Snow Bound: The Complete Story Read Online Free

about?" I asked her.
    "Silence," she said. "Peace." She paused. "It was stupid."
    I turned her to face me. "Do you think it's stupid because you didn't like it yourself, or because people didn't buy it."
    She turned away. "I spent months on it," she said. "It sold four copies." She paused. "Is it possible to dry my hair?"
    "Hair dryer in your bathroom," I told her. "There's another in your bedroom."
    I went back to cooking, but I turned her computer around so I could look at the book cover of the novel she had written. Dinner was sizzling away and smelling wonderful after a few minutes. I glanced up and saw that her computer had gone into screen saver mode. It was cycling through a variety of nature scenes. They were beautiful.
    The noise of the hair dryer ended and Sarah reappeared. "I like your screen saver," I told her. "Where did you get it?"
    She glanced at it. "It's just the standard screen saver. It cycles through my photos."
    I looked at her. "You took those?"
    She shrugged. "No biggie."
    "They're beautiful!"
    She walked over and turned the computer around so I couldn't see it anymore. She didn't look up but said, "You're already wondering why I take smutty pictures of myself when I could make coffee table books or sell nature posters or something. Just don't go there."
    "I wasn't," I denied. But of course, I was.
    "You rich people," she said. "You think you can put a photograph on the wall, and it's just like being there. But it's not. You're not deluding anyone when you do it, not even yourselves."
    She looked up to face me. "If you want beautiful, look out the window. Better yet, step outside. Let the snow caress your skin. Feel the wind in your hair."
    "I'd rather look at you," I told her quietly.
    "I told you," she said. "I'm not your type." She paused. "And you're not mine."
    "I'm sorry," I told her. "I know I'm too old."
    She looked at me. "You're not old," she said. "You're cute and you're beautiful, but I'm not someone you can tame, and I wouldn't like it if you tried. If anyone does the taming in a relationship, it's me. I don't think you would like it."
    She stared at me, and I watched as she changed, staring at me, not moving. She went from the lost waif to someone else, someone predatory. My heart started pounding in my chest. All she was doing was staring at me, but I felt like the rabbit when facing the fox.
    I'm not sure why I said it. "Try me."
    She stared at me, perhaps wondering if I were serious. Then she slid off her bar stool and began walking slowly around the island towards me, her eyes never leaving mine. She stepped straight to me and reached out, grabbing my face with her hand, pinching my jaw between her thumb and fingers. "Is that what you want?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Am I what you want?"
    "Yes," I said, my voice shaking.
    She stared into my eyes. "Kneel."
    My heart rate increased as I considered the order. I felt my body responding, and I found myself on my knees in front of her, staring up at her. She lifted my chin then lowered her mouth to mine, her other hand reaching around the back of my head to hold me in place.
    At first, the kiss was gentle, but quickly became more insistent. She flicked her tongue against my lips and I opened obediently for her. Her tongue slipped into my mouth and began to tease.
    I had never in my life knelt to someone before. The submissive act was not my nature. She had pegged me earlier when she had said I liked to be the one in control.
    Her tongue retreated and I felt her change. The kiss changed from fierce and demanding to soft and wanting. Without breaking the kiss, she pulled me back to a standing position, then finally separated from me.
    We were both breathing hard and flushed. I stared into her eyes.
    "I'm sorry," she said, stepping away. "I shouldn't have done that."
    I grabbed her.
    "No!" she said, pulling away immediately.
    "I'm sorry!" I said. "I'm sorry!"
    She backed away to the cupboard, staring at me. She was back to being a frightened