by Tessa Clarke
Cade seemed to materialize out of nowhere, clothed and holding both sets of skis and poles and surveying her partial state of undress. She withdrew her fingers abruptly and returned all of her zippers to their closed state, her face flushed hot and crimson. She quickly pulled her goggles over her eyes so she wouldn’t have to meet his.
She accepted her skis and poles from him wordlessly and snapped into the skis. Cade did the same.
“Ready?” he asked. “Take it slow, please. I already know you’re the most amazing skier I’ve ever met. You’ve just slid halfway down the mountain, and the conditions aren’t great. You don’t have to prove anything to me. I’ll be right behind you.”
She felt her face go hot again, both at the surprise that he thought so highly of her skiing and at the horror that he thought she might be trying to prove something to him. But she nonetheless set off at a much slower pace than before.
The bottom of the hill was crowded with families and tourists hauling skis away to cars and lockers, parents shepherding children, and twenty-somethings planning their evening excursions. The mood was high and everyone’s face was bright with the excitement of another powder day ahead. Alissa just wished that she could be spending that powder day skiing with Cade. But she’d said no when he offered. She should have just paid him to spend the day with her.
She turned to find him right behind her. Closer than she expected. Probably just worried that she was about to keel over.
“Thanks for the great day, and for saving me,” she said, almost in a whisper that felt like a cry. She might never see him again.
“Thank you for the great day,” he said. Then his features sharpened. “What you saw on the hill. My shifting. I’d appreciate it if you don’t tell anybody. My employers… they don’t know. I know things are changing, but there’s still discrimination against shifters. I’d just rather…” he trailed off.
“Your secret is safe with me,” she said. “I’ll never tell.”
“Thanks,” he said simply, and then he turned and walked away. Her heart screamed after him. He looked back. “My offer still stands to go skiing tomorrow if you’re up to it. Since I’m off tomorrow, so I’ll probably be hitting the bar later tonight. Maybe I’ll see you there. Let me know if you change your mind.” Then he continued striding away from her before she could reply.
He was off tomorrow. Did that mean that he wanted to take her skiing as a date or as a friend? She still didn’t know. She watched his rangy form vanish amongst the other skiers and felt a loss already.
She turned and headed toward her condo, her skis over her shoulder.
In the shower, she soaped her generous breasts and ass, absorbing the heat and sensuousness of the steam and water. Her breasts were so sensitive that her nipples were erect almost immediately, she tweaked one of them and then ran her fingers in circles around it, imagining it was Cade, his hands, his mouth, his hard cock, pressing her against the wall of the shower. Then she didn’t hesitate. She allowed her fingers to slide in and out of her slick wet pussy, carrying her to the edge, until she cried out with pleasure and slammed her hand and throbbing body against the glass wall of the shower wanting more, wanting Cade to fill her and take her again and again.
Once out of the shower, she combed out her long damp hair in front of the mirror and tried to decide what to wear. She still had two hours before she was meeting the other guys at the bar. Cade had said he’d be there. This was enough to almost make her tremble and grow wet again in anticipation. Could she be bold enough to tell him that she wanted to ski with him the next day? That would require being bolder than she’d ever been before.
Alissa hauled out her cell phone and dialed Jolene. Jo was the more level-headed of her two friends. Zoey was fearless and would simply demand that Alissa go and tell Cade how she felt, or spend the night seducing him, although Alissa had to admit that neither suggestion was all that bad.
“Hey hon, how’s White Peaks?” Jolene’s husky voice came over the line.
Alissa paused, trying to decide how much to tell Jolene. “Good. I’ve met a guy. A super hot guy and he seems really nice too. He saved my life and he asked me to go skiing with him tomorrow.”
“Woo hoo!” Jolene cheered. “That’s awesome. But wait a second. Why do you sound a little sad?”
“Because I don’t know what to do, Jo.” Alissa almost wailed. “He’s too hot for words and he was my guide today, my paid guide. I don’t know if he’s asking me out or offering to guide me for money again tomorrow. So I said no. And, Jo… he’s a shifter.”
Alissa heard Jolene’s sudden intake of breath. It’s not like they were totally unaccustomed to shifters. Jo knew that Alissa had shifter blood, and of course Zoey was a full shifter lynx, which fit with her bouncy, curvy, and incredibly fit gymnastics body.
“What kind?”
“A panther.” Alissa thought of Cade’s muscled and sleek cat body and shivered. He was so handsome in both forms.
“A loner then. But he’s still going to be looking for his mate. Did you get a sense he was interested in you?”
“Yes, no… I don’t know. I felt him watching me, and he risked a lot to save me, but he’s so perfect. Why would he be interested in me?”
“Why wouldn’t he be interested in you? What would you say to one of your patients? You’re gorgeous, sexy, and smart, and I know you can ski the pants off of any man. Did you ask him if he expected money for taking you out tomorrow?”
Alissa smiled, imagining skiing the pants right off of Cade and what glorious things she might find beneath. Her pussy started to throb with desire again and she tried to focus back on what Jolene had said. “No, I didn’t. I just kind of freaked out and said no. I just don’t think I’m the kind of girl he likes. He probably likes jocks or skinny little ski bunnies.” She let the hotel robe fall open and studied her full breasts and rounded hips. Even though she was athletic enough, she was anything but skinny. She knew she counseled a lot of her patients that it didn’t matter that it was what was inside that counted, but she didn’t totally believe it.
“And that’s why he asked you to ski with him tomorrow,” Jolene said. “Are you going to see him again?”
“He said he was going to the bar tonight. And I’m going to go too. Some of the other guys we skied with asked me to join them.”
“Great. So when you see him in the bar tell him that you want to ski with him tomorrow.”
“What if he expects money?” Alissa’s fingers trailed down the curve of her breast.
“That’s his problem. Unless he asks for it up front, in which case you can tell him you misunderstood, I’d just assume it’s a date and go enjoy yourself.”
“And die of embarrassment when he asks for money.”
“He won’t, I promise,” Jolene said firmly.
“I don’t know,” Alissa said.
“Well at least wear something sexy to the bar. See how he acts around you. Then make your decision.”
“What if shifters are different though? I don’t know how he’d expect me to act.”
“Shifters are half human. They just have more instincts than the rest of us. And they’re way hotter and more loyal. If I had the chance at a shifter man, I wouldn’t even hesitate. Just be yourself and I know he’ll love you. Are you ready to have babies?”
“What?” Alissa said, caught off guard.
“That’s what shifters want. A family. Are you ready for that?”
Alissa’s eyes almost filled with tears and she thought of all her patients back at the hospital in Denver. She loved children and wanted nothing more than to have her own. “Yes,” she said. “Yes, I am.”
Alissa said goodbye and hung up. She’d call Zoey in the morning and give her the lowdown on what happened. She wanted to spend the rest of her time having a light bite to eat and making sure she looked perfect.
Chapter Six: Cade
Cade nursed his second beer slowly while he wa
ited for Dylan and Flynn to arrive. He hadn’t wanted to face the bar scene and the potential rejection by his mate alone. Since leaving Alissa, he’d thought about nothing other than her gorgeous eyes and ass, her sweet fresh scent, and the magic she could produce on skis. He wanted her bad. After showering, he’d dressed carefully in a button-up shirt, which he left unbuttoned at the top—revealing a generous view of chest muscle—and tight blue jeans, which didn’t hide the fact that he’d been hard for most of the last hour just thinking about her.
Dylan guffawed when Cade opened the door to let him in and clapped Cade on the back. “You got it bad buddy, all dressed up in your pick-up gear, then?”
Cade gave a low growl in response. “It’s her. I know it is.”
Dylan sobered up quickly, his scruffy blond hair askew over his handsome face. “Sorry, man. Don’t worry. It’s Dr. Dylan to the rescue. We’ll make sure this lady is putty in your hands by the end of the night.”
“Oh yeah? How do you plan to do that?”
“I’ll simply pepper her with stories all night about how great you are. How you almost won the senior division of the world freeski tour. How you’re the best ski pro on the mountain, constantly in demand. How you support your mother in her old age and read books to young children at the library.”
“I don’t read books to young children at the library.”
Dylan flipped his hands into the air with his usual impish grin and dimples. “Details, details.”
“Really, Dylan. Just let me handle this. You’re just along so I have someone to sit with. Just be there as back up, ‘kay?” Cade took a long hard swig of beer.
“As you wish,” Dylan walked past Cade, opened his fridge and withdrew a beer of his own.
“Help yourself,” Cade muttered.
“Always, buddy, always.”
They sat on Cade’s leather couch and waited for Flynn, who was chronically late because his cat-ski clients, especially the female variety, always wanted him to come to dinner with them and party into the night. But Flynn was the energizer bunny. He worked hard and played hard and was always up for a good party, which was why his job suited him so well, although Cade wondered what would happen when Flynn found a mate, especially if he mated with another shifter.
“Look at it this way,” Dylan said. “Even if you don’t have her yet, at least you’ve found your mate. I’ve been waiting forever to find mine. So you’re one step ahead now.”
Cade wanted to growl again, but he knew Dylan was right. It was just so terrifying knowing that you had found the one, but not knowing if they would return your feelings. The possibility of a lifetime without his mate yawned out before him in a more frightening and real way than it ever had before.
“Have you called your mother yet?”
Cade snorted. “Are you kidding? She’d be here before dawn and have the wedding caterer booked before noon.”
Dylan laughed appreciatively, and Cade steered the conversation to Dylan’s work as the medic for the ski patrol. Dylan was in fact a full-fledged doctor, but he’d given up hospital practice in favor of a more relaxed life on the mountains, at least until he found his mate and had cubs, he claimed. Neither of them were hurting for money because they all had shares in White Peaks and the resort had boomed over the last few years. In fact, Cade was pretty sure that Dylan was a multi-millionaire even though he dressed like a ski bum. Cade tried to listen appreciatively to Dylan’s listing of the number of rescues they’d performed on the hill that day. Everyone pushed their limits on powder days. Cade was just glad that Alissa hadn’t been one of the rescues.
He just had to get through tonight and show to Alissa that he was the one for her, without making a complete jackass of himself or punching any other guy in the face that dared to approach her.
Chapter Seven: Alissa
Alissa regarded her reflection in the mirror, fairly satisfied with the results. Her shiny long dark hair hung in perfect corkscrew waves and her amber eyes glowed sexily. Below the neck she was less pleased, but she had to admit that her long-sleeved black shirt with the plunging neckline hugged her breasts in a very flattering way, and her tight navy jeans left nothing to the imagination. If Cade didn’t like curvy women, it would be pretty obvious right away.
She took a deep breath, put on her white ski jacket, grabbed her key card and purse and headed down in the elevator. Once outside, she pulled up her hood to protect her hair in the softly falling snow.
The path to the lodge was well lit and full of other people coming and going from the bars and restaurants in the lodge area. Still Alissa was a bit nervous. For one thing, she’d decided to wear heels, which were none too stable in the snowy parking lot and for another, it seemed like someone was following her. She turned back and gasped when she saw Cade only a few feet away.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked sheepish.
“Sorry to startle you,” he said. “I was just heading over myself and wondered if you wanted to walk with me. I should have called your name.”
His eyes glowed luminous in the moonlight and given her wild and racy thoughts earlier, Alissa found herself parting her lips in anticipation of a kiss. She snapped them closed quickly. What was she thinking?
She smiled at Cade. “It’s okay. You can walk with me. I’m going pretty slow though because I was dumb enough to wear heels in the snow.”
Cade’s eyes snaked up her legs. Was it appreciatively, or did he think her a fool for wearing impractical footwear?
“In that case,” he said proffering an arm. “Why don’t you put your arm though mine and I’ll see that you make it there in one piece.”
Alissa did as suggested and the sparks of electricity that ran down her legs and arms when she touched Cade almost threatened to knock her over in a way that the ice hadn’t. They walked in near silence, Alissa pressing her body against Cade’s a few times when she nearly lost her footing and despite her weight, he held steady and kept her on her feet. After a while, she just focused on the puffs of Cade’s breath that hung, silky and white, in the air in front of his face.
She withdrew her arm as soon as they entered the building. He’d only offered his support on the ice, and his face was unreadable in the light of the lodge. Without his helmet and with a fresh shave, he looked even more smoldering than before.
The bar was packed and raucous, and the Utah boys, who must have been watching the door, rose to claim her immediately, leading her eagerly back to a small table for four on the edge of the dance floor. She looked back at Cade with fraught eyes when she saw how small the table was and he winked at her and gestured at a nearby table where two light-haired men, nearly as good looking as Cade, sat.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “My buddies are right there. You can come and join us for a drink if you like.”
Alissa felt like screaming as Cade walked away, but Jarod, looking not so bad himself in a tight black sweater and dark jeans, ushered her into a seat at their table and asked her what she wanted to drink. He was every bit as attractive as Cade, if not nearly as tall, with pale dun-colored wavy hair that fell over his ears in a messy sort of surfer mop. If she hadn’t met Cade, she might find him sexy, but as it was, she felt bereft without Cade, even though he sat only thirty feet away.
Leif and Sam started chatting away with her like old friends, while Jarod hurried off to get her drink, talking about the expected snowfall and reminding her that there was still time to book a spot on the cat-ski excursion tomorrow. She listened halfheartedly but her mind was still fixed on Cade. You can come and join us for a drink if you like, Cade had said. Was that an invitation? Should she go and sit with him and his buddies. Did she have the guts to? She had to finish the drink that Jarod was buying for her first. That was only polite.
Jarod had placed a second drink in front of her by the time a band dressed in flannel shirts and backwards ball caps started singing a lively tune and Alissa found herself having to concentrate to he
ar the scraps of conversation about skiing, powder, and mountain life. She smiled in the appropriate places, but her grin felt forced and she was already feeling a bit tipsy from the alcohol and the close and noisy quarters. Occasionally she darted looks over her shoulder at Cade, and always she found him watching her fixedly, a beer in his hand. The look was so intense it shook her down to her toes.
By partway through the band’s set, it had become apparent to Alissa that Jarod was interested in her. He’d already downed two drinks and brought her two, which she too had consumed, and he was now sitting very close to her and patted her thigh occasionally when he was making some point.
Normally Alissa would be flattered, but right now she was starting to get a bit panicked that Cade would think she was interested in Jarod, not him. She excused herself a couple of times to go to the washroom, trying to work up her courage to circle around and talk to Cade and his friends, but her bravado failed each time. When the band struck up a slow song, Jarod turned to her and smiled. “Want to dance?”
“Sure,” she said before she could think of what to say. Saying yes when a man asked her to dance was so engrained she didn’t know how not to. They rose and Jarod put a protective arm around her waist to guide her out onto the dance floor. Then he gave her a broad smile that almost bordered on a leer and pulled her in really close and started to dance, one hand on the small of her back. He smelled of trees and rain. It was a pleasant scent, but she wanted to be with Cade.