A Touch of Winter (A Short Story) Read Online Free PDF

Winter's blazing beauty and provocative mind.
    After the plane's nose-dive into the remote rainforest forces them to fight for survival, Abbie catches tantalizing glimpses of the complicated man behind the image. And the more she sees of him, the more he touches some primal part of her that she is determined to suppress. But after a devastating encounter with Winter's shadow side, Abbie's detachment is shattered.
    On returning to normal life, Abbie cannot forget what happened, nor ignore the shocking rumours about the star's private life. Her struggle to make sense of her torment leads straight back to Winter, who is just as obsessed by her. But if they are to have a relationship, Abbie knows she must embrace his hidden desires ... and accept her own.
    No longer caring about anything but their intoxicating love affair, Abbie is drawn deeper into the dark heart of Winter - and the secret that threatens to destroy everything ...
     

PREVIEW THE PLEASURES OF WINTER:
     
    I
     
    Abbie Marshall tucked the handset of the payphone under her chin as she scanned the display in Toncontín Airport. Despite the air conditioning, her T- shirt was already damp from the Honduran heat. ‘ You have to get me out of here.’
    Every flight to the States was full and now she had a bigger problem. Two of them, to be precise. They had been on her tail since she left the hotel and the dark eyed one with the scar on his cheek was horribly familiar.
    She almost missed her editor’s reply. ‘I’m on it. Give me an hour and I’ ll—’
    When Scarface rose to his feet, Abbie’s heart dropped like a stone and she swallowed hard. This was an international airport. They couldn’t just take her. Her gut told her something different. She had seen enough in the past two weeks to know that these men could do whatever they wanted, and no one would stop them. ‘Josh, I don’t think I have an hour.’
    ‘How close are they?’
    Abbie gripped the handset tighter. ‘Would you be upset if I said thirty feet? I’m a sitting duck here. I can’t get a signal on my cell. I’ll find another payphone if I can’t stay on this one.’
    A string of expletives followed. ‘I want you to stay on the line. Talk to me, Princess.’
    Abbie ignored the princess jibe. ‘I’m fine, I just . . . I’m fine. Tell Sara that I’ve got the story and I’ll file as soon as I get home.’
    She eased the battered rucksack off her shoulder. It had seen her through some scary assignments – north Africa, Burma, Haiti. This might be the last trip for both of them. She had been in tight spots before, but nothing like this.
    The flight to New York was announced and Abbie watched the passengers leave for the departure gate. Scarface returned from the bar and raised his glass in her direction. She wasn’t any safer here than she had been at the hotel. In a couple of hours the last flight would be gone and the men would make their move.
    ‘Abbie, you still there? Abbie ! ’ Her editor’s sharp tone jolted her back to reality. ‘Listen. Go to the charter desk in the main hall. There’s a private jet departing for Miami in thirty minutes. Jack Winter is on it. You can interview him on the way.’
    ‘What are you talking about – interview Jack Winter?’
    She heard an exasperated sigh on the other end.
    ‘Do you want to get out of there or not? Standard Studios have been trying to put us together with Winter for months. He agreed to an interview, but we’ve never been able to get hold of him. It’s your lucky day because of all the godforsaken places he could have turned up in, he’s in Honduras. Or was. He’s leaving on that plane tonight. The publicist is making sure you can get on the flight but she can’t get through to Winter or his people. You’ll just have to sweet-t alk him when you get there. Now , run ! ’
    Abbie closed her eyes. Apart from her work gear, her small rucksack contained nothing but a washbag and a change of underwear. There was no time to