Charlotte shot her a grateful look. How did her best friend always just know? “Is it okay if I eat some of the café food?”
“Anything you want.” Mr. Bzdyl stood and kissed the top of her head. “There’s extra firewood behind the shop if the power goes out, and you know where the batteries are for the flashlights.”
She nodded, feeling weary. “Why don’t you go on home while the roads are passable. I’ll clean up everything.”
Mrs. Bzdyl took Mr. Bzdyl’s hand. “Come, Piotr. Charlotte’s right.” She turned a gentle smile on Charlotte. “You need anything, anything, and I’ll drive through the blizzard to bring it.”
Charlotte bit the inside of her cheek to hold back the tears that would burst free any second. “Thank you.”
She saw them out, then lowered the blinds over the front door and turned off the main dining room lights. Going about her work methodically kept her mind off the situation for a few hours. She wiped down every counter with bleach water—something they had to do once a week, on top of using surface cleaner. She mopped and cleaned the ovens with baking soda paste. She even took apart the espresso machine and hand-washed each piece.
When the first gust of wind slammed into the front of the café, sending a shivering blast of cold air down the coffee bar, Charlotte braved a look out the window. All she could see was a blur of white. A few lights from the rest of the resort flickered in and out, but nothing more. How could Mr. Bzdyl be so right when the weather stations got it so, so wrong? Usually they went on and on about Snowmaggedon or some other kitschy storm name—and the storm never materialized. Today, though, the snow had become a barrier between her and her family.
Shoulders drooping, Charlotte put the espresso machine back together and went to sit in the chair she’d dragged into the kitchen, where it was warmer. She felt dull, numb. Like her heart had hurt enough and couldn’t handle anything more. Then her phone vibrated in her pocket.
It was Luke. Hey, obviously I can’t make it up to the café tonight. I’m so sorry. Rain check? Believe me, I definitely want one.
That was the last straw. Charlotte sighed and texted back. Me, too. Oh, and I’m going to be here for Christmas. My trip was cancelled.
L: Oh God, I should’ve thought…do you need anything?
A drink? A hug? A good cry? All three, probably. Nothing right now. I decided to stay at the café. I felt like being alone for a bit.
Her phone rang—Luke calling. “Hello?”
“Are you okay?” he asked. “You don’t sound okay.”
She took a shuddering breath. “I’m not, really. But there’s nothing you can change about the weather…can you?”
He laughed sadly. “I’m afraid my cred with the weather gods is pretty low. Look, as soon as the roads are clear, I’m coming up there. Maybe even before then. I have a Jeep for a reason.”
“Luke, not even a Jeep can drive in this. And I don’t want you to try. Like my dad kept saying, it’s dangerous. Stay somewhere safe and warm. I’ll see you soon, okay?” Her voice was wavering again, and she really didn’t want him to hear her cry. “Have a good night.”
There was a pause, then, “You, too, lovely Charlotte.”
As soon as the call ended, Charlotte buried her face in her hands and finally let herself cry.
Chapter Nineteen
Luke
“Honey, what’s gotten into you?”
Zoey’s mother was watching Luke pace around her living room. He and Parker had trudged through the nearly foot-and-a-half-deep snow to have their traditional Christmas Eve luncheon next door with the Millers, while Mom stayed with Dad at the hospital. They’d already eaten and exchanged gifts, and now Parker and Zoey were playing Apples to Apples with the Millers, which would be funny given how Zoey had complained about her parents being old for playing it last year. She seemed to be having a good time now.
Luke wasn’t. He’d been worried about Charlotte since their call yesterday. They’d texted a few times, with her insisting she was fine, but he could tell she wasn’t, and that she was lonely. No one should be alone on Christmas, especially like this. And what about his dad? He and Parker couldn’t even make it up to the hospital, but they’d FaceTimed with him, and he’d been in good spirits. He was doing so well, he’d be able to come home tomorrow. Besides, he wasn’t alone—he had Mom, and they were doing fine.
Luke took another turn through the kitchen, to the foyer, to the living room, thinking. Shit, there had to be some way to go up to the resort.
He drew a sharp breath and stopped short in the doorway to the kitchen.
That’s it.
He went to the window. It was still light out, and even though it was overcast, the snow had stopped three hours ago. Everything was quiet and white.
Who needed roads?
“I need to go,” he said without preamble.
Mr. Miller gave him a look that questioned Luke’s sanity. “Where?”
“I need to see about something. Thanks for the lunch. It was great.” He nodded to Mrs. Miller, then turned and went to the foyer closet for his jacket.
A hand rested on his shoulder, and he turned to find both Zoey and Parker standing behind him. She smiled. “We’ll walk with you.”
Frowning at both of them, he said, “I’m good.”
“We’re not,” Parker said, eyebrows raised. “Talk to us, man.”
Luke blew out a breath as they grabbed coats and followed him onto the porch. Zoey grinned at him as soon as the front door closed. “Who is she? The girl at the café?”
Luke laughed. “Am I that transparent?”
“Pretty much.” She linked her arms through both boys’ and tugged them across the snowy lawn. “What’s up?”
As they struggled over to his house, he told them about Charlotte’s cancelled trip. “I can’t stand here another minute, knowing she’s all alone on Christmas.”
Parker nodded slowly. “I’d feel the same way.”
“Awww.” Zoey kissed his cheek. “But, Luke? She’s up at the resort. How are you even going to get there? It’s miles, and uphill—too far to snowshoe or ski.”
Luke punched in the code to open the garage door and took her inside, pointing to a tarp in the back. “I guess you don’t know about Dad’s newest toy?”
He went to it and pulled off the tarp to reveal a gleaming black snowmobile. “This is how I’m going up there.”
“Yeah, it is.” Parker punched him in the shoulder. “Dress for it, and you’ll be fine.”
Zoey looked between them, eyes wide. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes.” Luke grabbed a gas can to top off the snowmobile’s tank. “Absolutely.”
A drive that took less than twenty minutes by Jeep took almost two hours on the snowmobile. He slid off the road a few times and had to haul the vehicle back onto the track. So far, he hadn’t broken his neck, but he had a good idea of how crazy this had been. Still, it was worth it when he pulled up outside the café. The windows in the second story glowed, marking the snow with warm light.
Shivering, he plodded through the drifts to stand outside the window and pulled out his phone. Look outside.
A moment passed, then Charlotte’s blinds flipped open. He waved up at her, and her hand flew to her mouth. He pointed toward the café’s front door, then pointed at his chest. She was moving before he finished the pantomime.
While she came downstairs, Luke pushed the snowmobile to the side of the café and pulled his backpack out of the saddlebag. He pocketed the keys just as the door scraped open against the piled snow.
Charlotte’s head poked out. “Are you crazy?”
He grinned. “Didn’t we already have that conversation?”
She stared for a second before beckoning to him. “Come inside before you freeze.”
“Yes, please.” He’d worn his heaviest gear, along with his best thermal shirt, flannel-lined jeans under his snow pants, and hot packs in both his boots and his gloves, but he still felt th
e cold like it was a living thing, a frozen coal knotted into his chest.
He stomped the snow off his boots and came inside to find Charlotte firing up the espresso machine. “We need to get you warmed up.”
She was wearing yoga pants and a soft fleece top that clung in all the right places. She also had her hair up in a ponytail, revealing her neck. Luke’s fingers twitched, urging him to run them through her hair. Damn, slow down. “I can think of a better way than coffee.”
So much for slowing down. Jesus.
Her cheeks went pink, and she flashed him a quick smile. “I’m sure you can, but I’d prefer for your hands not to be ice-cold.”
Heat flared through him. Yeah, he didn’t need the coffee, but she was right—his hands were freezing, and she probably wasn’t into the “hurts so good” method.
Honestly, while he’d hoped they’d end up in bed together, he’d really come to the mountain just to make sure she was okay. He could tell she hadn’t been, but having him here seemed to have dispelled some of the pain she’d been carrying.
He pulled off his gloves, coat, and fleece sweatshirt. All he had on underneath was the waffle-print thermal, but it was more than enough for the warm café. He hung everything up, then turned to find Charlotte watching him, her eyes hungry.
The café seemed to narrow into sharp focus, and Luke felt lightheaded. This had been the best idea he’d ever had.
He swaggered over to her and leaned over the bar. “Hey there, gorgeous. How about something a little stronger than coffee?”
“Now you’re talking.” From beneath the bar, she unearthed a bottle of Irish Cream and poured more than a shot’s worth in both coffees. Her hands shook while she did it.
Luke’s breath caught in his chest. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He toasted her, and they drank in silence for a moment before she set her mug down. “I can’t believe you came all the way up here to see me.”
“I can.” He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “I’d travel a lot farther if I knew you were alone on Christmas—or any other time you needed me.”
She smiled, her eyes downcast and her expression shy. “When I met you, the first thing I thought was, ‘here’s another player, ready to break some hearts.’”
Her words were like a sucker punch in the sternum. He rubbed a hand over his face. She’d nailed him dead to rights. “As much as it hurts to admit, a while ago that would’ve been right, but I’ve hit a few bumps in the road and realized I wanted more than a string of snow bunnies on the go. Then I met you, and I knew.”
They stared at each other for a long moment, and the air crackled, ready to ignite. She swallowed hard. “Maybe we should go upstairs. I have a fire going.”
“Sounds good.”
They climbed the stairs slowly, and Luke liked that. Prolonging the inevitable, even though his body was screaming to take her right there. That made the situation even hotter.
She let him into her apartment. It was warm, and the fire crackled. He stopped to throw another log on it, then turned to face her. She was sitting on her couch, watching him. “Hit the lights?”
Her voice… God, that voice would put a siren’s to shame. Just the tone said all kinds of things that made his heart race. Luke flipped the switch by the door, so that the fire and a few candles were the only light.
Before he sat, knowing this could be awkward later—and he didn’t have time for that—Luke bent to take off his boots, snow pants, and socks. Finally down to his jeans and thermal top, he walked to the couch and sat next to Charlotte, devouring her with his eyes.
“So,” he said in a low growl. “Now what?”
Chapter Twenty
Charlotte
An ache built in Charlotte’s middle as he scooted closer and put his arm around her. The way he’s looking at me. Holy hell, we might just burn this place down. He was obviously waiting for her answer, and she had one, but her heart was so full, she needed a minute. Just one.
He’d come. Like a freaking knight on a snowmobile, Luke had driven up a mountain to be with her. All because he knew she needed someone. That had to be the single most romantic thing anyone had done for her…hell, maybe would ever do for her.
She’d been so wrong about him.
Charlotte took a breath, then leaned forward to kiss him. Slowly, pouring everything in her heart into the kiss. Luke’s arms came around her, and it felt right. Yesterday had been about heat, urgency, need. The need was here tonight, but it was a slow burn. The best kind.
Dying to touch him, she slid into his lap and tugged his shirt over his head. He was so beautiful, wonderfully made. He worked hard for it, too. She trailed her fingers across the hard muscles of his chest, his shoulders, his stomach. He was breathing faster now, watching her. Smiling, she pulled her own shirt off, then slipped the elastic out of her hair. Not knowing he was coming over, she’d dressed for comfort, not to impress.
Not that he seemed to care.
Gripping her thighs, he stood in one fluid motion and carried her to the bed. Maybe tonight nothing would come between them.
He laid her down, then gently tugged off her yoga pants. Goose bumps rose on her skin as he stripped off his jeans and climbed onto the bed next to her.
“You’re so beautiful,” he breathed as he kissed the hollow at the base of her throat. “Every inch of you.”
His lips trailed lower, to her collarbone, down to her breastbone, then the tops of her breasts. His other hand slid over her stomach to her thighs, stroking the outside, then the inside, before drawing his finger higher. Charlotte whimpered. Any coherent thought had gone out of her head, eliminating everything but his hands and mouth all over her skin.
“So beautiful,” he murmured against her stomach, continuing his torturous touch.
Oh God. She felt drunk, dizzy, and they hadn’t even gotten to the best part yet.
Time to fix that.
She wriggled lower and reached for him. His eyes fell closed as she stroked him, and a low groan rose in his chest. “Don’t make me wait.”
Luke stared into her eyes, his gaze hungry and tender at the same time. “Whatever you want, lovely Charlotte.” He shifted on top of her, hovering, giving her a close-up of his pecs and shoulders. She shivered. His body felt perfect against hers.
He bent to kiss her, then gently pushed her legs apart with his knee. She wanted this, needed it. Badly. But, deep down, she knew being with him meant more than just giving in to the sparks between them.
So much more.
And, as he sank into her, she decided she’d made the right decision.
Luke grabbed a stack of note cards from her dresser, flipping through them. “Okay, I hope these are flash cards, because if you read about tryptic digestion for fun, we need to talk.”
Charlotte laughed and tried to grab the cards from him. “They’re study aids.”
“Hmmm.” He shuffled the cards. “I have an idea. We could study naked.”
She rolled over to look at him. “Are you serious?”
“Sure.” He peered at the first card. “Stereocilia are primarily responsible for…A) smell, B) uh, pre…”
“Proprioception,” she said.
He raised an eyebrow. “What the hell does that even mean?”
“You know when you get turned around really fast and your inner ear freaks out?”
“Uh, SBXer here.”
She took the card from him, smiling. “They help with the perception of how your body moves through space.”
“Learn something new every day. Next question.” He shuffled through a handful of cards, shifting against Charlotte’s side and sending tingles running down her arm. “Okay, don’t laugh at how I pronounce this one.”
She stretched under the blanket Luke had thrown over them, trying to maximize body contact. “No promises.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He cleared his throat. “Which of the following structures does not have a vascular supply: Tra…trabe
cular bone, uh, hepatocytes.” He paused. “Shit, Charlotte, how the hell do you memorize all this?”
“I’m going to spare you, because I know this one is the cornea, but the answer to your question is: study, study, study.” She smiled up at him as he shuffled the cards. It was really sweet that he was interested in helping her succeed, but his forehead creased more and more as he flipped cards. “You could learn this stuff if you wanted to.”
“I’m better with numbers.” He kissed the side of her head. “Ask me how a profit-loss report works, and I’m your guy.”
She leaned into him. “That, and you have excellent proprioceptive abilities.”
“I’d like to believe so.”
She laughed. “You ride down a mountain at a bajillion miles per hour, while turning and jumping off cliffs—”
“Kickers.” He sounded amused by “cliffs.”
“Kickers. Anyway, if that doesn’t define exceptional proprioceptive abilities, I don’t know what does.”
He dropped the cards back onto the nightstand and nuzzled her neck. “I’ll take your word for it.”
Charlotte’s toes curled. “Does that mean our study break is over?” she asked. “After two whole cards?”
“Um-hmm,” he murmured against her collarbone, working his way lower until Charlotte gasped. “I’d rather study anatomy with a more…practical lesson.”
Charlotte’s body felt boneless as his fingers explored. “I’m okay with that.”
Her sentence trailed off with a moan, and he chuckled. “Best class ever. Are sexual reproduction questions on this test?”
“Hmm?” Her mind was fuzzy, and she couldn’t focus on anything but what his right hand was doing. “Yes. Lots of questions.”
He pushed himself up to hover over her, eyes bright with want. “Then I think I need a private tutorial.”
“I never realized peanut butter and chocolate chips could taste so good.” He took another bite. “If Michael saw this, he’d have my ass.”
“He can’t have it.” Charlotte wagged her spoon at him. “That ass is all mine.”
Crazy Love Page 11
