He demonstrated how to start it up and made sure she was sitting a good distance from the handlebars before handing her a helmet. Then he climbed onto his own snowmobile.
“Thanks.” She adjusted the strap and snapped the plastic latch into place.
“When we get started, you’ll need to give it a lot of gas to get moving. On the turns, you’ll want to steer it like a bike. Turning left, lean left. Take a minute to lean so you can get a feel for how far you can safely go. If you feel the ski begin to lift, you’ve gone too far.”
He waited while she did as instructed, her face set in determined concentration. The same crease he noticed when he’d seen her working formed between her eyes. He admired her focus and wondered if he’d ever get tired of looking at her. He sincerely doubted it.
She returned to her starting position and waited for him to continue. “It’ll be easy to turn once we’re moving at a good speed, but you’ll have to work at it initially. Any questions?”
“How fast can this thing go?” She grinned at him and then lowered her goggles.
He followed suit and then started to move. He gained speed slowly, always keeping Lizbeth in his periphery line of sight to make sure she was handling her machine okay. Her adventurous spirit was shining through, something else he admired about her. So far, she was able to match him move for move.
It was time to pick up the pace.
Slicing through the packed snow, the wind grabbing greedily at any exposed skin, they made their way to the open field a little over two miles from the cabin. When they broke through the final tree line and into the open space, they took turns taking the lead and weaving back and forth in front of each other. She flew past him in a blur of black, and her laughter carried on the wind, beckoning him. He pumped the throttle and took off after her. He had to admit she was a damn fine rider. She handled her machine with the skill of someone who had been riding for years.
After several turns around the field, he slowed and waited as she pulled to a stop beside him. Her nose was pink from the cold, and her chest rose and fell with exertion, but she was smiling. He glanced around the open field covered in their tracks while she caught her breath. “Do you want to take some pictures?”
“Great idea.” She pulled at the strap across her chest and unsnapped her bag.
As she stripped off her gloves and pushed her goggles back onto her head, he studied her. She deftly handled her camera and gazed around the landscape stretched out before them, her photographer’s eye weighing the potential for a good shot. “Hey, Jonas?”
“Yeah?”
She didn’t say a word; she just snapped a picture of him. He lowered his head and continued to smile as he looked to the side. He heard the camera click again, and then she laughed beside him.
“Okay, okay that’s enough. I didn’t bring you out here to take pictures of me.”
“But you have amazing bone structure.” She laughed again and then climbed off her snowmobile. “Trust me, I’m a professional.”
He shook his head and watched her as she adjusted her camera strap and began to wander around the field. First, aiming her camera at the forest with the mountains as a backdrop and then later, as she walked to the edge of the woods and snapped close-ups of parts of nature.
A wolf howled in the distance, its cries answered by another. Both far enough away Jonas remained unconcerned. At least this time they weren’t near the house. He turned his attention back to Lizbeth who was now heading back to him.
“Should we be worried?” She nodded her head in the direction of the howls.
“No, they’re pretty far away.”
“Ready to head back? Make some lunch?” She put her camera away and then started her ride. “Last one back has to cook.” When the last word was out of her mouth, she took off, leaving him in the snow.
He could hear her laughter as he closed the distance between them. She glanced back at him, her smile visible and contagious. He added more speed and flew past her, his own laughter mixing in the wind with hers. As they raced down the trail, the woods remained deserted around them until finally the cabin came into view. Lizbeth put on a final burst of speed and maneuvered around him, but her lead was short-lived. Jonas cut his steering to the right and passed her at the last moment before he pulled a sharp turn and brought his snowmobile to a stop. She attempted to imitate his move, but her sharp turn worked against her and sent her flying off her seat and into the snow.
Jonas leapt into action, his hands sweating inside his gloves. He leaned over her body, her dark curls fanned out across the snow, and yanked off his gloves. As he reached for her, she erupted with laughter.
“Well, that wasn’t as graceful as I intended.” She continued to laugh, but this time Jonas didn’t join in.
He could feel his face twist into a mask of anger as he tried to regain control of his budding fury. Teeth ground together, he stormed into the house. His chest heaved as he stripped off his coat and boots. He walked to the fireplace and stared into the dying embers, the final image of his friend’s bloodied face swimming before his eyes. He’d forgotten for a few minutes. Just a few minutes of happiness and look what happened. He’d nearly gotten someone else killed.
A soft hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he turned. Lizbeth stood before him, her confused expression and unasked question staring back at him. She was alive. She was right in front of him.
“I’m sorry,” he began, struggling to find the right words to explain his strange behavior. “I thought you were hurt. I shouldn’t have raced with you that way. You’re new to riding, and I...”
She cut him off by resting her finger on his lips. “I’m fine.”
“But I should’ve known better.” He ran a hand through his hair and avoided her eyes.
“You don’t have to take care of me.”
“But I do. It’s my job to take care of people. It was my job to take care of him, and I failed.”
“Jonas, stop. Take a deep breath. You’re here now with me.” She rested her hands on his shoulders and locked her eyes on his, forcing him to look at her. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
His chest continued to rise and fall as he struggled not to drown in his memories and guilt. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her against him as though she were his life raft and kissed her with an intensity he didn’t know he possessed.
Chapter Six
The sunlight filled the room around them as they clung to each other in front of the fireplace. The emotions she had struggled with were finally silenced as her desire for Jonas overpowered everything else. She slid her hands under his sweater and found the hard lines of his body waiting. His stomach muscles quivered under her touch. His mouth moved from her mouth, along her jaw and then down the side of her neck. She trailed her fingers up his sides and around to his back. Her head was dizzy with the scent of him.
She pulled back and stared, each of them desperate for air. His eyes were dark with need, and she was sure her own heated cheeks reflected his. The moment hung suspended in time between them, each understanding this was their chance to stop anything from happening. Lizbeth didn’t want to stop. She would deal with the consequences when they came.
She placed her mouth on his, a silent acknowledgement of what she wanted, before deepening the kiss. He responded in return, taking the time to kiss each of her lips and then gently coaxing them apart so he could taste her first, gently and then more forcefully. She grabbed the hem of his shirt, and he raised his arms, allowing her to yank it over his head and toss it to the floor. His hands slid inside her shirt, and he ran his thumbs over her ribs as his fingers massaged her back. A moan escaped her, and she struggled against him, desperate for him to touch her more, touch her everywhere. She’d never wanted a man’s hands on her the way she did his.
He hefted her up, her legs gripping his waist, and he carried her down the hallway and into his bedroom. Even with the windows, the light was dimmer in his room, casting shadows over h
is skin that she couldn’t stop touching. He sat on the bed, Lizbeth still straddling his waist, and he pulled her shirt over her head, revealing her creamy lace bra. He lowered his face, and her head fell back as he brushed her chest with soft kisses. In one swift movement, he stood and laid her on her back on the bed. The sheets were cool against her skin.
She watched his broad shoulders as he moved over her and stripped away what was left of her clothes. The star symbol of the army decorated one of his shoulders, and a smaller one of the Caduceus was on the other. She traced the dark ink with the tip of her finger. Then he pulled away and stood. The lines of his stomach were displayed before her, dipping into a perfect V at his hips. She watched his muscles move and bunch as he stripped away the rest of his clothes. Passion pulsated through her as she looked at his body, and she felt his as he lowered himself down to her.
They moved together, studying, searching and discovering each other as the sun rose higher in the sky. The earlier worries and sadness were gone. He moved against her and then with her as she wrapped her legs around him once again. They took each other over the edge, into a place where no one else existed.
* * * *
The room was dark when she woke with her face resting against Jonas’ shoulder. The warmth of his skin pressed against hers where her knee rested across his body. She sighed and began to trace the lines of his chest with her fingertip, the same way she’d done with his tattoos. She wished she had her camera. She wanted to take him with her. No matter where she went next or what she did, she wanted him with her, even if it was only a picture.
“That tickles.” His voice was thick with sleep.
She smiled again, then tilted her head back to look at him. He smiled down at her and ran his fingers over her hair, causing her heart to swell. “I owe you lunch.”
“It’s more like dinner now.”
She looked out the windows at the dark sky and saw snow falling silently. “Dinner then,” she said. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “I’ll be right back.” She pecked him on the lips and moved away quickly, leaving his hand to fall away. She didn’t want to give him the chance to really touch her. If she did, they’d never eat.
Grabbing one of his shirts from a chair, she glanced toward Jonas tucked snugly under the white down comforter, smiled, then slipped down the hall. His shirt hung loosely over her frame, making her feel small as it grazed the top of her thighs. She turned on the music and sang as she moved around the kitchen.
“Have yourself a merry little Christmas...” Her song trailed off into a hum as she grabbed two waters from the refrigerator and set them on the counter next to their turkey sandwiches.
She grabbed the stacked plates, water and with a skip in her step, turned the light off in the kitchen. The lights on the Christmas tree caught her eye, and she inhaled its comforting scent as she passed through the den. Her body felt used in the best possible way, and it purred as she thought about Jonas’s hands and the way his mouth felt on hers. She was eager to get back to bed. In fact, she didn’t care if she ever left the bed again.
When she opened the bedroom door, shadows danced around the room as flames flickered in the fireplace.
He pushed himself up against the pillows when she entered. “Looks good.”
“I am a master sandwich maker.” She grinned and dropped down beside him.
“I meant you in my shirt.” He reached out and hooked a finger in the neck of his shirt to pull her face to his. They kissed, lips brushing lightly and then wielding together with more force as the moments passed.
“Oh no.” She placed a hand on his chest. “Food first.”
He grinned. “You’re probably right. Gotta keep up our strength.”
They ate, then set the plates aside so they could be closer. They were greedy for each other. And she didn’t mind. She wanted to be with him every possible moment until she had to leave, which was set for the day after Christmas.
“Where’s home?”
He twisted one of her curls around his finger and let it drop. “My parents are in Denver, so that’s where I’m going to be.”
“So you can get setup with the cabin building business?”
“Yeah. My brother’s family lives out there, too, so it makes sense.”
Sadness tugged at her, but she sighed and pushed it away.
“What about you? Where’s the apartment you barely live in?”
“North Carolina.”
“Is your mom there, too?”
“No. She’s in Texas.” She held her breath and waited for the question she knew was coming next.
“Why North Carolina? You like the area?”
She inhaled and huddled closer to him. She didn’t want to get into the gory details of her past love life, but Jonas had been honest with her about why he was at the cabin, a much more trying situation, so she figured she owed him the truth. “I moved there with my fiancé.”
His hand fell away from her shoulder.
She sat up and looked at him, her hand on his face. “He isn’t my fiancé now, but he was up until last year.”
Jonas rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. “What happened?”
“Josh was working on his residency at a nearby hospital.” She leaned away from Jonas and rubbed her hands over her arms as she stared into the fire. “I was working. A week in Prague, a week in Alaska, you know, always traveling. He knew that about me going in. I mean, it’s how we met. I was shooting a spread to be featured in a medical journal, and he was there. Anyway, he always acted supportive, but one night we were having dinner after I had been gone on a particularly long assignment, and he said he was ready to get married so I would be home. He was tired of me being gone all the time, even though he all but lived at the hospital.” Lizbeth paused to take a breath. “What he wanted was for me to be sitting at home so when he breezed through I would be there waiting. A regular little Suzy homemaker. Ready to accompany him to charity events and make him dinner, but not with a life of my own.
“I’ve been taking pictures since my dad gave me my first Polaroid camera when I turned ten. Taking pictures is part of me. It’s more than what I do, it’s who I am.” She glanced back at him with pleading eyes, as though she could make him understand. Then she turned back to the fire. “I thought he understood that about me, but he didn’t. He didn’t really know me. We fought about it constantly. I even debated on whether I was being selfish and thought about just shooting weddings or something, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
“That’s not selfish.” The richness of Jonas’s voice soothed her, and when he pulled her back against his chest, her muscles relaxed.
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
“So what happened in the end?”
“One day he said that if I left for the assignment I was slated for he didn’t want to see me when I came back. It was my work or him.”
“I can guess what your decision was.” He rubbed his hand up and down her arm lazily, giving her comfort with his simple gesture.
“I don’t respond well to ultimatums.” She turned to Jonas. “I left my ring on the counter. I didn’t return to the states for a month. When I got back, he’d moved out of our apartment, and I haven’t seen him since.”
“I’m sorry, Lizbeth. Sorry you had to go through that. He should’ve understood.”
“It’s in the past. Maybe it’s just meant to be me and my camera.” She forced a smile.
He gently rubbed a thumb over one of her cheeks. “Surely you don’t believe that?”
She sighed and let her shoulders rise and fall. “I won’t change who I am for anyone.”
“And you shouldn’t have to.”
Chapter Seven
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. She deserved to be loved and accepted. Everyone did. She didn’t have to choose one over the other, or at least she didn’t have to for him. As he explored her mouth with his, her body responded with openness and longing. His hands slid down
her sides, and he squeezed her hips. A sigh escaped her lips as she climbed on top of him, leaving him on his back with her rising over him. Her skin shone in the light and smelled of him and something feminine he couldn’t place. She smelled like Lizbeth. His Lizbeth. He didn’t want to let her go, but he would never ask her to be someone she wasn’t.
She moved over him and rose above him, her hair cascading down her back. He held onto her hips and moved with her as she clung to him and forced thoughts of the past away. She drove them until their bodies were rigid with pleasure, and she collapsed beside him.
He rolled onto his side and gazed down at her. He stroked the back of his fingers down her chest and over her nipple. Even satiated in pleasure, her body responded, and she reached for him.
“Lie back, and let me love you.”
She nodded, and let her arms fall over her head onto the pillow.
“This night is only for us. Push the past away, Lizbeth. This time you will feel loved.” He took his time and made sure to kiss and caress every part of her. No woman had ever been loved more. By the time he rose over her to push them both to their breaking point, she cried out his name and begged him to take her.
He drove into her and didn’t stop until she let out a feral sound mirroring his own. They lay sprawled together in a heap of limbs and satisfaction. As their breaths slowed and sleep began to pull them under, he stroked her cheek gently.
“Merry Christmas, Lizbeth.”
She sighed and placed a light kiss on his shoulder. “Merry Christmas, Jonas.”
* * * *
He adjusted his chair and rotated the wood on his router table to make his final cut. Pleased with his work, he unclasped the frame and prepared to glue the final piece into place. His eyes cut to his watch. By his estimation, he only had about an hour before she would awake. He smiled as he thought of the way she looked in his bed. Peaceful and warm, fitting.
That asshole Josh’s loss had been his gain, and now that Lizbeth had entered his life, he had no intention of letting her go. She was fun, smart, caring and beautiful. Any man would be lucky to have her. He wouldn’t take her for granted.
Frozen: A Winter Romance Anthology Page 21