“Is there pineapple juice in it?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“That’s my favorite. What’s yours?”
“I’m partial to orange.”
“Favorite food?”
He fidgeted, but kept his hand steady on Sid’s back. “Enough with the questions, Nancy Drew.”
“I loved Nancy Drew.”
Nick knew that. She and Rowan had read all the books and tried numerous times to get him to be the “bad guy” in their make-believe play as detectives.
Rather than admit he remembered yet another fact about his sister’s best friend, he stayed quiet. With any luck Sid would, too.
“Are we there yet?” she asked.
His mouth twitched. She combined sexy and adorable in a way he’d never experienced before. That she was teasing him while her head was between her legs proved she had spunk and didn’t take herself too seriously.
The car came to a stop at the gate.
Cassidy lifted up. “Thanks,” she said when he dropped his hand to the seat. She pulled her hair out of the ponytail and twisted it into a bun on top of her head. A few shorter strands fell around the smooth slope of her neck. He had the urge to press his lips there, kiss, lick, find out what she tasted like.
As soon as they were parked, she jumped out of the car, raised her face to the sun, and took a deep breath. Nick thanked their driver and headed into the office. He needed a minute to get his wayward thoughts under control. When he strode back outside, she gratefully accepted the bottle of juice he’d grabbed. “This is really good. Want to try it?” She held the glass container out to him.
He tried everything at least once. “Not bad.”
Watching her wrap those full lips of hers around the bottle for another sip wasn’t bad either. He looked away before he thought any harder about what they might feel like working their way around his body. New rule—no more noticing Sid’s body parts.
He glanced at his watch. “Think you can handle about a half hour drive to our hotel?”
“Now that I’m no longer a skydiving virgin, I think I can handle anything.” If mischief had a color it was a mix between the green of her eyes and the pink in her cheeks.
A combination he didn’t know if he could handle.
Chapter Five
Clothing optional.
Cassidy couldn’t get those two little words out of her head. Up to her neck in mineral-laden hot water with Nick sitting a few feet away, they both wore bathing suits because they weren’t a couple, but she wished that didn’t matter. She wished she were brave enough to ditch her black one-piece simply because she had the option to.
The fading sun shone through the needles of the giant pine trees surrounding the hot-spring style whirlpool and once again she hated herself for putting her trust in the wrong guy. It’s not your fault. He’s to blame. Deep down she knew that, but it didn’t make what happened to her any easier. Gullible, naïve, stupid, she’d used those descriptions and more since that night in college. If only she didn’t wear the reminder on her skin it might be easier to get past. The truth was, she’d always have to cover up if she didn’t want to expose the sin of her misplaced affection.
She’d come a long way, had more resilience than she’d imagined, but scars left a mark inside and out forever. It was how deep she let them run that mattered.
Right now, the last thing she should be thinking about was that horrible time. She glanced over at Nick. He had his head tipped back, his eyes closed. He was so handsome she could stare at him all day. When they’d dropped their plush hotel robes to enter the hot spring, she’d gotten an eyeful of ripped stomach muscles, wide shoulders, strong arms, and almost tripped into the water face-first.
Besides the damage to her lower back, Cass liked her body, but Nick was the picture of masculinity—virile, rugged, not a flaw to be seen. He was also charming, smart, courageous, kind.
Why she’d thought this weekend a good idea she didn’t know. He didn’t feel even a hint of attraction toward her, so all she was doing was torturing herself with misguided admiration. Yes, she’d stepped out of her comfort zone, but at what cost?
She leaned her head back on the edge of the small pool and willed herself to melt into the wispy steam of the mineral infused water. The hot spring boasted restorative properties, the therapeutic waters promising to heal the body and soothe the soul. Come on water, work your magic.
Two loud, happy voices broke into the quiet serenity. Cass straightened. Nick did, too. A couple, probably in their mid-thirties, arrived at the edge of the whirlpool, big smiles on their faces.
“Hello there,” the couple said in unison.
Cass scooted closer to Nick and said, “Hi” at the same time he said, “Hey.”
“You two lovebirds don’t mind some company do you?” the woman asked.
The whirlpools were open to everyone so it was nice of her to ask and Cass was about to correct her on the “lovebirds” when their new company disrobed and, in all their naked glory, stepped into the hot spring.
Oh. Okay. Heat that had nothing to do with the water made Cass sweat. She glanced at Nick, he glanced at her, and she could tell he was thinking the same thing. Get out of the water or stay and pretend the nudity didn’t bother them?
It wasn’t the couple’s bareness that troubled Cassidy, though. She didn’t have to look at it with the water covering them up. It was that her mind immediately hurried to Nick’s naked torso and what he might look like without his trunks. What he’d feel like in her hand, in her mouth, buried deep inside her.
She looked at the bubbles swirling around them, wrapped her fingers around the edge of the seat.
“I’m Lacey and this is Ian.”
“Cassidy.”
“Nick.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Lacey said before she giggled and gave Ian a playful nudge with her shoulder. “Watch it, mister, we have company.”
Great. Ian obviously had wandering hands. Which made Cass think about Nick’s strong, capable hands straying to her body underneath the water. Her nipples pebbled.
“When has that ever bothered you?” Ian said.
This was sooo no longer a good idea. Cassidy quickly spun over to Nick so she faced him, arms straight out on either side of his body. Her fingers gripped the edge of the whirlpool. She didn’t want Lacy or Ian to see her unsettled expression, but more than that, she had the urge to speak privately with Nick and not embarrass herself in front of strangers. “I think that’s our cue to go,” she whispered.
“I told you she didn’t look the type,” Lacy said, just loud enough for Cass to overhear her. It wasn’t said with ill will, but stung all the same.
Cass had heard those exact same words before, from girls who judged her conservative clothes and straitlaced inclination, and guys who ignored her when she didn’t indulge in careless activities with them.
Nick’s eyes burned into hers, saying something very different than the words he’d used the night of the bachelor auction. They said she was the right type. That the couple across the way didn’t know her. She shouldn’t let their words bother her.
Unthinking, she moved a little closer, her thighs touching his knees under the water.
On photo shoots with her camera around her neck, situations like this never arose. She was great at her job, comfortable in the role of photographer so much so that she’d set the standard high for herself. And reached each goal she set. Impressed the people she worked with time and time again. But her perfectionism at work led to disappointment in her personal life because she still hadn’t figured out how to be just a girl.
She stared at Nick. Maybe it was because she felt safer with him beside her or maybe it was because she finally had the courage to speak up, but whichever it was, she pushed off the edge and turn around.
“What type would that be?” Cass asked.
“Sid,” Nick said under his breath.
“The type that has fun,” Lacey said nicely
. “No offense. Ian just thought you two might be up for…”
“What?” They weren’t implying—
“Simultaneous orgasms,” Lacey said as Ian brought her into his lap, her back to his front, his hands cupping her breasts. Breasts she had partially on display above the water line. “There’s something thrilling about having someone watch,” she added. “And Nick looks like someone I’d definitely like to watch me. Ian would barely have to work for it.”
Nick cleared his throat. “As nice an offer as that is, Cassidy and I have plans back at our suite.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Right, baby?”
Cass had no response. She couldn’t form a coherent thought. Not with her body against Nick’s and him whispering baby in her ear. And not with her completely turned on at the idea of Nick getting her off in front of this couple.
There were more than minerals swirling in this water.
And quite possibly she’d entered a dream state when she’d stepped into the whirlpool. Or maybe she had fallen in face first and hit her head and this was a hallucination.
“That’s too bad,” Lacey said. “Guess I’ll just close my eyes and picture it.”
Nope. Not a vision. Because, hell no. Cass didn’t want Loose Lacey thinking about Nick, picturing Nick, or remembering Nick. “He’s off limits,” Cass said, surprised by the strength and possessive tone of her voice.
“All the better.”
“That’s not very nice,” Cassidy said.
Lacey cocked her head to the side and looked around Cass to Nick. “I don’t think he minds.”
“Actually, I do. I also mind when someone makes my girl uncomfortable so we’re going to leave you to it.” He climbed out of the hot spring, grabbed Cassidy’s robe, and then extended his hand to her. She quickly covered up. He did the same.
“Well, then, have a good night,” the couple said amiably.
Nick took Cassidy’s hand. “It’s going to be better than good.”
Cassidy flashed a smile she didn’t exactly feel and hoped didn’t look fake. She’d no doubt come up with the perfect parting shot in ten minutes. Keeping up with Nick’s brisk pace, though, she was happy to leave her hand in his for as long as he wanted to hold it. No guy had ever defended her like that before. No guy had ever made her entire body tingle like he did. He didn’t mean any of the things he’d said, but she’d pretend for a little while longer that he’d spoken the truth.
They strode through the glass doors of the gorgeous five-star hotel—that obviously catered to all sorts—their bare feet slapping against the cold, marble floor. Nick seemed determined to get them far away from the pool and the kinky couple as quickly as possible. He dropped her hand when they reached the elevators, placed his palm on the small of her back when the doors opened, and ushered her inside the empty lift.
The elevator doors closed. Cassidy looked at Nick. He looked at her. The air rippled with amusement and they both burst into laughter. Her belly laughs made her eyes tear up. “I can’t believe that just happened,” she said half-giggling.
Nick shrugged with a raise of his brows, intimating he’d experienced far more forward advances than a little voyeurism. Of course he had. Look at the man. Add in his firefighting military background and women no doubt offered all kinds of propositions. “I’m sorry for getting a little personal there, but I thought that was the best way to handle the situation.”
“I didn’t mind.” From the pained look on Nick’s face, though, he did. “I mean, I appreciated that you stuck up for us and got the last word in. Do you think they routinely hit on other couples like that and are successful?”
“Probably.”
“Think they score more often than not?”
“I think it’s time we change the subject.”
“Why? Afraid I’ll want the 4-1-1 on your sexual escapades?” She couldn’t believe she’d just said that.
He stepped toe-to-toe with her before she had time to blink, his warm, strong body tantalizingly close. She swallowed the nerves clogging her throat and tilted her head back to look up at him.
“Right now, Sid? I’m afraid of you.” The elevator chimed and the doors opened behind him. “So stop talking before I do something we’ll both regret.”
What did that mean, she wanted to ask, but he’d given her his back and already started down the hallway. She hurried through the closing elevator doors to keep up with him. There wasn’t a thing he could do to her that she’d regret. Which only made their circumstances worse. It didn’t matter if they had a good time together, he would never see her as anything but a nuisance.
And she couldn’t stop seeing him as wonderful.
*
Nick polished off his beer with a light brown-haired beauty sitting across from him on the patio of their suite. He didn’t know when Sid had gone from sweet to sexy, but she had, and he didn’t like it. Strike that. He knew the when—the second he’d laid eyes on her at the river. It was the what that pissed him off. What an idiot he was to think she wouldn’t get to him.
If anything happened between them this weekend, he’d hate himself because it would just be hooking up, and Sid wasn’t wired that way. Add in her childhood crush and it made him a jackass to even think about taking advantage of their weekend away. The last thing Nick wanted was a relationship of any sort. His only agenda was to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. He’d gotten a call from the NIFC yesterday. The fire center wanted him on their management team, which meant he wouldn’t necessarily be smack dab in the middle of wildland fires, but he still hadn’t worked through his feelings on where his skills and training would be most beneficial, or if he should go in a totally different direction. Like lifeguarding. He closed his eyes and pictured himself on a beach in San Diego. Sand. Surf. Nothing else. The image stayed with him until Sid interrupted with, “Want to order room service for dinner?”
Since he hadn’t made specific plans for tonight’s meal he said, “Sure.”
“It’s a habit of mine,” she said, standing. “When I travel for work, I tend to stay in at night. It’s easier, safer, more comfortable. I could write a guide on the best room service in America,” she said casually over her shoulder.
There was something not so casual in her words, though. Every little thing she shared with him made him more interested. He hadn’t thought about her over the years, except for hearing occasional updates from Rowan, but being with her now, he wouldn’t mind a few details. Sometime over the last week, she’d gotten under his skin and taken up space in his head. It felt good thinking about her rather than him.
He watched her walk into the living area and pick up the hotel menu. Staying in the same suite hadn’t been the smartest idea. Yeah, it had two bedrooms, with enough space that they could avoid each other, but when Sid had raved about the view of the mountains and asked him to join her on the patio, he couldn’t say no. She had no idea being close to her, smelling her feminine scent, and being on the receiving end of her innocent touches, was killing him.
“Safer than fighting off guys in bars and restaurants?” he asked when she sat back down to peruse the menu.
She looked at him under long, dark lashes. “Something like that.” With the sun sinking behind the Teton Mountains, gold tones highlighted her natural beauty. “So, what are you in the mood for?”
You.
“Hey, they’ve got something called Chow Fun. I don’t care what it is, I’m getting it.” She ran her finger along the page as she read, “Rice noodles, mushrooms, bean sprouts, bok choy, scallions, cashews, ginger. Luckily, it sounds good.” She closed the menu and handed it to him. “Here you go.”
“You are fun, you know. You don’t need to eat it to be it.”
She chuckled. “Ha! Tell that to Loose Lacey.”
“I’m telling you. I had fun today in no small part because of you.” Sharing like that caused problems for a guy, but apparently Sid was a problem he wanted to keep.
“I had
fun, too,” she said softly before fixing her gaze on the vanishing sun. “But I think you already knew that.”
He did, but it was nice to hear his auction date was a success so far. He hadn’t been on a real date in years, preferring mutually satisfying hookups instead. The thought of getting close enough to a woman to feel anything more than respect and a good time put an uncomfortable knot in his stomach. Sloane had been the girl for him. Should he be past it? Yes. Was he? Considering he’d yet to get serious with anyone else, apparently not. How could he when doubts about keeping those he cared about safe still plagued him.
“I’ll call in our order. Be right back.” He decided on glazed pork chops while dialing up room service. When the man on the other end of the line asked if they’d like anything for dessert, Nick ordered the fresh berries, remembering that Sid didn’t have much of a sweet tooth.
“It’ll be about thirty minutes,” he said, landing back on the patio. He handed Sid the blanket that had been draped over the couch. Despite the outdoor heater, the setting sun meant a rapid drop in temperature.
“Thank you.” She wrapped herself in the cotton blend. Good thing. The black leggings and cream-colored sweater were distracting when paired with her perfect curves.
Several tall, glass hurricanes with crimson candles sat on the square table between the cushioned loveseats and he remembered seeing a box of matches in the small kitchen. He went to grab them, thinking to offer light since the hurricanes supplied the only source on the patio.
Sid’s attention had strayed toward the darkening sky, her profile a prettier sight than anything beyond the railing. He stared for a moment, pulled a match out. Before he could strike it, though, she grabbed his wrist with a tight grip. He dropped the stick.
“No! That’s okay.” She quickly let go of him, her elbow digging into her side as she pulled her arm back.
“Sid?” He’d been on enough rescue assignments to know when someone sounded scared and she’d just flipped out over candles?
Falling for Her Bachelor (Bachelor Auction Returns Book 2) Page 5
