Nine Months Part One

By Sylvia Plath

36 Hours Serial

As a devastating summer storm hits Grand Springs, Colorado, the next thirty–six hours will change the town and its residents forever….

Nine Months Part 1

Sex with a stranger isn't what Paige Summers expected when she was trapped in an elevator with hot cowboy Jared Montgomery, but he unleashed her wild side. It all seemed like a great adventure. Until she reported to her new boss, J. L. Montgomery–her elevator cowboy in a suit and tie!

Jared is on the fast track to success. He'll need a wife, but his adorable redheaded assistant is more bedroom than boardroom. Still, he can't get her, and the stormy night they shared together, out of his mind.

When Jared overhears Paige telling a friend she's pregnant, he wants to do the right thing. But Paige isn't willing to settle. Marriage means love–and until that's on the table, there's no deal.

The story continues in Nine Months Parts 2 and 3.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Apr 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781488739958

Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath was born in 1932 in Massachusetts. Her books include the poetry collections The Colossus, Crossing the Water, Winter Trees, Ariel, and Collected Poems, which won the Pulitzer Prize. A complete and uncut facsimile edition of Ariel was published in 2004 with her original selection and arrangement of poems. She was married to the poet Ted Hughes, with whom she had a daughter, Frieda, and a son, Nicholas. She died in London in 1963.

Book preview

Prologue

The elevator doors swung open. Since it was after office hours on a Friday, Paige Summers had expected the elevator to be empty. But a lone man occupied the small space. Tall and lean, with an aura of masculine strength surrounding him, the stranger stared at Paige, inspecting her from head to toe. Forcing herself to ignore his interest, she quickly ran her gaze over the handsome cowboy.

His faded jeans fit like a glove, and with one more washing his plaid work shirt would need to go into a ragbag. A sweatband circled the base of his black Stetson.

Although he dressed like dozens of other men in Grand Springs, Colorado, one glimpse told Paige that this man was unlike any she’d ever met.

When she glanced back at his face, he smiled at her and her stomach did an evil flip-flop. He did possess a killer smile. A wide, sensuous mouth. Full, tempting lips. And beautiful, perfect teeth, sparkling white against the dark, suntanned skin of his face.

If you’re worried about getting on an elevator with a stranger, I can assure you, you’ll be safe with me.

The man spoke with a drawl. Oklahoma or Texas, maybe, she thought.

Paige forced a smile to her lips. I’m sorry. It’s just that I didn’t expect anyone to be here still. She stepped inside the elevator, but deliberately avoided eye contact. She was a quiet, private person, who didn’t normally find herself lusting after a stranger.

Lusting after? Good grief, Paige, how could you think such a thing? He’s attractive. That’s all. You’ve never lusted after a man in your life.

She glanced at the cowboy again, unable to stop herself. His dark brown hair brushed his collar. Strands of gray streaked his thick sideburns. He grinned and tipped his hat at her. Paige looked down at her feet. A guy with his looks and charm could be dangerous.

The elevator doors closed.

Jared Montgomery couldn’t remember the last time he’d been instantly attracted to a woman, and never this strongly attracted.

She was lovely, in a fresh, unspoiled sort of way. He liked that she was a good deal shorter than he, and that every inch of her five-and-a-half-foot body was filled out in lush, curvaceous proportions.

The elevator jolted to a sudden halt, shaking Jared instantly from his thoughts and tossing him sideways. Acting purely on instinct, he grabbed the young woman the moment he realized they were both falling. She clutched the front of his shirt, accidently ripping off two buttons. Quickly maneuvering her around, Jared took the brunt of the fall as they hit the floor. The black Stetson flew off his head and landed a few inches from his right shoulder. The impact of his big body sandwiched between the hard surface beneath and the woman on top momentarily knocked the breath out of him.

The red emergency lights came on, coating the interior of the elevator in a rosy pink glow. Paige realized she was lying on top of the stranger, her body intimately aligned with his. Her breasts crushed against his muscular chest. Their bellies pressed together. Their legs entwined.

A fluttering, quivering sensation began in the depths of her femininity. It quickly spread through her entire body, and she became embarrassingly aware that the man lying beneath her was aroused. His hardened sex pulsated against her.

She rolled off his chest and onto the floor beside him. Are you all right? she asked, her voice deceptively calm. She shook like a leaf in the wind.

Jared stared up into the woman’s big brown eyes, concern evident in her gaze as well as her voice. She hovered over him, her large, round breasts almost touching his chest. God, she was gorgeous.

Fine. He sat up too quickly and groaned.

You’re hurt.

I said I’m fine. How about you?

Okay, I guess. She wriggled against him. What happened?

Well, I’d say the power went out. He rubbed his forehead, then ran his hand across his stinging cheek. Ouch.

What is it? In an effort to see what was wrong with him, she leaned too close and her breasts brushed his arm.

His body tightened even harder. I think I bruised my cheek when we fell. No big deal. Are you sure you’re all right?

She scooted away from him. I’m perfectly all right, thank you. Just…well, just a little unnerved.

Yeah, sure. Having an elevator go dead in mid-descent is enough to unnerve anybody. Jared placed his Stetson on his head, then stood up slowly. Glancing down at the woman on the floor, he held out his hand.

Paige stared at his hand—an obvious offer of assistance—and hesitated.

You are the most cautious woman I’ve ever met, the man said. Come on. He wiggled his fingers back and forth. I promise I won’t bite you.

I didn’t think you would. Her cheeks flushed. Retrieving her purse off the floor with one hand, Paige reached up with the other. She allowed him to help her stand, then immediately took a careful step backward.

The stranger grinned. The bottom fell out of her stomach. Turning his back to her, he checked the telephone.

No answer, he told her.

They both checked their cell phones. No service.

Isn’t there any other way to get help? she asked. How will anyone know we’re in here?

Noting the slight panic in her voice, Jared tried to reassure her. Hey, there’s nothing to worry about. The minute the power went out, the emergency generators kicked in to keep the lights and the ventilation working. The maintenance crew should have things going again pretty quickly.

But it’s Friday evening. Don’t you think everyone who works in this building has gone home?

No. There should be at least one maintenance man on duty twenty-four hours a day.

What if the outage isn’t just in the Wellman Building?

There’s no way to know, he said. But one way or another, we’ll get out of here, so stop worrying, honey.

Jared stood quietly for a while, silently fidgeting and trying not to look at the woman. But when he glanced at her, he noticed her actions mimicked his.

Are you sure the air is circulating in here? She tugged on the collar of her suit jacket. It feels awfully warm to me.

The air-conditioning probably isn’t on, if that’s what you mean, Jared said. But the air ventilation is working just fine. Relax, honey.

Would you please not call me honey. The woman glared at him, her chin tilted defiantly, as if she were a schoolmarm scolding a naughty little boy.

"Sorry, but since I