Last Resort Love

by Holly Cortelyou

  “Please think about me tonight and all tomorrow morning,” he said in a warm voice. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep at all.”

  He opened the sliding glass door of the guesthouse for her. In a daze, she slipped into the dim cottage. Shasta followed, and then Nick shut the door with a click and strolled back to his house. He stopped once and turned back to wave one last goodnight.

  Krissa trembled and hugged her arms across her body. Oh, how right she had been. Nick was definitely trouble. Her body buzzed and screamed that it had been two years since any man had touched her body. Well, Nick had certainly blown the cobwebs off her!

  There was no doubt that Nick revved up her motor, but should she really see him again? They were neighbors. With a little kissing on the side. Nice little extra benefits. He was probably selling his resort business and would almost never be in town. Surely that made him safe. Maybe she should just relax and have some fun.

  It wasn’t like she was getting serious about him. Marriage and kids were out of the question, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t spend time with a good-looking guy. Right?

  Chapter 16

  IT was a perfect day for a hike to the waterfalls. The sun blazed in a crystal blue sky, but the temperature was comfortable and neither Nick nor Krissa broke a sweat as they tramped along the woodland trail. Their path wound over gentle hills with only a few short, steep inclines. The forest was a glorious mix of blue spruces, deep green pines, and the paper white trunks of the fluttering aspens.

  With a quick glance around, Nick noted a huge half-buried boulder where the dirt track curved to the left. They were close now. He strained his ears for the first, telltale hint of the cascades. If he remembered right, they were almost there.

  “Hold on a second,” Nick said. “Take my hand and close your eyes.”

  Krissa stopped and looked up at him questioningly. Nick stretched his hand out and firmly clasped Krissa’s smaller one. It was cool and her skin was soft. They looked in each other’s eyes, and Nick laughed at the suspicious twist of her mouth.

  “Why?”

  “Come on, trust me! Shut your eyes. This is the best way to see what’s around this bend in the path,” Nick said.

  Nick saw a flash of indecision and then she relented.

  “Fine, but you’d better not push me over some cliff,” Krissa said with a laughing glare. “My dog will shred you to a thousand pieces and turn state’s evidence on you.” She closed her eyes with an exaggerated sigh.

  “You’ll be fine. We’re really close to the falls now,” Nick said. “Can you hear them?”

  Krissa paused.

  “You’re right! I can hear water crashing,” Krissa said. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice it before.”

  “Too busy watching where your feet were going,” Nick said as he gently tugged her hand. “Just take small steps. I won’t let anything happen to you. Trust me.”

  Krissa shuffled along behind him with Shasta a step behind on his leash.

  “I can hear it getting louder,” Krissa said. “How big are the falls?”

  “Patience, you’ll see in a minute.”

  Nick guided her around several tree roots and one medium boulder half-buried on the right edge of the pathway. They rounded the last bend in the trail and the full thunder of the falls assaulted their ears.

  “Keep those eyes closed,” Nick said.

  Nick led her out of the woods and into a small clearing at the base of the waterfall where the river fell into a frothy pool before snaking away again to another set of falls just out of sight.

  The air was filled with the roar of a river smashing over a thirty-foot drop of rocks and broken tree limbs; a swirling mist billowed up in a cloud. Nick looked back at Krissa and drew in his breath. Her face was tilted up and the dewy moisture clung to her cheeks and hair until she looked like a sparkling fairy emerging from the pines and into the sunshine. She was all serenity and peace.

  With her hand still clasped in his, he felt a small squeeze. She was ready. Nick pressed her hand in answer and Krissa opened her eyes.

  Nick was mesmerized by Krissa as she stared in wonder at the zig-zagging path of the river that careened from one outcrop of rocks to the next. Her mouth formed an “O” and then a delighted grin filled her face.

  They stood hand in hand as the ground trembled faintly with the force of the torrent and their bodies thrummed in harmony with its echoing rumble.

  Nick wasn’t sure how long they gazed at the power and beauty of the sight, but by the time he led Krissa back to the woodland trail, the sun was noticeably lower in the sky.

  They walked in a companionable silence as Nick guided them to the end of the path and a wildflower sprinkled meadow for their late afternoon picnic. Nick spread out a fleecy red, white, and green tartan patterned blanket as Krissa picked out carefully packed items from Nick’s backpack.

  As Shasta happily gnawed on a rawhide, Nick and Krissa feasted on crusty baguette, fresh fruit, and cheese that had kept fresh in a small chill bag. An easy breeze rippled through the waving grasses as birds chirruped and butterflies danced in lazy cartwheels.

  “It’s so amazing here. These mountains are perfection. I think I’ve found a home for my spirit,” Krissa said with a laugh. “I’m so glad you brought me here.”

  “This is my favorite place,” Nick said. “I’ve seen some spectacular monuments of Mother Nature all over the world, but nothing exceeds this.”

  “If you love it so much, why are you selling the resort?”

  Nick held up his hands in surrender. “You sound just like Dana. It’s a business decision. It’s not like I can’t come hiking here any old time that I want to. I still have my house by the lake.” Nick paused and took in Krissa’s expression.

  “Not to be rude, but I think you’re a sellout,” Krissa said with her chin in the air. “It’s a rare thing to have a place as special as the resort…and here it is smack dab in the middle of the crazy gorgeous Rockies. Snow, wildlife, skiing, hiking, waterfalls. You name it, I think it must be here.”

  “Strictly a business decision,” Nick replied in a firm tone, but a niggle of doubt tickled at the back of his brain.

  Krissa shook her head and dropped the subject, but Nick could tell she didn’t buy his story. With a teeny mental shrug, Nick wondered about his motivations. Was there some other way to buy his share of the partnership with TR Robinson? He’d gone over it every which way to Sunday, but there was no other way. Loans were unacceptable to the board. If he wanted a partnership, it was a cash only deal.

  Nick checked his watch and a sense of loss pinched at him.

  “You made me promise to get you back to the guest house by five, so we’d better get going.”

  Krissa made a face at him.

  “You’re right, work is calling,” she said. “My online munchkins need me.”

  As they stood up, Nick curved his arm around Krissa and pulled her close to his body.

  “We still have a little extra time,” Nick said with a wicked smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

  “For what?” Krissa said with an innocent batting of her eyelashes.

  Nick grinned, lowered his head, and nibbled a line of whispery kisses along the line of her neck. Krissa quivered in his arms. Her hands snaked around his neck and her breasts pressed into his chest. Her nipples tightened and Nick’s pulse jumped. He resisted the urge to grind her hips into his hardness and settled for crushing his lips on her soft, pliant mouth.

  Krissa’s fingers rippled through his hair and she pressed his head closer. Her tongue slipped between his lips and tickled and teased. Nick raised his head and looked into her eyes for a moment; he saw heat and passion. He moved his hands to cradle her face and let his thumbs caress the creamy smoothness of her cheeks.

  Their mouths fused in a union of fire and flame. Krissa hummed a note of pleasure deep in her throat and Nick moaned.

  They broke apart in a tangle of arms and short, hard breaths.r />
  Shasta barked and nuzzled in between them. Nick laughed, but it sounded a bit ragged even to his own ears.

  “Our chaperone says it’s time to leave,” Krissa said, but she let a hand linger on his chest, and her fingers lightly stroked the fabric of his shirt and the muscles beneath.

  Nick leaned in and claimed her mouth in a short, hard kiss.

  “Have dinner with me tomorrow,” Nick said.

  Nick could hear the command in his voice and then saw uncertainty in Krissa’s eyes. She looked defenseless. So vulnerable. Those eyes of hers. She needed protection from the world…and maybe guys like him. Was he being a jerk?

  “Please? Please, come dine with me?” he said in a softer tone. He waited. The cloud of hesitation cleared.

  “Yes,” she said and kneeled to pick up the blanket.

  An odd, awkward relief hit him, and Nick plucked the plaid fabric from Krissa’s hands and shook out the blanket as if to toss off the feeling.

  As they finished packing up and made their way back to the trail, Nick tried not to think about that sweet, vulnerable expression in Krissa’s eyes.

  No, he was all business and no nonsense. The only women he had a duty to protect were his sisters. Right? Krissa wasn’t any different from all the other women he’d dated or pursued.

  As they hiked back to his pickup with Krissa chattering about the flora and fauna, Nick laughed and rattled off a tour guide commentary, but a back corner of his mind chewed on the memory of Krissa’s lovely amber eyes looking up at him and asking for something…but he didn’t know what.

  Chapter 17

  WITH only the smallest of hesitations, Krissa knocked on the back French doors of Nick’s log home with Shasta by her side. It was six straight up and Krissa’s heart thudded uncomfortably.

  It had been the longest and yet the shortest day of her life. School had zoomed by, but she’d had a flurry of online student questions in the late afternoon that made her wonder if she was going to be able to make it over to Nick’s on time. She tried not to analyze why she was standing on Nick’s back patio.

  She knew she should be safely tucked away in the guest cottage and reading a good book or watching a movie by herself. But somehow, Nick’s kindness lured her closer. With a teensy shrug, Krissa blocked out the thoughts.

  “Hey, neighbor,” she called out as she tapped again.

  Nick welcomed her with a wide smile. He was wearing long khaki shorts and a soft cambric collared shirt. He looked tanned and gorgeous. She was glad she had dressed in a lavender sundress with a sweetheart neckline, thin straps and a flirty short skirt with a ruffle hem.

  “Hey, yourself,” Nick replied, and she felt his eyes running over her. She watched his smile turn to hot appreciation. She almost blushed and her pulse jumped.

  As she stepped into the great room, she crossed her fingers and hoped she knew what she was doing.

  “You look amazing,” Nick added. In two strides he was next to her and winding her into his arms. “I’ve been thinking about this nonstop.”

  Nick bent his head until his lips found hers in a melting caress of flame and desire. The kiss deepened. Her supple curves melded into his lean, strong muscles. Her hands slipped up his arms and his pulse thrummed under her fingertips.

  “It’s been on my mind too,” Krissa said softly.

  With his hand snuggly in the small of her back, Nick guided her to a high-backed barstool at the kitchen island. He poured two glasses of a pale, golden viognier from a local winery and pulled a plate of cheeses, olives, and salami from the fridge. Krissa nibbled and watched Nick assemble an assortment of greens and other fresh garden delectables.

  She stared at his long, tan fingers and capable hands as they chopped and diced. He seemed so capable. So funny and thoughtful. His niece and nephews adored him. He was clearly successful in his career. Oh yeah, and he was hot. There must be a fly in the ointment to all of his beguiling perfection.

  As she swirled her wine in an exaggerated circle in her glass, Krissa felt relaxed and a little sassy.

  “Well, Mr. Olin,” Krissa began, “Are you ready for twenty questions?”

  “I’m game. Fire away.”

  “Well, I already know where you were born and a little about your family and even your job, but I can’t quite figure out why you’re still unattached.”

  Nick laughed and continued dicing veggies for the salad.

  “Is that all you’ve got?”

  “No, I’m serious,” Krissa said. “What’s a guy like you doing still single and unattached? You seem normal,” she added doubtfully but with a playful smile dancing on her lips.

  “Normal as the next guy; whatever that means.” Nick grinned.

  “Huh,” Krissa said with squinched eyes and a wrinkled nose. “Your sister Dana says you’re a serial dater and are never serious about anyone.”

  Nick just grinned again and kept chopping. Krissa took a stab in the dark. “Are you carrying a torch for someone?”

  “Nope,” Nick said cheerfully as he dumped the cucumbers into the bowl.

  “Too busy with chasing down a partnership?” Krissa said as she kept her eyes steadily on him.

  “That’s been my focus,” Nick said. “I divide my time between the resort and hunting down properties that might be the next five-star tropical resort. I’m rarely in one place for long.”

  Krissa sipped a bit more golden wine and then popped a salty black olive into her mouth with her head cocked to one side.

  “That might be one reason, but I’m betting it’s something more,” Krissa said. “You aren’t volunteering any information, which makes me suspicious.”

  “I’m not sure there is anything I can add that won’t just be fuel for your suspicions.”

  “Ah, take the high road,” Krissa said. “Good tactic, but I’m not buying it. Now it seems like you are avoiding my line of questioning.” Krissa kept her tone light, but she was really curious now. Nick sipped his wine.

  “I don’t think you hate the institution of marriage,” she added. “You had good role models with your parents, and Dana and Brett seem really happy.”

  “True, I don’t lack for good role models,” he said with a mockingly sincere expression.

  Krissa stuck out her tongue at him. “Don’t make fun of me! I’m serious.”

  “Definitely persistent,” he said with a twist of his lips and held up his hands in surrender. “Well, Dr. Phil, you’re circling so close to my dark secret.” Nick paused dramatically and waved the knife in the air. “It all started in sixth grade. I had a terrible crush on my teacher, Miss Nittins.”

  Krissa leaned forward and silently encouraged him to keep talking.

  “I think she was just about your age and had hair long and wavy like yours—all of us were in love with Miss Nittins. That Christmas, all the teachers in the school district hosted their holiday party at my uncle’s lodge and I was there helping bus some tables. She seemed very jolly and lively—I think she must have been pretty lit with the punch. Well, she stumbled over a potted plant and started to do a nosedive into the Jell-O salads. Fortunately, I was nearby and I caught her in the nick of time—no pun intended.”

  Krissa crossed her arms and looked suspicious.

  “Miss Nittins rewarded me with a hearty smooch on my cheek and then a follow-up kiss on the top of my head. She raised her glass to her friends and exclaimed that she hadn’t spilled a drop. Well, I was smitten with Miss Nittins. She ruined me for all other women since, but I’m beginning to think I might have a thing for sixth grade teachers!”

  Nick looked archly at Krissa and blithely sprinkled croutons on their salads.

  Krissa threw a napkin at him. “You’re terrible!”

  “No, really. I had a huge crush on Miss Nittins. She was gorgeous and she sealed my fate with those two kisses. Just ask Dana. I was lovesick for the rest of the year. I won’t tell you about the disaster that I made out of Valentine’s Day for her.”

  Krissa laughed
. “Ok, now you have my attention. Give it up. What happened?”

  “Nope, I take that one to my grave.” He pretended to zip his lips, turn a key, and toss it away.

  “Hmmpff” was all Krissa would say, and then she sat down across from him and tried not to make eye contact—all offended dignity. Nick feigned an injured expression.

  “How come you don’t believe me? She was the love of my life…until seventh grade and Mimi Ross and the smoking hot crop top she wore all summer at the lake.”

  “Ruined life, indeed?”

  Nick guffawed and couldn’t maintain his wounded look. “Yeah, I got my first real kiss that summer…and then quite a few more from several girls. I was lifeguarding and that seemed to be the ticket for meeting girls.”

  “First Miss Nittins, then Mimi Ross, and then a long list of abandoned girls. See? I knew you had a problem.”

  They both laughed and dug into their salads and shared grisly tales of junior high school crushes. Krissa told him a little bit about her mother and brother and mentioned that her father had skipped out on them for the most part. With a few short sentences, Nick painted the picture of his idyllic childhood in Denver and long summers at the resort until his parents died in a car crash near his thirteenth birthday. He and his two sisters immediately moved to Wescott Springs full time under the care of their Uncle Ross and Paula Besston as their housekeeper, surrogate auntie and teenage secret keeper extraordinaire.

  As Nick smoothly told his story, Krissa watched for any emotion to creep through. She offered her sympathies, but Nick waved them off.

  “The hurt never really disappears,” Nick said. “I still catch myself trying to tell my dad some funny story or I catch a scent that reminds me of my mother’s cooking. The grief kind of becomes an old friend.” He paused. “But it was all a long time ago…”

  Nick’s voice faded for a moment before he launched into an amusing story of a fishing adventure with his dad and uncle.

  Krissa took his cue and dropped any more talk about his parents.

  “The resort sounds like an amazing place to grow up,” Krissa said. “A little more scope than the apartment complex with a poky kidney bean-shaped pool that I called home as a kid.” Krissa smiled to take any complaint out of her words.