by Kira Archer
“You sure you want to get out?” Nash asked.
Iris nodded. “We’ve still got several hours to kill. I mean, I don’t want to go wandering all over, but I’d love to see the Ferris wheel.”
She didn’t want to actually get on it. She and heights didn’t mix so well. Something she’d tried many times to get over but had never quite managed. Still, all lit up and surrounded by snowy sidewalks, with the lake glistening nearby…it was a stunning sight. One she’d love to experience a little closer with Nash. She didn’t have too much longer with him. Only six more hours to make a few more memories to keep forever before they were back on a plane surrounded by people.
A little melodramatic, maybe. But this was one night she’d never forget. One perfect night. Well, okay, maybe not so perfect. But somehow, with Nash, the missed flights, the cold, the clothes, the fist fight—it all took on a magical, fairy tale quality that she’d never even known she was missing until she’d experienced it. Six more hours. She wanted to make them count.
The cab let them off in front of the huge Family Pavilion building, and Nash climbed out, dragging Clyde and the Sloane Ranger after him and holding the door for her. She sucked in a breath at the cold, though the wind had died down a bit. They made their way past the pavilion and Crystal Gardens to the ride area where the Ferris wheel loomed over everything. Other than one security guard who offered to give them directions to a homeless shelter, no one bothered them. In fact, the only people they saw were maintenance and city personnel, cleaning up the walkways.
The Ferris wheel dominated everything around them, rising a massive 150 feet into the air. Or so it said on the info page Iris had Googled in the cab.
“Wow,” she said, gazing up. “The view from the top must be spectacular.”
“I bet. Wanna see if we can go for a quick ride? I’m sure we can bribe the technician or something.”
Iris cocked an eyebrow at him. “I think I’m rubbing off on you. Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
He grinned like a little boy who’d just wandered into his house with his pockets stuffed full of squirming contraband. “Too soon to tell for sure, but I’ll go with a good thing.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Well, good or bad, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “Really? I thought for sure you’d jump on the idea. I’m actually kinda surprised you didn’t suggest it. No, scratch that. I’m surprised you didn’t suggest sneaking on while the guard wasn’t looking and going for a free ride. Hey… That’s not a bad idea.”
“Oh shut up,” she said, laughing. Honestly, that did sound like something she’d suggest. But… “Okay, don’t laugh. But…I’m kind of afraid of heights.”
His eyebrows hit his hairline at that, and he didn’t say anything for a second.
“Seriously? That surprised you speechless?”
Nash blinked. “Yeah, kinda. I mean, you’ve been making nice to thugs, winning dance-offs in nightclubs, having sex in public places—though don’t get me wrong,” he said, pulling her to him and pressing her close, “I’m a brand new believer in that little pastime.” He gave her a quick kiss and let her go.
She rolled her eyes, but he just grinned and kept going. “You seemed totally fearless. Up for anything.”
“Up for anything, sure. As long as it’s on the ground. Nobody is totally fearless.”
“True.” He looked up at the vast height of the Ferris wheel. “No help for it then.”
“What?” she asked, a small knot of anxiety forming in her belly at his tone.
“You’re just going to have to face your fears.”
He took her hand, and she tried pulling away. “I’m fine leaving my fears alone, thanks. Besides, it’s not even open. They’re probably just doing maintenance or something on it.”
He snorted. “Since when do you let a little thing like that stop you?”
“Since that little thing will save me from plunging to my death when one of those stupid little cars malfunctions and kills me.”
Nash cocked an eyebrow. “That hardly ever happens.”
“Yeah, it’s the hardly that’s bothering me.”
“Oh come on, live a little.”
Iris’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously? Mr. But-The-Sign-Says-We-Can’t? You’ve resisted every time I’ve suggested something even slightly against the rules tonight. Now’s the time you choose to break out your inner bad boy?”
He yanked her to him, his lips descending before she could protest, and kissed her until she was limp and pliant in his arms. “You must bring it out in me,” he said with a little wink.
Before she could respond to that remark, he glanced back over at the Ferris wheel. “Ooo, come on, the tech guy just left to take a smoke. Let’s go.”
“What? Nash, no… I thought you were joking. Get back here!” she whispered as loud as she could.
He wasn’t listening to her. He just kept tiptoeing toward the nearest gondola like some cartoon crook with Clyde and the Sloane Ranger in tow. “Nash!” she hissed again, to no avail. He’d already climbed inside a gondola and was frantically waving her over. She sighed, trying to ignore the panic roiling in her gut. “Great. I’ve created a monster.”
“Come on,” he mouthed.
“Shit.” She sprinted for the gondola, diving inside and huddling down on the bench opposite Nash.
“You’re crazy,” she whispered to him.
His mega-watt grin made her smile, momentarily overriding the fear that clutched at her.
“Learned from the best,” he whispered back.
“Why couldn’t you want to sneak into a movie or something? A movie I could do. Actually, that sounds great. Inside, nice and warm. Come on, let’s go find a theater.”
She grabbed his hand and tried to tug him out of the gondola, but the sound of voices made her freeze. Nash pulled her back to the bench, and they ducked.
The technician returned, chatting with someone. Nash held his finger to his lips and tried to duck lower behind the gondola wall.
Iris rolled her eyes, though the sight of her hunk of a cowboy trying to curl into a little ball to avoid detection was kind of cute. He made a lowering motion with his hand. She glared at him but hunkered down as well.
“It’s working fine. Let it run a few more times and then sign it off. I’d like to be out of here by sunrise,” the technician said.
“All right,” the other guy said. “Startin’ her up.”
The wheel moved and Iris closed her eyes, another wave of panic sweeping over her. Her head swam, her sweaty palms gripping the railing of the gondola so hard she thought the seams of her gloves would pop. Pressure built in her chest like it was being squeezed in a vise. She was about to have a full-on panic attack, and if she was going to be hysterical, she’d prefer to do it at ground level.
“Nash, I can’t…” she said, squeezing her eyes shut. She knew exactly how ridiculous she looked, but it did help slightly to not watch the ground slowly dropping away from them. Her body trembled from head to toe, and it was only partly from the freezing wind whipping through the gondola.
He sat up and moved to her side of the gondola. “Yes you can.” He took both of her hands and drew her resisting body to him, cupping her face. “Look at me, Iris. Hey,” he said when she didn’t comply. “Look at me.”
She took a deep breath and forced herself to open her eyes. He smiled at her. “There you go. I know you’re kind of freaked out right now—”
“Kind of?”
He gave her another patient smile that made her want to growl at him. How could he be so calm? How could the fact that they were in a little box, swaying above ground way far below them, not bother him?
“I promise,” he said, kissing her, his lips lingering on hers… “You’re going to love this.” He kissed her again, and kept kissing her until her cold lips began to warm under his, and her grip on him became a little less frantic.
&nbs
p; When he released her she was breathless. The anxiety was still there, but so was some curiosity. And if it involved any more kissing she was totally in. Until she looked down. The wheel moved slowly, but they were already several feet off the ground.
“Oh God,” she gulped, grabbing onto the side.
At least it wasn’t some tiny little seat. The gondola was large enough to seat six people and had a roof and everything. If she had to go flinging her body through the air in some little metal contraption, it wasn’t the most horrible thing she’d seen.
“Hey. Look at me,” he said again. Nash took her chin and tilted her face up to his.
She didn’t realize he’d removed his velvet gloves until his cold fingers skimmed across her face. Was he nuts? He was going to lose a few digits to hypothermia if he didn’t cover up.
She reluctantly opened her lids to see his hazel eyes inches from hers. He kept his gaze locked on hers until her grip on him lessened a bit. Then he kissed her cheek. “You can do this.” He kissed the other one. “You are my brave”—he kissed her forehead—“beautiful”—he kissed her nose—“wonderfully crazy girl.”
He pressed a kiss to her lips, and she sank in to him. “This will be something you’ll never forget,” he murmured against her lips before deepening the kiss, drawing her in against him and kissing her until she couldn’t remember why the hell she’d been so afraid.
A slight breeze brushed her cheeks, the icy air sending a shiver rippling through her. But he kept her pressed tight against him, his hands roaming beneath her coat, delving beneath all the layers until he finally found skin. She bit her lip as his hand slipped inside her bra, cupping her breast, rolling the nipple between his fingers until she cried out and arched in to him. With the cold air rushing in whenever he moved his hand, it almost felt like he had ice cubes cascading over her skin. The tradeoff between Nash’s hot flesh and the freezing wind had her body erupting in goose bumps that heightened her already stimulated nerve endings.
He pulled her onto his lap, facing her away from him. She pressed back against him, both in fear and desire, and he held her securely while his other hand kept up its mind-blowing torture.
“Keep watching that beautiful skyline,” he murmured in her ear.
Her heart pounded in her chest and she tried desperately to hold still, afraid if she moved too much it might sway the gondola. But holding still proved nearly impossible, especially when Nash’s hands wandered down to the button of her jeans and pulled it open.
“Look at that gorgeous view,” he whispered, his fingers trailing over her, teasing her until she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Show me what you want,” he said, his hand hovering over her aching clit.
She pulled off her gloves and grabbed his hand, pressing it to her, her fingers intertwining with his as they rubbed over her and finally dipped inside. His ice cold fingers stroking her heated center had her shuddering against him, aching for him to fill her completely. She leaned her head back to rest on his shoulder, and he kissed her neck, his tongue leaving a trail of heat that the cold night air quickly cooled.
“Open your eyes,” he said, thrusting his fingers inside her as deeply as they’d go, taking her fingers along with him.
She struggled to obey him, but the sensations their fingers were creating made her eyes want to roll back in her head while she writhed in his lap. The gondola crested and began its slow descent, and she gaped at the view spread out before her. Her head swam with the dizzying height, but the fear that usually made her stomach bottom out warred with the blazing current Nash’s hands and mouth created. The experience was almost too much, too overwhelming. And she never wanted it to end.
She took his other hand and brought it to her breast, again entwining their fingers so they massaged the sensitive flesh together. He pressed her back so his lips could trail down the column of her neck, softly nibbling at her skin. She rocked against him, and he sucked in a ragged breath through his teeth, his hands gripping her harder, his fingers plunging deeper.
The gondola neared the loading station and Nash slid with her to the floor. His fingers lost their hold, and she nearly cried out at their loss. His lips crushed on hers, muffling the sounds she couldn’t help but make. Curled together, hidden from sight, presented other opportunities, though. She threw a leg over his hip, pressing as close as she could to him, and opened herself up to his kiss. He rolled her beneath him, his arm cradling her head. Their mouths fused together, their tongues tasting and plunging, building the urgency careening through both of them. She wanted to see him, taste every inch of him. It was way too cold to strip entirely, but she wanted him too badly to just back off.
She found the top of his jeans and yanked them open, slipping her hand inside and palming his erection. He jerked when her icy fingers met his burning hot flesh. Then he thrust into her hand, his lips renewing their plunder of hers with increasing intensity. She broke to grab for Sloane but he stopped her, pulling a condom out of his pocket.
“A few tried to get away at the planetarium,” he said, ripping one open.
Her smile faded when he freed himself from the jeans and rolled the condom on. They really needed to find a place where they could get good and naked without freezing to death. She wanted to see all of him at once, not just tantalizing bits and pieces. A little hard to do at the moment, but she wanted to lick him from gorgeous head to what was probably an enormous toe, taking her sweet time on all the bits in between.
Then Nash’s lips were back on hers, his hands stroking her skin beneath her clothes, making her shiver with anticipation. He pulled her to her knees, kneeling behind her as the gondola began its long ascent again. Iris gripped the back of the seat, staring out at the incredible Chicago skyline. Her stomach bottomed out as the ground dropped farther and farther away, but before the familiar rush of fear could take hold of her, Nash thrust into her with a groan.
He froze for a moment, and she reveled in the feel of him, his hard, hot length filling her while the cold air rushed past them, nipping at the bits of skin that were exposed. She tried to remain still, to savor the sensations rippling deep inside her. But she couldn’t. She needed to move, needed to feel him, needed him deeper, harder. She pulled away and pushed back on him, throwing her head back at the friction they created, even as her teeth started to chatter from the cold.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, capturing her and holding her against his chest. “Are you still scared?” he murmured in her ear.
He drew her earlobe between his teeth, biting gently. She convulsed against him but he held her steady.
“No,” she managed to gasp. And it was true. She couldn’t focus on the fact that they were dangling hundreds of feet in the air. All she could think of was him. The slight vertigo that plagued her head mingled with the dizzying sensations he drew from her body, mixing into a heady, mind-blowing experience.
His hand traced over her curves, following her lines until he found that aching, sensitive spot. His other hand slipped beneath her clothing to massage her breast through her bra, teasing the nipple into a peak.
“Open your eyes,” he said, his lips moving to her neck. “That beautiful view out there has nothing on you. You take my breath away.”
She craned her head back so she could kiss him, her arms reaching backward to drape around his neck, opening herself to him completely. His thumb flicked over her clit, rubbing and circling while he retreated and plunged back into her, making her nearly sob with the intensity of the pressure building inside her.
“God, you are so incredible.” He thrust again. “You amaze me.”
He drove inside her, again and again, his hands and body keeping up their torturous dance until she cried out, her body on fire with wave after wave of pleasure.
Nash changed his grip, grabbing her hips and thrusting into her, his pace quickening until finally he tensed, holding her close as his own climax ebbed.
They collapsed together against the bench, hauling
in deep, ragged breaths. Iris’s lungs burned with the frigid air. She looked over at Nash, panting beside her. Their eyes met, and they laughed. She couldn’t believe what they had just done. Or how utterly fucking amazing it had been. She didn’t want the moment to end.
But the gondola was making its descent again. They needed to get ready to make a run for it if it stopped. Nash pulled her close for a quick kiss. “You blow my mind, Cookie,” he whispered to her.
“Right back atcha, Hazel,” she said, reaching over to stroke a hand down his cheek. The tenderness swelling in her heart for the amazing man in front of her made her heart clench. She’d never met anyone like him. No one could affect her the way he did. And she couldn’t imagine anyone else ever comparing to him.
The Ferris wheel stopped, and Iris’s eyes widened, her stomach flipping over when she realized they were still a good fifty feet in the air. Her gaze met Nash’s, but before she could completely freak out, the wheel started up again.
They rearranged their clothing and huddled on the floor of the gondola, ready to duck and hide if they passed the technician again. They needn’t have worried. The wheel stopped again before it reached him. Which was great. Except it still left them high and dry. High being the operative word.
How the hell are we going to get down?
Chapter Thirteen
Nash glanced down at the ten foot drop below them and frowned. It was farther than he’d prefer, but still doable. He glanced back over at the technician. He was on the far end of the platform, his back still turned.
“Okay, I’ll go first, and then I’ll catch you,” Nash said to Iris.
She looked past him at the drop and shrank back against the bench. “Are you freaking crazy? That’s too far!”
