From “Body Heat”:

CHAPTER ONE

Micah Blain set down the newspaper and pulled his ringing cell phone out of his coat pocket. “Blain.”

“Hi, Micah?” a breathless female voice asked. “It’s Destiny.”

He grinned. Destiny calling? Too ironic. “Are you here?” He looked at the list of arriving flights on the airline’s display behind him. Hers had finally landed at 1:46 AM. Three hours late due to the snow.

“I’m just walking into the…” Their eyes met across the nearly empty room. She lowered her phone and walked toward him.

He stood and pulled his black Stetson from his head. Well, hell. She was a looker. Short brown hair ending in a straight line just below her ears. A heart-shaped face and the sweetest set of red lips he’d ever wanted to kiss.

Hauling her suitcase behind her, she walked on shiny black high-heeled boots, her black pants tucked into them. Long, thin legs. Slim hips. Her small breasts showed round and firm under her red turtleneck. Tracy had mentioned she was a model. He could definitely see it.

She stopped in front of him, nearly as tall as his six feet, two inches in those nasty heels. He’d like to feel them poking into his ass as he pumped into her. He swallowed, blinked, and took the hand she held out.

“Ms. Tyler.”

She smiled and his gut flipped. “Please, it’s Destiny.”

“Destiny. I’m Micah.”

“It’s a pleasure. I’m so grateful you stopped to get me. And waited an extra three hours.”

He grinned, seeing her eyes light at his smile. “Anything for the bride.” He picked up her suitcase. “I’m parked close.”

“Thank you.” She slid into her sleek, dark blue jacket. “I can’t wait to see her. It’s been nearly a year, and I’ve never met her fiance. .”

His shearling fleece coat felt rustic compared to her New York duds. “They seem happy.” He led the way to the parking garage and his truck.

“I know Tracy’s very happy.” Her heels clicked along beside him. “You grew up with Dade, right?”

Holding open the door to the garage, he let her go through first. Her scent was spicy, Christmassy, like nutmeg and cinnamon. “Yes, ma’am. His family owns the ranch next to mine. Just north of Fort Collins.”

She waited for him to step next to her. “Then, this wasn’t too far out of your way?”

He put his hand on her lower back and guided her toward his rig. “Not at all. I had to come through Denver to get to Vail.”

Destiny shivered and tucked down into her coat. “You sure didn’t have to wait three extra hours. Especially with the snow coming down the way it is. But I’m very glad you did.” She grinned at him, her teeth chattering.

“Not a problem.” When they were close enough, he started his black super-duty truck with the remote.

“Auto start? Fancy.”

He chuckled. “It came with the truck. It’s convenient when I’m carrying passengers.” Who aren’t dressed for the weather, he added silently. He opened the passenger door and helped her up, her body surprisingly light. Opening the door to the back seat, he tucked her bag on the floor. As he walked around back past his truck’s topper, he glanced inside to make sure all the supplies he’d brought were still settled in the truck bed.

With the snowstorm they were expecting later in the day, he wanted to make sure he had everything they needed to survive. Just in case. By his calculations, they’d be in Vail before the worst of it hit, but they’d have to drive straight through. Damn. If Dade wasn’t his best friend, and if Micah hadn’t been the best man…Who the hell got married in Vail in the middle of winter?

He glanced out the side of the parking garage. The snow blew across the bright security light. As he slid into his seat, he watched Destiny warm her fingers in front of the heat vent. Long, tapered fingers with short, red-polished nails. Her hair wedged forward, covering her face. He’d just taken off his hat and leaned back between the seats to set it on the back bench when she turned toward him.

Inches separated their faces. He looked into eyes that had seemed gray in the airport, but were a mossy green under the truck’s interior light. The moment stretched on as they gazed unsurely at each other. She blinked and pulled back.

He released the breath he’d been holding and put his hands on the steering wheel. Well, hell. Whatever that had been was potent. Shockwaves raced through his cock, setting it to jerk and jitter. This was a little nuts. He didn’t know this woman, except for what Tracy had told him. That had included all the usuals; pretty, sweet, fun, easy to get along with. She’d forgotten sexier than sin.

Since college, Destiny had been a high fashion model, living a completely different lifestyle from his. Yet… He glanced at her. There was an intense connection sparking between them.

She watched him. “Tracy said your eyes were blue, but I’ve never seen irises that color before.”

He furrowed his brows. Strange conversation for the first five minutes they’d known each other.

Destiny’s gaze ranged over his face. “With your black hair, those blue eyes, and that killer jawline…” She sucked in a breath and let it out with a, “Whew. You could make a fortune modeling.”

He was speechless for a moment. Then a bark of laughter boomed out of him. “I’m a cattle rancher, ma’am.” He opened his door and stepped out just long enough to take off his coat. Jumping back into the truck, he closed the door and set the coat behind him on the back seat. “No one would want me hawking cough syrup or diapers.”

As he shifted into reverse, it was her turn to laugh. “I was thinking more along the lines of men’s clothing, but if you’re dead set on selling diapers, I can try to make it happen for you.”

He glanced at her. The sparkle in her eyes caught him by surprise.

He grinned back. “Thanks, but I’d surely die of culture shock in New York.” He shifted into drive and headed out onto the slick roads.

“How about Denver?”

He shrugged. “How about it?”

“I’m moving here next month. I’m opening my own modeling agency.”

Braving a glance at her, he quickly shot his eyes back to the traffic exiting the airport. She looked excited. What would it be like to have her this close?
A quick hour’s drive from his ranch — in good weather. Maybe stranded at the ranch for a few days in the middle of January.

His mind shifted to focus on driving as he pulled onto I-70 heading west toward Vail. Traffic was light this early on a weekday, but the going was slow. Snowplows hulked along, their warning lights flashing, shoving snow off to the side with their huge blades while spewing “Ice Slice” de-icer out their back ends.

When Micah changed lanes to avoid a plow on the left shoulder, his truck bounced over the icy buildup between the lanes. It skidded, the rear end fishtailing.

Destiny braced a hand on the dashboard and gripped the “oh shit” handle above the side door.

“We’re fine.” He used the voice he calmed his horses with. “It’s a bit greasy.”

She relaxed back into the seat and dropped her hands in her lap. “Do you think we should pull over for the night? Try again in the morning?”

“No. The snow is gonna come down all night, and it’s gonna get a lot heavier toward morning. If we want to make it for the rehearsal this afternoon, we’d better keep going as long as we can.”

“Okay.”

“Are you hungry? Thirsty? Right behind my seat there’s a cooler with water and soda. The box next to it has snacks.”

She reached behind him, her head nearly on his shoulder. Her spicy scent snuck up and into his nostrils. His lungs tightened as his belly jittered, spiking desire down into his balls. Temptation caught him, urging him to lean over and nuzzle her hair, the spot where it ended at her neck.

“What would you like?” she asked.

He grunted, the sweetness of her voice throwing him even further into fantasy.
She sat up and held a water bottle.

“Anything with caffeine, please. And some of that jerky, too.” He glanced at her.

She smiled. “I was eyeing that, as well. Not on my regular diet, but it looks delicious. Did you make it?”

“The ranch’s cook makes it. It stores well in the line shacks.”

“Oh.” She set his Coke and her water in the cup holders between their seats.

Digging in her purse, she pulled out a small packet of hand wipes, offered him one, which he took, and she used one herself. “I guess I don’t even know what a line shack is.” She opened the Ziplock bag of jerky and handed him a chunk.

They talked about his ranch for twenty minutes. Her questions were intelligent and insightful.

She pulled out a small chocolate bar and they split it. “A rare treat,” she called it. He asked about her work, and she told stories that had them both laughing. When she explained why she was giving up modeling to help aspiring models in the Denver area, he was impressed.

“I’m still in demand, but my interest has shifted as I’ve grown older.”

He shot her a look. She barely looked twenty-five.

“I’ll be thirty this year.” She smiled at his arched brow. “And it’s time for me to share what I’ve learned.”

Tracy had been right. He liked her. Their dialogue ranged from serious to joking, from light to deep subjects. When he noticed her yawning, he reached back and pulled his coat between their seats. “Use this, if you’d like. Put the seat back and sleep a while.”

She placed a hand on his jacket, caressing the sueded skin then the fleecy lining. “Are we almost there?”

“No. I’m taking it slow. It’ll be another couple hours or so.”

Picking up his coat, she snugged part of it over herself and bunched the rest against the door, laying her head on it. She breathed deeply and sighed.

A rogue fist of possessiveness gripped him. Made him proud to have her use his coat. Made him want to keep her warm and safe.

Well, hell. He’d sure fallen fast.

* * * * *

“Aw, shit!”

Micah’s shout woke Destiny. She blinked awake, sitting up to look out the window.

The freeway in front of them was covered in a mound of snow, the few cars ahead were being pushed sideways as a wall of white slid down the mountain from their right and buried the vehicles.

Her mouth opened to scream but her lungs froze in shock.