TWO DAYS LATER—THURSDAY—CAROLINA was still on the mattress, but this time she was fully clothed and sitting cross-legged against the pillows. Wincing at the tenderness in her thighs, she leaned forward and moved her heaping pile of Monopoly money to the side so she could stretch her legs.
Jake, lying across the foot of the bed, glared at her and shook his head. “I don’t see how you’re winning. You’re completely disorganized.” He straightened the slim rows of money in front of him.
She smiled patronizingly at him. “I just go by instinct. I play from the heart.”
“If you had a heart you wouldn’t have swallowed up my hotels like a piranha,” he grumbled.
“I like being on top.” She chuckled.
He shook his head again, but this time it was with a teasing smile. “I know you do.”
“You love it.” She ran her fingers through her hair, still damp from a shower.
He winked at her and shook the dice in his hand. “I’d be a fool not to. But let’s just see if I can get on top.”
She sighed. “That sounds appealing, but couldn’t we take a break? I need some fresh air.”
“No.” He rolled the dice between his fingers and peered down at the board.
“Come on! It’s not snowing at the moment. It’s just cold.”
“That may be, but it’s warm in here.” Jake looked up, his gaze matching his words.
Her stomach flipped over in response, and she licked her bottom lip. It had been less than an hour since they’d been locked in each other’s arms. How could he want her again so soon? And why was she even contemplating it, since they’d spent so much time in so many different positions that she ached in too many places to count? At least two days in bed with him hadn’t left her heart aching. She hadn’t had time to examine her feelings, and that was a welcome relief.
But despite the soreness in her body, she gazed back at his amazing green eyes and fresh desire began to unwind between her thighs. She slid the Monopoly board to the side. “Game over.”
“Game just starting,” he murmured, rolling to his knees.
She leaned back against the pillows and let her head fall back as Jake’s hands trailed up her thighs. He parted them.
She winced.
He stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m a little sore,” she admitted.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He sat back on his heels, frowning. “A little while ago—”
“A little while ago, I could barely think. That thing you did with your tongue . . .” She shivered and reached up to trail her palm down his jaw. “I want you.”
“No.”
“What?”
“No way. I’m not going to make lo . . . going to . . . I wouldn’t be able to take any pleasure knowing you were in pain. I’m not a sadist, for God’s sake.” He glanced away from her and got off the bed.
She looked at his turned back. Had he almost said make love? He had. Her stomach flipped over again and she sat up, her mind already beginning to analyze his comment. Was he developing feelings for her? Did he . . .
Shut up, she told herself. Don’t think. Just feel.
“You’re not a sadist. What we both need is a break from this damn cabin. Look out the window.”
Jake complied, pulling back the curtain and raising the blinds. “I’m looking.”
“Is there a blizzard?”
“No. But it’s really windy.”
She rolled her eyes at his back. “Hardly life-threatening conditions.”
He sighed. “Fine, but it’s going to be dark soon. We’ll go out for twenty minutes.”
“We can’t build a snowman in twenty minutes!”
He turned around. “Who said anything about building a snowman?”
“You just heard me, didn’t you? Let’s go.” She hopped off the bed and darted into the living room for her boots.
Jake stomped after her. “We go when I say we go,” he muttered. But he dug through his duffel quickly, and within a couple of minutes, he was dressed for the weather. Well . . . overdressed.
“Come on, Abominable Snow-Jake.” She grinned at him and wound a scarf around her neck. “If you don’t want to build a snowman, we can at least have a snowball fight. I’ll beat you, of course.”
He grinned back. “Oh, honey.”
“Honey?”
“You have no idea what I’m capable of with a projectable missile.”
She blinked. “You do realize what you just said, right?”
He grimaced. “Oh, that.”
She patted the front of his snow pants. “Yeah. That. What were you talking about?”
“Baseball.” He swatted at her hand, which had been starting to grope, and walked to the alarm pad by the front door to key in the security code. “Wait there.”
She waited, but couldn’t resist asking. “Baseball?”
He nodded and glanced over his shoulder. “I played all through college—pitched for the University of Texas.”
“Oh, wow. And I’m assuming you were pretty good?”
He shrugged. “My senior year I was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.”
“But you didn’t sign?” Her eyes widened.
“Nope. Missouri’s too cold.” His answer was flippant, and he laughed as he gave it. The warning to leave the subject alone couldn’t have been clearer.
“Okay,” She returned his laugh and he nodded, turning back to the door, tugging on the knob. It opened with a crackling noise. Standing to the side, he peered out for a long moment and then nodded again. “All clear.”
Carolina followed him, breathing deeply when she stepped onto the snow-packed porch. “Oh, thank God. The air in the cabin is as dry as a bone.”
Next to her, Jake stood motionless, his eyes darting around the clearing. “How about we go see your friend, Regina?”
“Jake. You don’t want to see her. You just want me behind bulletproof glass,” Carolina said with a sigh. “So . . . no. We’ll be safe if we stay near the porch here, right?”
After a moment, he nodded. “Okay. But stay close to me.”
That wouldn’t be a problem. Even with the huge expanse of the snowy valley and the mountains soaring all around, she didn’t want to be anywhere far from him. He was like an addiction. He was . . . she shook herself. “Let’s see that throwing arm.”
He glanced at her and then stomped down the steps. At the bottom, he waded through knee-deep snow and then awkwardly scooped up a handful in his Michelin-man gloves.
“Just watch.”
She stayed on the porch. “I’m watching.”
Rolling the snow into a ball, Jake pointed to a lopsided old bird feeder sitting on the top of a rusted pole. It was on the edge of the property. “I’m going to hit that.”
“No, you’re not.” She laughed.
“Yeah?” In one quick motion, he wound up and sent the snowball sailing. It smacked into the bird feeder, which rocked for a few seconds and then flopped sideways, swinging in the breeze.
“Oh, shit,” Jake muttered.
“Shit,” she echoed. Her breath swirled in front of her, and she waved the cloud away before picking her way down the steps. “I stand corrected.”
“I didn’t mean to vandalize the presidential bird house.” He glanced at her, his eyes wide with dismay.
She burst out laughing. “That old thing was here when my dad bought the place. I doubt he’s ever given it a glance.” She elbowed him. “Do it again. Knock it off the pole.”
“Hell, no.”
“Chicken.”
Jake scooped up another snowball. “I’ll stick to things I can’t destroy.” He pointed at a fencepost beyond the bird feeder. “That.” He let loose another lightning-fast throw and hit the top of the post squarely.
“Good one. But I’m still going to call you a chicken.” She grabbed him around the middle.
Jake pried her hands away. “You think so?” He grinned and made another snowball. “I’d run if I were you.”
She took the challenge, running, or rather—wading, scooping up snow as she went. Mushing it into a ball, she turned sideways and lobbed it at him. It hit him in the face.
“Oh! I didn’t mean—”
“I see how you are. This is war.” He shook the snow from his nose and advanced on her, a snowball in each hand.
“You have an unfair advantage,” she protested, grabbing more snow.
“So? You started it.” He chuckled, a cloud of breath obscuring his face for a moment.
She threw, and this time, the snowball landed near his crotch.
“Oh!” She repeated. “My aim is terrible. I was going for your—”
A snowball exploded onto her stomach and she screeched. “Damn, Jake. Could you throw that any harder?”
“Of course.” He laughed again. “But I’m not a show off.”
“Really? Not even a little bit?”
“Okay, a little bit.” He dropped his snowball and walked toward her, holding out his arms.
She waded into them, wrapping her arms around his back, smiling up at his handsome face. “You sure you don’t want to obliterate that bird feeder?”
“Oh, I do. But there are other things I’d like to do a lot more.” His head dipped down.
“Like what?” she whispered.
“Like this.” He angled his lips across hers and kissed her.
He’d kissed her countless times, but still, a thrill shot up her spine and she melted into him. Let her mouth open to his heat, let herself crave more. More. As much of him as she could get.
Take it while you can. You only have four more days.
Carolina ignored the voice in her head and slid her hands up over his shoulders. When his tongue slid into her mouth, she stumbled backward. He caught her, tightening his hold, deepening the kiss.
But a second later, he ripped his lips away and shoved her to the ground, squatting in front of her, drawing his gun. “Don’t move.”
She gasped, her gaze darting around the clearing. “What—”
Before she could finish her question, Jake relaxed. “It’s just Regina.”
“Where?” Carolina peered around his bulky coat. “Oh.”
Standing in front of her tiny cabin, the older woman waved and then trundled forward on snow shoes. “What are you two up to?” she called out.
It was pretty obvious what they’d been up to. Carolina shot Jake an apprehensive glance, but his face was calm. He had the Secret Service mask on. Inside, though, she bet he was a ball of anxiety. Even if it had been just Regina that had snagged them kissing, it wasn’t good. Not at all.
Carolina cleared her throat. “Getting fresh air. What are you doing?” she called back.
Panting, Regina struggled forward and when she’d reached them, she looked first at Jake, and then at Carolina. Nodding, she pursed her prune lips. “Whatever I was doing is positively boring compared to your fun.”
“Ma’am . . .” Jake began.
“Well, just don’t squat there like a caveman. Help your girl up,” Regina interrupted.
“She’s not—”
“I’m not . . .” Carolina said quickly.
Regina’s frosty blue eyes twinkled. “Excuse me, but, bullshit.” She laughed. “And you ought to know by now, Carolina, that I wouldn’t say a word. I’m insulted to learn that you think I would.”
Carolina grabbed Jake’s outstretched hand and let him pull her to her feet. “Regina, I didn’t say anything.”
“The look on your face was sheer terror,” the woman said with a huff. She pointed at Jake. “Yours was worse.”
Incredibly, Jake grinned at her. “It’s my job to be alert.”
“Hmph.” Regina crossed her arms over her bright pink snowsuit. “You’re both invited to lunch tomorrow. Noon.”
Carolina smiled. “How nice.”
Jake didn’t comment. He just looked up at the darkening sky.
“We’ll see how nice you think I am after I’ve taken a look at your photos.” Regina smiled back at Carolina. “You have been taking photos, haven’t you?”
The last photo Carolina had taken had been of Jake wrapped in the Justin Timberlake blanket. She laughed. “Kind of.”
Regina shook her head. “Well get busy. I can’t mentor you if you don’t have any material.” With a sharp nod, she turned awkwardly and started back toward her house.
When she was out of earshot, Carolina turned to Jake. “Oops.”
He didn’t comment, but the smile he gave her almost melted the snow from under her feet. Tugging on her hand, he waded toward the cabin.
“You’re not going to freak out?” she asked.
“Secret Service agents don’t freak out.”
“But she caught us kissing.”
He propelled her up the porch steps. “And she’s not going to tell anyone.”
“Okay. I’m just worried that you—”
“Quit worrying.” Jake guided her inside the warm cabin and shut the door. He pulled off his gloves and keyed in the alarm code. “We have five days left, Carolina. I don’t want to spend them worrying.”
Before she could respond, he cradled her face in his hands and kissed her again. This time it was slow. Deliberately seductive, but laced with tenderness. And though there was no snow to melt under her feet from his kiss, her melting heart was another story. It was melting at an alarming rate, and if there was anything to worry about, that was it.
She pulled away slowly, her eyes still closed.
“Carolina?”
“Hmm?”
“Want to finish the Monopoly game?”
Her eyes popped open and she grinned. “You can’t stand the thought of losing, can you?”
“It’s not that. I know that we both enjoy the game.” Jake shrugged and began to remove his coat.
“Hmm,” she repeated, except this time it wasn’t a question. “There have to be things we both enjoy other than Monopoly and . . . you know.”
“Movies?” he suggested.
“Yeah.” She pulled off her hat and gloves. “But everyone loves movies.” Her face brightened. “I think I could guess what you’re nerdy about.”
Jake frowned as he sat on the edge of the coffee table to pull off his snow boots. “Me? I’m not nerdy about anything.”
“Everyone’s nerdy, Mister Cool. You know what I love?”
“What?”
Carolina set her boots next to his and slid onto his lap. “Old stuff. Museums. Historic houses.”
Jake’s eyebrows rose a fraction and she saw the surprised pleasure in his eyes. “Really?” he asked, his voice not quite disbelieving.
“A-ha!” She shook her head. “You love them, too. I knew it.”
He shrugged again. “What gave you that idea?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that while we were playing Monopoly you told me that sometimes you tour old houses for sale just for the hell of it.”
“I see.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Have you been to Mount Vernon?”
“You’re thinking of putting an offer in on Mount Vernon?” She laughed.
Jake began tickling her. “No. It’s my favorite one. Old house, that is,” he clarified.
“Mount Vernon is awesome, but my favorite is Monticello.” She gasped as his fingers crept toward the curves of her breasts.
He rolled his eyes. “Monticello is overrated.”
“No way.” Slapping his hands away, she got up and pulled her laptop from the kitchen counter. “I want to show you something. There’s this old house a couple of blocks off DuPont Circle that I’m in love with. It’s only a dollar.”
Jake laughed and stood up. “A complete rehab, right?” He sat on the sofa and threw his arm over the back. “I think I know which one you’re talking about, but show me.”
She snuggled next to him and flipped open the laptop lid. The messenger icon was blinking. “Damn,” she muttered. “It’s probably my sister. I guess I ought to talk to her. She’s texted me about skyping with her a bunch of times, but I’ve . . .” She trailed off and shook her head.
“You’ve . . .?”
She glanced at him and then back at the screen. What was she supposed to say? That she’d been so consumed with Jake that she’d ignored her family? Because, she had.
“Talk to her.” Jake removed his arm. “I’ll go upstairs.”
“No, don’t. She can wait.” Carolina leaned toward his chest, but it wasn’t there anymore. He was already walking toward the steps. “Okay, then.”
“Sorry.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “But you know I shouldn’t be your human pillow while you’re video chatting with your family.”
“Of course I know that. But feel free to come back down—you don’t have to hide up there like a troll.”
“Troll? Honey, the only troll upstairs will be that scary doll sitting on a shelf in the corner of the bedroom.” He gave a mock shudder and went up the stairs.
“Whatever,” she called after him, and giggling, she clicked open Skype. There was a message from Virginia, who was available to talk, and Carolina hit video call. A few seconds later, her sister’s heart-shaped face filled the screen, her perfectly red lips raised in a smile. Carolina turned the volume up. “Ginny, how are you? How are things in the Big Apple?”
“I’m fine! But what about you? I’ve been trying to call you for days.”
“I know, and I’m sorry, but I had to get settled at the cabin. Before that, I was busy avoiding the media. Beating them away with a club is not my idea of fun.”
Virginia shook her head. “You should have called me in. I would have set them straight in two seconds.”
Carolina smiled back. Her sister would have made it worse, probably. Virginia loved the spotlight. “You’re like a dog on a bone.”
“Nice. So I’m a pit bull? That’s how you think of me?”
“Better than a doormat.” Carolina laughed.
Virginia held up a finger. “You’re not a doormat. Roger’s a complete loser.”
“I wasn’t talking about myself. I kicked him to the curb, Ginny. It’s over.”
“You’ve sworn off men, is that right?”
Carolina felt heat creep into her face. “Will you quit putting words into my mouth? No, I haven’t sworn off men. Roger didn’t mean enough to me to be that upset about what happened. So . . . I’m just . . . here. Hanging out at the cabin.”
With Jake.
She could feel her lips starting to curve up in a smile, so she coughed into her hand and gave a firm nod, hoping her sister’s bat-like bullshit radar was malfunctioning.
It wasn’t, because Virginia’s eyes went wide. “Oh, my God. What are you up to?”
Right then, the steps creaked as Jake jogged down toward the kitchen. He wore a tight T-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms. Carolina’s throat constricted and she swung the laptop toward the windows so the screen was facing away from Jake. “Nothing,” she muttered. “I’m not—”
“Who’s on your detail? Is it that hottie? What’s his name? Jake, right?”
“Uh, yeah.” Carolina’s fingers fumbled on the mouse as she tried to turn down the volume, but before she could Virginia let out a knowing laugh.
“He’s inside the cabin right now, isn’t he? You look like a deer in the headlights, just so you know.”
“Ginny, you’re exhausting.”
Why the hell wouldn’t the mouse work? Carolina glanced up at Jake, who was peering into the refrigerator.
“No, I’m not. But I’ll bet he is. Wouldn’t it be fun to find out?” Virginia laughed again. “You ought to let him jump your bones.”
In the kitchen, Jake let out a soft snort and Carolina’s head jerked up.
He stood there, holding a gallon of milk, staring at her. Then his lips curved into a smile as he plunked the plastic jug on the counter top. A few seconds later, his shoulders were shaking.
She glared at him. “It’s not funny.”
“What’s not funny?” Virginia asked.
Shit!
Carolina returned her gaze to the screen. “Nothing. Hang on.” She concentrated on moving the little arrow across the screen until she’d managed to turn down the volume.
“What was that I heard in the background?” Virginia asked.
Closing her eyes, Carolina let out a breath. “Ginny, I’m not playing your detective games right now. Can I call you later?”
“Will you actually have time?”
Carolina swallowed and leaned close to the microphone. “No,” she mouthed, not bothering to hide her sheepish smile.
“Good.” Virginia kissed two fingers and crossed them. “And good luck. Talk to you another day, okay? Love you.”
Carolina gave her a grateful smile. “Love you too.” She shut the lid of the computer and set it on the cushion next to her. Glancing at the flames in the fireplace, she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “So . . . anyway.”
Jake burst into laughter.
“I can’t believe you think that was funny.” She drew her knees up. “Why aren’t you freaking out?”
“Secret Service agents don’t freak. Besides, your sister is only speculating. I’ve met her a few times. She’s not the gossipy type.” His voice was casual.
Virginia might be loud and ask way too many questions, but she was incredibly perceptive. She knew. But Jake was right; she wouldn’t say a word.
“Okay.” Carolina stood up and stretched. “I’ll get us a snack.”
“I got it. Stay put. Better yet . . . why don’t you pull out the sofa?” He gave her a devilish grin.
“Yeah?” She grinned back. “Why is that?”
He propped the broom against the counter. “I was thinking of jumping your bones.”
“Really? Sounds like fun.” She watched as he walked slowly into the living room and when he pulled his shirt over his head, her breath caught. “A lot of fun.”
With a growl, Jake reached for her.