The Winter Games

by Sharp, Dr. Rebecca

  “Well, that was delicious,” Shawn said what we were all thinking, leaning back in our chairs after scarfing down way too much food.

  He looked over to Marissa who lit up under his stare. “I think we’re going to go grab a drink at Breakers, if you want to join, man.” His gaze then shifted to Jac. “I know you have training and workouts and all kinds of stuff, so you’re more than welcome…”

  “Thank you,” she chimed in as he trailed off. “But I think I am going to head home. Getting good sleep is critical for me right now, but I appreciate your offer and it was so nice to finally meet you.”

  She stood as she spoke and the rest of us followed her lead.

  Wary blue eyes landed on me as she spoke again, “It was nice meeting yo—”

  “I’ll walk you to your car,” I interjected before informing the rest of the group. “I think I’m going to head out, too. Working two jobs tomorrow so I could use the rest.”

  I could feel the tension vibrating off Jac’s body as Marissa came around and hugged her goodbye, followed by Shawn.

  She was like a ticking time-bomb, counting down the seconds until they disappeared when she whipped around and exploded on me.

  “Thank you, but I don’t need an escort to my car. Have a good—”

  “It wasn’t a question, Jac,” I said, my lips tipping up with a grin.

  “If I say I don’t want you to, you can’t just follow me,” she bristled, her cheeks adorably dusted with pink.

  “It’s a public parking lot, you can’t stop me if I happen to be walking in the same direction… if I happen to make sure nothing unfortunate happens to you… there’s not much you can do about it.”

  “I could call security and tell them you’re stalking me.” She folded her arms.

  “You could.” I nodded. “But you won’t.”

  Her eyebrow arched.

  “Calling security is tantamount to admitting you can’t handle me on your own.” I chuckled. “And we both know you’d never admit to that.”

  The full pink flesh of her lips disappeared into a firm line of frustration when she couldn’t—wouldn’t disagree.

  “Plus, it would be a shame to have to explain to Marissa why you reported her new boyfriend’s friend when all he wanted was to make sure you make it to your car safely.”

  Her eyes glinted with displeasure—just like mine had the other night in the bar when this situation had been reversed.

  She stepped toward me and ground out, “As long as you know I can take care of myself.”

  I bent my head down dangerously close to hers, knowing she wouldn’t retreat. “And I know that water won’t make you melt, but it still doesn’t stop me from wanting to keep you dry, Cinderella.”

  With a muffled growl that might have covered a few curses underneath, she turned only to realize that I’d already pulled her jacket from the back of her chair and was now holding it up for her to slip her arms into.

  Blue flames danced in her eyes as she calmly accepted my gesture. My teeth clenched as it brought her warmth closer to me, practically within my arms. Close enough for me to be able to smell the vanilla mint in her hair and see the goosebumps that pricked at the back of her neck.

  Without making any further scene, I let her walk ahead of me out of the restaurant, preparing for the battle we were literally about to take outside.

  We took the stairs, I assumed because she didn’t want to be in an elevator alone with me. It was easy for me to keep up with her pace, instead, I chose to stay a step or two behind; Jac was already prepared to run, the last thing I wanted to do was make her feel like she was being chased.

  As we walked through the lobby, a group of four guys walked in, clearly having been drinking since the moment they stepped off the slopes. I watched as one of them did a double take on Jac before hitting his buddy’s arm. Shit. My body shot to high alert. She might have been able to put one giant down, but she couldn’t choke all four of them at once.

  “I-Is that Jackie Blanchard?” The speculation spread like any celebrity sighting did—like wildfire.

  “No way, no way.” They pointed and drunkenly slurred as we got closer. To her credit, she acted like there was nothing but air that occupied their gigantic waste of space.

  “Sabotage any skis lately?” the small bald one in the back yelled, not realizing how fucking loud he actually was.

  I jerked back.

  I had no idea what the hell he was talking about, but Jac definitely did. Her pace faltered ever so slightly, and I only noticed because it brought me that much closer to her.

  One question, no matter how loud, felt like it sucked the air out of the whole damn room.

  Without thinking, my hand reached forward, like a magnet drawn to the small of her back to offer her silent support.

  And then, with the practiced ease of someone who’s had to deal with this more times than she fucking deserved, Jac tipped her chin up and held her invisible ice-crown high as she continued to head for the exit like what they said didn’t matter.

  Meanwhile, I felt like I’d just watched one of those scenes from some Vin Diesel action movie or some shit like that where the good guy gets shot in the middle of a fight but barely flinches as he surges forward to save the day. Only once the battle is won do you realize he’s been mortally—or at least severely—injured.

  That was Jac. One question. A slight flinch. And any moment, I expected her to turn around with a bullet hole through her chest.

  “Who’s that you got with you?” The first one jeered, his attention following me as we reached the doors. “Careful pretty-boy. Fuck the Ice Princess and you might lose your cock to frostbite.”

  “Fucking asshole—” Both my hands clamped down on Jac’s waist as she went to stop and turn.

  She turned to fight for this… for me.

  “Leave it,” I growled next to her ear, meeting blue flames in her eyes before she whipped back around and shoved through the entry doors, escaping my hold and the douchebags who were smart enough to stay inside.

  The dry chill of the winter air whipped around us. It wasn’t snowing, but the snow from the dusting we got yesterday was so light that it blew up with the breeze, making it look like it was flurrying against the uneven warm lights illuminating the parking lot.

  I took a deep breath, the cold mixing with just a hint of mint that seemed to melt off of her in subtle waves.

  “What the hell was that about?” I couldn’t stop from asking when she didn’t say anything.

  Part of me really fucking wanted to go back in there and beat all of those fuckers until they’d never even be able to remember her name. The other part of me needed to follow what was most important right now—her.

  “You should listen to them,” she quipped, tipping her head over her shoulder to look at me. “Keep trying to be with me and you might lose your dick to the cold.”

  “Christ—” I swallowed down the rest of my expletives and offered her a tight smile. Two could play at that. “My dick’s pretty hearty—and cold was the last thing it felt buried inside you the other week.”

  Her cheeks reddened with surprise and anger but her eyes, those melted into a deep blue filled with desire.

  Her nostrils flared, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she whipped her head forward and continued to stalk through the frozen lot.

  “I appreciate your concern for my dick though,” I went on as I picked up my stride to close the space between us—space that was quickly losing the chill in the air as it was forced out by the heat and tension sparking between us.

  More icy silence.

  “So, we can either keep talking about how warm my dick is or you can tell me what the hell they were talking about when they asked about sabotaging skis,” I pressed.

  “Nothing,” she said flatly, pulling up the collar on her jacket to cover her neck as she walked toward the corner of the lot.

  “I don’t believe you,” I said tightly. “Whatever it was made me want to beat
the shit out of them for it.”

  And that was saying a lot for me. Some big guys are bullies. Most decent big guys know that with strength comes a certain amount of responsibility—namely not pummeling every fucker’s face that says or does something stupid.

  I’d never had a problem keeping it in check before Jac. Now, it felt like I’d damn near commit murder against anyone who hurt her, although, rightfully, I’d probably be second in line for the task after herself.

  “You’re ridiculous, Charming,” she shot over her shoulder, the wind whipping her shirt up along the top of her head. “Don’t think this means you’re getting any tonight just because you got me a new glass of water or walked me to my car.”

  I chuckled. It was like every time I did something nice, I defied her—I defied what she thought men were like, probably because of how someone had treated her. The thought of hurting that fucker had its perks. Then again, I found I enjoyed proving her wrong about me. And about herself.

  I wasn’t going to kill her with kindness.

  Maybe just kiss her with it. Again. Eventually.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it, Cinderella,” I replied smoothly, an easy smile widening across my face. “I’m pretty sure that only happens after you’ve already blackmailed me into taking you back to my place, so I think I’m safe.”

  I saw the lights on Marissa’s Jeep flash as it unlocked before Jac spun on me, the turquoise in her eyes glowing in anger.

  “It was only supposed to be one night. This… dinner… it doesn’t change anything. I wasn’t planning on seeing you again. I’m not going to see you again.”

  “And why is that?” I pressed, stepping closer to her.

  “No desire,” she said with a shrug. Her body, though, called her a liar. Flushed cheeks, hard tits, ragged breaths… they only happened when I got close.

  “You’re not a good liar, Jac,” I said softly, taking another careful step toward her.

  Her eyes watched me like she expected me to pounce.

  Slowly, carefully, I moved to her until there was hardly room for a snowflake to fit between us.

  “I’m not lying.” Even the waver in her voice mocked her words.

  The air hung heavy like a storm about to break. Heat and electricity danced together in a song sparking with desire. She did want me. She was afraid of wanting me. I didn’t want her fear, I wanted her fearless.

  “You are, Cinderella,” I murmured, seeing my breath fog and then disappear on her lips. “I see it in your eyes. I feel it in my chest.”

  Her eyes fluttered, lashes shadowing the crystal waters in her eyes.

  Like the ocean meets the shore, she could only pull so far away before her lips would touch mine again.

  The next thing I knew, my arm was jackknifed against my back and my chest was flush up against the cold hood of the Cherokee. Dammit. After the initial grunt of shock, I chuckled as she bent down next to me, resting one elbow on the hood while her other hand held my arm locked against my back.

  I could overpower her from this position. She didn’t have great leverage and my weight and strength could break her hold if I chose to. I didn’t though. I didn’t need to make her feel weak in order to make myself feel strong.

  “Want to tell me again how badly I want to kiss you?” she snapped breathlessly in my ear. I could hear the self-satisfied smirk in her tone; I’d inched too close and this was her relief that she’d been able to shove me away.

  “I was wrong,” I began slowly, breathing easier as my confession lightened her painful pressure on my arm.

  “Do tell, Charming,” she said, licking her lips before turning them up into a smile.

  Damn, I wanted to kiss her so bad right now.

  “I was wrong about you being a liar. I mean, you are a pretty bad liar,” I said with my cheek smashed awkwardly against the metal hood. “But where you take the gold, Cinderella, is in denial.”

  And just like that the smug victory smile on her face faded just like I’m sure Cinderella’s had the moment the clock struck midnight.

  “I mean, look at me… you had to physically restrain me in order to stop yourself from kissing me.”

  A second later my arm was free and she was opening the door to the car. Meanwhile, I felt a grin spread over my face.

  “Afraid kissing me will turn you into a pumpkin?” I asked, rolling my shoulder to try to relax it.

  She smirked. “I’m not afraid of anything.”

  My thumb brushed over my lips. “Then prove it.”

  She played to my weakness, my need to be the hero, the other night. Well now, I was playing to hers. Her downfall wasn’t thinking her mind was stronger than her heart. Her downfall was needing to prove it.

  If she was tied to me with the same invisible string that kept me watching her at the bar the night we met then she wouldn’t be able to walk away either.

  And she didn’t.

  The air seemed to swirl around us as she walked in front of me, gripped her hands into the lapels of my jacket, and pulled her lips to mine.

  Her lips were so damn soft even though her kiss wasn’t. She didn’t give me a peck on the mouth and turn away. She threw her all into the kiss, slanting her lips over mine and invading my mouth with her tongue.

  And I was waiting.

  Stroking, jabbing, invade and then retreat, our mouths fought where our words fell short. There was no corner left untouched. No warmth left unexplored.

  I kissed her to prove that this could be everything. She tore into my mouth to prove that it meant nothing.

  Groaning, my arms wrapped around her, my hands digging into the firm, muscled swells of her ass and pulling her tight against me and the hard ridge of my arousal. She could argue that it meant nothing, but there was no denying that her body felt something.

  Lifting her slightly, I had her up against the side of the car, her arms wrapped around my neck and her legs finding their way around my waist.

  After wondering if I’d imagined so many fucking things about that night, at least this, I now knew wasn’t a dream.

  The fire—the need that consumed me. Desire wasn’t the only thing between us, but it was the only sure tether I had to reach her. It was the only thing that showed the cracks in her armor—the ones I’d spend a lifetime trying to get through.

  She bit down hard on my lip before sucking it into her mouth. The tightness making my dick jerk against my pants and against her. Her hips rolled against mine, her heat grinding against my length.

  Fuck, it was insane how much I wanted this woman.

  “Would talking to me… letting me take you to dinner really kill you, Jac?” I rasped, our breaths labored and unsteady in the heat between us.

  She shivered, chilled by the thought of someone wanting more from her—wanting to be let inside her frozen shell.

  “Doesn’t matter because we’re not going to find out. I’m here for only one thing, Kyle,” she said with a low voice, her eyes sliding up to mine. “And it isn’t you.”

  She licked her lips like she was cleaning them to wipe any last trace of me that might be caught lingering.

  My growl rumbled down the length of the lot. I should have kept my distance but I couldn’t stop myself from stepping close to her one last time and muttering, “Just want to get to know you, Jac, that’s all. What we had was fucking magic. Don’t you think that deserves a closer look?”

  “Don’t,” she said harshly, the emotion in her eyes was a weapon alone, threatening and defensive. My warrior had learned the hard lesson long ago that close was something to protect herself from. I ached to show her that close was something beautiful to give herself over to.

  “You may be Prince Charming, Kyle, but you’re not my Prince Charming. Find a different princess. Find a different fairytale. A closer look at this one will show you that my crown is made of thorns and the only happily-ever-after my chest aches for is the giant gold one that hangs around my neck.”

  My jaw flexed as she climbed into the dri
ver’s seat, turning the Jeep on with hasty movements.

  “Our one night ends here. Don’t come looking for more,” she said with a voice that was hoarse and heavy with desire she couldn’t make disappear as quickly as she thought.

  I heard what she said, but I saw the longing in her eyes. She could survive on her own, that’s for damn sure, but there was a part of her that didn’t want to. It was the part that kissed me back like she was starving for affection—for the kind of love I would give her. And I wasn’t going to give up on that part.

  No matter how many times she came at me with swords drawn and a battle cry of solitude, I’d stand defenseless and take it all until the only thing left she had to give was the girl underneath it all.

  Stepping back, I grabbed the edge of the door and shut her in her Cherokee chariot. And I didn’t move from that spot until she was long gone from the parking lot.

  Jaclyn Blanchard might be the ice princess who ruled over the mountain, but she was about to learn that mountains were made to be conquered, and a princess could still be strong with Prince Charming by her side.

  TEN HOURS OF SLEEP DIDN’T matter if it was fitful and needy.

  It was my own fault for leaving my vibrator stashed in my suitcase out of spite—determined to prove that if I didn’t want to want him, I wouldn’t. Only now, I was groggy and unfulfilled and annoyed that I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I wanted to say the man didn’t understand the word ‘no’ but even in my anger I couldn’t bring myself to think that. There was a difference. Kyle was different.

  But I wasn’t. I couldn’t be different for him because different meant becoming vulnerable.

  I came. I skied. I conquered.

  I layered on gold medals not as trophies, but as armor. Shiny, reflective pieces to shield around the girl who had been too-trusting and too easily fooled into believing that fairytales existed for her.

  Even the guys who didn’t know about my past, it was impossible for them to want to look past the shiny gold plated over my chest. They looked at me and saw who they could be, the status and fame and wealth they could have being attached to my side.

  Kyle wasn’t that person. He was looking for the gold inside my chest not draped on it. But, at some point, he’d learn that my medals were the only thing of value on or in that vicinity.