My Heart's Passion by Elizabeth Lapthorne (good books for 7th graders txt) 📗

force as she dared, she eventually pulled back in disgust. Staring at the lock, Chloe realized it had a dead bolt, effectively squashing her chances of being able to pick the lock open.

Sighing heavily, Chloe pocketed the useless keys and walked around the side of the dark cabin to find an accessible window. It was cold, she was tired, and she refused to sleep the night away in her small car, even if she had thought about it earlier.

All she wanted was a long, hot shower and a soft, warm bed. Chloe knew she was fairly proficient at picking locks, but surely some of the windows would be accessible?

Finding the perfect window, Chloe peered in the room. The pale moonlight made shadows, but she thought this was the bedroom. Pulling her lock picks out of her backpack, grateful she always kept them handy for practice; she easily opened the small catch and raised the window.

Muttering curses about Mary under her breath, Chloe threw her small backpack onto the floor wincing at the thud of it falling to the floor. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she rested her hands on the windowsill.

Thankful she had worn only her old black jeans and a light sweater for the long drive, she easily pulled her lithe frame up through the window. Panting with the exertion, dragging a bit of dust with her, she landed with a thud on the cabin floor next to her bag. Standing quickly and brushing the barely existent dust from her jeans, Chloe turned around to close and lock the window behind her, a tired but happy grin on her face.

Just as she lowered the window, she felt thick, heavy arms trap her own arms at her side and lift her from the ground. Before she could even think of her self-defense moves, Chloe found herself being held firmly on a soft bed, a large, heavy body pressing her into the mattress.

Desperately trying to push up against the wide shoulders, Chloe found the mattress made poor leverage.

“Since when did you take up breaking and entering, little girl?”

Chloe felt the tension seep out of her body. Samuel.

“Since the keys Mary gave me didn’t fit her damned front door. Since when did you need to use brute force to get a little action?” Chloe felt her breath hitch as laughter rumbled through Samuel’s chest, still firmly pressed up against her breasts.

“I don’t need force, little girl. I merely didn’t want you trying those silly self-defense moves on me, potentially giving me a bruise. Mary has been very vocal in her pride on your self-defense skills.”

Chloe squirmed. If she could just get some sort of leverage…but with her entire lower body twined in Samuel’s and her arms caged in his huge embrace, she didn’t hold out much hope.

“What are you doing here?” he breathed in her ear. The teasing puff of his breath made her heart beat accelerate wildly. Chloe couldn’t tell if she was annoyed or incredibly turned on by the situation.

If the heated blood flowing through her system and the dampness in her panties were any indication, she had a sinking sensation she was more turned on than offended by the heavy press of Samuel’s body.

Unfortunately, much as she would love to shed her clothes and inhibitions, she didn’t think simply having a fling with this man would work, certainly not in the long term. Mary had insisted on merely having one night with Dominic. Nearly a year later they were happily married and expecting their first child.

So much for a one-night stand with a Rutledge man!

Chloe took a deep breath, the one from the bottom of her diaphragm her Tai Chi instructor had taught her a number of years ago. A calming breath.

“I needed a break. Mary offered me the use of her cabin, as she and Dominic are going away for the long weekend. I didn’t realize you’d be sitting inside it waiting for me. May I get up now?”

She couldn’t see Samuel’s expression in the dark, but she could almost feel his puzzlement, the weight of his stare as he looked at her. She dug into her jeans pocket, withdrawing the keys Mary had lent her that had been so useless.

“Here. Mary’s keys. Believe me now?”

Suddenly, Samuel’s large, comforting weight was removed from her body and she simply lay on the bed.

“My apologies. But obviously you got the directions incorrect. This is my cabin. Not Dom’s. You must have made a wrong turn at the fork in the road.”

Chloe felt heat rise in her cheeks. What he must think of her! Panting after him like every other bimbo he encountered. Well, she would squash that rumor before it could truly begin.

“I…umm…well! I must be off, lots of sleep to catch up on, and it is rather late. Sorry for intruding…”

Wriggling off the bed, she stepped quickly over to where her backpack still lay by the window, scooped it up and turned in what she hoped was the direction of the door.

Before she could take another step, Samuel’s large, lean body blocked her way.

“Hmm…I haven’t been real hospitable, have I? Shame on me. Dom would be upset; and Artemais would shake his head in that arrogant way of his. Let me make this up to you for my earlier lack of manners.”

“Oh no, no! Really. If the situations had been reversed and a strange man had crawled through my window I’d have done the same thing. Honestly! I’ll just head back down the road and crash at Mary’s.”

Samuel took a step closer to her, causing her to step backwards. Another step, and she was backed up against the wall.

“Uh, Samuel.”

Very carefully, he leaned both hands against the wall, effectively caging her for the second time this evening.

She could feel the heat in his body—feel it radiating to ensnare her, draw her closer to him. Despite herself, she closed her eyes and breathed the scent of him into her, enjoying the masculine warmth he emitted.

She felt her legs