Free Snowbound Cinderella by Ruth Langan Page A

the mere thought of his mouth on hers, of hisstrong, clever hands moving along her body, sent a series of tremors skyrocketing through her. She’d never known such fire, such flash, from a single kiss.
    It was the situation, she reminded herself. Two people, both struggling with personal turmoil, in close quarters. They were two volatile individuals, bound to explode when things got too hot.
    Hot. She kicked off the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. She was flushing thinking about Jace’s hard body pressed to hers. She ran a hand through her hair. It was a good thing it was nighttime, so she didn’t have to look at herself in the mirror. She wouldn’t like what she saw. What kind of woman was she, that she could be turned on by one man, while engaged to another? All right, she argued. So the marriage in two weeks was in question. But she wasn’t being fair to either man at the moment.
    What right did she have to question Brendan’s character, when her own was so lacking? Oh, wouldn’t the tabloids have a field day with this if they were to learn of it?
    She slipped out of bed and began to pace. She’d come up here to be alone to think. To clear her mind of all the excess baggage, and make some important decisions. It had been a good idea in the beginning. But Jace’s arrival had changed everything. This cabin was too small for the two of them. What she needed was to get out of here—now.
    She stopped pacing. Maybe the plows would come through in the morning. She smiled, planning her escape. If the main roads were cleared, all she’d haveto do was get her car down the lane. The fact that it was more than a mile long, narrow and curving and slippery with a coating of ice beneath snowdrifts that were nearly six feet deep, would make no difference. In fact, Jace would probably be willing to push the car himself just to get rid of her.
    She smiled at the thought. Jace was probably just angry enough to do that very thing.
    Then her smile faded. She was indulging in silly, childish wishes. The snow wasn’t going to magically disappear overnight. And like it or not, she and Jace would have to find a way to get through the next day or two. Together. Not an easy task, if she were to be honest about her feelings. The simple truth was, Jace Lockhart was the sexiest man she’d ever met.
    Maybe it was the fact that he was so secretive. He was the proverbial dark, mysterious stranger who fueled so many of the books she’d loved as a child. Unlike most of the men she worked with, he refused to talk about himself. That only made him more mysterious, more appealing. And he seemed completely unaware of his rugged good looks. She worked with men who spent all their time perfecting their looks; when they weren’t working out to keep their bodies in shape, they were consulting skin-care specialists or having their hair styled. The very nature of their careers made them self-absorbed. But Jace was natural, unassuming.
    Most of all, he was a man of integrity, something she admired above all other traits. The fact that Jace had demonstrated enough self-control to resist takingadvantage of their situation made her respect him. And made her even more ashamed of her own lack of self-control. Oh, why did he have to be here, disturbing her rest and adding to her list of problems?
    She dragged a hand through her hair and let herself out of the bedroom. Sleep would be impossible now. She was too agitated to even think about going back to bed. She crossed to the fireplace and paused to warm herself. Suddenly, catching sight of the shadowy figure by the window, she let out a gasp.
    “Jace.” Her hand went to her throat. “You scared me half to death. I thought you were asleep.”
    He turned, and she caught sight of his tight, angry profile. If possible, he looked even worse than she felt. As though he were pulling himself back from the edge of a nightmare. His eyes were narrow, dark slits. His mouth twisted into a mask of pain.
    “I’m