Snowbound Cinderella Read Online Free PDF

thoroughness that had her sighing. He kissed her as though he were tasting the sweetest of confections. Drinking her in. Feasting on her. Against her will, she lost herself in the kiss, forgetting all her promises to herself to hold this man at bay.
    And then, just as her lips softened and opened to him, he abruptly jerked away. She blinked. When her blurred vision cleared, he was already getting to his feet.
    Bad move, he decided, as he reached down and helped her to stand. They might be stuck here fordays. He’d better keep his hands to himself. The last thing he needed in his life was one more complication. And a woman like this would definitely prove to be a complication.
    “Time to get back to the cabin. My hands are freezing.” His tone was as flat and unemotional as he could manage over his wildly beating heart. It irritated him to note that his hands were shaking. He stuck them in his pockets and started off at a brisk pace.
    “Yeah.” Ciara brushed snow from her backside, then struggled to keep up with his impatient strides. If he was going to pretend nothing had happened, she’d play along. In fact, it would be a lot better this way. They’d both pretend this had been nothing more than a moment of weakness, that it had already been forgotten.
    “But just so you know, I got closer to the top than you did. So you can make dinner.”

Three
    C iara stared around with a look of wonder as they made their way down the hill. “I can’t believe this much snow fell in just one day.”
    “Yeah. These spring storms can be deadly. They’re almost worse than in the wintertime. At least then you know what to expect.” He shot her a knowing grin. “This time of year you could get caught in your bikini. That was a bikini you were wearing last night, wasn’t it?”
    “A thong. And you’re not going to let me forget it, are you?”
    “Why should I? It’s not something I’m liable to forget.”
    He was rewarded by a glimpse of Ciara blushing. Not something he’d ever expected to see, especially since she had been so defiant last night. But then, she’d been fighting nerves. Maybe she’d merely tried to cover them with an act of bravado.
    “Watch out for these drifts.” Jace picked his way through the mounds of snow, breaking a trail for Ciara to follow. In places the snow was so deep that it reached nearly to their waists. Hidden beneath were rocks and stumps and fallen trees just waiting to trip them.
    Jace turned to offer his hand, and saw Ciara standing perfectly still, her head lifted, one hand shielding her eyes from the sun.
    He followed the direction of her gaze and caught sight of a hawk lazily riding air currents overhead. “Majestic, isn’t he?”
    She nodded. “He’s a beauty. I’ve always been fascinated by hawks. Occasionally when I’m driving, I’ll spot one perched on a light post high above the freeway. I always find myself wondering why it doesn’t fly off to the wilderness.”
    “Maybe there’s a girlfriend on a nearby light post. After all, there has to be something keeping him in town.”
    “Maybe so. But why don’t they both fly away? It just seems so much more natural to see one here in the mountains than to see one trying to adapt to life in a crowded, bustling city.”
    “They’re like all creatures.” His tone deepened. “Adapt or die.”
    Ciara nodded. “I guess that’s true. We all have to adapt. But look how much we sacrifice for our urban sprawl. Noise and traffic and people in our faces. It just seems a pity that we pay such a high price for civilization.”
    “Don’t be so quick to knock it. I’ve seen the other side. Primitive life isn’t all that pure and noble.” Jace’s voice hardened. “There’s just as much violence in nature, and in small, developing nations, as there is in any big, cold, impersonal city.”
    Ciara was surprised by the passion in his voice. Hewas such a contrast in moods. For the most part funny and irreverent. But maybe he used