Wasilla, Alaska
Annie opened her eyes and found herself being carried through a horrific blizzard. The man whose arms cradled her was covered head to toe in black, with only his eyes peeking out. Annie knew those eyes, but for the life of her could not remember who they belonged to.
Then the memories came flooding back all at once and she gasped. “Matt?” But the only sound heard was that of the howling wind. She took as deep of a breath as she could and yelled. “Matt!” His gaze never wavered as if she hadn’t spoken at all.
“Annie.”
She opened her eyes, but the light was too bright, so she slammed them shut. Her body was being jostled, but she did not want to wake up yet.
Just a few more minutes.
“Annie!”
Who the hell is yelling at me? She squinted, a face was inches from her own. It took a few seconds to realize it was Stone.
“Thank God. Come on, we need to get these clothes off you.” He was tugging at her parka. She tried to slap his hand away, but for some reason her arm felt like lead. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore him.
“No dammit, stay awake.” He gripped her arms and shook her something fierce.
“St-st-stop.”
“That’s it, honey. Get mad. You can’t stand having anyone tell you what to do.” He hugged her to his chest.
“C-c-can’t breathe.” She was having a hard time forming her words and when they finally came out, she was slurring like a drunken sailor.
He pulled away when he realized he was smothering her.
“Listen to me very carefully. You have hypothermia. We need to get off your wet clothes and warm you up immediately. If you understand, nod your head.”
She dipped her head once.
“Good.” He was unbuttoning her blouse. “Come on, baby. Talk to me.”
She blinked.
“That works too. Just stay awake, okay?” He was trying to remove her shirt, jacket, and parka all at once, but everything got wadded up around her wrists. “Shit.” He tugged and tugged, then gave up. He redressed her, then removed the parka, her suit jacket, and finally the blouse. It worked better that way.
“T-t-t-tired.”
“I know, babe, but you need to fight it.” He undid her pants and pulled them off. He left her undergarments on and wrapped her head to toe in a blanket. He laid her head on his chest and vigorously rubbed her back. After awhile he asked, “How’s that, better?”
“Mm hmm.” Her body was responding to his touch. More importantly, she could wiggle her fingers and toes.
He got up and put a couple more logs in the stove and stoked the fire. “Okay, stay here while I make you a cup of tea. I won’t be long.”
Annie stared at the blaze. Before long, Stone sat cross-legged on the floor next to her holding a cup with both hands. “Here, drink this. I put some raw, unfiltered honey in it to give you a little energy boost.”
She tried to reach for the mug, but her arms wouldn’t obey.
“Let me help.” He put the cup to her lips.
As she drank, she could feel the warm liquid slide down her throat and hit her stomach. “Good.” Although she was beginning to feel again, the energy it took to form the word completely wore her out.
When she had finished sipping the tea, Stone left the room and came back with a towel. He pulled out her ponytail and stood over her, drying her hair. His attentiveness made her feel guilty. She’d brought this on herself. She had no business following him out into that storm.
“Sorry.”
The towel quit moving. “What for?”
“This.”
He got down on his hunches in front of her and laid the towel on his knee before he took her face in his hands. “You do not need to apologize. I understand. You were only trying to help. But should a similar situation arise, let me handle it. I’m the native here. These are my woods. Even in whiteout conditions, I can still find my way home.”
She still felt ashamed. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He brushed a knuckle down her cheek. “I kinda like having you around.”
The intimate way he touched her sent a shiver throughout her body, and it wasn’t because she was cold. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his tentatively. She pulled back to gauge his reaction. He was not looking at her like a sister.
At all.
Instead she saw pure animal lust.
His eyes flashed as if they were on fire.
Stone pulled her face toward his and kissed her. Really kissed her. With all the passion that entailed. When their tongues touched, she felt it all the way to her toes. His hands moved from her face and he wrapped her in his strong arms. The kiss deepened. She melted against him. All at once her body felt as if it would burst into flames.
Buh bye, hypothermia.
Before she knew it, she was tugging at his clothes. She fumbled with the buttons on his shirt until he took over. Seconds later flannel sailed over her head. His turtleneck was next. His hair was bound at the nape, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and removed the elastic.
Starting from the top of his head, she threaded her hands through his shiny black hair. It was so soft it slipped through her fingers. “I’ve wanted to do this since the moment we met.”
He arched a brow. “Really?”
“There’s just one thing, I don’t know if I can date a guy who has prettier hair than mine.”
He smiled. “Then you don’t have to worry.” He stroked her hair. “You’ve got me beat, hands down.”
She gazed upon his muscular, naked chest, then took in his tattoos. One bicep had a barbed wire tattoo encircling it. From the top of his other shoulder and running down to his mid-bicep was either a killer whale or a shark.
It had big teeth and a fin on its back. The interior of the tattoo was like abstract art, circles inside of circles filled the tail, body and head. “A shark?”
“Wooshkeetaan means shark, or of the shark house clan in Tlingit.”
“Do you have any more tattoos?”
He stared at her a moment before he dipped his head in a nod. A chill crept in. His demeanor had changed completely.
Crap. She wished she’d never asked. “Forget it.”
“Nope.” He shook his head slowly. “We might as well get it over with.” He rose up on his knees and faced away from her.
Annie moved his hair aside. A giant native eagle tattoo in black and red ink greeted her. The wingspan went from shoulder to shoulder, with solid red circles in the middle of each wing, its head turned to one side.
The mask of a face sat center mass. It was an intricate piece of art. “Wow. It’s beautiful.” It looked almost 3D. She placed her full hand on it and his body jerked. Instantly she pulled it back. “Sorry. Did I hurt you?”
The surface underneath was bumpy.
“No. I don’t feel pain there. Anymore. The skin is as tough as leather.”
She felt stupid. As if she should know what he was talking about, but at last she confessed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”
“There’s no reason you should. Things like this don’t happen in your world.” His head fell forward as if ashamed, his hair pooled over his knees.
Annie had still not comprehended his meaning, so she waited to see if he would clarify. The fire crackled and popped, but other than that, the room was deathly still.
When he finally spoke, his voice sounded far away.
“My father was an alcoholic. He drank morning, noon and night. My mother worked hard to keep food on the table and him in whiskey. I never saw her. She came home after I was in bed and left before I awoke.” He swallowed audibly.
“I can’t tell you when the beatings started because I don’t remember a time when I was not being whipped.”
Annie sucked in a breath and knew he’d heard it because he stopped talking. After waiting awhile for him to resume, she prompted him. “Did he use an actual whip?”
“It was homemade. He tied a thin strip of leather to the end of a stick. When the stick broke, he found another and made a new one.”
It was beyond despicable. How could anyone, let alone a parent, hurt an innocent child? “Why?”
“I was too loud. Too quiet. I looked at him the wrong way. Maybe I reminded him of his failures as a father, a husband, or a human being. Probably just for existing in the first place. Who knows what was locked up in that twisted head of his? You can’t reason with a drunk and he was always drunk.”
“Did your mother know about the abuse?”
“How could she not?” The anger in his voice was frightening. “I actually hated her more than my father just for leaving me alone with him. She knew what a mean son-of-a-bitch he was. He had an excuse for his demons. Whiskey. What was hers? When I grew up, I realized she was staying away from the house until he passed out. Not because she was working.
“I finally did the same. That’s why I practically lived at the Locklears. You know, I once asked them if they’d adopt me? They said they couldn’t, but that I was always welcome in their home.”
Annie ran her hands over the entire tattoo. He flinched at first, then relaxed. “I think this is magnificent. It’s like a phoenix rising from the ashes.” She kissed his shoulder. “Your history is what made you who you are.” She kissed his back. “And I wouldn’t change a single thing.”
He flipped around so fast it startled her and took her face in his hands. “Annie Thomas, you are one amazing woman.” He kissed her so thoroughly it took her breath away. Once the kiss ended, he stood and lifted her in his arms.
Stone carried her through an open door off the living room and placed her on the bed. He lit a candle on the nightstand, then grabbed something from the drawer and shoved it under the pillow. She gazed up at him, at his long black hair that hung down past his sculpted chest.
His tattoos accentuated his muscular arms. The flickering light reflected off his hungry eyes. He stood above her like a warrior and she was to be the one conquered. She couldn’t have imagined a better fantasy if she tried.
Stone removed her bra and panties with the expertise of a pro. He slid off his pants to reveal sinewy legs and a firm butt before he lay on the bed beside her. He stroked her hair, then ran a finger around her face, tracing every line.
“God, you’re beautiful.” His voice had a dreamlike quality. “I want to memorize every inch of you.”
She closed her eyes and relaxed. “If you must.”
He kissed her eyelids and nose, before nipping at her lips. She found herself growing impatient for his kiss. When he finally opened his mouth, their tongues danced sending an electrical current down her body. When he ended the kiss, she almost cried out.
His large calloused hands roamed her body, followed by nips and kisses. Every nerve in her body ignited as if exposed. She arched her back, pushing herself against him. She didn’t analyze what he was doing because whatever it was sent her over the edge.
The biggest wave she’d ever experienced shot through her body. She actually left the bed at one point, she was sure of it. A scream filled the room, startling her. She’d never been a screamer.
Stone reached under the pillow and slid on a condom. Their bodies met and they rode together until another wave hit. The moment Annie opened her mouth, his back arched and a guttural sound announced his release like a wolf howling at the moon.
Afterward, Annie snuggled up beside him and he wrapped his arm around her. With his other hand he traced her face with his finger. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this contented.
She sat up abruptly. “Matt!”