That First Christmas Read online

  She didn’t move for a few minutes, but when she did, he almost laughed. She darted past him in a blur of blankets. He heard the shower come on a few minutes later. He busied himself with cooking; setting two plates on the table instead of one. He found the sight odd. He couldn’t remember ever having anyone here for supper. He’d just finished setting the food on the table when the bathroom door opened.

  “Is this the smallest thing you have?” she asked.

  Travis looked up at her and couldn’t help but smile. She looked like a child playing dress up. His t-shirt hung to her knees and the pants he’d given her to wear were being held up by her hand. He realized then how tiny she actually was. She couldn’t be more than five-five, if that. She was slim and looked like a porcelain doll, her milky skin glowing healthy and pink by the shower. Her hair was still wet but he could tell it was definitely a natural auburn.

  He nodded and said, “Afraid so. As you can see, there’s no one here but me.”

  She frowned and looked down at herself. “I look like a street person.”

  “Maybe so, but you’re clean and about to have a full stomach. Complain about the clothes later.”

  She shuffled across the room, tripping twice on the pants legs, before cursing under her breath and opening her hand, letting the pants fall to the floor. She shrugged a shoulder at him when he raised a dark brow and walked the rest of the way to the table and sat down.

  “Mmm…If it tastes as good as it smells, I’m going to be one happy girl, despite the fact you’re holding me hostage. What is it?”

  Travis gave her a small grin and filled her plate before filling his own. “Stew.”

  She was eating before he even sat down.

  They ate in silence, the only sounds in the room was the firewood popping and the scrape of silverware on the plates. When Meredith ate the last bite, she sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair.

  “That was the best beef stew I’ve ever tasted. I didn’t think you could get good beef up here in hill country.”

  Travis looked at her, hiding a smile behind his napkin. “The mountain is full of meat.”

  “You have cows on the mountain?” she asked wide-eyed.

  He laughed, tossing his napkin in his plate and stood. “No, we don’t have cows on the mountain. It was deer.”

  He started clearing the table, making several trips to the kitchen before he noticed her complexion had paled. “What’s wrong? You don’t look too good.”

  She looked up and her eyes, he noticed, were glassy looking. “Deer?” she squeaked. “As in…Bambi? That kind of deer!”

  “There aren’t any other kind, are there?”

  “Oh, I think I’m going to be sick,” she whined, laying a hand to her stomach.

  He laughed and finished clearing the dishes. She sat at the table, staring at nothing and taking deep breaths. When she raised a hand to her mouth, his eyes widened. “Do not get sick on my table,” he said. “I may have rescued you, and fed you, but I won’t play nurse maid because you have a sensitive stomach.”

  “You could have told me,” she whined.

  “I didn’t think it would matter.”

  “Well, it does.”

  Travis stared at her for long moments before shaking his head. “Are you a vegetarian?”

  “No,” she said. “I just…well…oh, come on! It’s Bambi. You’ve seen him, right? He’s so cute.”

  “Bambi is a cartoon character,” Travis grinned. “I prefer the live versions myself. They taste better.”

  “Ugh, you’re such a crude, evil man.”

  She moved to the sofa and Travis caught himself staring at her. The light from the fire caused the t-shirt to become almost see through. Her curves were outlined in perfectly clarity. Wide flaring hips, a thin waist, just a hint of firm, round breast when she walked around the sofa…he felt himself harden instantly. When was the last time he’d seen a naked woman? A few hours ago, his subconscious reminded him. When you stripped her bare, right there in your living room. He clenched his jaw, seeing it all in his mind’s eye. He’d tried to keep her covered as he slipped her clothes from her but he wasn’t completely successful. He didn’t see much but what he did was enough to make him wish he hadn’t. He’d never get that vision out of his head. The tiny bra and panties she wore were see through and he’d tossed the blanket on her like she’d catch on fire if he didn’t.

  He shook his head and crossed the room, walking to the door. Grabbing his coat from the peg on the wall, he said, “We’ll need more firewood. I’ll be back in a few.” He practically ran into the frozen world outside his small cabin. The biting chill instantly took control of his raging hormones. All the blood rushing to his groin was now traveling north, where it should be. He’d been on this mountain too long, apparently. Too damn long.

  Chapter Two

  Meredith watched Travis drop his third load of wood into the bin by the wall with a raised eyebrow. How much wood could you burn in one night? He’d been in and out of the cabin several times and never once had he looked at her. Had she offended him with her comments about supper? She doubted it, but he was suddenly acting strange. Well, not that she knew him well enough to know how he acted when being normal. Not that it mattered. The man could be a loon and she’d still want to look at him. It shouldn’t be legal to walk around in public and look like he did. Maybe that was why he lived up here alone. She laughed at the thought and turned her head when he walked back in. He did glance at her that time and paused for a second before shutting the door.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing, why?” she asked.

  “You were laughing when I walked in.”

  “Oh! I was just thinking,” she told him.

  He tossed the wood logs in his arms into the bin. “You don’t have any history of mental illness in your family, do you?”

  “No! I’m perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

  “A normal, spoiled little rich girl?”

  She gasped. “I’m not rich. My daddy is, though.”

  Travis laughed. “So you’re just spoiled?”

  “No, I’m not spoiled. I deserve all my stuff.”

  “I’m sure you do, princess.”

  Meredith frowned at him and picked up the towel she’d been trying to dry her hair with. It still hung in wet clumps and she knew it would be nothing but frizz by the time it air dried. What normal person doesn’t own a hairdryer? she thought, running the thick cloth through her locks again. It would take hours for her hair to dry at this rate. She’d moved closer to the fire, leaning her head toward it in hopes the heat would speed the process along but so far all she’d managed to do was break a sweat. She’d need another shower before too long.

  She watched Travis when he removed his coat, hanging it on the peg by the door, and crossed the room. He sat on the sofa, leaned down and started taking off his boots. That’s when the reality of her situation hit her. She was alone with a perfect stranger. In his home. In the middle of the forest. Her pulse quickened an instant later. This is a horror movie in the making if I’ve ever seen one.

  She took an admiring look at him from head to toe and her frown turned into a tiny smile. She’d never seen a horror movie villain look so damned yummy before. Maybe this was one of those sappy chick-flicks instead. The lost heroine in need of rescuing. A cozy fire. The burly mountain man who’d been too long without a woman. Yeah, she liked this scenario better. Now if said mountain man would just strip off those clothes and show her what she could expect from their love scene, she’d have a better picture of how the happily ever after would play out.

  She could only image what those clothes hid. He obviously did a lot of manual labor. That firewood didn’t chop itself. He’s probably cut like a diamond, she thought. All hard lines and lickable with muscles where most men didn’t even know they could be.

  The thought made her mouth water.

  “Whatever you’re thinking about, stop.”

  “Huh?
”

  Travis gave her a brief look and stood quickly, walking across the room. He grabbed clothes and was in the bathroom a second later. Meredith stared at the closed door and blinked twice before shaking her head.

  * * * *

  The cold shower did nothing to stop the thoughts of her. It especially did nothing to erase the image of her, sitting there with the fire at her back and a look on her face that sent chills racing up his spine. He’d seen that look before. Lord knew it had been ages since he had, but he remembered it. Lust wasn’t easy to disguise. It quickened the breath and made a person’s eyes go all soft and languid. She’d had the look. For a split second, he saw it and it was directed at him. The fire at her back didn’t help either. It caused the outline of her body to tease him through the transparent shirt she was wearing. When had his t-shirts become so thin? Maybe it was just the color. He should have given her black. He would tomorrow. And the day after that.

  Leaning his head forward, he shivered as the water ran over his back. A glance down caused him to grimace. The sight of his hardened cock taunted him. The water did nothing to dissuade it. Of all the times to get a case of an uncontrollable erection. Of course, his cock wasn’t to blame. Or even him for that matter. It was her. Meredith. With her flowing red hair, pert nose and large eyes that glistened like emeralds. Those soft pink lips, so full and lush…he could see them wrapped around him cock, pulling him into her mouth, and he moaned an instant before he realized he was slowly stroking himself.

  He stilled his hand. How long had it been since he’d been with a woman? He thought back, trying to remember and shuddered at the thought. Five years? Six? Too damned long since the scent of perfume had stained his skin…since being able to feel soft flesh under his palms…since kissing someone and getting lost in the taste of them.

  He shuddered and shook his head, sighing heavily and giving in to his desire. He could see her face so clearly and his long abstinence made the act last only seconds. He was almost ashamed at how quickly he came. He wasn’t some adolescent boy, but as he watched his spending wash down the drain, he felt like one.

  He showered quickly, drying, and dressing in a t-shirt and sweat pants. He felt almost self-conscience as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. What did she see when she looked at him? He could definitely use a shave and his hair was too long. It probably needed cut. He ran his hand through it, pushing the wet locks back away from his face. He grimaced, feeling ridiculous all of a sudden. When was the last time he cared what anyone thought of him? Not since a smart mouth redhead called him a backwards hillbilly.

  Before he could question why, his chin was lathered with shaving cream and his razor was in his hand. He shaved away days worth of stubble and gave his appearance another look when he was finished. Would a girl like Meredith find someone like him attractive? Apparently she did, he thought, recalling the earlier look she’d been giving him. Did it matter though? She was Meredith Gunter. Daughter to the devil himself.

  Bracing his hands on the sink, he stared down at nothing, letting the past replay in his minds eye. What would she think if she ever found out what he’d done? Did it matter? Once the storm cleared and he took her to town, he’d never see her again. Girls like that didn’t want men like him. He was nobody. A man so poor the only thing he could offer her was a drafty old cabin that should have fallen to the ground years ago.

  “You’re over thinking this, Travis,” he said quietly to himself. “She’s the first person you’ve said over ten words to in months. Don’t let it go to your head. Either of them.”

  Shaking his thoughts away, he turned and opened the bathroom door and stopped. Meredith was lying in front of the fire, her mass of copper locks spilling out on the rug and dancing in highlights from the fire flames. The t-shirt she wore rode up her legs, giving him a glimpse of pale thigh. She looked like a woodland nymph. Soft curves and a beauty so enchanting he was sure she was beckoning him to certain doom. And she would. He knew in that instant that this girl would be his undoing. She’d build him up and tear him down, piece by agonizing piece. Worst part was, he’d probably let her.

  He sighed and walked across the room, stopping when he neared her. A look at her face confirmed what he’d thought. She was asleep. Turning to the bed, he pulled down the blankets and walked back across the room. He lifted with into his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently. She whispered something under her breath, snuggling into the mattress and tucked her hands under her chin. A tendril of her hair fell over her cheek, trailing across her lips. He lifted it, tucking it behind her ear and sat on the edge of the bed, watching her. Her gentle breaths the only sound in the room other than the hissing fire.

  One day, he thought. It took her only one day to destroy the cold exterior he’d constructed around his heart and make him wonder. To make him want things he shouldn’t have. A simple smile at him and he’d been undone. Years of forced isolation and one wisp of a girl made him want. Made him want what he’d never had but gave up without a second thought. He wanted…he wanted what everyone else had. He wanted to belong, to be accepted, to be wanted. He wanted her, he suddenly realized. All of her. The smart mouth, her ditzy thoughts, and the tinkling laughter he’d heard.

  He wanted Meredith Gunter. But he couldn’t have her.

  Chapter Three

  Meredith woke warmed to the bone and her limbs felt languid and heavy. She sighed, burrowing down in the blankets and inhaled deeply. An unfamiliar scent assaulted her immediately. Her eyes shot open and she stared at the wall in front of her. A quick glance around and she remembered. She’d wrecked her car and was rescued by Travis, mountain man made by the gods. She grinned and turned her head, taking in his scent from the pillows. It was earthy and strong. It smelled of fresh air and nature. She could get used to that scent. She could get used to him, or would like to.

  Her smile widened and she sat up, pushing her hair out of her face and looked around the cabin. It was empty. A quick glance to the open bathroom door let her know he wasn’t there either. “Probably out doing more manly stuff,” she said, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and taking advantage of the bathroom.

  Walking to the kitchen after tidying her appearance, she saw a note propped up on the stove.

  Breakfast is in the over. It’s not deer.

  She grinned and opened the oven door, pulling the covered plate from inside. It was still warm. Finding a fork in the fourth drawer she looked in, she walked to the table and sat. Bacon, eggs, fried potatoes and toast. He’d fixed all that and she slept the entire time? “Geez, sleep like the dead, why don’t you, Meredith,” she said, rolling her eyes at herself before digging in to her breakfast. She ate quickly, washing her plate and sitting it in the dish drainer by the sink. She smiled at the clean plate. For once, she didn’t have someone standing by to do everything for her. Well, except cook. Travis would have to handle that. Lord knows she couldn’t boil water without help.

  Turning to the living room, she stared at the cabin. It was clean, she noticed. A little bare but clean. The furniture gave her pause when she looked at it. She’d seen other pieces like it at the ski resort they’d visited last winter in Aspen. Made from real wood timber, the framing of the chairs and sofa looked like raw branches, their limbs curved in places and knotted. It looked more like art than actual furniture and she wondered what someone like Travis was doing with such expensive furnishings in his tiny, one room cabin.

  Other than the furniture, there was nothing to see. No pictures, no whatnots lying about. No special touches that made a home…well, a home. There wasn’t even a television. The only things adorning the walls were a calendar by the door and a mounted deer head over the fireplace. Why did that piece of adornment not surprise her? She grimaced at the thing. It was looking at her. She stared at it for long minutes, easing around the sofa while keeping an eye on it. No matter where she went, the thing kept looking at her! Grabbing the blanket off the back of the sofa, she unfolded it and wal
ked slowly to the fireplace. Grabbing the blanket at both ends, she tossed it up and smiled as it caught on the antlers. “Now who are you going to look at, huh?” she said, cheekily.

  She nodded her head at her accomplishment and looked around the room again. She grimaced at the sparse cabin. How did anyone live so…there wasn’t even a word to describe what she saw.

  What this place needed was a woman’s touch. She smiled and crossed her arms under her breasts. “Where to start,” she said. There wasn’t much to work with. Every thing was dark. The cloth on the furniture, the blankets, the rugs on the floor. Every thing was brown, black or dark burgundy. Even the curtains on the two windows in the cabin were dark.

  A little light would do wonders, she thought, walking across the room and pulling the curtain on the living room window back. Muted light spilled in the room. It was still snowing. The sky was gray and uninviting. She could see Travis’ truck covered in several inches of snow. A break in the trees, she assumed, led to the main road. What she didn’t see was Travis.

  Walking to the kitchen, she pulled the curtain back on the window and looked out. Nothing but snow and ice covered trees as far as the eye could see.

  Why would anyone want to live here? she thought.

  Turning, she sighed and leaned back against the kitchen cabinet and once again stared at the barren cabin. “This place will drive me crazy,” she said to no one. “It’s so…boring.”

  Another heaved sigh and she walked to the door, opening it and looking out. Nothing. Just snow. No Travis. No sound other than wind. “I think I died in that crash and went to hell.”

  Explain Travis then?

  “Okay, nothing that fine could be in hell,” she said and nibbled on her bottom lip while she thought. “Maybe I’m in a coma? I’m in a hospital, hooked up to life support and my subconscious mind is projecting his image. And making you lust after him.” She grinned. Yeah, that had to be it.