A Snow Country Christmas (The Carsons of Mustang Creek #4)(44)

15

HE WANTED TO marry her.

She wasn’t every man’s ideal of a perfect bride. She had a child, a past, and her unconventional approach to life was hardly traditional.

But he had no doubt he loved her and that was all that mattered.

She’d said yes.

He didn’t ask her the traditional way but while they were eating dinner. He didn’t mean to quite blurt it out like that, but his emotions got the best of him.

It was every girl’s dream.

A beautiful ring, a romantic proposal and killer artichoke dip.

Not to mention a wind velocity that measured off the charts. It was amazing that she couldn’t envision a more perfect evening. If the roof stayed on she’d be amazed at the workmanship of those long-ago craftsmen that nailed it on.

While there was the probability of a rodent drive-by, and Raine wasn’t unaware of it because they’d heard rustling all evening, the room was nice and toasty, and when Mick rolled out the sleeping bag and started to undress her, she was willing.

Extremely willing.

He shucked off his clothes just as quickly, joined her under the warm folds of the sleeping bag and kissed her softly. Not passionately, but with a gentleness that melted her heart. He said, “I’ve waited for you. I don’t think I knew what I was waiting for. Now I understand.”

She’d waited for him, too. “Right there with you. A man with good hair in a haunted cabin is a rare find. You’re so warm. Hold me closer and protect me from the possible rodent population.”

“I’m your knight on a white steed. No mouse will bother you on my watch.”

He was a very aroused knight. She wasn’t at all averse to that, either. “I’m petrified, but with you to save me from fearsome rodents...say no more.”

“No problem there. And warm? I’m alone with you, so call it what it is. I’m on fire. Can we stop talking and do something else entirely? I want to make love to you and I suspect your car will be blown away at any minute and the cabin will fall down around us and I won’t care.”

No condom. She didn’t ask for one and he didn’t use one. They’d had that conversation. He was...perfect. Insistently passionate but not less than thoughtful and understood her every response to each touch and whisper, and afterward the wind keening outside was almost as sexy as the way her leg sprawled over his thigh when it was said and done.

Raine rested her head on his damp chest. “I do love you.”

“I hope so, since we’re engaged.”

“That part doesn’t matter to me as much as that I love you. I can’t believe it.”

“Can’t believe it? I’m trying to decide if I should be insulted or not. You sound uncertain.”

“About my feelings, not about you.” She gave him a playful slap on the shoulder. “Give me some latitude. This hasn’t happened to me before.”

“Never found the right man? I, for one, am pretty glad of it. You waited for me.” His fingers sifted through her hair. “I’m going to christen you my best Christmas gift ever.”

“I intend to be.”

“Good, because you succeeded.”

“How are you going to finish the book? The last I read, our hero was sleeping on the front porch in a raging snow storm.”

“I think he moves inside. She would never leave him out there in the cold.”

“Of course not. I bet he likes it better inside.”

“They hook up.”

“I think you need to put it more eloquently than that.” She nestled closer, knowing he would take her words for the teasing they were. Mick would never be crude.

“Easier said than done, especially for a rugged, solitary cowboy like him. He likes the fact that he found her—he likes it a lot. He just isn’t too good at saying it.”

“She needs him to say it.”

She heard him take in a breath. “I’m guessing you’re talking about us. I honestly think the moment I met you I knew I was falling pretty hard.”

“I was talking about the book, Mick. I would never play you like that. You made a distinct impression as well, I might add. As far as I can tell, everyone in the entire Carson camp immediately cottoned on to how we were feeling. I don’t think we should play poker with them until we work on our technique. Now, back to the book. How does it end?”

“I’m not going to tell you, because I don’t really know yet. You’ll have to read it yourself when it’s finally done. I don’t know if my writing is on a par with your grandfather’s, but I’m really enjoying it. It’s coming more naturally than I might have guessed, probably because I’ve read pretty much all his books. He’s so descriptive. Maybe that’s why I have such a connection with this part of the country. I’d been here in my imagination often enough before my first visit.”

“Well, this cabin certainly qualifies as the real deal. I’m surprised there isn’t a musket mounted on the wall somewhere. On a night like tonight I’m surprised there are still walls.”

It was wicked out there. She was warm and cozy enough in the afterglow, but the weather wasn’t very friendly. Raine was glad Daisy was safe and sound at the ranch. If she had to call it, she suspected they might be stranded for longer than anticipated—the drift by the front door wasn’t getting any smaller. “We could have a hard time leaving in the morning.”