by Pamela Toth
“Thank you.” Her stare made him wish he’d worn something more trendy than his tan suede jacket, plaid flannel shirt and blue jeans. What would a hip California sophisticate wear? He realized that he had no clue.
“What do you think of Erik?” he asked as the line shuffled forward. “He’s changed a lot from the timid little boy he was when I first met him.”
She watched him hopping impatiently from one foot to the other. “It sounds like his dad’s engagement to your sister has been good for him,” she said quietly.
Chris wanted to tell her why Erik was so good for Faith, as well, but the information wasn’t his to share. Throat suddenly tight with unexpected emotion, he had to swallow hard as the line moved again.
“Your sister seems very nice,” Zoe added after a moment. “I told her I’d meet them here, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“Faith seldom listens to me, either,” he replied. The pleasure of being with Zoe coursed through him like the effects of a fine old brandy. “When it comes to my sister, sometimes it’s just easier to go with the flow.”
Zoe shrugged. “That’s hard for me,” she admitted as he took out his wallet. “I guess I’m more comfortable being in control.”
“A smart person knows when to take charge and when to let it go.” He took out enough money for both their tickets.
“Did you read that in a fortune cookie?” she asked, unzipping the fanny pack she wore around her waist.
Ignoring her question, Chris paid for two tickets and handed one to her.
“That’s not necessary,” she protested, holding up the line. “I’ll pay my own way.”
He took her elbow and urged her forward. “Remember what I said,” he told her. “Sometimes it’s better to just go with the flow.”
Her eyes widened, but then she shrugged as an older woman standing behind them started to giggle. “And don’t argue when someone else offers to pay,” she exclaimed.
Zoe hesitated, but then she followed Chris through the gate. “Double or nothing on who falls first once we get on the ice,” she told him with a wide smile.
Chapter Seven
Zoe had accepted Faith Taylor’s invitation because she needed a break from work. At least that was what she had told herself until she got out of Cam’s SUV and saw Chris waiting for them.
Even now, as she waited for his reaction, awareness flowed through her like an electrical charge.
“Double or nothing on the first one to fall?” he repeated. “Sure you can afford to take the risk?”
She was on thin ice in more ways than one. “Count your money, Hotshot,” she replied. “I’m not the one risking anything.”
“We’ll see about that,” he replied as he extended his gloved hand. “Deal.”
As they walked to the covered building next to the open-air rink, he leaned back to look at her from behind.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, twisting around so they were still facing each other.
“No pillow, so maybe you know how to keep your balance,” he observed with a gleam in his eyes. “No fair pulling me down with you when you fall.”
Zoe realized that for once she didn’t feel the usual pressure to do a good job and avoid embarrassment at all costs. Except for their silly bet, no one here expected anything from her; no one was judging her performance.
“I guess you’ll have to wait and see how I do,” she said with a sassy smile. “I hope they have decent rentals.”
“You should buy a pair,” Chris advised. “Faith can get you a discount at the sporting-goods store where she works.”
“It’s a little late in the season,” Zoe replied, more interested in buying a new bikini for the beach back home than investing in winter sports gear.
She indicated the battered skates that were slung over his broad shoulder. “Those look like something you stole off a broken-down hockey player.”
He held them up by the laces. “Maybe that’s my alter ego.”
By the time Zoe had gotten her skates from the rental room and finished lacing them up over two pairs of socks, Faith and Cam had followed Erik onto the fresh ice. Cam didn’t appear to have much more experience than his son.
At the edge of the ice, Chris extended his hand to Zoe. “Once around before we start the wager.”
“Okay.” When she felt the firmness of his grip, her only regret was the gloves they both wore. The touch of his skin against hers would have been worth a few frostbitten fingers.
“Doing okay?” he asked after she had taken a few cautious strokes on the ice without stumbling.
She glanced up, biting her lip with concentration. “I think so.”
“Take your time,” he said. “It’s not like we’re going anywhere.”
Up ahead, Erik skated between Faith and Cam, his ankles wobbling from side to side as he clung to their hands. Cam looked shaky, too. When Erik fell, pulling Faith down with him, Cam struggled to help them up. Instead he fell down, too, as all three of them laughed.
“Maybe we should have bet on them instead of each other,” Chris commented as he skated effortlessly on his straight hockey blades.
“Rich doctors like you shouldn’t try to make money off poor hardworking residents like me,” Zoe retorted.
“Who said that I’m rich?” he demanded. “Your car is newer than mine.”
She swerved to avoid another skater. “It’s leased,” she replied. “Where did you learn to skate?”
“I played a lot of hockey on the frozen ponds around here when I was a kid.” He glanced down at her feet. “You’re doing fine.”
“Glad to hear it.” With a sudden laugh, she pulled her hand free and pushed off with her toe pick. “You’re it!” she cried, tagging his arm as she streaked away.
The wind blew against her face, cooling her flushed cheeks as she darted easily around other skaters, changing edges as she went. From behind her, she heard his shout of surprise.
“You’ll be sorry!” he called. “The bet’s still on.”
From the corner of her eye, Zoe saw Faith’s startled glance and Cam’s thumbs-up sign as she executed a neat turn so she could keep an eye on Chris. There was plenty of room to maneuver and he was gaining on her fast. She hadn’t considered that a game of tag was more suited to his skating skills than her own, but at the last second she dodged his outstretched hand and changed direction. It took him a moment to recover and follow. With a pirate’s grin on his face and the wind ruffling his hair like greedy fingers counting pieces of eight, he bent low and power stroked, cutting her off at an angle.
This time when she changed direction, ducking around three giggling girls, Zoe found herself trapped at the railing behind two little boys. She turned back around just as Chris caught up with her. Bracketing her between his hands on the railing, he looked into her eyes with their bodies nearly touching.
His hair was a halo in the sunlight and his complexion was ruddy. “This demands a forfeit.”
Zoe stared up at him, mesmerized. If he took her in his arms right here, she might not have objected, but a chaste kiss was certainly more appropriate.
“Okay.” She rose up on the toes of her skates, intent on doing just that.
Before she could touch her mouth to his cheek, he startled her by shifting his hands to her shoulders, stopping her. “Oh, no, you don’t.”
Zoe’s jaw dropped, followed immediately by a burning rush of humiliation when she saw his unsmiling expression. How had she misread him so drastically?
She tried to twist away from his grip, but she had nowhere to go. If she attempted to go around him, her body would rub against his.
Taking his hand from her shoulder, he tucked his finger under her chin and gently tipped back her head. From behind him, someone emitted a low whistle.
“I want a rain check,” Chris said.
“A what?” Zoe asked blankly. If he’d made a pass when she was at the local bar, she would have known exactly how to shut him down. Her own sudden awareness
of him, however, was almost more than she knew how to handle.
For a moment, she was transfixed as she stared up at him.
“I’m willing to wait,” Chris said, his voice husky.
He released her in time for a shouted warning to make them both turn, as Erik, arms flailing, smacked into the railing. When Chris reached out to steady him, Erik accidentally kicked his blade and they both went down.
Zoe bent over them. “You lose,” she told Chris, and then she helped Erik back up.
“Sorry,” he said. “I lost control.”
“There seems to be a lot of that going around,” Chris drawled as he got to his feet and brushed the ice from his jeans. “Who wants hot chocolate?”
In addition to losing his bet with Zoe, it had cost Chris another twenty bucks for Cam to tell Zoe that he couldn’t drop her off, after all. Glancing at Zoe seated next to him in his car, Chris figured he had gotten off cheap.
“Where do you live?” he asked, even though he knew the answer. He had recognized the address when he’d reviewed her file, but he didn’t think it would be wise to mention that a former girlfriend had lived in the building.
Zoe gave him directions and then fell silent as she removed her knit gloves. The only sound in his “pre-owned” Beemer came from the stereo. He’d been right when he’d said her car was newer than his, but he wasn’t a slave to appearances.
Yanking off her hat, she tossed her head and fluffed up her hair with her fingers, well aware of his glances. Hands gripping the steering wheel in a stranglehold, he hoped she couldn’t hear his heart thumping against his chest.
After they had finished their cocoa, they’d gone back out on the ice as darkness had fallen around them. All he could think about was getting her alone and claiming his forfeit. Whether that made him a flaming romantic or an immature, oversexed idiot, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that his normal cool-guy, easygoing persona had temporarily deserted him.
She shifted in the leather seat next to him. To his disappointment, she had declined his invitation to stop for pizza, claiming that she needed to review a procedure for tomorrow.
As they drove down the main street, he cleared his throat and broke the silence that was beginning to border on painfully awkward.
“Where do you learn to skate like that?” he asked. How inane the question sounded to his ears, like a pre-teen pickup line.
“My mother believes in raising a well-rounded off-spring,” Zoe replied, her tone brittle. “When I wasn’t in school, I took lessons.”
“What kind of lessons?” he asked curiously as he slowed for a turn and drove past a row of small older homes with their windows lit up. The only lessons he’d ever taken were to play his mother’s piano. What a waste of money that endeavor had been!
“You name it,” she replied, gazing straight ahead. “Music, singing and ballet, followed by tennis and swimming when I got older.”
“So you’re a woman of many talents,” he ventured.
“Or one who has few talents to discover.”
Her self-derisive comment shocked him. At first impression, she seemed to be brimming with confidence. But he was beginning to realize that was a facade.
“You’re a good doctor,” he said firmly. “In my book, that beats earning an ice-dancing medal any day of the week.”
It was Zoe’s turn to look surprised in the soft glow from the dash. “But you told me that I could be better,” she reminded him.
“There’s always room for improvement, which is what you’ve definitely done.” He slowed the car as they approached her building. “To the point where you’ve got to watch that you don’t get overly concerned over Anna Minsky.” He touched her hand. “Lighten up, Zoe. You’re doing fine.”
She didn’t say a word as he parked the car in front of her apartment.
“Let me get your door and then I’ll walk you up,” he said firmly.
He half expected her to bolt from the car instead of waiting, but she didn’t.
“I’m not inviting you in,” she warned as he held open her door and extended his hand.
“And I’m not asking.” His reply was deliberately provocative in order to distract her from their recent conversation.
Predictably she turned away, the heels of her boots tapping on the pavement as she led the way to her apartment. Hands in the pockets of his jeans, Chris sauntered along behind her, relieved to notice that the walkways were well-lit and the shrubs were trimmed back. With all the new arrivals in Thunder Canyon, security was bound to become a bigger issue than in the past.
When she reached her front door, she turned to face him. “Thank you for the ride,” she said politely. “And for—”
He braced his hand on the wall next to her head and leaned closer. Even with her heels, he topped her by several inches.
“My forfeit,” he whispered, prepared for a chaste kiss on the cheek.
If she had shown the slightest sign of reluctance, he would have backed off faster than a cow pony with a slack rope. Instead, she caught him by surprise by sliding her arms around his neck and tipping back her head.
Chris didn’t need directions to figure out his next move. He had been waiting for a long time to satisfy his curiosity about the feel and flavor of her tempting lips, but he wasn’t about to be stampeded into rushing the moment. With hunger burning through him like moonshine, he cupped her face in hands that weren’t quite steady.
Knowing that Chris wanted to kiss her sent a shiver of excitement through Zoe. She could read his hunger in his narrowed eyes and in the flush that stained his cheekbones, could feel the tension in the way his fingers tightened on her scalp.
For a moment she let herself savor the warm melting sensation that flowed through her when she pressed against him, the strength of his arms when they tightened around her, pulling her even closer—and the passionate reaction to her nearness that he didn’t bother to hide.
When she lifted her head and smiled invitingly, she expected him to plunder her mouth. Instead, he leaned down slowly, his steady gaze on hers and his breath on her face, until she wanted to moan with frustration. When her knees went weak, she realized that somehow she had lost control of the moment, helplessly following his lead. Before she could figure out what had happened, he finally touched his mouth to hers.
Warmth seemed to start at that single point of contact, mouth on mouth, and spread through her entire body. She felt him smile against her lips before he pulled back and stroked them with his tongue. Finally, as she forgot to breathe, he slipped inside.
A husky groan came from deep in his throat. A tremor went through her as she buried her fingers in the warm silk of his hair and angled her head to slide her tongue against his, and then to kiss him with growing impatience. He pressed her against the wall and ravaged her mouth as they battled each other for control.
Somewhere in the dim recesses of her overheated mind, Zoe became aware that this easygoing country doctor had managed what far more sophisticated males had failed to do. He had shattered her defenses and stirred a response from her that she was more than eager to give.
Finally, inevitably, he ended the kiss so they could both regain their breath. Chest heaving against her hand, he held her with his cheek against her hair and let out a wry chuckle.
“Honey, you’ve got a bag of surprises behind those cool blue eyes.” His voice was husky. “My brain’s melted, my knees are fused and I think my heart needs a jump start to get it going again.”
Lifting his head, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and let his fingertips trail down her cheek. “I sure as heck know that I’ve never felt anything as good in my life as our first kiss,” he added.
His sweet words and the slightly dazed look in his eyes warmed her, despite the chill of the evening air. She didn’t care that he must be exaggerating. Surely an attractive doctor like Chris had been with plenty of women during school in Chicago and here in Lightning Gulch. Even so, his silly, over-the-top comment broached the
normal awkwardness that she might have felt after sharing such an overwhelming embrace.
“In that case,” she whispered, sliding her hands up the front of his jacket as she watched him through narrowed eyes, “the second kiss will burn down this building.”
He angled his head. “Call the fire department, because we’re about to find out.”
His lips were a breath away from hers when the door to the next apartment opened abruptly. Automatically Zoe sprang away from him to see her middle-aged neighbor blinking at them owlishly through his thick glasses. He was wearing an overcoat and his face turned an unhealthy shade of red.
“Uh, good evening,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to, uh, interrupt…uh, sorry.” Ducking his head, he hurried away.
Face burning, Zoe stared silently until he had disappeared around the corner.
“Mr. Gale, my high school biology teacher,” Chris muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “He told me once that I was too girl-crazy to ever amount to anything.”
Zoe looked at Chris’s blank expression. Something gave way inside her and she let out a whoop of helpless laughter as she collapsed against her door. “He was right!” she gasped.
For an instant, surprise flashed across Chris’s face and then he, too, began to laugh. Helplessly Zoe tried without success to regain her composure because each time she started to wind down, one look at Chris sent her into a fresh eruption of giggles. Unable to stop, they fell into each other’s arms. Finally Zoe pulled away. With a stitch in her side and tears streaming down her cheeks, she was able to get her breath.
“What a way to ruin the mood,” she exclaimed, fanning her face with her hands. She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so hysterically.
Blushing, Chris returned her grin. “Sad, but true.” Lightly he tapped the end of her nose with his finger. “Rain check?”
Feeling as though she had been put through an emotional wringer, Zoe experienced a rush of relief that he wasn’t going to push the situation. Before she took another step, she needed the chance to figure out where she was headed.
