Fire and Ice [Après-Ski 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic)

by Zara Chase

  “Ward,” Jack said.

  Ward joined them, shaking his head. “Sorry, buddy,” he said to Jack. “I thought I’d given her the safer assignment.”

  “Not your fault,” Jack replied tersely.

  “They’re coming,” Ward said, pointing upwards.

  All three men hid behind a large rock, listening as the sound of their skis grew steadily closer. Jack knew what Rick intended to do and wanted to tell him to do it now. If he mistimed it, the bastard would get away, and Chelsea’s life would be forfeit because Jack wasn’t deluding himself. The woman he’d fallen for couldn’t be allowed to live and tell the tale.

  “Attack!”

  The moment Rick gave the command, Ruben flew up the incline, a ball of shimmering grey fury, snarling, teeth bared. Chelsea, who had cleverly suggested the attack, having poured over the map with Rick and Leo the previous day, would be expecting her canine rescuer. Bushnell, on the other hand, would be taken completely by surprise. Jack peered up the slope, desperate to see what was happening. Bushnell had some sort of belt attached to Chelsea’s ski-suit. Shit, if Ruben attacked Bushnell, she’d tumble down the slope right along with him.

  Ruben, unaware of that complication, sprang from the icy ground, going for Bushnell’s jugular. Bushnell tried to ward him off with his sticks, which meant letting go of the lead attached to Chelsea’s waist. Man and dog went down, tumbling in a tangle of limbs—human and canine. Jack tried to run up the slope to intercede, but he would never make it. Chelsea had fallen when Bushnell let her go, giving her a hefty push as he did so.

  And she hadn’t moved since. Dear God…fear ripped through Jack like a sabre.

  “We have to do something,” he said to his buddies. “She’s not moving.”

  “Ruben’s got him,” Rick replied with satisfaction. “There’s my good dog.”

  And Jack could see that he had. Blood showed on the snow and he knew it wouldn’t be Ruben’s. Bushnell was flat on his back and Ruben stood over him, growling a warning every time he tried to move.

  “What about Chelsea?” Jack asked, fear making his voice sound shrill.

  “See for yourself,” Ward replied.

  Jack watched, relief flooding through him as she slowly got to her feet. She patted Ruben’s head and appeared to be laughing when she bent over the prostrate Bushnell and placed one of her sticks in the center of his chest.

  Ruben, now as docile as a puppy, rubbed his head beneath Chelsea’s hand, panting, pleased with himself. She then turned the tables on Bushnell by skiing the short distance down the remainder of the slope, pulling Bushnell behind her by the collar of his jacket. Ruben trotted along beside him, giving off the occasional growl.

  As soon as Chelsea reached Jack, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

  “You frightened me half to death,” he told her. “Just you wait until I get you home.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  A general air of celebration reigned at Hadleigh’s that evening. The diamonds had been found in the pocket of Bushnell’s ski suit. He and Closson, who was concussed but far from dead, had been handed over to the Dutch authorities, along with the diamonds. Chelsea didn’t know how Leo arranged it all but it was done on the proviso that Nevella’s involvement would be kept out of it.

  Chelsea, on the other hand, made sure her name was front and center in the verbal report she’d given direct to the managing partner of the insurer offering the reward. That report would be followed up in writing.

  “It isn’t that I don’t trust Rob,” she said, biting her lip as she grinned at Jack. “It’s just that I don’t trust him.”

  “Talking of trust, I seem to recall you promised me that you wouldn’t ski after them if they got past you.”

  “I didn’t actually promise.”

  “Semantics, Chelsea, you know very well that…”

  Chelsea’s phone rang, cutting off Jack’s harangue. She glanced at the display and wasn’t surprised to see Rob’s name flash up.

  “This is a call I shall enjoy taking,” she said, putting it on speaker. “Hey, Rob.”

  “What the fuck’s going on, Chelsea? How come I find out from Irving’s that you recovered the diamonds?”

  “Thanks, it was nothing, really.”

  “I looked like a right idiot when they called me up to congratulate me and I didn’t know what the fuck they were talking about.”

  Chelsea refrained from pointing out that Rob didn’t need her help to look like an idiot. “Why congratulate you? I don’t understand.” She grinned at Jack, who merely shook his head. “What part did you play?”

  “I put you on the job and you should report to me.” He was yelling into the phone.

  “So you can take all the glory?”

  “We’re a team.”

  “We were, when I worked for you. Now I don’t,” she reminded him sweetly.

  When Rob spoke again, he’d moderated his tone. “About that. I’ve been thinking, perhaps you ought to come back. I have an opening and don’t like to think of you risking your neck with no backup.”

  Chelsea looked up at Jack and rolled her eyes. “How sweet, but you know what, Rob. Why don’t you stick your job where the sun don’t shine?”

  “Hang on there, you don’t get to talk to me that way. You’ll never work in this industry again if you don’t watch your mouth.”

  “Ha, nice try, but actually Irving’s were so impressed that I could trace those stones when the best in the business had come up empty-handed that they’ve offered me a freelance position as their European operative.” She slid an arm around Jack’s waist and grinned up at him. “I’m considering my options.”

  “You can’t…he can’t…that’s head-hunting.”

  “Yeah, don’t you just love it?” She sounded intentionally smug. It would take a better person that she would ever be not to revel in her moment of revenge. “Gotta go, Rob. I’ve got a hot helicopter pilot getting impatient to chastise me. Be seeing you.”

  Jack was laughing when she hung up. “You enjoyed that.”

  “You have no idea.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “Oh, I think I do.” His kiss was harsh, hot, and hungry. “What will you do now? Will you take the position with Irving’s?”

  “I promised them I’d give it serious thought.”

  “Sure, but you deserve to take a vacation first.”

  “Good plan. Any thoughts on where I could go?”

  Jack cocked his head to one side. “Ever tried skiing? I hear it can be fun.”

  “Isn’t it cold and dangerous?”

  “You thrive on danger. We’re gonna have to do something about that. But in the meantime, at least your know your grandmother’s future is secure.”

  She smiled. “Yeah, that’s important.”

  “So is this.”

  Jack threw her bodily over his shoulder and carried her, protesting very half-heartedly, into the bedroom. He tossed her on the bed and sat on the edge of it.

  “Pull your jeans and panties down and lie over my knee,” he commanded. “You disobeyed me and that deserves a chastisement. You also damned near scared the shit out of me, so don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

  And he didn’t. He whipped her backside harder than he ever had before, then righted her on his lap and kissed her witless. Chelsea kinda liked his mixed messages, even if they confused the hell out of her.

  “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

  Chelsea felt tears welling. Jack saw them and his anger gave way to concern.

  “What is it, babe? Did I hurt you?”

  “Not in the way you think.”

  “Then what did I do?” he asked, looking perplexed.

  He really didn’t get it, and Chelsea had no idea how to make him understand. How could she tell him she loved him to distraction and never wanted to leave him or Nevella when he’d just made it crystal clear he wanted her to stay for a holiday? A girl had her pride, after all. But there again, she was desperate and
Jack was worth fighting for. Never had the path of her life seemed clearer. She’d been drifting for a long time, but now her gran was secure and Chelsea had the offer of a European job that would be fulfilling and enable her to base herself in Nevella.

  Jack was the only one who didn’t seem to realize what they had going—how rare and special the connection was between them. For an intelligent man, he could be incredibly dense sometimes. Time to open his eyes and stop him hiding from commitment just because his childhood sweetheart had turned out to be a Grade-A bitch.

  “You didn’t do anything, that’s my point,” she said, still sitting half-naked on his lap. Perhaps she should have gotten dressed before talking to him about something so serious. “You’re too dumb to see what’s staring you in the face.”

  “What is it, babe?” His frown formed fine lines between his brows. They really weren’t on the same page. Yet.

  “What do you want from life, Jack? Have you ever stopped to think about it?”

  “Right now I’m happy with the status quo.”

  “Well, I’m not.” She jumped from his lap and yanked up her jeans. “I want more.” She met his bewildered expression with one of firm resolve. “I can’t carry on with what we’re doing?”

  “But I thought…” He spread his hands. “You seemed to take to it like—”

  “Oh, for goodness sake! I don’t do casual sex, Jack.” She sighed and looked away from him, arms folded defensively over her torso. “I fell in love with you practically the first time I saw you at the controls of your helicopter, all sexy and competent but with a naughty smile and—”

  “Love?”

  “Yes, love. You learned about that concept in school, didn’t you? You must remember—Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story…something.”

  “I’m not a safe person to love,” he said feebly.

  “Who said anything about love being safe? Everything in life’s a risk, but if you don’t feel it as well, if you don’t think what we have going is worth taking a risk on, then I’m wasting my time on you and I’m out of here.”

  “I have a crazy ex still stalking me.”

  “Bring her on! I’ll soon set her straight.”

  The corners of his lips turned upwards. “I do believe you would.”

  “Damned right I would.”

  “I do have very strong feelings for you, Chelsea.”

  “Not good enough.” Chelsea refused to accept anything other than full-on, openly declared love.

  “I think that’s why I’ve been without a sub for so long. I’ve been unsettled, looking for something…envious of Ward and Ross but—”

  “Not all women are like Alison. You were kids when you met. Didn’t know who you were or what you wanted.” Chelsea paused and fixed the man she adored with a smoldering look. “We’re not kids, Jack, and I don’t know about you but I know exactly what I want.”

  She said nothing more. She’d bared her soul but if his feelings for her weren’t strong enough to overcome his reservations, then there was nothing more she could do to convince him. The slice was deafening, the atmosphere taut with expectancy as the waiting told on her nerves. Anxiety settled in the pit of her stomach like a dull ache of rejection because she was absolutely sure now that he was trying to come up with a way to let her down gently.

  After what seemed like an eternity, she sensed him standing behind her, overpowering her with his musculature and nascent hope. He wouldn’t stand so close if he planned to throw her out, would he?

  “I don’t know how to do this, darlin’, but I do know I don’t want to lose you.” He pulled her against him with one strong arm, used his other hand to push her hair aside, and kissed the back of her neck. “To tell you the truth, the idea of commitment still scares the shit out of me. I never planned to fall in love again, but I’m head over heels in love with you, sweetheart, and that makes commitment seem kinda right and natural.” He turned her in his arms and devoured her features with his hungry gaze. She was swept away by the fierce intensity of his passion as his arms tightened around her. “I can’t lose you, Chelsea, just because I’m scared. Will you help me overcome my hang-ups?”

  Euphoria swept through her at the sight of her Dominant Viking god unafraid to show his vulnerable side. “Every step of the way.”

  “What do we do first?”

  “Well,” she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and sending him a demure look. “How about going down to the dungeon and sealing our agreement in public?”

  THE END

  WWW.ZARACHASE.COM

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Zara Chase is a British author who spends a lot of her time travelling the world. Being a gypsy provides her with ample opportunities to scope out exotic locations for her stories. She likes to involve her heroines in her erotic novels in all sorts of dangerous situations—and not only with the hunky heroes whom they encounter along the way. Murder, blackmail, kidnapping and fraud make frequent appearances in her books, adding pace and excitement to her racy stories.

  Zara is an animal lover who enjoys keeping fit and is on a one-woman mission to keep the wine industry ahead of the recession.

  For all titles by Zara Chase, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/zara-chase

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