by Nicola Marsh
A tiny crease appeared between his brows. ‘I’ve said the wrong thing, dredged up bad memories.’
‘No, it’s okay.’ She shook her head, smiled. ‘Nothing like a home-cooked meal.’
His answering smile sent her heart into a free fall she had no hope of recovering from. ‘If your mum’s anything like mine, when did you last have a home-cooked meal?’
‘When the caterers whipped up an old-fashioned, hearty Osso Bucco, of course.’
They laughed, the cosiness of the restaurant, their relaxed conversation, the intimacy of having dinner with him like a real date, suddenly overwhelming.
Some of what she was feeling must’ve shown on her face for he reached out, cupped her cheek briefly before signalling to a waiter.
‘You happy for me to order?’
‘Sure.’
Right now, she could be served polar bear and she wouldn’t notice what she was eating. Cool, reserved, stand-offish, business-focused Rhys was tempting enough. Laid-back, warm, relaxed Rhys made her want to grab his hand, make a break from the restaurant and run all the way back to his condo.
In the space of a few hours, it was as if the last month hadn’t happened. Her initial fury at how he’d pushed her away after their sensational night together, his driving her like a maniacal boss, his brusque treatment, had all faded under his understanding at Glacier Point and now, here, the tension between them was a thing of the past; replaced by a tension of another sort.
She knew what would happen tonight. In letting him into her heart again, she’d let him into her bed too. Nothing surer. And by the way he kept looking at her, with barely concealed hunger, he wanted to be there.
‘Dinner shouldn’t be too long.’
‘Good.’
He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate as she wished she could be more brazen and tell him the exact reason behind her wish for a speedy dinner.
Instead, she patted her tummy. ‘I’m starving.’
The laugh lines at the corners of his eyes crinkled. ‘In that case, you’ll do justice to the rib eye.’
‘And what’s for dessert?’
She flung it out there as a dare, wondering if he’d allude to the last time they’d shared dessert and what had happened afterwards.
Not disappointing, his hand snaked across the table, traced a slow, sensual line along the back of hers, ending at her pulse, leaping all over the place.
‘Depends what you fancy.’ His blue eyes locked on hers, he murmured, ‘I’m sure I could rustle up some strawberries and chocolate back at the condo.’
Heat streaked up her arm, zapped her, jump-starting every cell in her body craving his touch.
‘My favourite,’ she managed to say in response, her skin tingling with yearning.
‘I remember.’
His slow, sexy smile lit her up from within and it took every ounce of willpower not to suggest they skip the main and head home for a healthy serving of dessert.
The arrival of their grilled rib eyes saved her from making any embarrassingly indecent proposals and she concentrated on cutting and forking the perfectly cooked beef into her mouth, trying not to squirm under his openly assessing gaze the entire time.
After scoffing half her steak, she forced herself to slow down. Building anticipation and all that.
‘This is nice.’
‘The meal or me not biting your head off for a change?’
Surprised he’d broached how he’d treated her the last month, she laid down her cutlery.
‘You made your point clear after the night we…’ She cleared her throat, subduing a grin at his guilty expression. ‘The last month was all about business. I get that.’
‘But I’ve been a real pain in the butt about it and you’ve done nothing but suck it up and work harder.’
He stabbed a piece of steak with extra force. ‘I admire you for that.’
Folding her arms, she put on her best smug expression. ‘Careful there, Ranger, almost sounded like a compliment.’
‘You deserve it.’
She only just caught his muttered, ‘And more.’
Buoyed by his honesty—not many guys would admit they were anything other than perfect—she decided to push her luck.
‘Know what else I deserve?’
‘A raise?’
She smiled. ‘That too. Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a stress-free weekend, totally work free.’
His eyebrows shot up. ‘That’s a bit hard, considering we’re here to replenish stocks.’
Sending him a coy glance from beneath her lashes, she said, ‘I’m willing to compromise. How about we balance work and play?’
‘Play, huh?’
‘Yep.’
She nodded her head emphatically, wondering if he’d join in the fun or revert to his bossy best.
When she glimpsed the corners of his mouth twitch, she knew she’d won.
Leaning forward, he crooked his finger. ‘So tell me, what does this play involve?’
Stifling a laugh, she waved a hand in an airy gesture. ‘I’m sure you’ve got loads of stuff at your condo.’
‘Indoor play, huh?’
Jerking her head towards the frosted restaurant front, she nodded. ‘As much as I love nature, I’ve spent the last few months outdoors. Time for a little fun inside.’
‘What if I don’t have any board games?’
This time, she crooked a finger at him, held up her hand and spoke behind it in an exaggerated conspiratorial whisper. ‘I’m sure we can come up with some other form of entertainment.’
His eyes darkened with pleasure. ‘I’m sure we can. But after the way I’ve treated you, I’d understand completely if you wanted to pick up your bat and ball and go home.’
With a confident toss of her head, she said, ‘Where’s the fun in that?’
His gaze dropped to her lips, lingered until they tingled, before sweeping back to meet her eyes.
‘In that case, let’s finish our dinner and let the games begin.’
She didn’t have to be asked twice. The succulent beef, garlic-infused eggplants and roasted red onions with tarragon and olives were sublime, but the moment she’d eaten the last tasty morsel she was ready to grab the bill and leave.
Matching her urgency, he stood, came around to her side of the table and squeezed her shoulder. ‘I’ll take care of the bill, meet you at the front.’
Standing, she ended up toe to toe with him, his radiant heat palpable and almost making her swoon. Any excuse to place her hands on his rock-hard chest to steady herself.
‘Thanks for dinner.’
‘My pleasure.’
Laying a palm flat against his chest, she murmured, ‘Soon to be all mine.’
He all but ran for the bill.
Jade hummed a Destiny’s Child song about being an independent woman as she waited for Rhys to grab their coats.
An apt song, considering that was exactly how she felt right this very minute. She’d survived her first stretch in the wilds of Alaska, in her first job, with a boss who’d driven her hard.
Her hands were wrecked, her feet had blisters on their blisters and her back would never be the same again, yet she’d loved every minute of it. Every twinge, every ache, every niggle, was a testament to her trying her hardest and doing things her way. And having Rhys notice, let alone acknowledge her efforts, filled her with pride.
His honest appraisal of her efforts along with his unfettered admiration had been more of an aphrodisiac than his lowered barriers, allowing his natural charm to shine through.
She still had it bad for her boss.
Tonight, she’d show him just how much.
‘Here you go.’
He held her coat open and she slid her arms into it, her heels slipping on the wet floorboards of the restaurant’s entrance as she flailed for a second before he righted her, so strong, so dependable, so deliciously male.
‘What’s that you were humming?’
�
��Didn’t you recognise my Beyonce imitation?’
His lips twitched. ‘Uh, no.’
Emboldened by the two brandies she’d consumed with dinner, she batted her eyelashes. ‘Too bad. Maybe I was humming something sexy?’
His blue eyes twinkled. ‘Personally, I’d rather be doing than humming.’
The last time they’d slept together it had ended in disaster, their frigid working relationship rivalling the local glaciers in the frosty stakes. Now, she was under no illusions. They were away from their work place, their ever-present attraction was simmering and they were staying together in a luxurious condo. She didn’t need a calculator to do the math.
The nervous flutter in her gut intensified as she laid a hand against his chest, feeling his pounding heart matching hers as she stood on tiptoe, her lips hovering an inch from his.
‘Then what are we waiting for?’
With a faux growl he picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder as if she weighed less than a sack of kindling.
‘Are you nuts? Put me down!’
Laughing, she pummelled his back, ducking her head as a few couples on the opposite sidewalk applauded.
‘Faster this way, what with you wearing stilts.’
He had a point. Besides, a small part of her liked his caveman act. His spontaneity turned her on, big time.
He stiffened as she slid her hands down his back and came to rest on his bottom.
‘What are you doing?’
‘Checking my mode of transport.’ She patted his butt for good measure. ‘Hope it’s reliable enough to get me home.’
His grip on the back of her thighs tightened. ‘Sweetheart, if you keep your hands there, this engine is guaranteed to run all night.’
Enjoying their banter despite practically hanging upside down, she groped his glutes, chuckling at his muttered oath. ‘Mmm…reliability, style, class. Lucky me.’
‘You forgot to mention great at handling curves.’
His hands skated up an inch, caressing her thighs, leaving a scorching imprint.
‘What about in the wet?’
He stopped dead, slid her down his body, nice and slow, every inch of her screaming for him to repeat it with the two of them naked.
He tipped her chin up, his lips grazed hers, heartbreakingly gentle, softly seductive before he eased away, looked her straight in the eyes.
‘You’ll have to take me for a test-drive to find out.’
They stood on the doorstep to his condo, heat crackling between them. Jade knew the moment she stepped through the door, there’d be no turning back.
‘I was never any good at gear changes. Might need a little help?’
She melted beneath the intensity of his stare, her body on fire, her resolve to not head down this track again shredded around the time she’d confided in him earlier today.
Somewhere between rocking the boat their first time in that damn canoe and trusting him enough to discuss her warped family, she’d fallen for him.
Every gorgeous, rebellious, infuriating inch of him.
Sliding an arm around her waist, he pulled her close, leaving her in no doubt how willing he was to help her take their driving analogy to the next level.
‘Let's see if practice makes perfect.’
Chapter Fifteen
AS RHYS backed Jade into the condo, slamming the door shut with his foot, reality hit.
She was about to sleep with the guy she’d fallen in love with.
Labelling it sex would’ve been much easier, much safer. Now, she’d be invested every step of the way.
Sensing her jitters, he ran his hands up and down her arms, warming, comforting. ‘Fancy a hot tub before bed?’
He was trying to romance her all the way and she loved it, but the thought of sharing a hot tub with a guy who epitomised sex on legs was doing crazy things to her insides. Butterflies wouldn’t even come close to what she was feeling. Try a dozen hamsters running on a wheel. No, try a dozen hamsters doing cartwheels, star-jumps and somersaults.
Silently telling the hamsters to take a flying leap, she nodded. ‘Sure, sounds good.’
He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip, making it quiver. ‘See you out there.’
The moment he released her and headed into the master bedroom she sank onto a chair, afraid her legs wouldn’t support her. Pressing her fingers to her eyes, she took several deep breaths.
Hot guy. Hot tub. Hot stuff.
Belatedly, she added, Hotfooting it out of here when he realises I’m in love with him.
‘You’re not ready yet?’
She glanced up, her breath catching in her throat. Clothed, Rhys was pretty darn hot. Semi-naked, he was simply magnificent: lean, well muscled, tanned all over.
Grasping at any excuse, she patted her tummy, mentally cringing when she realised she’d done the same thing a few hours earlier.
‘I stuffed myself at dinner, just giving it a chance to settle.’
By his dubious expression, he didn’t buy it for a second.
‘Don’t be too long. My engine’s idling—I could definitely do with some revving up.’
Chalking one in the air for scoring another car analogy point, he strutted out to the hot tub, looking a million bucks and knowing it.
Cheeky devil.
Quashing her doubts, she headed for the bedroom, belatedly realising she had a problem. No swimsuit.
‘Damn,’ she muttered, rifling through her overnight bag in the vain hope that one might miraculously appear, her hand landing on a bra…bingo!
Six months in the Alaskan wilderness called for sensible underwear so she’d traded her lust for La Perla and settled for old-fashioned cotton. Thankfully, she’d relented and packed two eye-catching satin numbers, one black, the other red. After all, a girl never knew when she needed to reaffirm her femininity.
Stripping quickly, she donned the black ensemble and glanced in the mirror. Yowza! Her breasts spilled over the top of the bra cups and the scanty briefs barely covered what they were supposed to. Then again, what choice did she have? Barely black or skinny dipping?
‘It’s all in the attitude,’ she muttered, strutting towards the balcony.
However, once she reached the sliding door she faltered. While the twinkling lights of Skagway glittered like gems scattered across a midnight, velvet carpet, the sight of Rhys reclining in the hot tub, head tilted back, eyes half-closed, easily rivalled the view.
With a deep breath she stepped out onto the balcony, his eyes snapping open at her footfall. He sat up slowly, his gaze travelling from head to foot, lingering everywhere in between.
‘Come on in. The water’s great.’
She didn’t need a second invitation. The way he stared at her, she wanted to submerge and hide beneath the water before she stripped off and gave him a real show.
‘Ooh…nice.’ Sinking into the water, she settled on the bench seat within touching distance.
They’d been building towards this all night, no point going all coy now despite her serious attack of the jitters.
He picked up a bottle from a nearby ice bucket, poured a glass of champagne and handed her the delicate crystal flute.
‘That’s some outfit you’re almost wearing.’
Inwardly wincing when her hand trembled, she raised the flute in his direction. ‘Didn’t think I’d be swimming in Alaska so this will have to do.’
‘Oh, it does, very nicely,’ he said, his exaggerated wink making her laugh.
She sipped at the champagne, savouring the icy bubbles sliding down her parched throat, her gaze fixed on Rhys over the rim of her glass, her pulse roaring.
After the brandy she’d had earlier a champagne chaser probably wasn’t a great idea, but tell that to her heart, her gullible, impressionable, breakable heart that was lapping up every moment of tonight.
‘I have a proposition for you.’
She drained the rest of her champagne in two gulps.
He’d turned up the bubble
s, the powerful jets enhancing the tingling sensations racing across her sensitised skin, which had little to do with the water and everything to do with the gleam in his eyes.
Pretending she was propositioned in hot tubs by hot guys every day of the week, she sat back, draped her arms across the top of the tub.
‘I bet you have.’
He chuckled. ‘I wanted to make tonight special, kind of like the first date we never had. And you mentioned making this weekend a mixture of business and pleasure earlier. So how about we forget about the restocking awaiting us tomorrow and concentrate on the rest of the night, no doubts, no second-guessing, just the two of us enjoying our time together? Deal?’
She didn’t hesitate when he held out his hand and as it closed over hers, his thumb circling her palm, it was as if she’d just made a deal with the devil himself.
Tugging on her hand, he said, ‘I think it’s time you sat over here. I won’t bite…unless you want me to.’
His intoxicating grin held a hint of things to come as he pulled her across the tub and onto his lap.
‘Much better,’ he murmured as he leaned towards her.
His lips brushed hers, agonisingly slow. Her thighs trembled as his hands spanned her waist and pulled her closer, if that were possible.
‘You’re so beautiful,’ he whispered against the side of her mouth, as he covered her face with feather-light kisses.
Burying her hands in his hair, she tugged him closer, wriggled in his lap, wrapping her legs tightly around him, pressing against his arousal. Her hips convulsed as he ground against her and she whimpered as he slid his tongue in her mouth, teasing her with infinite slowness. He licked and explored, daring her tongue to join his.
The kiss deepened and she was lost. She could no more stop this avalanche of all-consuming passion than walk on steady legs at this point in time.
‘I want you, now.’ She tore her mouth away, nuzzled his neck, nipping him, daring him with her teeth.
