Colters' Woman (Colters' Legacy #1)(2)

He turned when he heard the door open. Ryan stood there, his eyes hooded.

“Ethan says she’s the one.”

Adam nodded, not knowing what else to say. He knew Ryan would have to make up his own mind.

Ryan’s gaze swept over the woman but he didn’t move forward. “I’ll wait until you’re through. I wouldn’t want her to awaken with both of us here. It might scare her.”

“I won’t be long,” Adam said, trying to interpret the shadows in Ryan’s eyes. “Do me a favor and put her clothes in the dryer.”

Ryan shrugged and backed from the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him.

Adam returned his attention to his charge just in time to see her eyes flutter open. Soft brown eyes stared at him in shock and confusion. Then fear.

* * *

The first thing Holly became aware of was delicious warmth. After being cold for so long, she was certain she’d died and gone to heaven. Or maybe it was hell judging by the temperature.

Then she opened her eyes and quickly decided it had to be heaven because the devil couldn’t possibly look as good as the man bending over her.

After staring at him for a moment, she realized she was naked. In a tub. With a gorgeous stranger looking at her, completely unabashed by her nudity. Maybe instead of drooling she ought to be afraid.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the man said in a soothing tone as he backed a few inches away from the tub. “I found you in the snow.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and drew up her knees, trying to cover as much of her body as possible. “Where am I?” she asked, hating how shaky her voice sounded.

“Three Brothers Hunting Lodge,” he replied. “Are you hurting anywhere?”

She clutched her chest tighter and shook her head. “Where are my clothes?”

“In the dryer. I’ll give you a shirt to put on until they finish.”

Despite the warmth of the water, chill bumps raced over her body, her ni**les tightening against her arms. The man was positively sinful. His dark hair was cut short, and he had shoulders that would barely fit through a doorway. He was built bigger than a linebacker.

He stood, giving her a good look at his long legs encased in tight jeans. She nearly groaned aloud when she saw scuffed cowboy boots sticking out from under his pant legs. She’d always been a sucker for a man in cowboy boots.

She gasped as he bent over and plucked her from the water. Before she could protest, he wrapped a huge towel around her and strode from the bathroom. She stifled her reprimand as he deposited her on a king-size bed. She gathered the ends of the towel and held them tightly around her.

He turned his back to her momentarily and disappeared into the closet. Seconds later, he returned with a flannel shirt and a pair of sweats.

“They’re much too big for you, but they’ll do until your clothes are dry.”

He held them out to her, his gaze caressing her face. She should be afraid. She was in a strange man’s house. Naked as the day she was born. And yet she didn’t feel threatened by him.

She almost laughed at the absurdity. Most men terrified her. And with good reason. So why wasn’t she screaming the house down? Why was she laying there staring at him like she’d love nothing more than to strip him down to those cowboy boots? She should be making a mad dash out the door.

Instead, she curled her fingers around the shirt he offered, flushing madly when his hand touched hers briefly. Fire lit his eyes and burned a trail down her flesh as his gaze raked up and down her body.

“I’ll leave you to dress,” he said. “When you’re done, come on out to the living room and warm up by the fire.”

“T-thank you,” she stammered.

As soon as he left the room, she scrambled up, shedding the towel and yanking on the shirt. It hung to her knees, the sleeves dwarfing her arms. She rolled up each one so her hands were free.

She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on the sweats. When she stood, they fell to her ankles. Hiking them back up, she pulled at the drawstring, trying to make the monstrous pants stay up. They promptly fell back down, and she growled in irritation.

Well, he’d seen her in a lot less. At least the shirt covered most of her. Hopefully her clothing would be dry soon.

She snuck a glance in the mirror over the dresser and winced at her appearance. Her hair was a mess, and the dye job was awful. It certainly hadn’t achieved the desired effect of altering her appearance.

Straightening her shirt, she pulled it as far down her legs as she could and hesitantly walked out of the bedroom door. She moved down the hallway, looking left and right. At the end, she stopped and stared in embarrassment into the living room.

Three men, not just one, stared at back at her. Three gorgeous, hulking men. And here she stood in nothing more than a shirt. She started to retreat, but the man who had bathed her crossed the room and caught her elbow.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m Adam, by the way.” He led her further into the living room despite her reluctance. “These two are my brothers, Ryan and Ethan.”

She eyed them nervously and hung back, hoping Adam’s body would shield her from view. “You didn’t say anything about brothers.”

“I told you the name of the ranch,” he said in amusement.

He reached behind him and squeezed her hand in his. “Don’t worry, baby. No one’s going to hurt you.”