Chapter 11: Chapter 11

NASH

Nash had Angel trapped between his arms and the counter. Still laughing and breathing heavily, he went to wipe the flour from her cheek.

His hand touched her face, they stared deeply into each other’s eyes, and the next thing they knew, they were kissing passionately.

Angel unbuttoned his shirt, removed it, and moved her hands below his undershirt and over his bulging abs.

Nash picked her up, and Angel wrapped her legs around his waist, their lips locked together in a kiss that turned more demanding, more passionate, with every second.

He couldn’t hold back anymore. He wouldn’t.

Nash knocked everything off the counter, sat her down upon it, and moved his hand under her top to caress her breasts.

Angel let out a soft moan when he kissed and sucked her neck, the heat between them building fast and driving their excitement.

~Bang, bang, bang!~

“Nash, did you hear that?” she asked, gripping his undershirt at his chest and looking at the kitchen doorway.

“I don’t hear anything,” he said, his lips moving up her neck.

~Bang, bang, bang!~

“Someone is knocking at the front door.”

Nash cursed silently. He couldn’t believe how many times they had been interrupted.

~But perhaps it’s for the best?~ he thought as he helped Angel down off the counter before wiping the flour off himself.

“I better go answer that.” Nash didn’t move right away; his eyes were locked on Angel’s face.

“Yes,” she muttered back before wiping herself off and following him to the door.

The two men at the door seemed taken aback by the flour-covered pair when they opened the door. “Did we interrupt something?”

Nash brushed more of the flour off his arms and stomach. “No, we were just making a pie. What are you guys doing here?” He made no effort to hide his annoyance.

“A pack of coyotes just killed one of Marty’s cattle. Can you help us track ’em? They were spotted heading toward Kenny’s ranch. Never known it to be this bad before.”

“Yeah, of course. Give me a minute, I’ll be right out.”

Nash paced into the kitchen to collect his shirt and put it on. He then grabbed his jacket, gloves, and rifle from the hallway.

Angel was standing still with her arms crossed and looking scared when he pulled his boots on by the doorway.

“Do you have to go?”

He touched her cheek. “It’s what we do around here, help each other. You don’t have to be scared, just stay in the house and keep Moe inside. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Please be careful,” she said, moving closer to him.

“I will.”

He moved as if to open the door, but before he did, he put his arm around her waist and lowered his head to give her a long kiss.

ANGEL

She shut the door behind him and leaned against the door. Moe sat next to her and leaned into her legs, and she petted him.

“I guess I better clean up the mess in the kitchen and finish baking the pie.”

It took longer than expected; they’d managed to get flour in almost every drawer and cabinet, let alone over the countertop and in the sink.

By the time she finished cleaning and baking the pie, it was dark out and the snow was coming down hard.

~Another storm is on its way. Where are you, Nash?~

As she stared out of the window and through the heavily falling snow, a memory came flooding back.

Angel was with a man, and they were skiing down a slope in Switzerland, but she couldn’t see his face.

She knew it was Christmas because the lodge she was staying in had Christmas lights up, and there was a tree decorated in the lounge area.

This memory made her sad. It bothered her to think she was with someone. Her feelings for Nash were deep and growing stronger with each passing day.

After wanting her memory to come back so badly, she suddenly found herself hoping it never would. She was afraid of what would happen to her and Nash if there was someone in her life.

But if there was someone out there, looking for her, loving her, wouldn’t she have felt it?

Moe came closer and nudged her with his head, then sat on his hind legs so she could pet him.

“Oh, Moe, what am I going to do? I’m crazy about Nash, but what if I’m engaged to another man, or worse, married? I don’t want to hurt him. If only you could talk and tell me what to do.”

Moe let out a short, sharp bark.

“I guess the best thing to do is not encourage him, romantically that is. At least until I know who I am.”

She got to her feet and indicated for Moe to follow. “Let’s take the pie out of the oven to cool, then settle down with a nice cup of tea.”

And so, a few minutes later, Angel settled on the sofa, her hands wrapped around the hot cup, and her mind lingered on her kiss with Nash and what she was sure was about to happen.

When he kissed her with so much passion, so much urgency, she had felt like she’d been floating on a cloud.

Her body came alive with hunger and desire, especially when his hand massaging her breasts got her pussy wet and her core throbbing.

Could she stop what was happening between them if he were to try to kiss her again? She doubted it, but did she even want to?

She was lonely in the house without Nash, even with Moe by the fire; it was too quiet, so she turned on the radio and listened to the Christmas songs being played.

When the door eventually squeaked open, it was very late.

Angel walked into the reception hallway and saw Nash hanging up his coat and taking off his boots. His exhaustion was etched on his face, and his red nose and cheeks looked painted on.

“It’s so cold out there, even for me.”

Moe ran to him, earning himself a loving pat from Nash.

“I’ll make you some hot cocoa. Go stand by the fireplace and warm up, I’ll bring it to you.”

A few minutes later, she found him warming his hands by the fireplace and handed Nash a hot, steaming mug of cocoa, then sat next to him on the sofa.

“Thank you,” he said, taking it from her.

“What happened? You were gone for so long.”

“I’m sorry about being so late. It took us a while to track down the pack. They were so wild and desperate. For the first time, they didn’t seem scared of humans.

“There were six in total, and when we got them cornered, they attacked us. I ain’t never seen anything like it before.”

Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my God, was anyone hurt?”

He shook his head. “We managed to shoot them all before they got to us, then we burned all the bodies and the cattle they killed in case of rabies.

“I just think they were starving and that’s what made them so brave.” He stood up, groaned, and stretched, his hand going to his back.

“Is something wrong?”

“My muscles are so tight.”

“Take off your shirt, and I’ll give you a back rub.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I know I don’t have to. I want to.” Angel started undoing the buttons on his shirt and waited for him to remove the undershirt as well.

Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw his abs, this time completely unobscured. The way they rippled with his every movement made her heart race.

His bulging biceps made her mouth water as well. He had to be the sexiest man alive.

She moved around behind him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and massaged him. “You really are stiff,” she said as she felt the tension in his shoulders.

“Oh, God, that feels so good,” he moaned as she worked out the knots in his back.

The feel of his hard, rippling muscles beneath her hands was almost too much for her. She wanted to lean over and kiss his back.

Angel searched for a distraction; anything to take her mind off his body and the heat rising in her. “I remembered something tonight. It was vague though.”

He shifted his head to look back at her. “That’s good. What was it?”

“I remember being at a ski lodge in Switzerland. I could see myself on the slopes but I wasn’t alone.”

“Who were you with?”

“A man, but I can’t picture his face.” She felt how he tensed up and saw the worried look on his face.

“So, there ~is~ a man in your life.”

The disappointment in Nash’s expression broke her heart.

“We don’t know that, Nash. He might be a brother or maybe just a friend. It didn’t feel like it was anything romantic.”

He got up and put his shirt back on. “It could be, though. I think we should cool things off between us, Angel. For now, anyway. What took place earlier… We can’t let that happen again.

“I think it would be better if you went to stay with my parents.”

“Your parents, why?” She stood up as he did, trying to look him in the eye for as long as she could.

“Yeah, my dad offered. With how we’re acting lately, it might be for the best.”

“I don’t want to leave here. Besides, Moe would miss me.”

Nash peered down at the dog, who was standing by her side.

“I don’t know what else to suggest. I’m finding it hard keeping my hands off you.”

“What if we agree not to put ourselves in situations where we are tempted? I’ll stay out of your way. I’ll stay in my room when you’re here.” She shook her head. “No, that won’t work, will it?”

“No, it won’t.” He sounded as sad as Angel felt. “On the other hand, if you were to leave, Moe would be mad at me, and I know he’ll whine. He loves you. More than he loves me, I think.”

She chuckled and looked at Moe, who was shifting his eyes from Nash to her.

“That’s not true.”

“You should stay. For Moe’s sake.”

She tried to hide her smile. “You’re right, I should stay. For him.”

“Okay, it’s settled then. You’ll stay, but we have to remain just friends, nothing more. Agreed?”

She nodded. “Agreed.”