Free NocC 017 - Caridad Pineiro - Night of the Cougar - Harlequin 2012-06 by Nocturne

have written,” he teased, but did as she asked.
    “So you admit that I’m the fictional Caitlin.”
    He slapped his forehead with his hand playfully. “Damn. I forgot how humble you are as well.”
    She grinned and elbowed him mischievously. “Why don’t you set the table?”
    He was sure she meant the breakfast bar, but he had something more elegant in mind for tonight’s dinner.
    Walking back into the pantry, he grabbed some of his fine china, silver and crystal as well as a linen tablecloth as white as the snow outside. He put it all on a serving tray and went to the dining room just down the hall.
    Although he rarely had guests, the architect with whom he had worked on renovating the old ski lodge that was now his home had insisted on a dining room.
    Galen was glad, because he loved the rustic quality of the room, which had once been a parlor where skiers warmed up after a day on the slopes located a few miles away. He quickly laid out the settings on the immense oak table and added nearly half-a-dozen candles. He lit them and then turned his attention to starting a fire for added light and warmth.
    He kept the lodge chilly because in his new state he didn’t feel the cold as much, but he knew Jamie did and he wanted her to be comfortable. When the fire was going, he dimmed the lights in the room and returned to the kitchen.
    Jamie was at the grill, tossing his steak beside the one that had already been cooking for a bit. She looked decidedly domestic. He had only seen a little bit of this side of her during their time together, and he decided he liked it. She worked competently and efficiently, much as she did everything else, but there was passion there also. It was evident in the way she handled and tasted what she was preparing.
    He smiled, thinking that he could get used to seeing her like this, but he held back from saying it. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them, given the precarious state of their relationship.
    She looked up at him then, contentment on her face. She was feeling the same as he was, and it wrenched his gut into a pretzel that he would have to disappoint her again. She must have sensed his mood since her eyes lost some of their warmth.
    “Dinner won’t be much longer,” she said, almost apologetically.
    He wanted to soothe her and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. “There’s no rush, Jamie. We’re not going anywhere.”
    She said nothing, only embraced him and laid her head on his chest.
    They stood there for silent minutes, just holding each other, until the timer she had set dinged and sent her into action at the grill.
    Galen moved away, grabbing the salad and wine and taking it out to the dining room. After he had set them on the table, he stood by the windows and watched the snow as it whirled and danced, driven by the wind, before it settled on the ground. Like people, each flake was unique and apart, but alone they soon disappeared. It was only when they were together with others that they finally amounted to something.
    In his heart, he sadly wondered if he was like that singular snowflake, destined to be nothing other than a momentary glimmer of life.
    Jamie came in a moment later, carrying a plate with the steaks. “I wasn’t sure where you’d gone. This is lovely.”
    She laid the plate on the table and then walked over to where he stood by the windows. “The steaks can rest for a few minutes and by then the potatoes will be done.”
    “Thanks for cooking,” he said, but made no motion to touch her.
    “Not a problem. I was starting to feel like a slug, just lying there in bed and doing nothing.” She wrapped her arms around herself, almost as if uncertain of what to do with them.
    “You weren’t doing nothing. You were reading,” he reminded her, and smiled, recalling her earlier comments about the book.
    “I was at that—and reading a very good book I might add,” she teased, but as a faraway ding sounded, she scurried