Stormbound with a Tycoon by Shawna Delacorte

they had shared ignited her senses, resurrecting the very real excitement from the previous night. She touched her trembling fingertips to her lips, then took a calming breath before she tried to speak.
    â€œGood morning. I…I didn’t hear you open the door.”
    â€œHere.” He handed her a mug of steaming coffee. “I went to the kitchen and saw that the coffee was almost ready, so I waited for it.”
    â€œThanks.” She took a sip from the cup. “This hits the spot.” Inane small talk…she knew she sounded like an idiot. If only she could have thought of something intelligent to say, something that would have conveyed her control of the situation…something that would have let him know that his kisses had no effect on her. If only she could convince herself of that, too.
    He glanced up at the clear sky. “Looks like thestorm has moved on.” He returned his attention to Jessica. “I’m putting my money on a nice sunny day and a chance to dry out. What do you think?”
    â€œThat sun and clear sky could be deceptive. According to the radio there’s another wave of this storm coming through.”
    â€œUh, Jessica…” Dylan nervously cleared his throat then continued with what had been on his mind ever since he woke up that morning. “I know things have been a little strange around here. We got off to a bad start with the confusion over the use of the cabin, then it seems that everything kind of disintegrated through the morning and afternoon.”
    He saw the wariness in her eyes. “Why don’t we call a truce to our misunderstandings…maybe take advantage of this sunny day and go for a walk in the woods? Getting out in the fresh air and indulging in a little exercise will probably do both of us some good.” He extended a hesitant yet hopeful smile. “What do you say? Maybe some breakfast and then a nice walk?”
    She paused a second before answering him, breathing a sigh of relief. He had thankfully refrained from mentioning the heated kisses they had shared. She had feared he would taunt her decision to put a stop to things…or worse yet, want to pick up where they had left off. It was a thought that gave her mixed feelings.
    â€œSure…” She returned his smile and tried to sound upbeat in agreeing with him that a truce was certainly in order. “That sounds like a good idea.”
    They made quick work of breakfast, dressed warmly, pulled on hiking boots, then set out from the cabin. The crisp morning air carried the scent of amountain forest following a cleansing rain. The sunlight glistened off the still-wet needles of the Sitka spruce and Douglas fir. The silence was broken only by the cries of birds as they circled overhead, the occasional cone dropping from a fir tree and landing on the ground with a plop and the sounds of their own footsteps as they walked along the trail. They were each absorbed in private thoughts.
    It was finally Dylan who made the first attempt at conversation. “It’s been a long time since I was on the Olympic Peninsula. I’d forgotten what a beautiful place this is….” He stopped walking and took in a deep breath, then slowly expelled it. He stood still, moving only his head as his gaze swept over the scenery. “Fresh air, peaceful surroundings…it’s very restful.”
    Jessica, too, stopped walking. “That’s one of the reasons Justin and I settled on this location when we started looking for a getaway cabin. We ended up paying more money than we had planned on, but we fell in love with this particular area and couldn’t resist the cabin. It’s larger than what we had originally started looking for, but we’re glad we went ahead with the deal.”
    â€œWhen did you buy it? The first I remember Justin mentioning it was a couple of years ago.”
    â€œWe bought it four years ago. Sometimes it’s a little