One Winter's Night Read Free Page A

went sliding and would have fallen flat on her face if Riley hadn’t acted quickly to catch her.
    “I should have told you to be careful. The ice on the parking lot makes things slippery.”
    Yes, he should have told her. But if he had, there would have been no reason for his arms to be wrapped around her or for her to be holding on to him for support, feeling the heat of a hot-blooded man so close to her. And that same male scent that had nearly driven her crazy on the ride over wouldn’t be doing a number on her.
    “I think I can make it now,” she said, releasing her tight grip on him.
    He kept a firm hand on her arm. “I’ll make sure of it.” He then swept her off her feet and right into his arms.

Two
    R iley entered the restaurant carrying Alpha in his arms. The place was packed with a lunchtime crowd, and Alpha was certain she would die of embarrassment when a number of people watched them.
    One man, who was on his way out the door, patted Riley on the back, chuckled and said, “You’re still sweeping them off their feet, I see, son.”
    Riley grinned and replied, “Seems that way, Mr. Daniels.” Riley then glanced down at her. “You should be okay from here,” he said, putting her on her feet.
    “Thanks.” She refused to look up at him, but out of the corner of her eye she saw him take a step back. He was probably wishing he was someplace else since she hadn’t cost him anything but trouble today.
    “Welcome, Riley. The room you requested is ready,” the hostess said, smiling, in a way that was a little too friendly, Alpha thought.
    “Thanks, I appreciate it, and make sure we aren’t disturbed, Paula.”
    Alpha shouldn’t be surprised that the woman knew his name and that he knew hers.
    “No problem,” Paula said, gesturing for them to follow her. “We gave you the best room in the house.” She looked over her shoulder, gave a dismissive glance to Alpha, then looked at Riley directly and said, “Because you deserve the best.”
    Alpha tried not to frown, wondering if that had been a deliberate dig. Didn’t the woman know they were holding a business meeting? So why had she extended her claws?
    Alpha felt a thrumming heat in the center of her back when Riley placed his hand there. Even through her coat and all the clothes she had put on to stay warm, she felt his touch and wondered if there would be a permanent handprint on her back.
    She blinked when the door closed behind them, and it was then that she glanced around. The room was nice and spacious with a table for two in one corner. There was also a pull-down screen, a projector, speakers and everything else she would need to provide visuals of her plans for the party. And then there was the wall-to-wall window that provided a beautiful view of the mountains. How was anyone expected to work in here with such a gorgeous view?
    “Do you want to do it first or eat?”
    She swallowed deeply and drew in a deep breath, certain he hadn’t meant “it” the way it had sounded. “Whichever you prefer—it’s your call.”
    “In that case, I’ll let Paula know we’ll eat first. I’m starving.”
    She nodded, getting distracted watching him slide his jacket off his shoulders. Those massive shoulders were even more broad and powerful than she’d thought. At that moment, she saw firsthand how well his jeans fit his body, especially his tight, masculine thighs, and how they tapered down to his booted feet. He was definitely a hunk if ever there was one, a fine specimen of a man, hands down. He was a sample of pure masculinity, as raw as it could get.
    Following his lead, she unbelted her heavy coat and shrugged it off. Then she peeled off her thick, wool sweater, unwrapped the scarf from around her neck and removed another bulky sweater. She had worn as much clothing as she could in order to stay warm.
    Walking over to the coatrack to hang up everything she had taken off, she worked the kinks out of her neck and shoulders. Putting on so many