Easy Kisses

by Kristen Proby

  “She’s a client,” I remind him. “This is work.”

  “Come on, you’re a human being, Simon. If you wanted to pursue a beautiful woman, no one would fault you for it.”

  It’s starting to piss me off that he keeps referring to Charly as beautiful. Not because it’s inaccurate, but because he’s obviously taken more than a passing notice.

  “Yes, they would,” I remind him. “I’m a public figure. Everything I do is under scrutiny. These Lift retreats are successful because we all maintain our professionalism. This is a safe place for the women who attend. I don’t fuck with that, and I’ll bust your arse if I ever find out that you do.”

  “I get it,” Todd says and holds his hands up in surrender. “But there’s nothing that says you can’t call her when this is over.”

  He smiles smugly and I punch him in the shoulder, just for the hell of it.

  “Ow! Bugger it.”

  “Can we talk about the reason we’re here now?”

  “Fine.”

  Todd begins talking about seating arrangements and plans for the cocktail party at the end of the retreat. I’m listening with only half an ear.

  Starting up something—physical or otherwise—with Charly is impossible, no matter how attracted to her I am. It would be career suicide. And how can I ask the other women here to trust and listen to me, if I’m carrying on with one of their peers?

  I’m supposed to be here teaching them. Leading them. Helping them.

  Not fucking them into the mattress.

  Which is what I want to do with Charly, and only Charly, repeatedly.

  “Are you listening?” Todd asks as we approach the lodge.

  “No,” I reply truthfully. “I’m hitting the shower. I’ll see you in an hour.”

  “You’re a pain in my arse!” he calls after me, but I ignore him and march straight to the elevator.

  And there she is, already waiting for one. The universe keeps throwing her my way, and I’m not complaining in the least.

  “Good morning,” I say, panting from the run. My shirt is soaked with sweat, and I can only imagine how I must smell.

  “Good mornin’,” she says with a smile. “Did you have a good run?”

  “No,” I reply with a laugh. “Todd insisted on coming with me and he talked incessantly.”

  Charly laughs and leads the way into the elevator when it arrives. “Which floor?”

  “Four.”

  “Me, too,” she says and pushes the button. “Thanks again for the boat ride yesterday. It was nice.”

  It was bloody amazing.

  “You’re welcome,” I reply and lean on the wall opposite from her, willing myself to keep my hands to myself.

  “Is it going to be another long day?” she asks as she leans against the wall, mimicking my stance.

  “No. We’ll be done by early afternoon.”

  “Oh, great.” She grins. “I told Savannah all about yesterday.”

  “Really? Did she tell you to pack your things and run as quickly as possible?”

  “No. She said it was good for me, but she was glad it was me and not her. So much for sisterly love.”

  I smile and curse silently when we reach our floor. When the door opens, three women are waiting for the elevator. Their eyes widen when they see me, and I want to roll my eyes.

  Many women are not coy when they see a man they find attractive. We’ll be discussing this next week.

  When they’re in the lift and the doors are closed, I glance down at Charly and smile. “Do you have time for me to show you something?”

  “We have to be in the conference room in an hour,” she replies, but I can see the curiosity in her eyes.

  “It’ll be quick. It’s the perfect time of day.”

  “Okay.”

  I lead her to my room, at the end of the hallway.

  “Hey, if you think you can just lead me to your room—”

  I turn to her and cut her off. “I said this would be quick, darling. Trust me, if I were bringing you to my room to seduce you, it wouldn’t be quick. I’d be exploring you all day and night.”

  She doesn’t act shocked at all. She simply raises a brow and smirks, like she did the first morning we were here. She’s all but saying, “Sure. I don’t buy it.”

  So I lean in and press my lips to her ear. “Don’t press me, darling, or I’ll drag you in here and prove it to you.”

  When I pull away, the smirk is gone, but the laughter is still in her eyes and I can’t help but wonder what I would have to do to truly surprise her.

  I open the door and lead her into my room, then grab my binoculars and step out onto my balcony. “I just found them yesterday.”

  “Found what?”

  “Look.” I hand her the binoculars. “Look into that tree there, where we saw the bald eagle just the other day.”

  She raises them to her eyes and is silent while she looks, then gasps.

  “Oh my God! She’s a mama!”

  “She is,” I confirm with a grin. “Are they sticking their heads up?”

  “They are. Good Lord, they’re tiny little things.”

  “And bald,” I reply and have to catch my breath when she looks up at me in wonder, her hazel eyes wide and happy.

  This is what surprises her? Not sexual innuendos, baby eagles.

  “This place is so cool.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” I reply and take the binoculars when she hands them back to me.

  “I need to get in the shower and ready for class.”

  “Wait.” I have absolutely no idea why I don’t want her to leave. She needs to leave. I shouldn’t have brought her in here to begin with.

  “What?”

  I sigh and shove my hands in my pockets before I do something monumentally stupid, like touch her.

  Because once I start, I won’t want to stop.

  “Nothing,” I reply and shake my head. “Thanks for letting me show you.”

  She watches me for a moment, then shrugs and walks toward the door. “See you in a bit.”

  “See you.”

  Chapter Three

  ~Charly~

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like this,” Heidi says beside me in the back seat of a Toyota 4Runner as we climb our way into Glacier National Park the next day. I’m in the middle, between Heidi and Violet, another member of Simon’s staff. Simon asked Heidi and me to join them yesterday afternoon after class, and I couldn’t resist my curiosity to see more of the area.

  Simon’s driving, and Todd finally shuts the radio off when there is nothing left but static.

  “No radio for bears, I suppose,” he says with a shrug.

  “How big is this park?” I ask.

  “Thousands of square miles,” Simon replies. “We will just do a day hike today, then head back to the hotel this evening.”

  “Fun,” Heidi says with a grin. “I hike a lot in Arizona. I’m what you would call outdoorsy.”

  “I’m outdoorsy,” I reply with a nod.

  “You had to borrow a pair of my shoes,” Heidi reminds me with a grin. “You can’t wear heels to hike in.”

  “I’m outdoorsy in that I like to drink on the patio,” I reply, making everyone laugh. Simon eyes me in the rearview mirror and smiles. “Besides, I had my running shoes.”

  “You’re going to like this.” Simon winks, and just like that my stomach does that weird flippy thing again that he seems to provoke in me. And when he touches me? Holy bananas, it’s intense.

  Before long, we pull into a parking lot that’s only about half full.

  “Are all these people here to hike this trail?” Violet asks.

  “Yeah, and there will be more,” Todd replies. “This is a popular hike. It’s good that we came early to beat the afternoon crowd.”

  “Well, with lots of people around, there shouldn’t be many bears,” I say optimistically and laugh when Violet’s eyes go round.

  “I thought he was kidding when
he mentioned bears,” she says.

  “Nope,” Todd says with a laugh. “But don’t worry, this trail isn’t well known for bear activity.”

  “Remind me not to go on the trails that are known for bear activity,” I mutter to Heidi, making her laugh.

  The guys shrug into backpacks, loaded down with bottled water, granola bars, and beef jerky.

  “Let’s go!” Simon says, his eyes shining like a boy on Christmas morning. This is clearly his thing. I can’t get over how different the wilderness is here compared to Louisiana. Of course, there is no swamp here, thank goodness. It’s warm, but it’s a dry heat, so I’m not immediately covered in sweat. And the trees, these tall, beautiful evergreens, are so close together in some places that you can hardly see through them.

  We cross the main road and walk down the clearly marked trailhead to the Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake. The first part of the hike is easy, relatively flat, and gorgeous. Deep green ferns cover the ground, and according to placards along the trail, this is the only place inland from the Pacific Northwest with an active rain forest.

  Crazy.

  “How are you, love?” Simon asks as he joins me.

  Good God, the English and their terms of endearment should have to register with a federal office upon entering the country.

  “I’m great,” I reply and clear my throat. “This is beautiful. And surprisingly easy.”

  He smiles and nods. “It’s not easy for too long. We’ll start up the Avalanche Lake trail in a minute.”

  I shrug. How hard can it be? If tons of people come here every day to hike it, it can’t be that bad.

  A few minutes later, we come to the trailhead and read the big sign that describes the hike.

  “A five hundred feet gain, over two miles,” Heidi reads. “That’s not too bad.”

  “Gain in elevation?” I ask.

  “Yes,” she replies. “But it’s over the course of two miles.”

  That’s not too far. Hell, I walk more than two miles when I shop through the French Quarter. I got this.

  “Let’s do it,” Violet says and smiles widely. She’s a pretty woman, much taller than me. She has a lean body, jet-black hair, and eyes that match her name.

  We all nod enthusiastically and begin to climb. There’s a rushing river to our left, and when we get to the top of a small hill, we stop to watch it rage down through a canyon.

  Todd and Simon are talking to each other, but I can’t hear them over the loud water. It’s cooler in here, under the trees and beside the river, and I just take a deep breath, soaking it all in.

  Boy, if my family could see me now. They’d laugh their asses off, and ask where their sister Charly is.

  The others begin hiking again, and I fall in behind them, bringing up the rear. Heidi and Todd are chatting away, showing each other photos on their phones, the hike not seeming to bother them at all.

  And here I am, already winded. Jesus, I might die up here in the middle of the wilderness.

  Simon and Violet are just ahead of me, chatting.

  “So you’re going back to school in the fall, then?” Simon asks her.

  “I am. I took too much time off. I’m ready to be done with it already and start working.”

  “You took time to find yourself. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “Except for the fact that I’m almost thirty and I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up,” she replies with a laugh, then punches him in the arm. “Unlike you, who seemed to know from the time you were in nappies.”

  What the hell is a nappie?

  “That’s not true,” he replies, and I can’t take my eyes off his ass. I mean, I might die on this trail, but at least this will be my last view. “I was at least sixteen when I decided.”

  “See?” she says.

  “You’ll figure it out,” Simon replies and pats her on the back. My eyes are drawn to the sleeve tattoo covering his arm. It disappears into his grey T-shirt, and I can’t help but wish that he’d take his shirt off so I can see if there is more to it. He’s been wearing long-sleeved button down shirts during the classes, so getting a glimpse of the ink is a treat.

  “How are you doing back there?” Simon asks and turns to look at me. “Whoa, are you okay?”

  “Fine,” I pant, ready to pass out. “This is harder than I thought.”

  “You’re bright red,” Violet says. “Maybe you should take a break.”

  None of you need a break. I’m not too proud to admit that I’m just being stubborn, but damn it, I’m not that out of shape. Surely I can handle a two-mile hike.

  “I’m fine,” I repeat and keep climbing, but finally I sit on a tree lying next to the trail. “Jesus, I can’t breathe.”

  “Go ahead with the others,” Simon says to Violet. “I’ll stay with her.”

  “Just take it easy,” Violet says with a grin and jogs—jogs—ahead to catch up with the others.

  “Show off,” I mutter, trying to catch my breath.

  “We have all day, darling,” Simon says and pulls a bottle of water out of his bag and offers it to me. “There’s no hurry.”

  “I don’t understand,” I reply and gratefully accept the water. “I don’t think I’m that out of shape.”

  “You have a lovely shape,” he replies, his eyes suddenly hot. “But there’s quite an altitude difference up here, and you’re not in hiking shape.”

  “I run almost every day.”

  “Probably on a flat sidewalk,” he says with a knowing smile.

  “Okay, you’re right.” I take a deep breath, thankful to finally be feeling somewhat normal again and stand. “Let’s keep going.”

  “We can go back to the car,” he offers, but I glare up at him.

  “If you think I’m stopping now, you’ve lost your damn mind.”

  “My apologies,” he says and gestures for me to go ahead of him, a satisfied smile on that handsome face.

  The pace is slower now, but it’s still up and down. The trail is rough, with loose rock and dirt, making it difficult on my balance. It’s kind of like walking through dry sand.

  A pain in the ass.

  “Talk to me,” I say, already beginning to breathe hard again.

  “What would you like me to say?”

  He’s not breathing hard at all.

  I hate him.

  “Tell me about your tattoos.” I take a swig of water. “If you talk, it takes my mind off of wanting to die.”

  “I won’t let you die, love.”

  There’s that love again.

  “Good to know.”

  We turn a corner, away from the water. It’s quieter now, and just a little warmer, but still pleasant. The terrain continues to dip up and down, which tells me that the trip back isn’t going to be any easier than going in.

  Damn it.

  “I’ve only had the sleeve for about two years,” he says, just as I begin to think that he’ll ignore my request.

  “That’s not long.”

  “No,” he says simply.

  “Okay, I’ll pull teeth. What made you decide to get it?”

  “A woman.”

  “Ah, yes. A lot of men get tattoos thinking they’ll impress a woman.”

  “Some do, yes, but that wasn’t it.”

  I stop on the trail and take another sip of water. “What was it, then?”

  “She scarred me,” he replies simply. “And I decided to have the scars covered with the ink.” He points to his bicep. “But one led to another, and before I knew it, it covered my arm.”

  “I think there’s a story there,” I say finally and lead him further up the trail.

  “There’s always a story,” he says with a laugh. “But that’s the gist of it.”

  And that’s all he’s going to tell me because the rest isn’t any of my business.

  “How do you know Todd and Violet?” I ask, wanting to keep the conversation going.

  “I’ve known Todd since I was a boy,” he repl
ies. “He’s one of my dearest friends, and I trust him implicitly. And Violet is his sister.”

  “No kidding.” I frown. “They don’t look much alike.”

  “No, Todd was adopted,” Simon replies. “His wife just had a baby, otherwise she’d be here too.”

  “Oh, that’s so great.”

  “Do you like babies?”

  “Of course. I’m a red-blooded woman in my late twenties.”

  Simon smiles, a sadness in his eyes that makes me long to ask more questions, but suddenly he looks ahead.

  “We’re almost there,” he says. “You’ve so got this.”

  “I sure as fuck do,” I reply and push forward with more confidence than I feel. But suddenly, we walk through a wall of brush and onto a beach.

  “Holy shit,” I say and stop in my tracks and just let the view wash over me. The lake sits in a bowl, surrounded by tall, jagged mountains. Waterfalls cascade down from the tops of the peaks. I’m surrounded by green and blue and brown, and I’m simply stunned.

  “It takes my breath away every time,” Simon says quietly beside me.

  “I don’t know if I believe that it’s real,” I reply with a whisper. There are other hikers here already, sitting on the beach, or on rocks in the water, soaking up the sun. Children splash in the water.

  “Kids made it up here easier than me,” I remark, suddenly more embarrassed than before, but Simon nudges my shoulder and shakes his head.

  “You did great, Charly. You’ve never hiked something like this before. We have all day to enjoy the view and regroup before we head back out.”

  “Thank God,” I reply. “I’m going to just go for a walk since we’re no longer climbing up a freaking mountain.”

  “Good. Enjoy it. You won’t be able to miss us.” He nods over my shoulder and I turn to find Violet and Todd splashing each other in the water while Heidi looks on, laughing and encouraging them.

  “I’m glad I came,” I say, surprising myself. “I like you. All of you.”

  “We like you, too,” he says and drags his thumb down my cheek. “Are you feeling better?”

  “I am.” It’s the truth, but for some reason, I just need a little alone time. So I smile brightly and back out of his touch. “I won’t be long.”

  I walk in the opposite direction as the others and slip my shoes off, stuff the socks in them, and carry them as I let my hot feet soak in the cold water. It feels amazing, and I don’t even have to worry about a critter coming along to take my foot off for lunch.