“Yeah, we were pretty serious for a while. I’ve actually been thinking about giving him another chance.”
Chelsea suppressed a laugh. “Really?” At her side, she felt Megan tuning back in to their conversation. She must have been listening with one ear.
“What are you guys talking about?” Megan asked.
“I was telling Chelsea about my time with Judson Tate.” Kayla waggled her brows.
“Yes.” Chelsea stared at Megan, trying to stay calm. “She’s thinking about getting back together with him.”
“No shit? He seems like such a sweetheart and he’s soooo gorgeous. Why’d you ever break up with him in the first place?”
God bless Megan. Chelsea knew her roommate was just baiting Kayla. Who did the girl think she was kidding? It was pretty much common knowledge that she and Jud had just hooked up and that it wasn’t some serious romance.
“Oh, you know—we were both busy and he wanted to spend a lot of his free time with his buddies.” Kayla shrugged.
Chelsea thought Jud probably wanted to spend his free time with other women, but she kept her opinion to herself.
“I can tell you one thing though,” Kayla went on. “It wasn’t because of the sex. We were crazy hot in the sack.”
Chelsea nearly did a spit take with her beer but she held it together. What the hell was wrong with this chick? She’d never seen a more self-absorbed woman.
“Well, tell us. I want to hear all the details,” Megan said with glee.
Her sip of beer finally going down, Chelsea lightly kicked her friend’s foot under the table. When she saw Kayla grin and lean in, she wanted to flee. But in a sick, masochistic way, she was compelled to listen.
“The first time we were together, he went down on me.” Kayla shivered. “And I mean he went down on me for like, an hour.”
“Oh my God,” Megan said. “And he didn’t whine or complain?”
Chelsea laughed along with the other women but she felt a little uncomfortable. As much as she wanted to be with Jud, she really didn’t want to live it vicariously through Kayla.
“No, he loved it,” Kayla said. “And the fucking… Oh. My. God. His cock is huge.”
Beneath the table, Megan squeezed Chelsea’s knee, even as she laughed along with the other two women. Chelsea was incapable of speech, but not Megan.
“I can see why you want to get back together with him.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Kayla said. “We’ll see.”
All it took was one look at Kayla Hines to see that Chelsea didn’t stand a chance with Jud. What was I thinking? If Kayla was going to make a move on him, Chelsea might as well call it a night. He wouldn’t choose her over a blonde goddess who was a dream in bed. She couldn’t compete with that. More than anything, she didn’t want to hear any more details from Kayla. She excused herself to go the restroom, leaving a tableful of giggling women behind.
Chapter Two
After emptying her bladder, Chelsea took a look in the mirror. She could freshen up her lip gloss, but why? Damn it. She’d developed real feelings for Jud and it hurt to think that Kayla was going to get in her way—effortlessly, at that. Hot tears sprang to her eyes and she took a deep breath. Grabbing a tissue, she dabbed at her lashes. She would not do this—get all twisted inside out by a man.
There was a knock at the door and she jumped. “Just a second,” she called out. One last glance in the mirror showed that her waterproof mascara had held. She opened the door to find a young cowgirl anxious to use the facilities. Chelsea smiled at her and stepped aside.
Out in the main room, she saw one of her fellow lifties at the bar. Thank God. Anything to save her from Kayla. She crept up behind her friend. “Hey, Josh.”
“Hey, Chels. What’s up?” Josh was a classic snowboarding dude, complete with long, unkempt sunstreaked hair and easygoing attitude. His tan was so deep, his skin looked almost dirty.
“Just having a few beers with some friends.”
“That’s cool.” Josh tossed some bills on the bar and grabbed his pitcher. “I’m here with Smitty and Rocket. Come hang with us.”
“Yeah, sure.” Happy to stay away from Kayla, she followed Josh to a small table up front. The three of them were basically inseparable—living together, working together and partying together. They even looked alike—a little scruffy, disheveled. In their early twenties, they were a few years younger than Chelsea and she definitely felt like a big sister to them. They were good-looking kids with an easy cockiness, but she’d never heard one of them speak a disagreeable word. Why would they? Life was good for them—another run, another beer, another hook-up. Chelsea envied their aimlessness.
“Good to see ya, Chels,” Rocket said. “What’s goin’ on? You hardly ever come out.” He poured a beer and slid it over to her.
She shrugged. “Nothing on TV tonight.”
He laughed. “Good one.”
He thinks I’m kidding. She listened as the guys chattered, only occasionally glancing at Jud to see if Kayla had made her move. Still at the pool table, he appeared to be involved in a game, so Chelsea let herself relax and enjoy her beer, her friends. Time flew by as her three coworkers entertained her—being with them was so fun, so easy.
Then she tensed, feeling a warm hand on her back. She knew who it was before Josh even said anything.
“Yo, J.T.” Josh lifted his hand to bump knuckles with Jud. “You been cleanin’ up over there?”
“A little.” Jud smiled as he pulled up a chair to sit next to Chelsea. “I think you guys are up next.”
“Finally,” Josh said.
“No shit,” Rocket chipped in. “Hey, J.T., how’s the dude who starfished down the back bowl this afternoon?”
“Fucked up his knee but he’ll be okay.” Jud took a swallow of beer and turned to Chelsea. “Guy hit a patch of ice and went cartwheeling down a chute. He’s lucky he didn’t hit a tree.”
Her heart was racing, but not because of Jud’s story. Chelsea tried to calm herself. Just one look from Judson Tate and her body felt as though it was on fire. I have it bad. “Wow. How old was the guy?”
“Twenty-two. He’s gonna need surgery but he’ll probably be back on skis next season.” Jud’s eyes turned from warm and compassionate to hot and sexy, and they were trained directly at her.
Chelsea’s insides melted and heat pooled in her middle. Jud stirred up emotions and sensations that were entirely foreign to her. She needed to be careful or she’d be putty in his hands—and she was starting to get the feeling that there was a slight possibility that maybe he did want her in his hands. Unfortunately, Judson Tate’s reputation preceded him. She knew that he’d been with plenty of women, but she wasn’t particularly bothered by that.
Her big fear was that she would give herself to him—her body and her heart—and then turn out to be just another notch on his bedpost. It would be difficult to bear but she knew she wasn’t likely to deny him. She wanted a man in her life, and Jud was that man. For however long he’d have her.
Blushing at his scrutiny, she asked, “So how is the editing business?”
He raised a brow. “Busy. Busier every day.” He waited while Josh and his buddies took off for the pool table, leaving the two of them alone. “I’m thinking about doing it full-time, Chels.”
“Really? But you love ski patrol.”
“I know, but it’s a young man’s job. I’m not a kid anymore.” Before her eyes, the oozing sex appeal receded ever so slightly and her friend had returned. Her incredibly handsome friend.
“You’re young. What are you, thirty-one?”
“Yeah.” He smiled. “Don’t get me wrong, I love being here, skiing for a living, helping people. But it was never the plan to do it forever.”
Chelsea nodded even as her chest tightened. She liked her job too, but it would be a different place with Jud gone. He was one of the reasons she loved coming in to work in the morning. She knew that he was getting some good editing work lately—including
Cameron Wood’s latest best-seller, and it was clear that the world of writing was where his heart lay. She was just selfish enough to hope he wouldn’t leave too soon, that she could have a little bit of time with him.
“I know,” she said. “I’m happy for you that you’re achieving your dream.”
“Yeah, and what about you? I saw one of your paintings at that little gallery in the village.”
She waved a hand, dismissing his comment. Having a lifelong love of art, she’d been painting since she was twelve. Landscapes and still lifes were her favorite subjects, and living in the Rockies provided plenty of inspiration. She’d sold several of her works, mostly on consignment at a local gallery. But it certainly wasn’t enough to provide her a living wage. “I’m doing all right, but you know the art world. I’ll never be appreciated until I’m dead.” She grinned at him.
He placed a hand on her forearm, his voice deepening. “I’m appreciating you right now.”
Chelsea shivered, hoping he meant that in more ways than one. “That’s very sweet of you to say.”
“I’m not just being sweet. I mean it. You’ve got some real talent. Your paintings are beautiful.” He slid his hand down her arm to grasp her fingers. “I hate it when you put yourself down, Chels. You should be proud.”
Ears burning, she looked down to where their hands were joined. His thumb stroked her palm and she felt it throughout her body. She craved his touch, his kiss. And she was afraid to look at him for fear of giving herself away.
A rumbling laugh reached her as Jud released her hand and used his fingers to raise her chin. “You’re so shy, Chels. I love it.” His eyes sparkling at her, Mr. Sexy was back. She was doomed.
She had no speech, so she took a sip of her beer to fill the void. When she looked at him again, his gaze burned into her. Her heart fluttered in her chest and beat in her ears. Nervous, she nibbled on her lip and saw that his eyes moved to study her mouth. What do I do? What do I say? Fortunately he saved her.
“Listen, Chelsea. There’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but I wasn’t sure I’d have a chance with you.”
She swallowed and waited.
He actually looked nervous. “Uh, if you don’t have any plans for Friday night, I’d like to take you out for dinner.”
Not believing her ears, she took a moment to absorb what he’d just said. She cleared her throat and said, “Uh, no…” She took another sip of beer to wet her mouth and looked back into Jud’s dejected eyes. Then she realized what she’d said. “I mean, no, I don’t have plans. I’d love to go to dinner with you.”
“Good. That’s good.” Jud smiled and his beautiful blue eyes sparkled at her.
Inhaling deeply, Chelsea took tried to absorb the fact that Judson Tate had just asked her out. She allowed herself a brief moment of delirious joy before moving on to a fear of disappointing him. No way did she compare to the women he’d previously dated.
“I have a confession to make,” Jud said. “I’m not all that fond of hot chocolate.”
Chelsea’s jaw dropped in mock astonishment, then she laughed. “Me either.”
Laughing with her, Jud leaned in just a tiny bit. Maybe she imagined it because she so desperately wanted to taste him. Her heart pounded as his gaze dropped briefly to her lips and then back up again. He is going to kiss me.
“Chelsea, there you are!”
The voice was unmistakable. Reluctantly, Chelsea tore her gaze away from Jud and turned to see Kayla with a satisfied grin on her face.
“Hi, Jud.” Kayla’s grin turned into a come-hither smile as she sauntered closer to her prey for the evening.
Jud nodded a greeting but said nothing.
Her smile faltering slightly, Kayla looked at Chelsea. “I think you need to check on your friend. She’s really drunk and making out with Roger.”
Across the room, Megan was seated on a barstool and Roger had her pushed up against the wall, his tongue in her throat. Chelsea wanted to laugh at Kayla’s horrified look. Megan could hold her liquor pretty well and she was most likely appearing a little drunker than she was in order to throw herself at Roger.
Checking her watch, Chelsea pushed away from the table to stand. “I need to get going, Jud. But I should check on Megan first.”
“Sure. I’ll come with you.”
“Thanks, Kayla.” Chelsea walked away feeling daggers in her back. She and Jud stopped a couple of feet from Megan and Roger and waited while they groped each other. Her face heated again as she pictured herself and Jud doing exactly the same thing.
“Dude!” Jud said after a moment.
Roger jumped and pulled his lips from Megan. He raised an eyebrow and stared at Jud.
Chelsea took the opportunity to move in close to Megan. “You okay?”
“I’m great.” Megan winked at her and Chelsea knew that she had her wits about her.
“Listen, I need to go. Are you ready or do you want to stay?”
Megan pouted. “I’m having fun. I’m not really ready to go yet.”
“I can give you a ride home.” Roger’s voice was a hilarious mix of persuasion and desperation.
“That’d be great. Thanks, Roger.” Megan smiled at Chelsea. “I’ve got a ride. I’ll be fine, Chels.”
Chelsea looked at Jud, unsure whether she should trust Roger. She didn’t want to be a nag, but she felt it was her responsibility not to leave her roommate in a vulnerable or unsafe situation.
Giving her a subtle nod, Jud turned to his buddy. “Be careful, man.”
“No problem. I’ll get Megan home safe.”
Deciding that Roger looked and sounded appropriately sober, Chelsea nodded. “See ya, Megan.”
“Bye, Chels.” Megan and Roger were kissing again before Chelsea had the chance to turn away.
“You okay to drive?” Jud asked as Chelsea retrieved her coat.
“Sure. I’ve only had two beers and I didn’t finish either one.”
“Okay.” He swung his arm out in front of him. “After you.”
As she turned to look at him, she saw that Kayla was staring at them and she no longer had a smile on her face.
“Are you leaving too?” she asked.
“No, I’m walking you to your car.” Jud placed a hand on her back, guiding her out.
“You don’t have to do that.”
He frowned at her. “Of course I do. What kind of guy lets a woman leave a bar to walk alone to her car?”
If Chelsea hadn’t already been half in love with Jud, that would have done it for her. Is there no end to the man’s awesome attributes? She was warmed from head to toe and various delicious areas in between.
She smiled and moved toward the door. “Aren’t you going to be cold without your coat?”
“Nah, I’ll be fine.”
Outside, the air felt heavy despite the altitude. Chelsea looked up and saw no stars in the night sky. “Nasty-looking clouds, huh?”
“I hear it’s supposed to snow tomorrow.” Jud shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Might be a big storm.”
Chelsea sighed. “Could be a busy day.”
It was a cold night and still Chelsea could feel the warmth of the big man beside her. She felt as though she was floating instead of walking, giddy with the realization that she actually had a date with Judson Tate—the man who was first a friend and was now the sexy object of her affection.
They reached her SUV all too soon. “Here I am,” she said, clicking her keyless remote. Jud reached past her to open the door. Chelsea was reluctant to get inside.
“Go on. Start it up and get warm,” he said.
“Damn, I’m sorry. You must be freezing.” She hopped into the driver’s seat and turned the ignition, cranking up the heat.
Jud stood inside the open door of the SUV. “You like Italian food, right?”
Chelsea rolled her eyes. “You know I do. I’ll eat anything—just no sushi and no—”
“Indian, I know. You hate curry.”
>
“I do hate curry.” Grinning like a fool, she was thrilled that he knew that detail about her.
“Isn’t there a new Italian place in Edwards?”
“Yeah, it’s just a few blocks from Megan’s condo. I’ve heard great things about it.”
“Cool, we’ll go there for dinner Friday. I’ll pick you up around six thirty?” He shivered, the steam from his breath dissipating.
“Perfect. Jud, you’re freezing. Why don’t you hop in and get warm and I’ll drop you off at the door?” She laughed as he ran around the front end and opened the passenger door.
“Should have worn my coat,” he said, pulling the door closed behind him.
Chelsea rubbed her chin. “Hmm. I think I suggested that, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, yeah. Drive, woman.”
It took only a moment to drive the block and a half back to the bar. Chelsea put the car in park and turned in her seat to face Jud. “Here you go, Mr. Tate.”
Jud patted her knee. “Drive safe, Chels. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He made a move to leave, but stopped and turned back to her. “Uh, one other thing…”
Raising an eyebrow, she waited. Before she knew it, he was leaning over and brushing her lips with his. He kissed her once, twice, then he flicked her mouth open with his tongue. His breath was warm and he tasted pleasantly of beer. Only their mouths were touching, yet Chelsea felt surrounded by him. Her heart raced, her blood boiled. Just when she’d completely lost her breath, he ended the kiss.
She opened her eyes to find him nearly as breathless as she was. “That was…nice.”
“I love how you taste.” He rubbed his thumb over her lower lip. “I’d love to taste you all over.”
Chelsea gasped and her eyes opened wide.
“Sorry, I know I’m getting ahead of myself,” he said. “Sometimes the words just tumble out of my mouth before I think about them.”
“It’s okay. They were good words.” She let herself imagine him tasting her everywhere and she felt her heartbeat in her core.
Jud grinned at her. “G’night, Chels.”
Apres Ski Page 2
