His Favorite Mistake (Baby Its Cold Out) (23 page)

              He brushed away her tears and when she could speak through all the love that was rushing through her she told him that her tears were tears of happiness.                            

             
His kiss ignited flames of desire deep inside of her that matched his own. Her hands slipped under his sweater to touch him. She could feel his shuddering in response and then they were undressing each other recklessly their fingers fumbling over the buttons in a need to be as close to each other with nothing in between them but flesh.

             
Brody stood and pushed back the chair laying her gently down on the rug in front of the fire and they made love there amongst the flames their bodies touching kindling each other with each kiss each caress until they were physically and emotionally exhausted laying in each other's arms.

* * * *

              Somehow, Reyna slept. When she awoke, she was lying on the sofa covered by a warm blanket and for a moment, she thought it had all been just a beautiful dream that he hadn't really been there with her at all. 

“Brody.” She started to get up when he knelt beside her and touched her cheek tenderly. She could feel the tremors that shook his hand knowing the emotions that took control of them as he smoothed away her hair from her face.

"I'm here love, I'm here.” He touched his lips to hers. "You were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't want to wake you. Are you cold?" She shook her head and looked at the uncertainty in his eyes watching as he hesitated for a moment almost shy with her before reaching inside his pocket to take out a small box.

“Reyna I have something that I want to ask you. I'd planned on giving this to you on Christmas Eve but I don't think I can wait that long for your answer.” He looked into her eyes and she could see the insecurity there in his as if he were uncertain of her once more. "I should warn you though love that I don't ever plan on taking no for an answer. I want you to marry me. I've wanted this from the very moment we met. I can't live without you. I want you to be my wife.”

              She looked into his eyes and saw tears shimmering in the blue depths taking her breath away. He reached for her hand and placed the ring on her finger with a hand that still shook. As she looked from the three diamonds that glittered in the firelight, and then to the man who had had become her soul's mate, Reyna knew that from their friendship a very special love had developed. Theirs was a passion so strong that nothing would ever come between it ever again. 

The End

The Book Of Love - Book One of Baby Its Cold Out Series

Chapter One

Had I known the fate waiting for me outside the safety of my house, I would have pulled the covers back over my head, dismissed the cat’s complaining entirely, and ignored the flood on the first floor.

But then, I wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen. After all this was Endsville, Colorado and in Endsville, nothing much ever really changes.

I parked my beat-up Jeep in front of Love The Book bookstore that my family had owned for decades. It was barely September and already a record amount of snow had fallen leaving the roads treacherous. The snowplow had managed to pile up a stack of the wet stuff in front of the store.

Somehow, I managed to maneuver my bad foot out of the Jeep without causing any further damage. The temperature outside bordered on reaching an all-time low. Most of the weathermen around the state agreed on one thing. This year had all the makings of being the worst winter in decades.

I hobbled up the icy steps that needed deicing and fumbled with the lock on the door while trying to ignore the pain in my ankle. Mentally I ticked off all the things I needed to be doing today, other than going to the minor emergency center that is. There was the bank deposit, which was already late, followed by returning the wrong shipment of books that arrived late yesterday afternoon. I’d need to get them to the UPS store today if I had any chance at getting the right ones in time for Christmas. Oh and let’s not forget the travel section that had needed reorganizing for weeks now. This was my least favorite thing to do and the real reason why it had taken so long to work up enough gumption to attempt the task.

After yesterday’s disaster, things had continued to snowball into what I liked to refer to as my morning from hell. I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage to get even one of those much-needed chores accomplished with an injured ankle.

The worst part of it all was poor Mr. Edwards was going to be disappointed again today. He’d been expecting his copy of the newly released mystery novel last week, and he wasn’t at all happy when I’d told him it was being delayed for another week. Now this. Two-dozen copies of the same romance novel from an author I’d never even heard of before. And judging from what I’d read of her work as I’d flipped through the pages last night, I wouldn’t be hearing from her again.

I’d dreaded having to face Mr. Edwards today and tell him the bad news. The old guy wasn’t the most patient person around this small town.

After the disaster with the romance novels, I’d completely forgotten to make the bank deposit. As it was, I’d need to close the store for an hour just to get to the bank on time. Otherwise, I’d have checks bouncing all over town.

I just had time to flip the lights on and fire-up the coffeemaker for my first cup of much needed coffee when the bell above the front door announced the inevitable.

“I’ll be right with you, Mr. Edwards,” I called out while silently hoping I’d find him in a bit more understanding mood this morning.

Had he actually been waiting for me to arrive?

Apparently, those mystery novels were the highlight of his life. He was fond of one particular author and had been reading through a series of the man’s books for more than six months now. Right around the same time I’d left my promising advertising career in
New York behind to take over the running of the bookstore after my father’s heart attack.

I’d been my parents’ last hope as scary as that sounds. I wonder what they would think about their future security if they could see the morning I’d just gone through.

Okay, so technically the washing machine hose burst in my parents’ two-story home sometime last night. But that didn’t change the facts now did it? The entire ground floor had been standing in an inch or more of water when I woke up.

Unfortunately, this was only the first disaster of the day. The second occurred when Albert, my mother’s ancient and somewhat arrogant cat, tiptoed downstairs from sleeping on my bed, which he’d pretty much decided was his own in spite of my constant challenges to this right. Albert took one look at the state of affairs down there and fled the scene at the first opportunity he found, which came when I opened the back door, ignored the snow and freezing temperatures, and screamed as loud as I possibly could into the semi dark country morning.

After screaming a few more times, followed by stamping my feet just as many, I still didn’t feel any better and my problems hadn’t miraculously disappeared. At this point, I waded back inside the soaked house and called a local plumber. I pondered calling my brother Eric for help but thought better of it. Mostly because I couldn’t bear to hear another lecture from him on being more responsible.  

I reached his answering service who assured me Mr. Sinclair would be happy to help at a somewhat more reasonable hour. I was then informed that Mr. Sinclair could be at my place at such and such time if I met him at the door with a nice little check. I readily agreed.

I spent several hours fuming and bailing water, followed by vacuuming, but the place appeared to be reasonably less soggy. It was then that I discovered Albert was missing. Apparently, he’d fled to higher ground.

When I found myself standing on the ladder beneath my parents’ one hundred-year-old Live Oak tree, while reaching as far up as possible I could just to try to retrieve Albert from the limb he was hunkered down on, I suddenly remembered why Albert and I’d never become friends.

He took a swipe at my hand with his nicely sharpened claws, sending me reeling backwards to avoid them and sailing through the air, landing on my hindsight.

The lousy cat could just stay in the tree as far as I was concerned. But Albert definitely won this round.

I’d known the second I put pressure on my ankle and felt the pain threaten to make me cry, I was in big trouble. It had begun swelling at an alarming rate. I said a few choice words and eyed Albert with enough contempt to send him higher up the tree.

Once I’d wrapped the ankle, I decided there really wasn’t much else that could go wrong with this day, so I was pretty much home free.

Boy was I wrong. This day had only just begun to go bad. I knew this for certain the second I hobbled back to the store and saw that the man standing at my counter waiting, and not very patiently I might add, was not Mr. Edwards at all. Not by a long shot. No sir. There was absolutely no way anyone could ever mistake this gorgeous hunk for the slightly stooped Mr. Edwards.

For starters, the man leaning against my counter was at least a good foot taller than Mr. Edwards and about half Mr. Edwards’ age. He looked slightly puzzled at the display of romance novels I’d placed invitingly next to the front of the store, close to the register.

Even from where I was standing, I could see he was in a different category entirely from Mr. Edwards and about ninety percent of the male population of Colorado.

As I watched, he gingerly picked up one of those romance novels as if fearing it might bite him. He squinted at the provocative title, his lips actually moving. I could almost see the wheels turning as he shook his head, then ran a hand through his dark brown hair before replacing the book again. He’d probably wondered why anyone would choose to name their book, Your Every Desire. I had to smile.

Of course, men like that didn’t understand the whole happily-ever-after, love-at-first-sight kind of thing. They didn’t need to. They were used to getting everything they needed on looks alone.

Not that I had anything against good-looking men. In spite of his being dressed in a dark gray business suit of all things, it was easy to see my puzzled intruder had a body to rival any one of my fantasies. In fact, he could have stepped from the covers of Your Every Desire.

He certainly would know exactly what to say and do to set any woman’s heart racing. Mine had begun pulsing faster the second I saw him.

I tried to bring my straying thoughts back to the world around me and out of places best left alone, especially when the answer to my extremely detailed list of requirements for a partner was standing right before my eyes.

“Oh for crying out loud.” Now, I imagined I’d simply thought these things to myself. Unfortunately, when he turned my way and I came face-to-face with the most startling pair of gray eyes, I realized I hadn’t. I’d said them aloud.

From my vantage point close to the magazine rack, I watched a slow smile play across his face. The man was gorgeous. And clearly, he’d guessed the real reason behind my outburst. He’d probably seen my reaction on a million different faces in the past.

Well, at least my bad day was getting a bit more interesting, I thought. Until he spoke.

“Hi there. I’m trying to locate the owners of the bookstore?” Even his voice was sexy. “Can you tell me how I might get in touch with them?” At my gawking silence, he tried another approach. “Boy, am I glad to see you. I was beginning to think no one actually worked here anymore.”

As he stepped closer, I took a countering hobble backwards. His eyes lost some of their amusement. Obviously, this wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting.

What was he talking about? I was the one in charge here, and this place was open seven days a week, without fail. I of all people should know. I’d added a couple of new frown lines each time I went over the less than profitable books.

“What do you need to talk to them about?” I asked, without even trying to disguise my anger. Who did he think I was? The cleaning lady?

“Well, that’s kind of between me and the
Taylor’s, so if you don’t mind would you just let them know Grayson Stone stopped by to see them.” He reached in his pocket and retrieved a business card. “They can reach me at any of these numbers most any time,” he added as if he might be talking to some sort of simpleton.

“Grayson...” I repeated the name, still not budging from my perch next to the magazines. I didn’t recognize him or his name, but I was pretty sure if my parents had ever mentioned it, I would definitely have remembered.

“Yeah, my parents had some strange sense of humor, didn’t they?” He sent me another smile meant to win me over and get me moving. I decided I wasn’t nearly as attracted to him as I first believed. He should have kept his mouth closed.

“Well, Grayson,” I emphasized the name in such a way that had his eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly. “As it happens, I don’t need to go get them for you because I’m them. I’m in charge of Love The Book now.” I had the fleeting satisfaction of seeing that smile disappear. Clearly, I’d surprised him.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t understand. I was told by my assistant that the bookstore was owned by...” At this point, he was so unsure of himself he actually had to consult a rather expensive looking Blackberry to be certain he’d gotten the names correct.