Buch lesen: «Snowbound With An Heiress»
Stranded in the snow—together!
Heiress Serena Winston has gone off the grid for the holidays! She’s staying in a remote cabin in the Alps, looking to get away from it all...
Since losing his wife, Christmas isn’t the same for TV presenter Jackson Bennett. He goes where the work takes him, this time to Austria. But when an American beauty runs him off the road in a blizzard and a storm leaves them stranded, it seems like a disaster. Until their time alone turns into an unexpected Christmas to remember!
The kiss meant nothing.
Nothing at all.
That was what Serena had been telling herself ever since last night, when she’d fallen into Jackson’s more than capable arms. What had she been thinking to kiss the enemy?
Who was she kidding? Jackson wasn’t the enemy, even if he was part of the news media. Maybe at first she hadn’t trusted him—with her background, who could blame her? But during the time they’d spent together she’d learned that there was so much more to him than his dashing looks and his news coverage.
He was a man who’d loved and lost. He was kind and generous. He went out of his way for others, even when he’d rather be doing anything else. And he had a sense of humor. The memory of his deep laugh still sent goosebumps down her arms. That was a sound she could listen to for the rest of her life—
Whoa! Slow down.
She knew that this moment of playing house would end soon—just as soon as the avalanche was cleared and they were able to plow the roads. Then they would return to reality. But for now they had their own little world within the walls of this cabin and she intended to enjoy it as long as it lasted.
And if that should include some more kisses…?
Well, she wouldn’t complain. A smile pulled at her lips.
She’d been kissed by a lot of leading men, but none of them could come close to Jackson. That man was made for kissing. Just the memory of his kiss had her sighing. It hadn’t lasted long enough—not even close.
Snowbound with an Heiress
Jennifer Faye
Award-winning author JENNIFER FAYE pens fun, heartwarming, contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published, with books translated into nine languages, she is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award. She has also won the CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, been named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.
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For Tonya.
Thanks for being there from the beginning…
I am thankful for our friendship
and your unending encouragement. :)
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
Introduction
Title Page
About the Author
Dedication
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
EPILOGUE
Extract
Copyright
CHAPTER ONE
PEACE AT LAST...
Serena Winston paused along the snowy path. Out here in the beauty of the Alps, it was so quiet. She lifted her face up to the warmth of the sun just seconds before it disappeared behind a dark cloud. Shadows quickly spread over the mountainous region of Austria.
She sighed. The sunshine had been so nice while it lasted, but the snow was starting to fall again. But she had to admit that the snowflakes had their own charm as they fluttered to the ground. It was so different from her home in sunny Hollywood.
“Arff! Arff!”
“Okay, Gizmo.” Serena glanced down at her recently adopted puppy. “You’re right. We better keep moving.”
There was already plenty of snow on the ground. Serena’s fondest wish had always been to learn to ski, but for one reason or another, she’d kept putting it off. First, it was due to the worry of injuring herself before filming a movie. Being an actress did have its drawbacks. And then, there just wasn’t time to jet off to Tahoe for a long weekend of skiing—especially now that she’d inherited her legendary father’s vast estate. Selling off some of his holdings was more complicated than she had anticipated.
Realizing the direction of her thoughts, she halted them. She drew in a deep, calming breath. This holiday excursion was meant for escaping her daily pressures and refocusing her Hollywood career. There was yet another reason for this spur-of-the-moment trip, but she didn’t want to think about it, either. There’d be time for problem-solving later.
When she glanced back down at her teddy bear dog, she found he’d wrapped his lead around a bush. The easiest way to fix the situation was to release Gizmo from his lead. It was no big deal. Gizmo was not one to wander off.
Serena unhooked the lead. “Stay,” she said firmly.
Gizmo gazed at her as though understanding what she’d said. He didn’t move a paw.
“Good boy.”
Serena set to work untangling the leash from the prickly shrubbery. It wasn’t an easy task. What had Gizmo been doing? Chasing something?
At last, she freed the leash. She’d have to be more careful about letting him out on the full length of the lead in the areas with rougher terrain.
“Arff! Arff!”
She watched as her little dog took off in hot pursuit after a brown-haired creature. “Gizmo! Stop!”
Serena ran after the dog. She continued calling his name, but he paid her no heed. For a little guy with short legs, Gizmo could move swiftly when he was motivated enough. And right now, he was very motivated.
Serena wasn’t familiar with the terrain, as this was her first visit to the small village nestled in the Austrian Alps. This area had been on her bucket list to visit right after Fiji and right before Tasmania. With her rush to leave Hollywood, it seemed like the right time to scratch another adventure off her list.
The snow grew heavier. Between the snowflakes and trees, she spotted a road ahead. And though it appeared to be a quiet road, the thought of little Gizmo being anywhere near it had Serena pumping her legs harder and faster.
“Gizmo—”
Serena’s foot struck a tree root. Down she went. Oomph!
The collision of her chest with the hard, frozen ground knocked the air from her lungs. She didn’t have a chance to regroup before she heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. With each heartbeat, the sound was growing closer.
Ignoring her discomfort, Serena scrambled to her feet. “Gizmo! Here, boy.”
She continued after the little furbaby who’d captured her heart a few months ago. At first, she hadn’t been so sure about owning a dog. Gizmo was full of puppy energy and in need of lots of love.
But now she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Gizmo made her smile when she was sad and he made her laugh when she angry. Not to mention, he got her up and moving when she thought she was too tired to take another step. He was there for her unlike anyone else in her life.
It wasn’t like Gizmo to take off and not listen to her. She supposed that between the long flight from the States and then the intermittent snow showers that they’d been cooped up inside for too long.
The blast of a horn shattered the silence.
It was followed by the sound of skidding tires.
A high-pitched squeal confirmed Serena’s worst fears.
Her heart leaped into her throat as she came to a stop.
A loud thud reverberated through the air. And then the crunch of metal sent Serena’s heart plummeting down to her new snow boots.
A whole host of frantic thoughts sprang to mind. They jumbled together. The immobilizing shock quickly passed and she put one foot in front of the other. All the while, she struggled to make sense of the tragedy that undoubtedly awaited her.
As if on autopilot, she cleared the overgrown path. She scanned the quiet road. Her gaze latched onto the back end of a dark sedan. Inwardly she cringed.
And to make things worse, there was no sign of Gizmo.
Or maybe that was a good thing. She was desperate to cling to any sense of hope. She held her breath and listened for a bark—a whimper—anything. There were no puppy sounds.
Please let Gizmo be safe.
Steam poured out from the engine compartment of the crashed vehicle. The driver’s side was bent around a cluster of trees. Serena’s mouth gaped. Was that the reason Gizmo didn’t respond? A sob rose in her throat. Was he pinned in the wreckage?
Tears pricked the back of her eyes. Please, say it isn’t so.
Moisture dampened her cheeks. She swiped at the tears. For a normally reserved person who only cried on a director’s cue, Serena wasn’t used to a spontaneous rush of emotions. Realizing she couldn’t just stand there, she swallowed hard and then moved forward, wondering what she would find.
On legs that felt like gelatin, she moved across the road. Realizing the driver’s-side door was pinned by a tree trunk, she approached the passenger side and yanked open the door.
A snapping and popping sound emanated from the car. Serena didn’t even want to imagine what that might be. Still, she glanced around for any sign of fire.
Not finding any flames, Serena knelt down to get a better look. There in the driver’s seat was a man with dark brown hair. His head was leaned back against the seat. His eyes were shut. His dark lashes and brows gave his face a distinctive look. There was something familiar about him, but in her frantic state, she couldn’t make any connections. Right now, she had to get this man to safety in case his car went up in flames.
Even though she’d played a nurse once in a movie, she didn’t know much about first aid. The movie had been a stalker/thriller type. The medical aspects were minimal. She reached for the cell phone in her back pocket. She pulled it out, but there was no signal. This wasn’t good—not good at all.
“There...there was a dog...”
The deep male voice startled Serena. His voice wobbled as though he was still dazed. She glanced up to find a pair of dark brown eyes staring back at her. Her heart lodged in her throat. Was it wrong that she found his eyes intriguing? And dare she say it, they were quite attractive. They were eyes that you couldn’t help staring into and losing yourself.
The man’s gaze darted around as though trying to figure out what had happened. And then he started to move. A groan of pain immediately followed.
“Stop,” Serena called out. “Stay still.”
The man’s confused gaze met hers. “Why? Is there something the matter with me?”
She could feel the panic swelling between them. “I’m not sure.” She drew in a calming breath. Getting worked up wouldn’t help either of them. She drew on her lifetime of acting. “I don’t know the extent of your injuries. Until we know more, you shouldn’t move.” Which was all well and good until the car caught fire. But she could only deal with one catastrophe at a time. “I’m going to call for help.”
“You already tried that. It didn’t work.” His voice was less frantic and more matter-of-fact.
She swallowed hard. So he’d seen that. Okay. Don’t freak out or he’ll panic. Without a cell signal, their choices were diminishing. And the car was still popping and fizzing. She didn’t want to tell this injured man any of this. Nor did she want to admit that the dog that created this horrific event was hers. The backs of her eyes burned with unshed tears. And that her poor sweet puppy could very well be—
No. Don’t go there. Focus on getting this man help.
The man released his seat belt. The only way out for him was to crawl over the passenger seat. But he shouldn’t be moving around until a professional looked at him.
“Don’t move,” she said as he pushed aside the seat belt. “I’ll go and get help.”
“I’m fine.” His voice took on a firm tone.
He was sounding better, but it could just be shock. What if he got out of the car and collapsed in the middle of the road? She certainly couldn’t lift him, much less carry him. Even with him being seated, she could see that he was over six feet tall and solidly built. Why did he have to be so stubborn?
The man leaned toward the passenger seat.
“I’m serious. You shouldn’t be moving.” She swiped her hair out of her face. It was wet from melting snowflakes. It was coming down so hard that she couldn’t see much past the other side of the road. “You could make your injuries worse.”
As though transforming her concerns into reality, he groaned in pain. Serena’s heart lurched. She automatically leaned forward, placing a hand against the man’s biceps, helping to support him.
“What is it? What hurts?” Her gaze scanned his body looking for blood or any possible injury, but she didn’t spot any.
His breathing was labored. “It’s my leg.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“I can’t move it.”
Not good. Not good at all.
And as if matters weren’t bad enough, a white cloud billowed out from under the hood. Her heart pounded. What was she supposed to do now?
CHAPTER TWO
SERENA CRAWLED OVER the passenger seat, making her way to the driver’s side. “We have to get you out of here. Quickly.”
“Don’t worry,” the man said. “It’s just steam.”
She wanted to believe him. She really did. But she wasn’t sure if the man was totally lucid. For all she knew, he could have a head injury or be in shock or both.
She refused to abandon him. She prayed the car didn’t explode into flames before she freed him. With the man slouched over, he was in her way.
With her hand still on his shoulder, she pushed with all her might. He didn’t budge. The man was built like a solid rock wall.
“I need you to sit up,” she said.
“What?” His voice was a bit groggy. His gaze zeroed in on her. “What are you doing?”
“I need you to move so I can see what’s going on with your leg.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re going to make it worse. Go away!”
His harsh words propelled her back out of the car. What was up with this guy? Maybe it was the shock talking.
“I’m trying to help you. Now quit being difficult.” She took a calming breath and knelt down again. “Move! Now!”
The man’s dark brows rose.
It appeared her brusque words had finally gained his full attention. The man muttered something under his breath. At last, he started to move. He was almost upright when he let out a grunt of pain.
“Is it your leg?”
He nodded as he drew in one deep breath after the other.
She glanced between him and the dash. There just might be enough room for her to wiggle in there. It’d help if she had a flashlight. And then remembering her cell phone, she grabbed it from her pocket and turned on the light.
Her gaze met his. “I’m going to try not to hurt you, but we have to free your leg. Can you work with me on this?”
The man’s eyes reflected his uncertainty, but then he relented with a curt nod. “Just do it. And quickly. I smell gas.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. On her stomach, she moved across the butter-soft leather upholstery. When she got to the man’s body, she did her best to focus on the task at hand and not the fact that when she placed a hand on his thigh, it was rock hard. The man was all muscle and—and she had work to do. At last, she was wedged between him and the dashboard with barely any room for her to move her arms.
“Can you move the seat back?”
His body shifted. “It’s not working. The electrical system must have shorted out.”
“Okay. I’ve got this.”
She had to get this man free of the car and then find out what had happened to Gizmo. Her poor sweet furbaby could be hurt or worse—
Stop. Deal with one problem at a time.
Hands first, she repositioned herself. She flashed the light around. The side of the car had been smashed inward. His ankle was pinned between the car door and the brake pedal. It looked bad—real bad.
Serena drew in an unsteady breath, willing herself to remain calm when all she wanted to do was run away and find someone else to help this man. But there wasn’t time for that. She could do this. She could. Serena placed her hand gently on his leg and paused. When he didn’t cry out in pain, she proceeded to examine the situation. She ran her hand down his leg, checking for any major injuries. She didn’t feel any. There was no wiggle room on either side. The brake pedal was digging into his flesh.
Knowing that she was going to need two hands, she held up the phone to him. “Can you hold this for me?”
He took the phone. The light was angled too high.
“Tilt it a little lower. I’m going to try to move the brake pedal. Are you ready?”
“Yes. Just do what you need to do.”
Serena pressed on the brake. The pedal became stuck on his black leather dress shoe. She tried moving his foot, but it wouldn’t budge.
She felt his body stiffen. Serena released his foot. He was really pinned in there. And it frightened her to know that she might not be able to free him before the car went up in flames.
She swallowed hard. “I’m going to take off your shoe and see if that will help.”
“Do what you need to do. You don’t have to keep updating me.”
Just then she inhaled the scent of smoke. Her pulse quickened. They were almost out of time. And this wasn’t the way she planned to leave this world.
Her fingers moved quickly. The shoe tie pulled loose.
He cursed under his breath.
She stopped moving. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Keep going.”
“But I’m hurting you.”
“It’s going to hurt a lot more when that fire reaches us.”
“Okay. Okay. I’ve got it. I’ll try to do this as quickly as possible.”
“Do it!”
The melting snow on the top of her head dripped onto her nose. With her arm, she brushed it off. All her focus needed to be on freeing this man, and in essence herself, from this smashed-up, gasoline-leaking, smoldering car.
Serena once again worked to free his shoe from his foot. It didn’t move easily and she suspected he had a lot of swelling going on. She reminded herself to focus on one problem at a time. However, at this moment the problems were mounting faster than she could deal with them.
The smoke caused her to let out a string of coughs.
“Are you okay?” Not even waiting for her answer, he said, “You should get out of here.”
“Not without you.”
When she moved his foot again, she heard the distinct hiss of his breath. He didn’t say anything and so she continued moving his foot. At last, his foot slipped past the brake pedal.
She pulled back. “You’re free.”
There was perspiration beading on the man’s forehead. It definitely wasn’t hot in the car. It was more like freezing. Her maneuvering his foot must have hurt him more than he’d let on. She felt really bad adding to his discomfort, but she had no other way to free him.
“Now,” she said, “let’s get you out of here.”
She eased out of the car and attempted to help him, but he brushed her off. The smoke was getting heavier.
“I’ve got it,” he said. “Just move away from the car.”
“Not without you.” She stood just outside the car.
“Quit saying that. Take care of yourself.”
She wasn’t backing away. If he needed her, she would be there. The popping and fizzing sounds continued. Her gaze darted to the hood where the smoke was the heaviest. Her attention returned to the man.
Hurry. Please hurry.
She wondered how bad the damage was to his left leg. It suddenly dawned on her that he most likely wouldn’t be able to walk on it. But what choice did they have as they were stuck in the middle of nowhere. It was becoming increasingly obvious that no one used this road—at least not in the middle of a snowstorm. And who could blame them, she thought, glancing around at the snow-covered roadway.
Right now, she just wanted to find Gizmo and head back to the cabin. Gizmo. Where was he? Her heart clenched with fear. Please let him be safe.
It took her assistance to get the man to his feet. Or in his case, his one good foot. He’d finally had to relent and lean on her shoulder. Between hopping and a bit of hobbling, she got him to the other side of the road, a safe distance from the car.
“Thank you,” he said. “I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t come along.”
“You’re welcome.”
“My name’s Jackson. What’s yours?”
In the daylight, she recognized him. The breath hitched in her throat. He was trouble. Make that trouble with a capital T and an exclamation point. He was Jackson Bennett—the god of morning news. She turned away.
He was on the airwaves for three hours each morning in American homes from coast to coast. People quoted him. And quite often his name trended after a particularly stunning interview.
The producers of his show had been in contact with her agent a few times to set up an on-air interview, but each time the logistics hadn’t worked for one of them. She couldn’t be more grateful about that now. Still, she couldn’t breathe. There was a definite possibility that he’d recognize her.
This was not good. Not good at all.
In her mind, he was the enemy—the press. All of her carefully laid plans were in jeopardy. She was surprised he hadn’t recognized her already. Would her different hair color and lack of makeup make that much of a difference? She could only hope. After all, who came to the Alps and expected to run across an award-winning movie star from the States?
Regardless, there was no way she was voluntarily outing herself. She’d worked too hard to flee the paparazzi and everything else related to Hollywood, including her agent. It was best that she kept their encounter brief. Not only was she over men, but Jackson was a professional newsman. With enough time, he was bound to sniff out her story.
“Mae. My name’s Mae.” It wasn’t a lie. It was her middle name.
“Mae?” He gazed at her as though studying her face. “You don’t look like a Mae.”
Oh, no!
“Who do I look like?” The words were out before she could stop them. She wanted to kick herself for indulging in this conversation that had a distinct possibility of blowing up in her face.
He continued to study her. “Hmm... I’ll have to give that some thought.”
There was a large rock nearby. She brushed off some of the freshly fallen snow. “Sit here and wait. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
Gizmo’s name clogged in her throat. She’d never be able to get the words out. She swallowed hard. “I... I have to check on something.”
“It’s too late to save the car.”
She turned to find fire engulfing the hood. If Gizmo was there—if he was trapped—she had to help him. Serena quickly set off for the car, before she could talk herself out of her plan.
Jackson was shouting at her to stop, but she kept going. She would be careful—as careful as she could be. She could feel Jackson’s gaze following her. She didn’t care what he thought. If Gizmo was hurt and needed her, she had to help him.
Serena rushed through the thickening snow to the car. She carefully made her way down over the small embankment. All the while, she kept an eye out for any sign of her buddy. Between the snow and the wind, there was no sign of his little footprints.
With great trepidation, she turned toward the place where the car was smashed against the trees. Could he be in there?
She rushed over and bent down. She reached out to sweep away the snow from around the front tire, but for the briefest moment, she hesitated. Her whole body tensed as she imagined the ghastly scene awaiting her.
She gave herself a mental shake. With trembling hands, she set to work. And then at last, most of the snow had been swept away. There was no Gizmo. She took her first full breath. It didn’t mean he was safe, but it was a good sign. And right about now, she’d take any positive sign possible.
She turned in a full circle, searching for him. She even ventured the rest of the way down the embankment. There was no sign of him. The crash must have spooked him. How far had he run? And how long would he last in the extreme conditions? She repeatedly called his name.
Between the thickening clouds and the heavy snow, visibility wasn’t great. With the deepest, most painful regret, she realized she couldn’t help Gizmo. A sob caught in her throat. The backs of her eyes stung. She couldn’t fall apart—not yet. She had to get Jackson to safety and then she’d return to continue her search for Gizmo. The car continued to smoke and smolder, so she scooped up some armfuls of snow and heaped them on the hood, hoping to douse the flames. She then moved to the side of the car and, catching sight of a bag in the back seat, she retrieved the large duffel bag.
She returned to the rock where the man was still sitting. “I need to get you out of this weather.”
“What were you doing?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Just now. You were searching for something.” And then his eyes widened. “That dog. He’s yours.”
Once more her eyesight blurred with unshed tears. She blinked repeatedly. She nodded.
“It almost killed me.” The man’s deep voice rumbled.
Serena’s chin lifted and her gaze narrowed in on him. “And you might have very well killed him.”
As though her pointed words had deflated him, the man had the decency to glance away. His anger immediately dissipated as the gravity of the situation sunk in.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I tried to miss him.”
“I called him and I searched around, but I didn’t find any sign of him.”
“And just now, when you returned to the car, were you looking under it for your dog?”
She struggled to keep her emotions in check. She nodded. It was the best she could do.
“I’m sorry.” His tone softened. “I’d never intentionally hurt an animal.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I let him off his leash. I should have known better.”
“Maybe he’s okay. Maybe he got lost.”
She shook her head, wishing Jackson would be quiet. He was attempting to comfort her, but it wasn’t working. Aside from seeing Gizmo alive and healthy, nothing would soothe her pain and guilt.
She couldn’t let herself think about Gizmo any longer. She had to take care of Jackson. And the way he was favoring his leg, there was no way she would be able to get him back to her cabin without a little help. Her cabin was a ways from here. And it was situated in a secluded area. That was why she’d chosen it. It was far from prying eyes and, most important, the press.
But now, well, the location wasn’t ideal to obtain medical aid. But she was certain that once she got ahold of the rescue services, they’d send someone to get Jackson medical treatment.
With her thoughts focused on getting help, she turned to Jackson. “I have a place. But I think you’re going to need some help getting there.”
“I’ll make it.” He stood upright. He’d barely touched the ground with his injured leg when his face creased with obvious pain.
“Are you ready to concede now?”
His gaze didn’t meet hers. “What do you have in mind?”
“I’m going to look for a tree branch that you can use as a cane. Between my shoulder and the tree branch, hopefully we’ll be able to limp you back to the cabin.”
“Cabin?”
“Uh-huh. Is that a problem?”
“Um. No. I won’t be there long.”
A smile pulled at her lips at Jackson Bennett’s obvious disapproval of staying in a cabin. He had absolutely no idea that it was a two-story log home with just about every creature comfort you could imagine. But Jackson was right about one thing: he wouldn’t be staying with her for long. Once she had phone service, he’d be on his way to the hospital and out of her life.
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