“Don’t worry.” He grinned at Connor. “I have both radio and cell with me and the clinic doesn’t open for an hour.”
“Good.” Connor nodded. “You’re going to love what he’s set up in there NV. Have a good session.”
Savannah looked from Nicoletta’s burning face to Austin’s grinning one, her own face impassive. “Nice to meet you Nicoletta.”
Nicoletta forced another smile and walked with Austin out of the Lodge.
“How did you know I was going to see the new training center?” she asked as he released her to shove his hands into the pockets of his thick jacket.
“You’re an athlete. Figured it’d be the first thing you thought of when you woke this morning.” He eyed her speculatively. “And now you’re blushing even more.”
She was blushing because that so wasn’t the first thing she’d thought of and he damn well knew it. “I was embarrassed meeting Savannah. I don’t usually spy on people having sex,” she muttered. But that wasn’t the real reason for the blush either. It was all Austin.
“You could hardly see anything through that gap in the curtains anyway.”
Uh, she could see enough. “What does she do in Summerhill?”
“Works in a bar in the village.” Austin walked alongside her. “Connor wants her to work at the Lodge. They’re still negotiating. You still jealous?”
“Not of her specifically, no. I already explained that.” She breathed in the crisp air, but her face still felt like she could fry an egg on it.
They walked for a few minutes along the tree lined curving path that led from the magnificent Lodge to the town. It was a two minute ride in a truck, less than a ten minute walk. She needed the walk badly.
“So. New coach, huh? Why aren’t you in Europe getting on with it already?”
“She trusts me to begin prep on my own.” She still had a fortnight until she was into it properly—and she’d wanted these last two weeks to do her own thing.
“And where are your parents?”
She stiffened. “They’re in New Zealand, moved there permanently. They’re setting up an Academy in Queenstown.”
He nodded. “And that’s good?”
“Dad’s been my coach for most of my life. Now he can just be my father. And mom can just be mom.”
“I imagine that transition might have its challenges.” He glanced at her. “Big changes for everyone.”
“And that’s why they’re in Queenstown and I’m here.” She forced a smile. “I’m twenty-four years old Austin. Not a spoilt child anymore. I don’t need a chaperone.” She didn’t need to be told what to do. Not by her marketing manager mother or her ski coach father. For so long she’d been so ready to do whatever they’d said. But after the Brandon mess… it had been beyond time to break out. She might not know what she did want—but she knew what she didn’t.
“And now you’re drinking tequila and asking a man you don’t even like for sex. Because that’s very adult.”
“I never said I didn’t like you.”
“Yet you once screamed at me not to touch you.”
“I didn’t want you to touch me like that.” She glared at him. “And now you know why.”
“You waited almost a year to let me know that.”
“I have a very busy schedule.” She glanced away. The sky was lightening, bringing the spectacular scenery into view. “Maybe I haven’t handled a few things very well.”
“What do you want from me Nicoletta?” he asked bluntly.
“You know.”
“If I knew I wouldn’t be asking.”
That’s when her courage failed her.
She’d thought she could forget about him. That once he was out of her life—no longer in the squad and she no longer had to see him every day—that she’d get over it. A crush, right? Just lust. Hormones.
Trouble was it was more than hormones. She’d liked him. She’d liked the way he made everyone laugh. He put everyone at ease, diffused tensions with quick wit and that hint of wickedness in his smile. She saw the focus he had for his patients. The time he took with them and the determination to help his athletes perform to their very best.
But he’d looked right through her. He’d not seen her as anything but a prospective patient. And that had pissed her off. It wasn’t what she’d wanted from him at all.
She’d been warned he wasn’t up for any fooling around. He’d come from the juniors team and the younger ones there had said he flatly refused any advances. Damn good thing as most of those girls were under age. But she’d been arrogant enough to think she’d catch his eye. She was NV—used to being looked at. To people wanting something from her.
And she’d never felt want the way she did when she first met him. She’d ended it with Brandon within days of Austin’s arrival—only Brandon had needed to push back that public announcement until after his latest film release. And she’d agreed.
But Austin was the one thing she couldn’t have. Not in that situation. So she’d ended the situation. She just hadn’t realized the full ramifications of her refusal to work with him.
“I’m sorry about what happened last year,” she said gruffly. “I had no idea what it would mean when I refused to have you as my doctor.”
Austin didn’t look mollified. “So now you’re offering me your body in penance?”
Yeah, because one look across the bar was all it had taken to take her right back to Crush Street. But now she glared at him. He was clearly still pissed with her. Well she was still pissed with him for walking away from her last night. Right at the moment when she’d realized he did want her.
“Cat got your tongue?” he drawled, all sarcastic edge.
She stepped up to the challenge. “Alright Austin. It’s the morning. I’m sober. My tongue wants to lick, not talk. I still want to have sex with you.” She winced at her tone—so bald and unsexy and that bit broken.
For a second he just stared at her in silence. Then he huffed out a pained breath. “And we both have to go to work.”
“Not for another ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes?” He muttered something unintelligible.
“I don’t have time for a relationship. I spend most of the year on the road. I can’t get distracted.” That was the bottom line.
His eyes narrowed. “I never mentioned the word relationship.”
“Good,” she snapped awkwardly. “And I don’t want anyone to know about this.”
“Why?”
“They’ll make it a big deal.” She needed to keep it close. Precious. Not something for everyone to gossip about and tear apart.
“And it’s not?”
“It’s just sex. Right?” She glanced away from him. It had to be because it was all she could have at this stage in her life. “The modeling thing has gotten out of hand. The media interest that comes with it is too much. I’ve shut down all my social media accounts. I don’t want this tangled up in all that noise.”
“So we’ll stay secret to satisfy the sponsors. Got it,” he said bluntly.
It wasn’t about sponsors. It was about her privacy. About not having every aspect of herself available for public speculation and consumption.
He tilted her chin so she was forced to look up at him. “Any other rules you got?” he asked softly.
She shook her head and swallowed back her growing apprehension at the coldness of this ‘negotiation’. This wasn’t anything like what she’d expected. She had no freaking idea what she’d thought would happen when she saw him again but she’d hoped for more than this. She wanted more of that hot, outrageousness like his ice-cube action of last night.
“I’ve got some rules,” he said low and rough. “I got plenty of rules for you.”
“Oh?” She eyed him warily.
“You come every time. You scream my name every time.”
Shock hit her. Then a wave of heat. “Your ego needs that?”
“Yes,” he nodded somberly. “It does. And you tell me exactly
what you want in the dirtiest way you can think of.” He leaned closer, spoke quieter, but looked all the more dangerously wicked. “Then I’ll fuck you till you can’t take it any more. Not just the once, Nicoletta. This is no lame one night stand. Certainly not ten fucking minutes. This is days. The whole two weeks you’re in this town. We’re at it every which way, every night, until you can no longer stand upright on your damn skis and you’ll be leaving here for a month long holiday.”
Nicoletta struggled to breathe. That’s what she wanted. His recognition of this intense sexual attraction. That it was as undeniable and unstoppable for him as it was for her. Last night had lit the fuse and now it had to blow up between them.
Her pulse pounded. She turned to keep walking, because if she didn’t want anyone to know, she needed to get away from him right now. Before she gave in to her urges and did something filthy crude on the street.
He grabbed her arm and turned her back to face him, his eyes searing—seeing all. “You’re turned on now?” More statement than question.
“Yes,” she choked.
“You’re turned on just by seeing me?”
“Just by thinking of you,” she confessed.
He inhaled sharply and quickly released her arm as if touching her burned. “Then get through the day and come find me.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Austin stalked back to the Lodge. The magnificent building looked postcard perfect as always but he didn’t stop to appreciate its beauty, he just wanted to get to his apartment as quickly as possible. The day had dragged and his patience was shredded.
“You coming to the bar tonight, Doc?” Kyle, one of this season’s lift attendants caught up to him as he got to the main entrance.
“I’m not sure,” he muttered, stepping inside. It depended on whether Nicoletta showed up, or whether she chickened out. She’d better show or he’d have to hunt her down. His muscles bunched at the thought of the chase.
“You’ve got to.” Kyle said. “We need you, all the women want your bedside manner…”
Kyle’s banter became background buzz because Austin spotted Nicoletta sitting on one of the plush chairs in the foyer—still in her training gear, apparently reading something on her phone. She’d glanced up as soon as the porter opened the door for him and Kyle. Her blush deepened when she met his gaze. He paused for a split second. Stunned.
The Nicoletta Valeri he knew waited for no one, but here she was waiting for him. His skin seemed to shrink. He was so hard it hurt.
“Austin?”
“Sorry?” He quickly glanced away from Nicoletta and summoned a grin for Kyle. “I don’t think I can make it sorry. Got some work I need to see to tonight.”
“Damn.” Kyle grimaced.
“You’ll do okay.” Austin patted his shoulder with mock sympathy. Then he glanced at Nicoletta and jerked his head for her to follow.
He walked towards the elevator, not looking to see if she was with him. He was too close to the edge of his limits. But as the elevator pinged and the doors slid open he felt her presence. He waited for her to walk in ahead of him, but then stood as far away as possible while the elevator whisked them up to the fifth floor.
He was not touching her until they were utterly alone.
He walked down the corridor to his room, unlocked it and went in. But he left the door open. A few seconds later she followed, closing the door behind her and turning to face him.
Then there was nothing but silence.
Her chest rose and fell quickly, drawing his attention to her curves. The color in her cheeks was brighter than usual. He knew when he’d touched her last night that if he were to touch her again, there’d be no going back until they were both satisfied.
“Turn around,” he said abruptly.
Something flared in her eyes and for another second she just stared at him.
“Turn around.” He stared her out—wanting to know how far she was willing to go for this.
Her chin lifted, but slowly she turned her back to him.
He moved so he stood right behind her. She was unnaturally still, hyperaware of his nearness. Her hair was swept into an intricate plait that hung almost to her waist. She always wore it this way tucking it down her jacket when training and racing. He lifted the plait and removed the tie at the bottom, trying to regulate his breathing as he slowly unwove it until it hung in a soft, slightly curled swathe over her back. One fantasy checked off. So fucking beautiful.
He placed his hands on her waist and turned her to face him. She moved without much prompting, pleasing him. But fight shone in her eyes just as much as desire did.
“What do you need from me?” he asked.
“I have to spell it out again?” That fire kindled. “I’m an incredibly successful athlete and businesswoman. I don’t need anything from a man—”
“You already have your cake and you’re eating it,” he acknowledged dryly. “But you want the cherry on the top. You want the orgasms.”
“So you’re going to be my cherry?” Her eyes gleamed, that tension morphing back from anger to desire.
“You’re mine too.” He warned her. “My sweet treat after a long day at work.” He looked at her mouth again. “And I’m going to eat you.” So many times.
She drew in a visibly shaky breath. “You want me.”
“Many men do. You know your power.”
“Power?” She twisted her fingers together and pressed them to her chest. “You walked away easily enough last night.”
Was this a smidgeon of insecurity from her? Something tugged in his gut and honesty spilled out. “And had the worst sleep in my life because of it. But I wasn’t going to take up your offer when you’d been drinking. I know you don’t usually drink. And I know you don’t usually proposition men in bars.”
She was too restrained for that. Too focused. But it seemed right now she needed reassurance and she wanted passion. Fortunately both could be achieved with one decisive action.
“Brace yourself NV,” he muttered. “I’m not going to go easy on you.”
Her eyes widened, willingness and want gleamed in the bottomless deep brown.
His confined cock was so rigid it ached. Arousing her was so damn easy. Thank heaven he hadn’t known the truth last year, he’d never have been able to keep his distance.
“You’re going to fuck my brains out?” she asked hoarsely, deeper color washing over her cheeks.
Yeah. That’s what she wanted. Hard out passion from him. And it was what he’d wanted from her—dirty honest-voiced desire.
“And then some,” he promised.
She bit her lip but kept that beautiful face lifted to his. “So what are you waiting for?”
He gazed down at her, feeling an inordinate amount of pleasure at this moment of power… but she held power too and they both knew it. He couldn’t walk away from her. Couldn’t resist giving her what she sought. Just as she couldn’t walk from him.
They’d finally acknowledged it. And there was nothing left to do but deal with it.
He slammed his mouth over hers, swallowing her gasping groan. God her mouth was lush. Her tongue curled, seeking, but he was there first—swirling his into the sweet heat of her mouth. She tasted sweet and minty fresh and she was so full of energy. Her fingers clutched his shoulders. Her kiss quickly grew frantic and full and he couldn’t get enough already. He’d lick her all over soon, every secret part of her. But right now it was all he could do to French kiss the hell out of her, loving the access she granted him and the passionate, pent-up way she rubbed herself flush against his aching body.
He almost shook with need for her. But this was too fast. He wanted to savor it. Yet he was desperate to see her bared. To taste and take. With a groan he lifted the hem of her sleek training top up. She wriggled to help him extract her from it, then stood in her simple white bra.
“I don’t wear silk and lace when skiing,” she muttered apologetically glancing down at herself.
“Neither do
I,” he answered, distractedly tracing the swell of her breasts with the tips of his fingers. She was slim and strong and so much woman.
She giggled. “There’s the charming Dr Austin Beside Manner. Putting everyone at ease with wit and a smile.”
“I don’t think I want you at ease just yet.” He dropped to his knees, pushing the clinging fabric of her pants down her gorgeous legs and checking out the simple white cotton underwear beneath.
Part of him still wanted to make her pay for the torment she’d caused him. And it wasn’t just about the work—it was this nagging desire he’d been loaded with for so long. But there was one way he could make her pay—he could hold her off until she was begging. That’d do it. He ran his fingers up her silken, strong thighs. He bent closer and kissed that warm skin.
“Austin.”
He ignored the request in her voice, kept kissing his way slowly up to the apex of her thighs until he encountered those plain but pretty panties. His mouth watered.
“Austin.”
A breathy whisper and he couldn’t resist. He slipped his fingers through the elastic, tugged just enough for him to see a hint of her sex, enough for him to lick.
At her groan he moved that bit quicker, pulling the panties all the way down so she was bared before him. He nearly ground his teeth, trying to restrain his lust.
“Austin.”
How could the way she just said his name be enough to push him beyond the boundaries he’d tried to set for himself?
But he couldn’t resist. He bent close and kissed the ever-loving-fuck out of her hot, wet sex.
She rocked uncontrollably. He loved the taste of her, the passion in her voice, in her movements. And he couldn’t wait to see her come apart. He grabbed her hands, holding them hard against her hips as he sucked her clit hard, swiping his tongue over the top of it.
“Austin!”
She shook before him as the orgasm ripped through her. So quick. So intense. So not enough for him. She convulsed, bending towards him so he swiftly caught her in his arms. He stood and carried her through to his bedroom, placing her square in the center of his wide mattress.
He stepped back and quickly stripped, pleased when she sat up on her elbows to watch—her eyes huge and hungry on his body.
Blaze For Me (Be for Me Page 3