CHASING TROUBLE

Before Nicholas was even aware of what she was doing, Caroline had bent down, scooped up some snow and successfully dropped the icy coldness down the front of his sweater, taking advantage of the fact that his gloveless hands were pushed into the pockets of his coat.

“Why, you little-!” Nicholas finally managed to free his hands to scoop up some snow of his own, pelting her with it before bending down to scoop up some more and throw that at her too.

What followed was a free-for-all of badly aimed snowballs on Caroline’s part and more accurate ones on Nicholas’. Both of them ended up splattered with damp snow and out of breath ten minutes or so later.

“Truce,” Nicholas raised freezing-cold hands, grinning broadly. “I can’t feel my fingers, they’re so cold!”

“Serves you right,” Caroline came back unsympathetically, her grin as wide as his.

“Admit it, Care, it was fun.”

“It was fun,” she acknowledged ruefully.

“Especially as you now look like the Abominable Snowman!” She chuckled lightly as she looked at Nicholas, his hair in wet tendrils about his face, his coat and black denims covered in snow.

He looked about him admiringly as by tacit consent they turned to resume their walk towards the forest. “It’s really beautiful here,”

Caroline nodded in agreement. They spend twenty more minutes talking about random things before she drew in a ragged breath. “I think it’s time we returned to the inn now, don’t you? It’s getting colder.”

Nicholas looked at her between narrowed lids. “Okay,” he answered as he turned back towards the inn, “Jim thinks that the snow ploughs should get out this way by later this afternoon,”

“That’s good.” He nodded. “Too late to drive anywhere today, though. But hopefully it means we should be able to continue our journey some time tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” The dismay was easily recognizable in Caroline’s tone.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Nicholas’ mouth twisted as he glanced down at her. “We have to spend another night at the inn.”

Caroline frowned up at him from behind the shield of her dark glasses. “I can always sleep downstairs in the bar tonight.”

“That’s ridiculous and you know it,” Nicholas snapped. “I will try and keep my hands to myself tonight, if you can…”

She bristled angrily, knowing that the brief time of peace was most definitely over. “I have no intention of putting my hands anywhere near you!”

“You did last night…”

“Please don’t bring it up.” Caroline flushed with embarrassment.

Nicholas scowled. “This bickering is even more childish than your suggestion of sleeping in a chair downstairs in the bar tonight.”

Caroline scowled. “It takes two to bicker.”

He drew in a sharp, angry breath. “God, you’re a stubborn woman!”

“It takes one to know one,” she quoted with a saccharin-sweet smile. “Although in your case it’s obviously a stubborn man.”

Nicholas gave a shake of his head. “I need to get back to the inn to make some phone calls.”

“Fine,” Caroline snapped.

“Absolutely fine,” Nicholas bit out gratingly.

She raised her brows as he still made no effort to leave. “Don’t let me keep you.” She continued to look up at him for several long seconds before he turned sharply on his heel and strode forcefully back towards the inn.

Her breath exhaled slowly, shakily, as she watched him leave. Caroline acknowledged that their relationship was crumbling surely as her defenses against her growing attraction to him.

______________

“I’m not going to allow you to sit down here all night, you know.” Nicholas spoke softly as the clock behind the bar struck midnight.

To say things had been strained between he and Caroline this evening was an understatement. They had talked to Jennie and Jim, both separately and together, during the evening meal, but never to each other. The landlord and his wife had excused themselves and gone up to bed over an hour ago, leaving their guests to linger downstairs. That hour had been spent in absolute silence. Putting it bluntly, Nicholas had had enough of feeling as if he was somehow to blame for the awkwardness between them.

He was used to the women he became involved with occasionally being temperamental if they felt he wasn’t paying them enough attention.

But, damn it, Caroline worked for him and they were not involved. They were employer and employee… It didn’t matter if it was temporary. They weren’t supposed to argue. He certainly shouldn’t be feeling guilty because of this tension between them.

“Allow me, Nicholas?” Caroline repeated softly, one brow raised.

His mouth tightened. “I am not going to have another argument with you, Care.”

“Who’s arguing?”

Nicholas tightly clenched his jaw to prevent his knee-jerk reaction to her stubbornness. “My Aunt Mae always says that a couple should never go to bed with an unresolved argument between them.”

Caroline shook her head. “For one thing, we aren’t a couple. For another,” she continued before he could interrupt, “There is no argument between us to resolve.”

Nicholas gave a disgusted snort. “Then why aren’t you talking to me?”

“I am talking to you.”

“Like I’m some stranger you have to be excessively polite to.”

Caroline gave a humorless smile, knowing Nicholas was right, but unsure what to do about it when she was now so aware of him that she could barely think straight. She had lingered outside for more than half an hour longer than him this afternoon as she’d tried to get her chaotic thoughts and feelings under control. She had thought she had managed to do that until she’d walked back into the inn and looked at him as he sat in the deserted bar talking on the phone. Just one glance at him had told her that no amount of time, or attempts at self-discipline on her part, was going to change the fact that she was so totally aware of Nicholas now that just looking at him made her pulse race and brought a flush to her cheeks.

The thought of being alone with him in the bedroom again, of lying there and being completely aware of his every breath and movement, was enough to throw her into a panic.

“Just come to bed, Care,” His hands were clenched at his sides.

Caroline felt the warmth in her cheeks even as her breath caught in her throat. Come to bed, Care…Dear God, what longings those words awoke in her.