“Oh, my Groot. We’re up so high. So very high,” Tara squeaked. Seth was sitting right beside her with his strong arms wrapped around her. Her personal seat belt. So romantic. Yet, her freak-out kept climbing. “Are you sure you’re not defective?”
“Tara.”
When she turned to face him, he crushed his mouth against hers. One moment she was scared and the next moment, she wanted nothing more than to climb onto his lap. She opened her mouth wider to give his tongue easier access. She moaned softly. Then she was rudely—but gently—set apart from him.
“Ready to jump?” he asked in a husky voice.
“What are you talking about?” she said, completely confused why he’d stopped kissing her.
“We’re almost at the top.”
“What—oh.” She’d forgotten she was even on a lift. He’d kissed her to distract her from her fear. And boy, had it worked.
“Ready?” he asked again.
“Yeah. Sure. I’m ready.”
Then they dropped together onto solid ground. Well, not exactly solid. The snow was softer up here since they didn’t groom the slopes and fewer people ventured up this high. She loved how her skis sank into the powdery snow.
The air around them felt eerily calm. There were other skiers and boarders on the slopes, but their voices sounded far away and muted. The anxiety she’d felt moments before melted away, and anticipation raised goose bumps on her arms.
“Oh, Seth. It’s so beautiful here,” she whispered. The tall, viridescent trees behind them stretched to pierce the crisp blue sky, and the glistening powder down the slope cast a crystal-like glow to the entire picture. It was as serene and magical as a dormant snow globe.
“I knew you’d like it.” He chuckled softly. “Let’s take this one easy, so you can get a feel for it.”
“After I get a feel for it, I’m going to redeem myself and beat you to the bottom.”
“Sure, you will.” His smirk was all cocky arrogance. It was so annoying how much it turned her on.
“Yeah, you’re such a big, tough man that you managed to beat an intermediate skier by a few seconds.”
“What can I say? Winning is a thrill no matter how small the challenge.”
“I may not be able to beat you, but I’m going to be on your ass all day. You won’t be able to shake me off.”
“Promise?”
Grrr. He was infuriating. And oh so entertaining. With a delighted laugh, she pushed off ahead of him. Skiing down the pristine snow and challenging her skills was a sweet high. The air was colder up here and the wind stung her cheeks as she picked up speed. When it got too fast for her, she swerved left and right, drawing long zigzags on the snow.
Seth skied ahead of her but always slowed down and waited for her, so she never lost sight of him. Despite his insistence that she would love the diamond slopes, he was watching her carefully. She liked this protective side to him. She loved her parents and older brothers, but they sometimes made her feel claustrophobic with their overprotectiveness. Seth gave her space and didn’t hover, but still let her know he was there for her.
They skied the last stretch of snow side by side, and slid to the bottom of the hill together. Tara was breathless from the exertion and excitement. She threw herself into Seth’s arms, and hugged him tightly around his shoulders, not caring that their skis were tangled up.
“That was amazing.” Her voice was muffled by his jacket. “Let’s do it again.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to take a break first?” he asked as he untangled them before they toppled over.
“No way. Not even spiked hot chocolate can tempt me away.”
“And you’re up for another lift ride?”
“I found your strategy on the last ride very satisfactory.”
A wolfish grin spread across his face. “I think I could manage it again.”
As soon as her butt landed on the seat of the lift, Tara wrapped her arms around Seth’s neck and kissed him. There was no reason to wait until her panic rose. With a sexy chuckle that rumbled in his chest, he kissed her back like he meant it. His laughter turned to a groan when she traced his bottom lip with her tongue, and it was her turn to smile in satisfaction. She loved that she could make him desperate with a flick of her tongue.
This time, she pulled away from him as they approached the end of the ride. Seth tried to tug her back with a frustrated growl, but she gently pushed him away. “It’s time to get off.”
Seth shook his head as though he needed to clear it, and jumped off with her. The peaceful calm was broken by the raucous laughter of a group of teenage snowboarders. Tara shrugged. It was getting later in the day, so the hills were becoming a bit more crowded. The kids wouldn’t be a distraction once they started down the slope.
They pushed off without delay. Tara kept pace with Seth this time, the terrain a bit more familiar to her. He glided effortlessly beside her, as though skiing was as natural as walking to him. He was holding back so he could stay with her. She wanted him to enjoy himself as much as she was enjoying herself, so she picked up her poles and curled in on herself.
“Later,” she yelled and zoomed away.
“Not a chance.” Seth’s laughing voice reached her ears as he sped past her.
Happy that he was finally throwing himself in, Tara slowed down a bit so she wouldn’t smash into a tree.
It happened so fast she wasn’t quite sure what hit her. She knew she’d successfully avoided the trees, but then why was she lying flat on her back? Seth had apparently slowed down to wait for her because he was by her side immediately.
“Tara. Are you okay?” He clicked off his skis and knelt by her side.
“Yeah, I think so,” she managed to say.
When she heard someone groan to her side, she swerved her head to find one of the teenage boarders gathering herself off the ground. Tucking her snowboard under her arm, she walked over to Tara.
“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry. I slipped and the edge of my board caught your ski.”
Seth had her sitting up now, so she was able to answer with some dignity. “That’s all right. It was an accident.”
“I’m still sorry,” the teenager said.
“Ow,” Tara yelped and the that’s okay that had been on the tip of her tongue got waylaid in a cloud of pain. It felt as though a pair of metal clamps were attempting to crush her ankle and doing a decent job of it.
“Shit. I’m so sorry, Tara,” Seth ground out, sounding frustrated and angry with himself. “I need to remove your boot to see how badly you’re hurt. I don’t know if I can do it without hurting you. Can you hang on while I take it off?”
“Yes, I’ll hang on,” she said, bracing herself. If the pain she’d felt when he unlatched her ski was any indication, this was going to hurt like a bitch.
“I’ll help,” the girl volunteered and grabbed her right leg to steady it as Seth gently worked her boot off.
She couldn’t help it. She whimpered, biting down on her lip.
“Fuck,” Seth said, turning worried eyes to her. Then his continued efforts drew a moan out of her. He stopped immediately. “Fucking hell.”
“Oh, God. I’m so sorry,” the snowboarder said again, wringing her gloved hands.
“I’m okay. Keep going,” she said to Seth, setting her jaws to prepare herself.
Tara tried to stem the tide of tears streaming down her face. She didn’t want to upset Seth anymore, and the poor girl was near tears herself. She took a deep breath to stop herself from grimacing. When her boot was finally off, cold sweat drenched her face and back from enduring the pain.
“Goddammit,” Seth cursed under his breath. “Your ankle is too swollen for me to tell if it’s broken or not.”
“Crap,” Tara sighed. “We don’t have cell reception up here, right?”
“Right,” he confirmed, pulling off his beanie to run his hand through his hair. “I’ll have to go down to get the medics, but I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
“I can go.” They both turned to the girl. “I’ll go down and let the medics know. It’s the least I can do.”
“Thank you,” Seth said. “I really appreciate that.”
“Yeah, thank you,” Tara echoed, surprisingly relieved that he could stay with her.
“I’ll go down as fast as I can,” she said with determination on her face.
“No,” Seth and Tara yelled at once.
“No. Take your time and be safe.” Tara spoke calmly, hoping it would dampen the girl’s postcrash adrenaline. “We don’t want you to fall again.”
“Okay,” the girl said, deflating a little. “Bye. Don’t freeze to death or anything.”
With those reassuring words, the teenager shoved off on her snowboard and disappeared down the slope. Tara shifted her seat on the snow, then winced in pain.
“Dammit,” Seth growled as he shrugged off his backpack. “We need to get you more comfortable. Well, as comfortable as you can be sitting on the freezing snow with a possibly broken ankle.”
“Seth, look at me.” And when he did, she said, “I’ll be okay. It’s probably just a sprain. It’s not a big deal.”
“You wouldn’t have gotten hurt if I hadn’t dragged you up here.”
“What?” She rounded on him. “You didn’t drag me anywhere. I chose to come up here. The Ego has many sides, doesn’t it? This isn’t about you. It was just a freak accident.”
He stayed stubbornly mute as he lined up their skis perpendicular to the slope and gently shifted her so she sat on the skis. She was proud of herself for not making a peep while he moved her even though it hurt like hell. But she had to say something when he zipped off his jacket, and put in around her shoulders.
“What do you think you’re doing? You’re going to freeze.” She tried to shrug it off but he planted his hands firmly on her shoulders.
“I have an extra thermal shirt in my backpack. I’ll be fine.” His expression told her that he wasn’t going to change his mind, so she let him wrap his jacket around her. Once he put on his extra layer, Seth carefully placed his backpack under her injured leg to elevate it. The throbbing became slightly more bearable.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” he said glumly.
“Stop beating yourself up. My ankle hurts pretty bad and I don’t have the strength to argue with you right now.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Tara.” He knelt beside her and brushed her hair away from her face with cold fingers. Geez. He’d taken his gloves off to get her situated. The sweet—and unnecessary—gesture squeezed her heart.
“If you’re sorry, stop fussing. And put your gloves back on. Okay?”
“Okay.” He sat facing down the hill, so his back was supporting her side. “Lean on me.”
She leaned into his broad back and sighed. She was in pain and cold, but having him beside her made things not suck as bad. She might go as far as to say it bordered on nice. “This is kind of nice.”
“What?” He swiveled his head toward her, but she was hidden behind his back. “Did you hit your head, too?”
“No, I’m serious. This is the longest stretch of time we’ve ever spent together, and I haven’t killed you, yet. I say it bodes well for our remaining two dates.”
She felt his back tense against her, but his tone was light when he responded, “That really must be some sort of a record. Admit it. I’m growing on you, aren’t I?”
“Don’t try to sabotage the game. You know the rules. I’m not allowed to fall in love with you, so I can’t let you grow on me. I’m not taking any chances.” She was messing around with him, but it was also a good reminder not to let herself get too attached to him. With a mental shrug, she snuggled closer to his back. “I’ve just gotten more skilled at tolerating you.”
“You sweet talker,” he said dryly. “I tolerate you, too.”
He was proud of himself for not losing his shit at the emergency room. Every hospital staff member was working hard and doing their best to take care of all the patients, but they were just bombarded. After giving her some ibuprofen, they had Tara wait three hours to be x-rayed. She was in pain and tired, and it made him feel utterly helpless and furious that there wasn’t more he could do.
Once they got back to the hotel, they were both exhausted and hungry.
“I’m so relieved it isn’t broken,” Tara said, settling into the wheelchair he’d rented from the hotel. “Now all I want is some room service and a hot bath.”
Shit. He hadn’t mentioned to her that they’d be sharing a room tonight. It seemed like a sound plan when he booked the room, but now he wasn’t so sure.
“Tara, when you suggested an overnight trip, I had assumed—hoped—that we’d stay in the same room.” He paused to clear his throat. “Before you say anything, I wasn’t being completely presumptuous. There’s a sofa bed, if you’d rather have me sleep there.”
“I don’t think you’re presumptuous. That’s what I wanted, too,” she said with an adorable blush.
“Good. I’m glad.” He sighed with relief that Tara wasn’t offended, but at the same time, his body heated up at her words. Get yourself under control. With her injury, nothing was happening tonight. Which was a goddamn shame, but he wasn’t going to risk hurting her.
After checking in, he pulled Tara into their room, then stopped for a moment to orient himself. How could he make her more comfortable? “Do you want to sit in front of the fireplace, while I make you some tea?”
“Tea? I’m not sick, Seth. I just have a sprained ankle. Let’s have some coffee with Bailey’s. There must be some in the mini bar.”
He chuckled as some of the tension left his body. Since she didn’t voice any objections to sitting in front of the fire, he maneuvered the wheelchair to a plush chair by the fireplace and gently placed Tara on it. Then he pulled its twin chair close and lifted her injured leg onto it, placing a cushion under her foot.
“Comfy?” he asked.
“Yes. Thank you,” she said with her smiling face upturned toward him. He kissed her lightly because he couldn’t help himself, and stepped away.
“Coffee with Bailey’s coming right up.”
Once he finished making their drinks, he brought the steaming mugs to her and handed both to her. “Don’t get any ideas. One of them is mine.”
“Spoilsport.” She pouted.
He gingerly lifted her leg and sat down in the chair across from her and replaced her foot on his thigh. Reaching to retrieve his drink, he said, “Tsk-tsk. If you’re not good, I might not share the whiskey and hot chocolate.”
She grinned and took a sip of her drink. “Mmm. This hits the spot.”
“How does your ankle feel?” He placed his mug down by the fireplace and slowly peeled off her fuzzy hospital sock. Her ankle was still swollen to the size of her calf, and he frowned.
“The Motrin is really helping. I barely notice the throbbing,” she said cheerily, taking another sip of her adult beverage. “After this drink, I think I’ll be a happy camper.”
“You should have your bath once you’re finished. The front desk is sending up our bags, so you could change into something more comfortable after that.”
“Are you suggesting I slip into my lingerie for you?” Tara wiggled her eyebrows.
“Please try not to torture me. Put on the most modest, figure-obscuring clothing you have.”
“Party pooper.” She stuck out her tongue at him.
“There will be no parties tonight,” he said like a true party pooper, and wistfully stared at the tip of her red tongue. “You can’t even shift in your seat without wincing.”
“You can’t be serious.” Her eyes widened with disbelief. “I can handle it.”
“Oh, no you can’t, sweetheart,” he growled, letting his half-hooded eyes travel down her body.
Tara’s jaws went slack as she stared at him, her cheeks glowing pink. He bared his teeth in a wicked smile, quite pleased with himself. It was his turn to torment her a little. But before they could tease each other into a frenzy, they were interrupted by the arrival of their bags. Seth tipped the bellhop and closed the door behind him. Then he brought Tara’s duffel bag for her to sort through.
“I’ll get the water going for your bath.” He walked into the luxurious marbled bathroom with its Jacuzzi tub and separate shower. He raised his voice to be heard over the water. “You’re in luck. It’s a Jacuzzi tub. Do you want a bubble bath?”
“Ooh, that sounds heavenly,” she purred.
When Seth came out of the bathroom to get her, Tara was already standing on one foot, holding on to the back of the chair for balance. She hugged her change of clothes to her chest with her free arm.
“Can you help me get to the bathroom?” she asked.
“No, I’m just going to stand here and watch you army crawl over there.” She let go of the chair for a second to punch him in the arm. “Ow.”
“And I don’t want you carrying me there, either. Just let me lean on you and I’ll hop the few steps to the bathroom.”
“Sure, if you want the people below us to call the front desk for making a ruckus.” Ignoring her protests, Seth scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom. Then he described the game plan as though it were a simple matter. “There’s a vanity stool you can use to … um … undress, but the tub is pretty high, so you’re going to need help getting in there.”
“I can manage,” Tara said quickly, blushing to the roots of her hair. Was she embarrassed or majorly turned on by the thought of being carried by him with only a towel between them? He was hoping for the latter.
“You’re going to break your neck trying to hop around on one foot. Just put a towel around yourself when you’re ready, and I’ll perch you on the side of the tub.” And he wouldn’t be tempted to rip the towel off of her. Not at all. He settled her on the stool, and scowled when she gave him a narrow-eyed glare. His intentions were honorable. He couldn’t help the odd lustful thoughts here and there. He wasn’t dead after all. “I’m not trying to get you naked. I have some self-preservation instincts. Besides, I’ve already seen you naked, remember?”
“Now I do,” she groaned, planting her palm on her forehead. “Fine, fine. Go away. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”
He went outside and stood a couple feet from the door, so he didn’t feel like a lecherous creep but was still close enough to get to her in one bound if she needed help. There was some grunting and shuffling on the other side of the door, so Seth focused his mind on naming the capital cities of all the states, not her undressing progress.
“Ow, ow, ow,” she whimpered.
Shit. He was at the door in an instant with his hand on the handle. “Tara? Are you okay? Do you want me to come in?”
“No! It just hurt a little to pull my foot out of my ski pants. I’m fine now. Give me two more minutes before you burst in here.”
He growled with frustration. If he’d helped her, she wouldn’t have hurt herself getting her foot out of her pants. Seth wished they were already at the point in their relationship where he could help her undress and get her in the bath without all these obstacles. But they only had two dates left then he would be leaving for Paris. Rather than the usual excitement and anticipation, he felt something akin to regret at the thought. Why did he have to leave for Paris so soon? Because he had an incredible job he couldn’t pass up, and a promising future ahead of him.
With an impatient sigh, he raked his fingers through his hair. They weren’t in a real relationship. They were playing a game. But was he just playing a game with her? Shit. Acid filled his stomach at the unavoidable truth. He wanted more. More time. More than a game. More Tara.
“Okay. I’m ready,” she said quietly from the other side of the door.
Pushing aside his troubling thoughts, Seth took a deep, steadying breath and let himself into the bathroom. The hair she’d braided for skiing now fell in waves down her naked shoulders. The towel covered her from her chest to her knees, but so much glorious skin was laid bare for his perusal. Fuck. She wasn’t displaying her nakedness for him to admire. She was waiting to be carried to her bath.
He cautiously lifted her into his arms, making sure he didn’t jostle her injured foot. “You all right?”
“Mm-hmm,” she said, not meeting his eyes.
That was a wise decision. Their faces were only inches apart, and if she turned toward him, he didn’t know if he had the willpower to resist kissing her. He set her down on the tiles that surrounded the whirlpool tub. Now all she had to do was pivot on her bottom and slide into the tub.
“Okay. You’re all set.” Seth took a step back and then another to put distance between them, because she looked criminally beautiful perched on the corner of the tub. “I would offer to bring you another drink, but I don’t want you drowning in the bubbles.”
“Haha. I’ll be fine.” When his worried gaze lingered on her, she continued, “Seriously, shoo. You don’t need to stand guard.”
“Don’t try to get out on your own,” he warned again, terrified that she might slip and smash her head somewhere. “Call me when you’re done.”
“All right. All right. Stop with the fussing,” she said, but there was a smile behind her voice.
Seth closed the door, tempted to lock it behind him. But he wouldn’t be able to get inside again to help her, so he was just going to have to rely on his self-control not to bust in there and jump into the tub with her. He paced the small expanse of their one-bedroom suite like a caged predator to work off some of his restless energy. Even in his teenage years, he’d never felt this kind of suffocating sexual frustration before. His skin felt stretched so tight around him that he could imagine himself bursting out of his body like a fucking werewolf.
He stomped to the kitchen and poured himself a tall glass of ice water to cool himself off. He chugged it down all at once and was rewarded with a brain freeze, but at least he didn’t feel quite as overheated.
“Seth?” Her lovely voice reached his ears from far away.
Muttering to himself while pacing back and forth sure made time fly. A good twenty minutes had passed. “Yeah, I’m coming.”
In front of the bathroom door, he shook out his arms while he shuffled his feet like a boxer. When he was somewhat in control of himself, he entered the bathroom and promptly wanted to walk back out. She was up to her neck in bubbles with her wet hair piled on top of her head and cheeks rosy from the warm water. She looked like a fucking cupcake, and—God—he wanted to eat her up. How the hell was he going to keep his hands off of her tonight?
“Can you come stand here and hold your arms out for me?” she asked in a tiny voice. “And please close your eyes.”
He rolled up his sleeves as he walked to her, and stood with his eyes closed as wet, slippery hands gripped his arms and pulled. Her arms slid against his forearm as she pulled herself up higher. Just a little longer. You can’t possibly die from a hard-on.
“Eek!” she squeaked and wobbled with a splash.
Seth’s hands wrapped around her instinctively to steady her. By some miracle, his eyes were still shut. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She sounded breathless.
Only after confirming that she was okay did Seth realize the placement of his hands. He’d hooked his hands under her arms, and the edge of his palms were grazing the sides of her breasts. Fuuuck. In a low growl worthy of a werewolf, he said, “Can you grab your towel?”
“Yeah. Got it.”
“Can you wrap it around yourself?”
“Done.”
He finally opened his eyes and glared at her. She stared back at him with giant eyes. He unceremoniously lifted her out of the tub and set her down on the vanity chair. After handing her an extra towel, he walked out of the bathroom without another word. He was a fucking stone Buddha for resisting the temptation known as Tara.