Brooke was shocked by his arrogance. "You pigheaded, conceited mule," she began. "You've got some nerve sitting there and telling me you're going to have your way with me. What? You think you're so irresistible? Well, you've got another thing coming…"

"I'll make sure I remind you of that one day B," Lucas said mildly as he got up from his seat. "Now, as much as I love this little outburst of yours, you're not quite yet up to sparring with me. I think you should go lie down again, you're turning paler by the minute."

"I know when I need to lie down and I certainly don't need you telling me when to do so. I can manage on my own." She stood up, but was forced to grasp the edge of the table as the room spun around her.

"Can manage on your own huh?" Lucas observed as he took her arm.

"I'm all right." The hand she had lifted to push him away lay weakly against his chest for support. He tilted her chin, and she saw he was no longer smiling. "Brooke, sometimes the strongest people are the ones that can admit to needing help and allowing someone else to help them. You're going to have to hand over the reins to me for a couple of days. Fighting it will only make it harder on you."

With a sigh, she allowed her head to fall against his chest, not protesting as his arms encircled her. "But I don't have to like it right?"

"Right." He gave a short laugh and lifted her easily into his arms before carrying her back to bed.

The energy that she had while she was yelling at him had suddenly deserted her. With an odd feeling of contentment, she settled down under the covers and closed her eyes, allowing sleep to take her into its peaceful oblivion. She was asleep even before his lips had lightly touched her forehead in a farewell kiss…

"Hey, I was beginning to think you'd sleep through the night"

Brooke turned her head to find Lucas sitting across the room. She brushed her tousled her from her face and struggled to sit up on the bed.

"It's dark out," she said. "How long have I been out?"

He glanced down at his watch. "It's a little past seven so you've been out a good five hours or so."

"God, I feel like I've been asleep for weeks."

"You needed it." Lucas rose from his seat to move toward her. His eyes roamed over her sleep flushed face. Gradually, his expression lightened and the angles of his face moved into a satisfied smile. "You have some color in you now." He took her wrist in his hand, and her eyes dropped from his to study the dancing flames in the fireplace. "You're pulse is a bit jumpy." She could hear the smile in his voice. "But strong and steady. That's good. Hungry?"

"I shouldn't be." She forced her eyes to meet his. "I've done nothing but lie around all day, but to be honest, I'm starved."

He smiled again as he lifted her into his arms. She felt small and vulnerable in his arms, a sensation that was both pleasant and disturbing. Finding it difficult to resist the warmth of his body, she laid her head against the strong curve of his shoulder.

"You really don't have to carry me. I think I'm strong enough to walk on my own."

"Let's not take any chances shall we?" She could feel his breath on her face. "Besides, you seem to fit perfectly in my arms."

Not knowing what to say to that, she remained quiet in his arms as they made the journey to the kitchen.

Leaning back in her chair, her stomach full and content, Brooke took a sip of the wine in her glass and gave Lucas a nod of approval.

"I have to admit, you're going to make some woman a terrific husband one day. You're cooking is amazing."

"I think so." He nodded smugly. "My wife wouldn't have to be a gourmet cook or anything, I can handle that." He added with casual consideration. "Of course, I'd demand other qualities to make up for it."

"Love," Brooke suggested. "Unswerving loyalty and obedience?"

"That's a good start."

"The poor woman."

"But, I also don't want her to be a doormat. Let's just say, I like a woman who knows how to think for herself. Someone who doesn't pretend to be something she's not. Of course," he added as he finished off his wine. "I'm also a sucker for a pretty face."

"Well, so far it doesn't sound like you're asking for much," she giggled. "Just perfection."

"The woman I have in mind can handle it." He smiled broadly as he rose to pour coffee. He refused her offer to do the dishes and swooped her from her chair and deposited her on the living room couch.

"Lucas, this is ridiculous. I feel so useless," she whined helplessly as he wrapped her in blankets and tucked a pillow behind her back. "I'm not used to lying around and doing nothing. I'm not made for this." She gave Lucas a sulky glare as if the entire matter was his fault. "I don't know how Hales managed living like this for the last month. I'm surprised she hasn't gone bonkers yet."

"Well that's probably because she didn't have a choice, and besides, she's a little more patient than you are." He offered with a chuckle. With that said, he left her to clean the kitchen. After a while of listening to the sound of water running, Brooke felt herself succumbing to sleep once again. And didn't wake a half hour later when Lucas came back to carry her back up to bed.

The bright rays of the morning sun shone through the window. Pink and gold streaks split the hazy blue of the sky, and light tumbled through to rest on Brooke's closed lids.

Morning? Brooke awoke with a start. She shook the sleep off of her as she pulled on her robe. Taking a deep breath, she placed her feet on the cold floor as she carefully got off the bed. Her legs were a little weak, but they no longer felt like jello.

Mobility, she thought with glee. She never knew how much she appreciated it until now. She walked across the room and just as she stepped into the hall she heard another door open next to her, causing her to yelp in surprise.

Lucas stood in the doorway, rubbing a towel briskly through his damp hair, a robe tied loosely around his narrow waist. "Morning, ma'am."

"God, you scared the living day lights out of me." She inhaled sharply as she took in his appearance. The lean and bronzed chest that was peaking out at her from the opening in his robe. He took a step toward her causing her breathing to hitch instinctively. "I-I'm much better now." She stuttered, cowering against the paneling of the wall. Her eyes traveled the column of his throat as they finally met his eyes. He lifted her chin with a finger and she trembled from his touch.

"Relax Brooke." His laughter sounded deep in his throat. "I just want to look you over, make sure you're really better. You must have the constitution of an elephant," he concluded with a scoff. "You look like you've been on vacation instead of a blizzard. One day's rest and you look as good as new, most women would be out of commission for a week."

"I'm not most women." She pushed his hand away from her face. "I'm not some fragile doll, and there is no way in hell you're making get back into that bed." Having successfully gathered her bearings about her, she nudged him out of her path and started down the hall. "I'm going to fix breakfast."

"Coffee's already brewing." He called after her retreating back.

Brooke had breakfast under way by the time Lucas joined her in the kitchen. Clad in the less disturbing attire of jeans and a flannel shirt, he watched her prepare the meal as he silently sipped at his coffee.

"You know, I'm getting used to having a pretty face across from me at the table," he commented when she sat down to join him.

"I'm sure I'm not the first to share a table with you," she commented with indifference. Nor, she added to herself, would she be the last.

"Nope, you're not," he agreed easily, "but there's something to be said for those big hazel eyes of yours."

"Hazel eyes are common enough," she muttered before lowering her eyes to the contents of her plate. "Besides, this is hardly a long-term arrangement." He didn't speak for a moment, and her fork moved restlessly over her eggs, her appetite suddenly gone.

"We should have the road clear enough sometime tomorrow for travel."

"Tomorrow?" she repeated. A hollow feeling spread through her stomach.

"There's a lot of snow out there, some of the drifts are like small mountains. It's going to take a little time to move."

"Okay."

"Do you think you can manage on your own today?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'll be fine."

"My foreman came the other day to give me the latest news on the conditions out there. There's a lot I need to see to, and they need all the help they can get out there." He frowned. "The cattles need hay since they don't have the sense to dig through the snow to get to the grass."

"Wow, I guess the storm did more damage than I originally thought."

"This one wasn't so bad according to the reports I got yesterday. We had one that was twice as worse a couple years ago."

"Reports?"

"Yeah, the reports my foreman brought over yesterday while you were sleeping."

"Oh." Strange, she thought, there had been a ripple in their isolation and she hadn't even been aware of it.

He studied her thoughtfully over the rim of his cup. "I'm not sure I like leaving you alone here when the phone lines are out."

Brooke shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "No need to worry about me, like I said, I'll be fine." She glanced up to meet his concerned eyes.

"I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"Lucas, for goodness sakes, stop fussing about me. Really, I'll be fine."

He tilted his head to the side, his eyes still narrowed. "Okay then, stand up. I want to see for myself how fine you are."

Before she realized his intent, his arms were around her, and his mouth was on hers. Her legs buckled under her.

His mouth was light, teasing, his teeth nibbling at the fullness of her bottom lip until she moaned from the exquisite agony. She gripped his shoulders as a dim light of control seeped into the darkness. Pulling away, she shook her head in refusal.

"Now Brooke…" His voice was soft and persuasive, but the hands that descended to her hips were firm. "You wouldn't want to send a man out in the cold without something warm to remember, would you?"

He pulled her closer, molding her body to fit his as he explored the soft roundness of her hips until she pressed even closer against him with exciting intimacy. His mouth covered hers once again, his tongue moving with slow purpose as it teased hers until she could feel the room spinning around her. Slowly, his hands moved upwards, his thumbs circling and caressing the sides of her breasts while his mouth and tongue destroyed all resistance.

She strained against him as she felt the desire building up inside of her. Her body was on fire for his touch. Her sigh turned into a deep moan as his mouth traveled down her throat. His lips tasted, lingered, traveled to new territories, the tip of his tongue hot and moist against her skin until her mouth longingly awaited for the return of his.

But, her mouth was to go unsatisfied. He pulled her away with the same arrogance as he had pulled her to him. Dazed and limp, she could do no more than stare up at him as her body throbbed with desire.

"You're learning fast B. That was enough to keep any man moving through a six-foot snow drift."

Furious and humiliated by his flippant attitude, her hand drew back as if to slap the smile off of his face.

"Now, now Brooke." He caught her wrist in his hands, holding it behind her back as he drew her body against his once again. "You're not strong enough yet to wrestle with me. Maybe in a couple of days." He lifted his eyebrows suggestively as he drew her hand forward and turned it so that the palm was facing down before brushing his lips against the back of her hand, causing her struggles to escape to cease abruptly. "Take it easy today okay? And please try to remember, you're not as tough as you'd like to think."

Ruffling her hair as though she were a child, he disappeared into the adjoining room to grab his coat and gear before leaving the house.

Brooke raised her trembling hands to her lips and could feel it throbbing from his kisses. She ran a hand absently through her flushed face before taking a deep breath to collect herself.

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A/N: Once again, sorry for the lack of update. I truly hope you enjoy this chapter, please let me know what you think. Thanks a bunch.