites" sign. Someone propped the fallen sign up against a holly bush. Gabriel turned in the narrow driveway. A row of small neglected cottages nestled among pines greeted us.

He slowed to a stop and killed the engine, taking the keys with him when he stepped from the warm truck cabin.

I shivered, trying to cross my arms over my chest, but the damn cuffs make it hard.

"Your clothes are in the back. Get something warm on, sweetheart. I'll be right back."

I turned to find all of my luggage thrown in the back, and my eye immediately landed on the toiletry case. Crap. I blushed furiously at what I know I left in the bathroom this morning. The other half of my plans for this trip.

"Warm? Something warm?"

I lunged myself over the seat and started digging.

Leaving my bathing suit in place, I pulled on a pair of comfy but thick sweatpants, some Uggs, and a fluffy coat I only managed to wrangle around my bare shoulders since, hello, cuffs.

I didn't exactly pack for a winter vacation thinking I would be spending all of my days by the heated pool or in my room basking in silence and cheesy Christmas movies.

The door swung open and I got the first real look at my new ‘home' for the evening.

"Let's go. It's only going to get colder."

"Here, take your jacket." He slipped it on as he helped me from the SUV and my feet sank into two feet of snow. Great.

He was right. This was no weather to be caught out in and I couldn't imagine it would be any warmer inside.

"You've got to be kidding," I called after him, but he walked faster than I could keep up with.

This looked like a setting for a horror movie—an isolated dumpy motel during a snowstorm. If we didn't get murdered in our sleep, my father was so going to hear about this.

Bitter cold wind tore through the trees, raining fresh snow over our heads. A small cabin came into view with a shaky porch roof that looked like it would come down any second. He reached a hand out and I clamped onto it—either that or the snow would swallow me whole.

He pulled and I fell into his arms as we both stumbled into the rundown cabin. Not the kind of door I pictured us falling into, but the warm body and the strong arms were definitely welcomed.

Darkness greeted us.

A single window graced the front of the cabin, and Gabriel yanked open the curtains, flooding the musty place with the remaining light of the day.

He turned around, took off his suit jacket and tossed it on the table at my back.

I was right. The thin walls did little to hold back the cold.

Still, he slowly rolled up the sleeves of his form-fitting white shirt, paying close attention to folding each sleeve back the same amount. He took slow steady breaths and closed the distance between us with even slower steps.

I swallowed. Hard.

He leaned in, placing one hand on the wall beside me and the other on the table. He filled the entire space in front of me and what felt like the whole cabin. I leaned away so my back was pressed against the hard wall.

Not that he scared me, but I feared what I would do to get warm again.

"Let's get a few things straight, Ice Princess. One, I never kid about anything. Two, the sight of you in those handcuffs and snow in your hair brings to mind at least six ways I'd love to fuck you into submission." He paused to close his eyes, took a deep breath and I swore I could feel the heat of his gaze on my body the second he opened them again.

I blinked up at him, mouth closed. I can see from that damn smirk on his face that was half the point.

And apparently, he wasn't done dropping some truth bombs on me. "I know I probably just scared the shit out of you, but I promise, you'll be completely safe with me while we're staying here because I'm a professional. And I don't fuck jailbait. Now sit here and be good," he barked in a tone that let me know he was annoyed.

That made two of us.

I swallowed, my face going hot when he raked his eyes over my nipples, causing me to shiver a little. Jesus, didn't the man get cold, too?

He made no attempt to hide the fact the bulge in his pants confirmed his matter-of-fact statement so I saw no point in looking away as he adjusted his thickness.

I groaned with a little appreciation and bite at my lip before blurting out, "What? I'm cold." I placed my hands on his chest and moved in until the tips of my nipples were against his chest. "I have an idea on how to wait out the snowstorm."

Gabriel raised his brows and that damn smirk teased the corner of his lips. He reached out and twirled a strand of my hair around a finger before letting it fall back to my shoulder. My hot new unwanted chauffeur/gopher/bodyguard leaned in, his lips against the shell of my ear, and whispered, "Is the ice princess horny?"

What? A girl had needs. And when a man looked and smelled like Gabriel Dyson, I'd be a fool to not take him up on the promised six ways he wants to claim my body.

I opened my mouth to offer another encouragement, but he turned on his heel, offering a quick, "I'll be right back." and then slammed the door, leaving me in the cabin with my hands cuffed and no way to zip my coat.

The slam was nearly drowned out by the sound of the blood pounding in my ears. And that wasn't the only place my blood pounded.

No one talked to me like that. Ever.

I was used to boys slobbering all over me, but they were just that— boys . They didn't get me hot and bothered.

Captain Gabriel Dyson was a man. No doubt about that. He was wrong about one thing, though. His little lecture didn't frighten me in the least. In fact, it had the opposite effect.

I liked it.

A lot.

Suddenly being shacked up with a hot, former-military stud turned personal bodyguard riding out a blizzard didn't seem quite so bleak. If I played my cards, I could be getting screwged this Christmas.

Game. On.