Maya Banks - Colter's Woman

239 Pages·2016·0.82 MB·English

by  Banks Maya

Colters’ Woman
© 2006 Maya Banks

Holly Bardwell is running from her past mistakes…straight into the arms of
the Colter Brothers.

Adam, Ethan and Ryan aren’t looking for women. They’re looking for a
woman. One woman to share their lives and their beds. They don’t want a casual
romp in the hay, they want the woman who will complete them--and they’re
losing hope of find her.

That is until Adam finds Holly lying in the snow just yards from their cabin.
He knows she’s different the minute he holds her in his arms. But before Adam
gets his hopes up, he knows he has to gauge his brothers’ reactions. Soon it’s
evident that she’s the one.

There are a few problems, however--convincing her she belongs with them
and keeping her safe from the man who wants her dead.

Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language,
ménage a quatre, violence
eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the
copyright of this work.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s
imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons,
living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
2932 Ross Clark Circle, #384
Dothan, AL 36301

Colters’ Woman
Copyright © 2006 by Maya Banks
Cover by Anne Cain
ISBN: 1-59998-145-9
www.samhainpublishing.com

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: October 2006
Colters’ Woman

Maya Banks
Dedication
To Amy—for not thinking I’d completely lost my marbles. Well, you
probably think, but at least you didn’t SAY ;)

To TJ—for being thrilled for me even when I took my sweet time in being
thrilled for myself.

To Jess—for loving this book as much as I do and for being patient with all
my quirks.
Chapter One
Adam Colter drew his coat tighter around him and tugged his Stetson lower
as he stepped out into the snow. He started down the winding driveway to collect
the mail, his face numb from the biting wind.
Winter had set in, and already he was restless. The lodge was quiet, housing
just him and his two brothers until next hunting season when clients filled the
bunkhouses. For ten years, he had lived for the fall when he could guide hunters
into the mountains. But now he felt edgy. Unsatisfied.
He yanked open the mailbox and reached inside for the pile of envelopes. He
turned back to the house, thumbing through the junk mail when a flash of color
caught his eyes. He blinked, bringing the object into focus. There, huddled in the
ditch, half covered with snow, was a person.
Dropping the mail, he rushed over to the still form and knelt in the snow.
Afraid of what he would find, he grasped a small shoulder and flipped the person
over. To his shock, it was a woman. A beautiful woman.
He felt for a pulse, holding his breath until he felt the faint tremor in her
neck. He brushed snow from her face and smoothed her blonde hair from her
forehead. How had she gotten here?
Swinging her slight form into his arms, he stood up and strode rapidly back
up the drive. He stared worriedly into her pale face and felt his groin tighten. A
sharp tingle snaked up his spine, and he was besieged by unfamiliar emotions.
Anger, possessiveness, concern, and pure unadulterated lust.
His cock swelled in his jeans, and his grip around her tightened. He was
assailed by the nagging thought that she could be the one. He’d never reacted
this strongly to a woman, and certainly not to one he knew nothing about, but he
also knew no matter his reaction, his brothers might not be in agreement.
At any rate, he couldn’t leave her to freeze to death. He couldn’t concern
himself with what his brothers thought until he made sure she didn’t die on him.
As he shouldered his way inside, Ethan looked up from the couch where he
was reading. He dropped the book when he saw the woman in Adam’s arms.
“What the hell’s going on?” he demanded, standing up.
“I found her out in the ditch,” Adam murmured, examining his brother
closely for his reaction.
Ethan closed the distance between them and gazed down at the fragile
looking woman. “Is she alive?”
“What’s going on?” Ryan asked as he entered the living room. His
expression was guarded, a look that had become second nature since his
discharge from the military. For the first time in a long while, Adam felt a surge
of hope. He’d give anything to be able to draw Ryan out from the private hell he
endured. If she was the one…
Adam turned his attention back to the woman in his arms. “I need to get her
warmed up. Go draw a hot bath while I get her out of her wet clothes,” he
directed Ryan.
Ethan raised a brow. “You going to strip her in here?”
Adam shrugged. “I doubt modesty is an issue when you’re this close to
freezing to death.”
Ethan’s eyes darkened, and he moved closer to the woman. He studied her
then reached out his hand to touch her cheek. “She’s beautiful,” he said huskily.
When he looked back up at Adam, his eyes shone with a multitude of
emotions. Desire, tenderness and possessiveness. Adam felt a surge of triumph.
Ethan felt it too.
“Am I missing something here?” Ryan asked as he returned to the living
room.
“Is the water drawn?” Adam asked.
Ryan nodded and Adam strode past him. “Ethan will explain,” he said
briskly.
Adam walked into his bedroom and gently laid her on his bed. She didn’t
even have a coat on. He frowned as he began to peel her wet sweater off. She
was soaked through.
As he pulled the sweater over her head, he sucked in his breath. The skimpy
bra she wore didn’t do much to cover her breasts. The second thing he noticed
was a large bruise that marred her porcelain skin. It covered an area the size of
his hand. And he had large hands.
Had she been in some kind of accident? Is that why she was lying in the
ditch?
He set to work pulling the damp jeans from her legs. As he rolled the
material down her legs, his eyes were drawn to the dark curls clearly outlined
against her underwear. So, she wasn’t a natural blonde.
Suffering only a tiny moment of guilt, he peeled the scrap of silk down her
legs, then unhooked her bra, leaving her completely naked beneath his gaze. He
didn’t think it possible that he could get any harder.
Every nerve ending in his body was on full alert. All it would take was one
touch and he’d explode.
He cursed vehemently and worked to keep his raging hormones in balance.
She was unconscious and injured, and all he could think about was plunging his
cock so deep within her that he’d become a permanent part of her.
With shaking hands, he examined her limbs for any sign of a break. Her skin
was cold, but she showed no sign of frostbite. The bath shouldn’t do her any
harm.
With great care, he picked her naked body up and walked out of the bedroom
and into the huge bathroom he shared with his brothers. It was the size of a
bedroom, with two showers and a huge Jacuzzi tub. The counter that lined one
side of the wall had four sinks. A testament to their knowledge that one day one
woman would share their lives.
The tub was full, and he leaned over to ease her into the warm water. She let
out a small moan but didn’t open her eyes. He held her so she wouldn’t slip
down further.
He turned when he heard the door open. Ryan stood there, his eyes hooded.
“Ethan says she’s the one.”
Adam nodded, not knowing what else to say. He knew Ryan would have to
make up his own mind.
Ryan’s gaze swept over the woman but he didn’t move forward. “I’ll wait
until you’re through. I wouldn’t want her to awaken with both of us here. It
might scare her.”
“I won’t be long,” Adam said, trying to interpret the shadows in Ryan’s eyes.
“Do me a favor and put her clothes in the dryer.”
Ryan shrugged and backed from the bathroom, closing the door quietly
behind him.
Adam returned his attention to his charge just in time to see her eyes flutter
open. Soft brown eyes stared at him in shock and confusion. Then fear.

*

The first thing Holly became aware of was delicious warmth. After being
cold for so long, she was certain she’d died and gone to heaven. Or maybe it was
hell judging by the temperature.
Then she opened her eyes and quickly decided it had to be heaven because
the devil couldn’t possibly look as good as the man bending over her.
After staring at him for a moment, she realized she was naked. In a tub. With
a gorgeous stranger looking at her, completely unabashed by her nudity. Maybe
instead of drooling she ought to be afraid.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” the man said in a soothing tone as he backed a
few inches away from the tub. “I found you in the snow.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and drew up her knees, trying to cover as
much of her body as possible. “Where am I?” she asked, hating how shaky her
voice sounded.
“Three Brothers Hunting Lodge,” he replied. “Are you hurting anywhere?”
She clutched her chest tighter and shook her head. “Where are my clothes?”
“In the dryer. I’ll give you a shirt to put on until they finish.”
Despite the warmth of the water, chill bumps raced over her body, her
nipples tightening against her arms. The man was positively sinful. His dark hair
was cut short, and he had shoulders that would barely fit through a doorway. He
was built bigger than a linebacker.
He stood, giving her a good look at his long legs encased in tight jeans. She
nearly groaned aloud when she saw scuffed cowboy boots sticking out from
under his pant legs. She’d always been a sucker for a man in cowboy boots.
She gasped as he bent over and plucked her from the water. Before she could
protest, he wrapped a huge towel around her and strode from the bathroom. She
stifled her reprimand as he deposited her on a king-size bed. She gathered the
ends of the towel and held them tightly around her.
He turned his back to her momentarily and disappeared into the closet.
Seconds later, he returned with a flannel shirt and a pair of sweats.
“They’re much too big for you, but they’ll do until your clothes are dry.”
He held them out to her, his gaze caressing her face. She should be afraid.
She was in a strange man’s house. Naked as the day she was born. And yet she
didn’t feel threatened by him.
She almost laughed at the absurdity. Most men terrified her. And with good
reason. So why wasn’t she screaming the house down? Why was she laying
there staring at him like she’d love nothing more than to strip him down to those
cowboy boots? She should be making a mad dash out the door.
Instead, she curled her fingers around the shirt he offered, flushing madly
when his hand touched hers briefly. Fire lit his eyes and burned a trail down her
flesh as his gaze raked up and down her body.
“I’ll leave you to dress,” he said. “When you’re done, come on out to the
living room and warm up by the fire.”
“T-thank you,” she stammered.
As soon as he left the room, she scrambled up, shedding the towel and
yanking on the shirt. It hung to her knees, the sleeves dwarfing her arms. She