Little White Lie

by Madison Night

  “Good,” he said. He twisted open a bottle of soda and poured them each a glass. He handed her a plastic cup and raised his own in the air. “To surviving the trek home,” he joked.

  She grinned and tapped her glass to his. Syd leaned forward to kiss his cheek, feather-soft. “Thanks for this, Caleb,” she whispered.

  He turned to her and smiled, his eyes unreadable behind the dark sunglasses. “You’re welcome, darlin’.”

  They ate in amiable silence, each of them enjoying the view and recovering some spent energy.

  “My chalet,” he said all of a sudden, raising his arm, “is somewhere over there.”

  Syd set her sights on the direction he was pointing and laughed. “Where? All I see is snow, trees and mountains.”

  He put an arm around her shoulders and adjusted her position. “There.”

  She nodded emphatically. “Yeah. I can totally see it. In detail, too. It’s gorgeous.”

  He scowled at her.

  “No, really. It’s stunning. That is the most breathtaking pinprick of a chalet, miles away from us, amongst all these trees, that I’ve ever seen.”

  He chuckled. “Silly girl.”

  “Pot, meet kettle,” she said, rested against his shoulder.

  She was in amazing spirits. Her life back in Vancouver was lost to her when she was with CJ. She felt weightless, relaxed, happy. She closed her eyes, enjoying the wash of emotions running through her, the strong arm around her, the hard chest, his steady breathing, and she drifted off into slumber.

  Caleb sensed the instant Syd fell asleep.

  He thought back on the past few hours. Syd was a total sweetheart, full of life and spunk and charisma. She was quick to smile and quicker to try to make him smile, and that alone told him volumes about her.

  But beneath her cheerful exterior he detected sadness. Loneliness, even.

  And the fact she so obviously worked so hard to hide that sadness got to him. He wasn’t sure what compelled him, but he wanted to uncover what was hurting her so much. He wanted to try to fix it.

  I barely know her.

  There was something about her that drew him in and he needed to uncover where it led them. He didn’t love her—he’d been around the block more than once, and wasn’t that foolish. However, there was a definite connection, a spark—he’d felt it both times she’d kissed his cheek—and he wanted more.

  Much more.

  He wanted her lips on his.

  He tipped down to the top of her head and inhaled. She smelled like plums. Careful not to disturb her, he nuzzled her hair, its softness making his fingers itch to run through it.

  Shit.

  His body immediately reacted to her and he shifted his position. She stirred in his arms and rested her cheek against his chest.

  Fuck. He didn’t remember the last time he’d held a woman like this. Maybe after a roll in the hay, sure, but not random cuddling or anything as intimate as this. Nothing sexual had even happened between them—well, besides the ass grab, he recalled, hardly containing a quiet laugh.

  Sydney adjusted him again and let out a soft moan.

  Caleb closed his eyes and sighed. Man, am I ever screwed.

  Chapter Four

  Syd’s eyes fluttered open and the sleep-induced fog cleared from her mind. A cold breeze wisped across her cheek, and, as her vision focused, her heart began pounding.

  Uh-oh.

  She shifted to look to her left and her fear was instantly verified—she had fallen asleep in Caleb’s embrace, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She closed her eyes again briefly, reveling in his warmth. She tilted her head to get a look at him. His eyes were shut and a soft smile played on his delicious lips.

  Beginning to cramp in her awkward position, Syd was desperate to sit up straight, though she didn’t want to wake Caleb. She began to gently twist and slide out of his grasp when he tightened his grip, startling her.

  She met his gaze, his blue eyes clear, bright and full of amusement.

  “I fell asleep?” she asked.

  “Yup.”

  “Was I out a long time?”

  “Yup.”

  “Did I drool?” she joked.

  He chuckled. “I sure hope not, darlin’. I like this coat.”

  Syd smirked at him. “It’s your fault if I did. You make a great pillow.”

  He arched an eyebrow and grinned. “I make an even better mattress,” he whispered in her ear.

  Goosebumps spread across her skin. They had nothing to do with the chilled wind that was blowing on her and everything to do with the not-so-subtle innuendo. She tittered like a shy teenager and struggled to her feet. “Yeah, I’ll bet you are.”

  “I am, really. You should try me out,” Caleb said playfully, wiggling himself on the blanket so that he was flat on his back.

  She laughed. “What on earth are you doing?”

  He waved at her. “Come on. Come try out the CJ Extra Firm Mattress, darlin’.”

  Syd shook her head and held out her hands to him. “Up you go, stud. We have a long trek back.”

  “Which is why,” he answered, taking hold of her and pulling her toward him, “you need to rest on the CJ Extra Firm Mattress for a moment before we continue.”

  Syd landed on top of him with an oof. Their noses were inches apart and the weight of her body pressing on his told her just how hard he was. Everywhere.

  “Comfy?” he murmured.

  She gazed at him. “For now. But why do I have a feeling the CJ Extra Firm Mattress might be getting a bit lumpy soon? Right around here,” she said, putting her hands on his hips.

  The smile quickly left his lips. “You might be right, there, Syd.” He reached a gloved hand behind her head and brought her mouth to his. He kissed her softly, lightly, before letting her go.

  Syd was stunned. She hadn’t at all expected Caleb to kiss her. Sure, they’d been flirting shamelessly with each other, but to have him kiss her? She was hardly able to think. She was dumbfounded. All she knew for certain was she wasn’t in the slightest upset about it.

  Even though she should be.

  Shouldn’t I be?

  She resisted the urge to kiss him and rolled off, getting to her feet. “Care to try this again?” she asked, holding her hands out to him.

  “Which part?” he kidded, letting her help hoist him up.

  “It’s already close to three,” she said, glancing at her watch. “We should get back. But what do we do with all this stuff?” She waved at the blankets and leftover food.

  “Nothing. My friend should be back here in an hour or so, he’ll take care of it.”

  She nodded and began tidying up, stacking the remaining food and dirty plates into the wicker basket. They snapped their skis back on and headed out to the trail once more.

  Nearly two hours later they reached the end of the cross-country trail. Syd wasn’t very talkative—she was both exhausted from the day’s exertion and sad that her time with Caleb was coming to a close.

  After returning their skis, he faced her. “Can I drive you back to the hotel, darlin’?”

  “That would be freaking amazing,” she answered, grateful for the chance to rest her weary legs.

  On the short drive back, Sydney reflected on all that had transpired since she and Caleb had quite literally crashed into each other. Things would be back to normal tomorrow, with a steady flow of meetings then the long trip home to her family. During her time with Caleb, all the stresses and worries of the past few months melted away and for the first time in too long, Syd was carefree and content.

  But always deep in the back of her mind was Brett.

  Caleb slowed to a stop in front of the Fairmont. She turned to face him. “Well, thanks again for everything today.” Her smile genuine, she added, “It was a lot of fun, Caleb… I had a fantastic time.”

  He didn’t say anything. He seemed focused, staring out the windshield.

  “Caleb?”

  He twisted to face her.
Voice barely audible, he asked, “Can I cook you dinner?”

  Her heart thumped. “What? When? Tonight? Like now?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, now.”

  Oh my God.

  She grinned. “Do I at least get to go upstairs and freshen up first?”

  He sniffed the air and made a face. “I’m really hoping you will,” he laughed, wrinkling his nose.

  She flicked the side of his head. “I do not stink. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

  “If you say so, darlin’,” he retorted, chuckling. He added, “I’ll wait over there.” He pointed to a couple of guest parking spots to the hotel’s right.

  Syd hopped out of the SUV and raced inside. She stabbed at the elevator call button, impatient, nervously gnawing on her thumbnail as she waited for the doors to slide open.

  When she got back to her room, she threw her jacket onto the back of a chair and stripped off her damp jeans and sweatshirt. “All right, so Caleb Jones is cooking me dinner. I didn’t exactly plan for this. What the hell am I going to wear?” she mumbled, rummaging in the closet.

  Dark green pantsuit? No, too businesslike. Black gauze shirt and wide-legged pants? Nope, too dressy.

  “Shit, shit, shit,” she cursed. “Aw, fuck it.” She grabbed the one casual outfit she had brought with her, which she had intended to wear on the drive home. She pulled on a pair of black leggings and slipped her feet into her black leather boots. After changing into a strapless bra, she tossed an oversized burgundy off-the-shoulder sweater over her head.

  She stopped to assess herself in the mirror and groaned.

  She hurried into the bathroom and quickly ran a brush through her hair, gathered it into a ponytail and swept it around her right shoulder. A touch of much needed makeup and a spray of perfume and she was ready.

  A steady red flashing from the dresser caught her eye as she slipped her arms into her wool coat.

  Any bets on how many messages from Brett are waiting on there for me? Any bets on how pissed off he is right about now?

  She sighed and, as she buttoned up her coat, her phone started ringing yet again.

  I should answer it.

  Sydney closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “No,” she whispered.

  She grabbed her purse and left the room, the cell ringing in the dark behind her.

  Chapter Five

  It had been a long time since Caleb had spent an entire day with a woman he barely knew…without copious amounts of sex being involved. He’d only known Sydney for about twenty-four hours, but it seemed as if he’d known her for years. They just connected.

  There was a definite sexual tension there, too—it was there in her eyes, on her lips when he kissed her and in the way her body responded to his touch.

  A light tap on the passenger-side window startled him out of his thoughts. Syd stood outside, waiting for him to unlock the doors, smiling brightly. He hit the button and grinned as she got in beside him.

  He glanced at the dashboard clock. “Hmm. Eleven minutes. Not bad for a chick.”

  “The boy think he’s a comedian.” She laughed, shaking her head. “Now feed me. I’m starving. Someone thought it’d be a good idea to go skiing for hours and hours and hours,” she said, feigning annoyance and rolling her eyes.

  He wanted to kiss her again.

  Instead he waited till she buckled up then pulled out of the hotel lot. They rode in comfortable silence to his rental chalet, neither needing idle chit-chat. He took a chance and moved his right hand from the steering wheel, placing it gently on her knee. She jerked at the contact at first, but then relaxed beneath his hand. She didn’t push him away and instead placed hers atop his.

  Booyah.

  As they approached the chalet, Syd burst out laughing. “Wow. Don’t you think this place is a bit small, CJ?” He chuckled as she continued. “How could you live in something this puny, even for a day? I mean, it’s a micro-house! It looks like it’d be a tight fit to get all your stuff in here.”

  “What can I say, I like it tight,” he quipped.

  She raised her eyebrows and turned to him as he put the SUV in park. “Is that so?”

  He twisted to look at her. His gaze wandered over her face, down her body and back up again. He whispered, “It sure is,” and leaned in to kiss her.

  Syd was shocked once again when Caleb kissed her, but the shock rapidly gave way to intense desire. His mouth felt amazing and she didn’t want him to stop.

  When he pulled away Syd took a deep breath and announced, “Well, this is shaping up to be an interesting evening, Mr. Jones.”

  He gave a little smile and shrugged, winking at her.

  She grinned back at him, enjoying how he was naughty and funny at the same time. It was refreshing, especially compared to Brett’s uptight nature. That was one guy who had no idea how to have a stitch of fun.

  He used to, though…

  She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She refused to let her mind wander into dangerous territory. She was blessed to have a few more hours of freedom and she intended to enjoy every minute.

  Syd got out of the car and headed toward the front door, taking in her surroundings. The two-story chalet was set amidst snow-covered pines, the big trees flanking the house and creating a breathtaking backdrop. The rustic-stone facing was complemented by wooden accents—it looked like the quintessential chalet. In the distance one could even see the ski hills and the Rockies. Syd understood why Caleb had chosen this place to rent, even though it was much bigger than he needed. The place exuded peace.

  He unlocked the dark wooden door and opened it, standing aside to let her in first. She stepped over the threshold and smiled. “Very nice,” she said, kicking off her boots and making her way into the big family room. She ran her fingertips along the back of the tan leather couches as she passed.

  Caleb moved ahead of her and flicked a switch, turning on the gas fireplace. “Let me grab your coat.”

  He reached for her collar and pulled off the coat, fingers grazing the bare skin of her shoulder. A sizzle immediately coursed through her and she momentarily daydreamed about the feel of his fingers on other parts of her body. She quickly shook out of her reverie and worked on calming her thumping heart.

  Caleb came back into the family room, moved one of the couches out, and pushed the coffee table to the side, making a place for her to sit on the floor in front of the fire. “Have a seat and get toasty,” he offered. “I’ll grab us some wine.”

  She sat, enjoying the warmth of the fire, and a moment later he reappeared, bottle of Shiraz and wine glasses in hand. He poured each of them a glass and settled beside her.

  “To new acquaintances,” Caleb said, beaming.

  Instead of clinking her glass to his, she snorted. “I think I’m offended,” she joked. “Is that all I am to you? An acquaintance? Even after you grabbed my ass?”

  He furrowed his brow. “Hmm, that would add a twist on the whole acquaintance thing, wouldn’t it?”

  “And don’t forget, you were, at one point, both my pillow and my mattress.” Syd swirled the ruby liquid in her glass. “I don’t go around sleeping on every guy I meet, you know?”

  “Still, I’m not too sure what I should call us?” He rubbed his chin, trying his best to appear serious.

  “And what about that kiss, Mr. Jones, hmm? Actually, what about both of them? Do you kiss all your acquaintances?”

  “Most of them, yeah,” he answered, chuckling.

  “On the mouth? Like this?” Syd asked, leaning forward and kissing him softly. She let her lips linger a moment before pulling back.

  Caleb smiled at her. “No, darlin’. None quite like that.”

  She leaned her back against the sofa. “Good. I was starting to wonder about you.”

  “Oh, no. You don’t have to wonder about me at all.” He cocked his head to the left. “So, to new…”—he hesitated—“friends?” He raised his glass in the air.

  “Friends could work
,” she said, touching her glass to his.

  They both sipped their wine for a few minutes without saying a word, simply studying each other in the flickering light. A heat spread throughout her that had nothing at all do with the flames. Caleb Jones was one incredibly handsome man–chiseled features, a jaw line to die for, bright blue eyes that twinkled in the firelight, capped off with a head of blond hair she wanted to thread her fingers into and grab while he…

  Whoa there!

  “All right,” Caleb said, breaking the silence. He let out a puff of air and shook a lock of sunny hair from his eyes. “I’m going to run upstairs and change before I start on dinner.”

  As he walked away, Syd called out. “Call me if you need any help.”

  “With getting changed or with dinner, darlin’?”

  Not bothering to face him, she answered, “Either. Or both.”

  Chapter Six

  Either or both? God damn.

  He took the stairs two at a time before he changed his mind and accepted her soft-spoken offer.

  That sassy attitude of hers was going to get him into some serious trouble if he wasn’t careful. He was barely able to control himself around her as it was—those little comments of hers weren’t making it any easier. Her kisses certainly didn’t help either.

  He peeled off his clothes in a hurry and pulled on a pair of snug blue jeans and a navy V-neck cashmere sweater. A quick run of his fingers to sweep his hair out of his eyes and he was ready to head back down to work on dinner.

  When Caleb got to the bottom of the stairs he peeked into the family room prior to immersing himself in chef duties. He studied her profile, from the slope of her nose to her full lips, and along her neck. The glass of wine she was holding dangled from her long, elegant fingertips, her arm resting atop one bent knee. Her skin was golden and her eyes shimmered in the glow of the firelight.

  She was beautiful.

  He stepped into the kitchen and started pulling food out of the fridge, thankful he had stocked up and had enough in there to make a meal fit for two. He sighed, unsure of how in the hell he was going to keep his hands off her for the rest of the evening. Not that he wanted to keep his hands off her, he admitted to himself. He was tired of his typical sexually driven, ‘meet girl, fuck girl’ so-called relationships. He’d had his fill of those after he’d broken up with his ex, Mel, and it was time for something more.