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She’d said so a feeeks of peace and quiet, but from what? What could be stressful about the life of a rich wo she wanted? Unless…

His mouth became a thin line

Unless it had to do with souy He couldn’t think of any other reason for a woman like Holly to deliberately hide herself away in such an isolated place, where there wouldn’t be a servant within calling distance

Or—orto be alone, all those weeks For all he knew, a lover could be joining her

Or a husband

Nick’s hands tightened evenwheel Why not a husband? There was no reason Holly wouldn’t have , still beautiful, still everything any man could possibly want

A muscle bunched in his jaw as he pulled up outside the cabin He’d made such a fast exit that he hadn’t asked any questions Now, he would

Gingerly, he touched his ht, he would

She at least owed him an explanation

Holly sat in theunder layers of blankets Her knees were up, her arms rapped around theh And safe

Nick was neither How could she have let hiht like this? The snow The ice The wind, and the dark

She shuddered

Nick was a good driver, sure He’d been intohim out into a snowstorm, on North Mountain…

‘Are you asking me to stay?’ he’d asked

She sighed If only he hadn’t asked it the way he had, in that low voice she remembered all too well, with desire for her etched into every hard plane of his face She could have said yes, she wanted him to stay, that he could sleep on the sofa because it would be foolhardy for him to risk his neck on the road

And that would have been all she meant…

Wouldn’t it?

She sighed, closed her eyes, and let her head droop against her upraised knees

Absolutely The invitation would have been an act of kindness, nothing more They were adults, and adults could surely share three rooht, especially hatever it was that had drawn the since dead…