Free Snowed Over (A Christmas Novella) by Angie Stanton Page A

fireworks. But only one emotion won out. She didn’t want this to end. She couldn’t tell him to stop. She didn’t want to. It was as if he lowered a shield of desire over them and she’d become helpless to his kisses. And she liked it. Too much.
    He lifted his mouth. She sighed as cool air separated them. His dark brown eyes gazed deep into hers. She recognized the desire that mirrored her own. But he didn’t belong to her. He belonged to Trina. He was engaged to Trina. And he saw it the minute her emotions shifted from want to guilt, and he pulled away.
    Logic flooded back. “You’re engaged,” she accused.
      “I know.” He sat back.
    “What kind of guy kisses someone they’ve known for less than twenty-four hours when he’s getting married?” She sat up and touched her mouth, meaning to wipe away his kisses, but instead touching her lips as if to make sure they had really happened.
    “I shouldn’t have done that. I couldn’t help it.” His head drooped.
    Did she hear him right? “You couldn’t help it? Oh my god! Do you cheat on her all the time? You are… you are… horrible.” She scrambled to her feet and stepped away from him.
    “No, it’s not like that. It’s complicated.”
    Thoughts of her parents’ comments crashed in. It’s complicated, her dad had said when Katie asked if he cheated on her mother. “You think that by saying your life is complicated it makes it okay to cheat on your fiancée? I thought you were a really nice guy. I can’t believe I was actually jealous of her. Now I feel sorry for her.”
    Katie pushed the door open and left Alex alone in the shed with the snowmobile they couldn’t drive.  
    Why did this funny, gorgeous guy, who was off the dating market, have to turn her world upside down by kissing her? He took advantage of her, and he had no right. Katie deserved better. It was shades of her home life playing over again, only dragging her into it as a main character. People were misbehaving and she was stuck in the middle. She stormed her way back to the cabin.
     
    ~   ~   ~  
     
    “Aw shit.” Alex pushed a hand through his hair. What the hell was he doing?  
    But he did know. Katie was so damned beautiful and smart and playful. She was everything that Trina wasn’t.  
    He looked at the spot she’d vacated. Her red scarf lay all bright and cheery on the cold, hard floor. He lifted it to his face. The soft fabric caught on his unshaven chin. The smell of something fruity wafted from the scarf. Her shampoo, maybe. He inhaled deeply and then stuffed the garment in his pocket.
    Kissing Katie was a stupid move, but he didn’t regret it. Granted, he’d screwed everything up with her, and he’d have to explain the whole sordid Trina mess. He really wanted to put that whole nightmare behind him. What he needed to do was put his foot down with Trina and prove he meant what he said when he broke up with her. Easier said than done.
    After searching the shed a while longer for keys, with no luck, he hoped he might find them in the cabin somewhere. But then he discovered an empty gas can and realized he better check the snowmobile’s fuel level. The gauge read empty.  
    Great. They were screwed.  
    He knew the only thing Katie wanted was to get away from him, and he didn’t blame her. But then again, Katie did say she’d been jealous of Trina. Did that mean she was interested in him? At least interested before he kissed her and created another mess.  
    Alex gave up on the shed, and stepped outside. One glance at the cabin and he decided to give Katie more time to cool off.  
     
    ~   ~   ~
     
    Katie paced the cabin, pissed at Alex for making her feel so stupid. He was engaged and had no business kissing her. One gaze deep into his eyes and she fell hook, line and sinker. She was such an idiot. And how dare he kiss her like that when he was marring another girl.
    She snatched the sweat pants she’d been wearing earlier and changed back into them. Their