Snowball's Chance Read Free Page A

would be able to make it to the ranch in this storm.
    A few of the invitees had arrived several days ago and were staying in the outlying guest cottages. The cabins were well equipped, decorated for the holiday, and self-sufficient. She hadn’t seen anyone in two days. So it was nice to have a bit of company. Even if it was only for an hour or so.
    Even if the company in question looked like a large caged beast in a too small cage. He was sitting still, yet he gave off waves of leashed energy. And Lord, he was huge. Kendall wasn’t used to a man towering over her. But Donald Sanders did so, by a good four or five inches. His craggy, unseasonably tanned face was too rugged to be called good-looking, too masculine for her peace of mind. The thick dark hair brushing his collar badly needed a cut, and his lean cheeks could do with a shave.
    She had the oddest urge to touch both. One to see if it was as soft as it looked, and the other to see if it was as rough. She curled her fingers into her palm to prevent herself from reaching over to stroke him. He looked to be in his early thirties, which was surprising because his wife, Donna, must be close to sixty. Hell, more power to her. Lucky her, her husband had sex appeal in spades. And Kendall certainly wasn’t immune.
    Just looking at the man made her breath catch and her heart race pleasantly. She was almost preternaturally aware of him. Of the length of his dark lashes shadowing those cool blue eyes. Of the small pale scar beside his lower lip, almost buried in the crease of his smile. Of the way his large, tanned hand cradled, almost gently, the red coffee mug.
    She had a vivid Technicolor image of that large hand cradling her breast, and she felt her nipples harden and her knees go weak.
    Whew! The guy was potent.
    Kendall’s physical awareness of another woman’s husband filled the kitchen like a living entity, making her feel a little guilty. But, hey. What was the harm? It wasn’t as though she’d act on the attraction she felt. It was a bit like craving a large slice of Black Forest cake when one was on a strict diet. Just because she wasn’t going to eat it didn’t mean she didn’t want it.
    Except she’d never experienced this sensation in her stomach over a piece of chocolate cake. This was more like the dangerous excitement she’d felt as kid, standing on tippie-toe on the highest diving board. Looking down at that water miles below. Too scared to jump.
    â€œI came by chopper.” His deep voice poured through her like hot buttered rum. He put the Christmas mug down and shrugged out of the heavy coat, revealing a thick off-white wool turtleneck and jeans. Taking off the thick coat didn’t make him look any smaller, or any less intimidating. He was still a bear of a man. Masculine in an intriguing way that made Kendall’s heart do a little hop, skip, and jump. He looked as solid as a rock, with no appearance of body fat and an impressive physique. Her mouth went dry, and she busied herself with the cookies.
    She hadn’t felt anything other than fear in so long, it felt wonderful to feel this tug of attraction. Better because she knew there was nothing she could do about it. It just was.
    â€œSet down a half-mile from here,” he continued. “Parked back behind the barn.” He tossed the coat onto a bar stool beside him.
    The scent of him—clean male skin, cold night air, a hint of leather—aroused all her senses with an urgency that surprised her. Perhaps her reaction to him was due to his size, Kendall thought. The man looked as though he could wrestle a grizzly bear. Being tall herself, it was intriguing to meet a good-looking guy who was big enough to make her feel petite.
    And they’d been in the middle of a conversation. “You came by helicopter—from next door?” She knew Montana was huge. But people actually flew from ranch to ranch?
    The corner of his mouth kicked