by Jen Talty
The coffee pot gurgled and made a searing noise, indicating the last drop of water had been filtered and landed in the container. Snagging a mug, she poured herself some of the bitter brew that had a trace of mocha rising with the steam.
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed from the hall.
Knowing it wasn’t her son, she tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. Not that doing so would make her look any better since she was still in her pajamas and not a stitch of makeup on. Not to mention what her hair must look like. Thank God she opted to wear flannel bottoms and a long-sleeved top instead of her normal nightgown.
However, she wished she’d put on a bra before heading downstairs. Her nipples strained against the tight fabric.
She set the mug down and turned her back, pulling out the peanut butter and jelly along with a loaf of whole wheat bread. The floor vibrated under her bare feet, but she ignored the urge to greet the sexy, but haunted man that had her tossing and turning all night. When she had slept, her dreams were so vivid, her skin still felt as though his fingers digging into her flesh.
Her cheeks flushed.
“Oh. Good morning,” he said with a husky tone.
She opened her mouth, but only a croak slipped through her lips. She cleared her throat. “I made more coffee than I can drink, so help yourself.”
“Thanks.” He reached past her body, pulling back the cabinet door.
She looked up and dropped a knife filled with peanut butter onto the floor while she blinked, staring at his bare, muscled chest. His tanned skin soaked in the sun peering through the window. His right pec jumped as he poured himself coffee.
Stop staring! You’ve seen your share of good-looking men. It’s just a body. It doesn’t make the man.
But hell if he wasn’t easy on the eyes.
“Your hair looks pretty down.” He reached out and untucked the piece she’d only seconds ago adjusted. “I didn’t expect it to be so curly.”
“Bad eighties’ hair, that’s me. All big and wild and out of control.”
The corners of his mouth tipped upward into a seductive smile. “I can imagine you might be.”
She cocked her head. Flirting had never been her thing, and she sucked at it. One date she went on a few years back, she asked the guy about wood burning stoves versus gas and something about the smell.
Gas.
And smell.
Yep. She was really good at flirting.
But what did it matter? She didn’t know this guy, and she’d never see him again.
“Just my hair. Not me.”
When he laughed, it was more like a deep rumble than an all-out laugh, and it was that deep growl that caused her body parts to tingle.
“What time does Noah’s lesson start?” Ryder asked, resting his ass against the counter. His jeans hung low and loose on his hips.
“I have to get him there by eight.”
“Is it an all-day thing? Or half the day?”
“He’s done at two.” She bent over, picking up the dirty knife. Her skin heated as she breezed past him so she could rinse it off and finish making her son’s lunch.
“Are you going to go skiing with him after that?”
“She can’t ski.” Noah appeared in the kitchen, stopping by the table. He planted his hands on his hips. “And she won’t take lessons. Something about it being too expensive for both of us, which means when my lessons are done, I’m stuck inside this cabin.”
“Hey, young man. We have some traditions to take care of.”
“I know, but those won’t take all day, and the slopes are closed at five. I don’t see why I can’t—”
“Because you’re not old enough,” she said with a stern tone and a tilt of her head. “We talked about this when I agreed to change our plans from staying at the cabin in Lake George. I don’t want any more arguments.”
“But if you also took lessons, the two of you could go together on the slopes,” Ryder said, raising his mug with a wicked grin on his face.
She narrowed her eyes, mentally tossing an arrow right through his dark pupil that was surrounded by a sea of blue-green sensitivity that she tried really hard not to get lost in.
“Yeah, Mom.” Noah lifted his chin in an act of bravado. “She claims she’s not athletic, but it’s not true. She’s just afraid of heights.”
“Nothing wrong with having fears,” Ryder said, setting his mug on the counter. “I used to be afraid of the water. I didn’t learn how to swim until I went to the Naval Academy at the ripe old age of eighteen. So, speaking from experience, the best way to get over a fear is to face it head on. In this case, from the top of the bunny hill.”
“He’s right, Mom.” Noah gave him the same smug grin that Ryder sported.
Wonderful. Nothing worse than a bunch of testosterone ganging up on her. “Well, it doesn’t matter. I don’t have skis, a lift ticket, or a lesson package. So, I’ll enjoy reading a book by the fire all day.”
“Oh, but you do have all that.” Ryder pulled his phone out of his back pocket. “I’m sure you got the same email I did from the hotel, and if you didn’t, you can use mine.”
“Use what?” She hadn’t checked her email since last night, but she had a good idea of what he might be talking about considering what the manager had promised.
“Free lift tickets, lessons, ski rentals, the whole ball of wax. And if you don’t have snow pants or gloves or any of that, consider it my treat.”
Noah jumped up and down. “Come on, Mom. Please!? We’ll have so much fun together!”
She folded her arms over her chest. When she had five minutes alone with Mr. No-Shirt-Sexy-Man, she was going to give him one hell of a tongue-lashing. She shuddered when a visual of them in a lip-lock scorched her mind. Well, crud. That thought went sideways fast.
“Listen. Give it one day. If you hate it, then at least you can say you tried,” Ryder said. His thick, strong hand coming down over her shoulder.
If she knew how to be rude, she’d shrug it off. Worse, the man’s words had more logic to them than she wanted to admit.
“I doubt they have any room for someone to be added to their lesson schedule.”
“Let me call and find out.” Ryder tapped at his phone.
“This is awesome. I better go get ready!” Noah raced out of the room.
As soon as she heard his feet stomping on the stairs, she tried to snag Ryder’s cell phone. “Hang up and I can just tell him they didn’t have room.”
Ryder arched his brow. “You’re going to lie to your kid?”
“I wouldn’t have to had you kept your nose out of my business. What gives you the right to push me like that and to do it front of my son? Obviously, you don’t have children, or you wouldn’t—”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have butted in. My bad.” He pressed his finger down hard on his phone. “I won’t do it again.” He glared at her with narrowed eyes and pursed lips much like a snake would right before it lurched at its prey.
She’d seen a deep sadness in him last night, and now it bellowed from his body like fog lifting off a warm lake on a cool autumn morning.
But anger also lurked behind his ice-blue eyes, making her shiver.
“I was just trying to help give you a special moment with your son since you, of all people, should know how precious life can be.” He took two steps toward the hallway.
“That was totally uncalled for,” she muttered, clenching her fists. “You don’t know a thing about me and my son.”
“And you don’t know a damn thing about me. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going skiing.”
She watched him disappear around the corner and the second he was out of sight, she swallowed a guttural sob. Sucking in a deep breath, she tried to rid the room of the toxic energy he’d left in his wake. Whatever had brought him to this mountain with a bottle of whiskey needed to stay away from her personal space.
“I’ve got all my layers on, and all my stuff is by the front door.” Noah sk
idded to a stop between the kitchen and the family room. “Where’s Ryder?”
“He’s getting his stuff and then he’s heading out.”
“So? Did you get a lesson package?”
“I need to call the mountain, but if they have space, I’m game.” She’d do this for her son, not because Mr. Sexy-Know-It-All-But-Knew-Nothing suggested it. Fears needed to be conquered and if she expected her son to face his, she better at least tackle one of hers.
“Sweet!” Noah held up his fist for a hard pound. “This is going to be epic.”
“Let’s just hope I don’t break a leg in the process.”
The conditions on the slopes were better than Ryder had ever experienced in Vermont with two feet of fresh snow and not a single layer of fake snow. He’d skied hard and fast and his thigh muscles felt every carve his ski edges had made as he raced down all the difficult slopes. The sensation hadn’t been something he’d expected considering he was in the best shape of his life.
Not that it accounted for why he found himself taking the green circle trail down by the ski school near his cabin. Sure, he would have to take that particular path at the end of the day, but it was just a little after twelve and he had no intention of heading home.
However, his stomach required food and the lodge next to the ski school had burgers and beer.
As did all the other lodges.
He shoved his goggles up over his helmet as he stopped at one of the racks where he could rest his skis.
Olivia was probably back at the cabin with her feet tucked up under her tight ass and her nose in a book. Even though she’d been right, her words had ripped open a wound so deep that he wasn’t sure he’d ever completely heal. He might have been out of line, but when he thought of all the things he’d never be able to do with his son and wife, watching anyone turn down an opportunity tore at his gut.
He tucked his gloves into his helmet and pushed open the door and nearly tripped over a young girl maybe five years old. Blinking, he glanced around at all the families sitting at tables, laughing, sharing their lunches. A few young brothers, or maybe cousins, tossed insults at each other.
This was not the place for Ryder to enjoy his lunch. No. The only thing eating here would do for him is make him want to race back to the cabin where he’d down an entire bottle of Jack.
“Ryder!” Noah’s voice bounced between his ears like a ping-pong match.
“Hey, kiddo,” he said as he made his way across the room, smiling as sweetly as he could at Olivia. Her long, blond hair woven into a braid to the side, flowed over her shoulder. Strands twisted wildly as if she’d been wearing a helmet.
He let his gaze roam down her torso, doing his best to ignore her round breasts pushing against a light-blue sweater. A pair of black snow pants hugged her muscular legs. Her feet were stuffed into a pair of unbuckled boots. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said, followed by a whistle. “You went skiing.”
“I’m not sure I’d call it skiing.” Noah scooted down the wood of the picnic style bench, making room for Ryder right across from Olivia. “More like snow-planting.”
He wasn’t sure what was worse. Staring at her? Or sitting next to her? Both posed a few problems, so he opted to check out his own fingernails.
“Watch it, young man. I’ll have you know the ski instructor said it takes adults on average three lessons to get it.” Olivia rubbed her right knee with a grimace.
“I wish I had listened to my folks and taken lessons. But I didn’t and I let my older brother take me to the top of the mountain. He promised me he’d teach me, but instead, he just gave me a good shove.” Ryder shook his head and laughed at the memory.
“I can’t imagine starting from the top. I’m not looking forward to tackling the chairlift this afternoon.” She tossed a napkin on a paper plate. “Want a sandwich? We’ve got plenty.”
“PB&J?” His taste buds went a little wild. It had been years since he’d had one, and other than needing a soda and maybe some chips, it sounded superb.
“Mom? Can I get more chocolate milk?”
Oh, that sounded even better.
“Sure.”
“Mind getting me one along with some chips?” Ryder pulled out a ten and handed it to Noah. “Yours is on me.”
Noah jumped from the table, knocking over his helmet. “Oops.”
“He seems like a really good kid,” Ryder said, glancing over his shoulder so he didn’t have to look Olivia in the eye. “I’m sorry about my behavior this morning.”
“It’s okay and don’t let this go to your head, but you were right. Only Noah is already way ahead of me. I’ll never catch him.”
“We used to take the first five runs with my mom. It made her happy. Then she’d sit in the lodge and try to find us girls to date.”
“Oh, God. I’m so not ready for that.”
“Moms never are.” He finally turned his head and caught Olivia’s gaze, her big, green eyes sucker punching his ability to swallow, much less form words. He didn’t want to be attracted to her beauty, but it was her genuine personality and sweet demeanor that made him crazy.
Sitting there, just staring at each other, an awkward ease settled over him. It was as if he didn’t need to say a single word, and she understood what he was thinking.
“Are you close to your mom?” she asked, her voice sweeter than pure sugar cane. It dripped like melting ice cream over a waffle cone on a warm summer evening.
“I am. A true mama’s boy.”
“You say that with a sense of pride.” Olivia peered over his shoulder in the direction of the food line. “I worry about Noah that way.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that. As my ma used to say, all good men are mama’s boys.”
“You’re joking?” Olivia’s ocean-colored eyes sparkled like lightning flashing across the sky, stretching its long fingers down to the ground.
“Not even a little bit,” he said with a serious tone. “It can’t be easy to be a single mom. Do you have a boyfriend?” What the hell did he just ask? More importantly, why?
“It’s not as hard as I thought it would be and no, I don’t have time for a relationship right now.”
“I can understand that.” He didn’t have the time, nor the inclination.
She tilted her head as she handed him a sandwich, their fingers touching for a little longer than appropriate. Tiny electric pulses buzzed through his bloodstream.
The urge to lace his fingers through hers tickled his brain, the desire to hold her in his arms stronger than a three-mile-an-hour current.
“What about you? Any girlfriends in your life?”
“Not currently.” And never again.
Thankfully, Noah returned with their drinks and two different bags of chips. The next fifteen minutes consisted of Ryder scarfing down his food while he listened to Noah tell him all about his lesson and how much fun it had been to speed past his mom, who struggled to even do a snowplow stop. The kid had more energy bottled up inside him than a brand-new battery. His face lit up like a damn Christmas tree, and his mouth went a mile a minute. It was impossible not to be a tiny bit ecstatic around that kid.
Happy was the last thing Ryder wanted to feel.
Hell, he wanted to be void of emotions.
Even the good ones.
“Well, I think I’m going to hit the slopes again. You two have a nice afternoon.” He stood, tucking his helmet under his arm.
“My mom is making lasagna tonight. It’s a pre-Christmas Eve tradition. Why don’t you join us?” Noah asked with pleading eyes.
“Thanks, but I think I’m going to bring home a burger and some fries and then watch the game in my room. Perhaps we’ll see each other tomorrow.” He made his way across the room, ignoring little itch in the back of his head that reminded him of what it was like to be with someone.
And not just anyone.
But someone special. Someone to share… no. He couldn’t do that again. He yanked open the door, the cold win
ter chill smacking his exposed skin.
“Ryder! Wait.” Olivia raced out the door, her unhooked boots nearly tossing her sideways. Three steps later, she tripped forward.
“Whoa.” He lunged forward just in time to catch her in his arms. Her pretty little face tucked into his parka. He took her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “You okay?”
“Yesterday you lost your manhood, today, I just get to embarrass the hell out of myself. All day.”
He chuckled. “But are you having fun?”
She nodded. “They moved Noah up to a different instructor because he’s taking to it so easily. At least I don’t have him laughing or rolling his eyes at me anymore.”
“I might have to ski by for a good chuckle then.”
She smacked her hand against his chest, then cleared her throat, staring up at him with those damn blue spheres of passion and excitement. “I was going to say thank you for pushing me, but since you’re being so mean.”
“You enjoyed laughing at me last night,” he mused, resting his hands on her hips. “Payback is a bitch.”
Without thinking at all, he licked his lips and brushed them gently over her plump, rosy ones. The combination of cold skin and hot blood reminded his body he was indeed a man.
She stepped back, her fingers covering her mouth.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s okay, but I think I need to be clear. I’m sure you’re a wonderful man, but I have a kid and I can’t be—”
“I can’t be for different reasons, so don’t worry. That won’t happen again.”
She nodded. “If you change your mind about dinner, it will be served around six-thirty.”
“Thanks,” he said, knowing damn well he’d be staying in his room all night.
Alone.
4
Ryder stared at the bottle of whiskey in the closet mocking him, daring him to pour a full glass. The clock on the television blinked nine fourteen. The house was quiet other than a slight breeze that rattled the shutters and brought with it more snow.
