by J. H. Croix
Cam didn’t miss a beat. “That I do.” He nodded in Owen’s direction. “Gage claims Owen beat me down the mountain.”
Ivy’s gaze swung to him, her eyes widening slightly. She didn’t appear to have noticed him until then. Her eyes bounced back to Cam, a sly smile stretching across her face. “Nice to know someone can beat you.”
Owen couldn’t help the heat that rose within at the sight of Ivy’s smile. The effect she had on him was ridiculous. He shifted his shoulders, disconcerted by his reaction to her. He preferred to feel in control. With Ivy, well, he felt the opposite most of the time.
Cam chuckled and punched her lightly in the shoulder. He turned toward the sprawling deck behind the lodge. “Meet you inside for some food in a bit?”
Ivy nodded. “I’ll go drag Ginger in.”
Cam caught Owen’s eyes. “How about you join us for a bit? Delia makes a killer hot cider.”
“Have you had Delia’s cider yet?” Gage asked.
“Can’t say I have. I also don’t know who Delia is.”
“How did I miss that you’ve been skiing here since last winter and never once ate in the restaurant?” Gage asked. “Seriously, not because I’m trying to sell something—in fact, it’s on me if you decide to stop in this afternoon—but you can’t miss Delia’s cider and cooking. She runs the restaurant…”
“And makes the lodge restaurant my absolute favorite place to eat!” Ivy added, nodding firmly.
“Right, that about says it,” Gage finished.
Owen found himself sliding into a booth in the lodge restaurant a few minutes later. Truth was, he’d never even been past the reception area in the ski lodge. He glanced around the restaurant. A wall of windows offered a wide open view of the slopes and mountains surrounding the ski lodge. The restaurant had booths along the inside walls with tables in the center of the room. With exposed beams and hardwood floors, the restaurant felt like, well, a lodge. The décor was simple with crisp white tablecloths serving as a contrast to the wood surfaces, lending itself to a comfortable and homey space.
Somehow he’d ended up seated beside Ivy, which was an instantaneous combination of pleasure and pain. He was taut with need and fighting back a hard on, all because she happened to be sitting beside him. Cam sat across from him with his arm slung over the woman Owen presumed to be Ginger. Gage had tugged a chair up at the end of the booth and was talking with Don Peters whom Owen had met in passing. Just as Don turned away, Gage nudged Owen’s shoulder. “You’ve met Don, right?”
Don’s weathered face brightened with his smile. “Course he has. He helped me a few months ago when the damn lift broke up on the mountain.”
“Delia is Don’s daughter, the one who makes the amazing cider,” Gage added.
Don chuckled. “If you haven’t had that, you’d best try some.” With a nod, he ambled away, pushing through the swinging door that led to the kitchen.
Owen couldn’t say how, but he made it through the unexpectedly social afternoon without a hitch. It helped that everyone there was easy to be around, minus the constant delectable distraction of Ivy. Aside from that inconvenient challenge, she was pure joy to be around—warm and easy-going. He got to see a side of her he hadn’t yet seen at work. Around her family and friends, the soft side Cam mentioned was quite evident. The cider was as delicious as promised, so delicious Owen asked if he’d be able to buy some to bring home.
Ginger’s snappy blue eyes landed on him. “See! All you have to do is taste it and then you want more.” She brushed a lock of her glossy dark hair out of her eyes. “Just have Harry get some for you.”
Harry had waited on them and appeared to be spinning through the restaurant most of the time. Gage lifted a hand and waved Harry over, quickly asking him to get some bottled cider for Owen. After Harry left the booth, Ginger pinned him with her gaze again. “So Owen, you’ve been in Diamond Creek for over a year. What do you think?”
Owen had quickly noticed Ginger was direct, which he didn’t mind because it saved him the trouble of wondering what she might be thinking. “I knew I wanted to move Off the Grid here before I made plans. I visited Alaska a few times when I was in grad school. I didn’t get a chance to ski here because Last Frontier Lodge wasn’t open, but I spent a weekend here and loved it. Still do.”
Ginger nodded, her eyes thoughtful. It was no more than a blink, but he saw her eyes flick to Ivy and back to him. He couldn’t help but wonder if she noticed how much he noticed Ivy. She didn’t comment further and the conversation moved on. Owen could feel the warmth of Ivy beside him. With her thigh pressed against his, he had to fight the urge to touch her. He could feel the soft rise and fall of her breath, while lust tightened its grip on him. Every so often, he’d catch himself zoning out, losing sight of where they were. His hunger for her was a force of its own—one he couldn’t control. Just now, she glanced up at him, her amber lashes framing her gorgeous cognac eyes behind her glasses. He had to curl his hands into fists to keep from touching her when what he wanted was to slide his hand into her silky hair and fit his mouth over hers. The need to let loose the reins of his control was so great, he almost forgot himself. With lust lashing at him and his cock rock-hard, Ginger said something, and he tore his eyes away.
Not much later, he pulled up at the office. The days were getting longer with the sun just starting its slide down the sky in the early evening. Owen needed to bury his mind in work. He was beyond distracted after a few hours in Ivy’s company. He was also off kilter at how easily he’d settled into the afternoon with her family and friends. Outside of the small circle of friends who’d followed Off the Grid to Alaska, he hadn’t allowed himself interactions like this afternoon. For years, he’d avoided such situations because he didn’t want to miss what he’d lost. Though it had been just him and his parents growing up, they had a wide circle of friends who were often at the house. Casual evenings of banter and warmth filled his childhood memories. Oddly, today he’d had a few moments when he missed what he’d lost, but not the way he used to.
He’d spent so many years controlling the circumstances of his life that he hadn’t allowed openings like this and didn’t know what to make of it. He jogged into the building. Out of habit, he did a loop around the building, checking to make sure lights were out and computers powered down. They always were, but he’d developed the habit of checking. He sensed he did it as much for how rewarding it felt to know Off the Grid was a thriving research firm as he did to actually check on anything. On a Saturday evening, the office was close to empty until he turned down the hallway where his office was and found Derek with his eyes glued to a computer screen and a pot of coffee sitting on his desk.
Owen leaned in the doorway, bemused to realize Derek hadn’t noticed his presence yet. After another moment, he cleared his throat, and Derek whipped his head around.
The second Derek saw Owen, he cracked a grin. “I was wondering where you were. You usually finish skiing earlier than this.” Derek spun in his chair to face Owen. “What’s up?”
Owen shrugged. “Just stopping by for a few hours. Thought I’d take a look at the changes Ivy suggested for the battery project and get started on some applications to lead the research on the federal energy efficiency initiative. You?”
Derek tapped his fingers on the edge of his worktable. “Finishing up on some data reports.”
The sound of footsteps echoed in the tiled hallway. Derek arched a brow. “Bets on who that is?”
Owen rolled his eyes. “No clue, so I’m not about to bet.”
“It’s gotta be Ivy,” Derek said with a slow grin.
Owen leaned his head out of Derek’s office to discover Derek was right. Ivy was walking down the long hallway, her eyes on some papers in her hands. She was still wearing her fitted ski pants with a tank top hugging her chest and a sleek black ski jacket that hung open. Her hair was tied up in a knot with loose glossy amber curls escaping. His pulse lunged, and his body tightened. He was becoming familiar wit
h the feeling she elicited in him, yet it remained unsettling in its power. With a forceful mental shake, he glanced back to Derek. “Good guess.”
Derek chuckled and pushed his chair back as he stood. “I was about to head out anyway.”
Ivy’s footsteps reached Derek’s doorway and stopped. “Oh! I didn’t even hear you guys.”
Derek grinned at her. “We’re not that loud. What brings you here on a Saturday evening?”
“I wanted to do some more work on that data I was compiling yesterday. It’s not too late, so…” Her words trailed off as she shrugged. A subtle wash of pink rose in her cheeks.
Owen managed a polite nod. “Looks like we’re all thinking about data. I’ll stay out of your way.”
Well aware that Derek had already picked up on his attraction to Ivy despite his avoidance of the topic, Owen wanted to clear out of there before Derek noticed much more. Willing his body under control, Owen pushed his shoulder off the doorframe and gave a quick wave to them both before striding down the hallway to his office.
Chapter 6
Ivy had to force herself to hold still as Owen brushed past her. His eyes were trained on the floor. She looked back to Derek, fighting to keep from flushing. Owen’s icy distance just now was disconcerting. It was bad enough she didn’t know how to manage the humming in her body every time he was near, but he ran hot and cold, which confused her. Derek met her eyes, his mouth hooking in a rueful smile. She’d quickly come to notice Derek could read others easily. Whenever he was in team meetings, he deftly navigated when there were competing opinions, reading the room with ease. He was easy-going, warm and clearly respected by everyone at Off the Grid. Ivy hoped to get to know him a little better because she could use some guidance on how to find her footing here at Off the Grid. The environment was so unlike the academic world, which was guided by rigid structure and rules. She’d known the process for finding her place there—basically keep her head down and work her tail off without expecting much recognition for years.
Here at Off the Grid, everyone seemed to be on a level playing field. Though it was clear Owen was in charge, he treated all staff with the same respect and consideration. He’d made it clear he expected her to take the lead on the battery project, yet she wasn’t used to taking the lead on anything. She didn’t question her intellectual heft in the area, but she was so used to working in the shadows, she didn’t know quite what to do. She wanted to ask Owen for his feedback, but between his unexpected kiss, the desire she couldn’t seem to banish no matter how hard she tried, and his aloofness, she didn’t know what the hell to do.
She took a breath and met Derek’s gaze with a shrug. She was considering her words when he spoke.
“Don’t mind Owen. He takes a while to warm up,” Derek said as he slid his laptop into a bag. He leaned his hips against the table. He proceeded to prove her quite right about how well he could read others. “I’m guessing this place is a far cry from your university position.”
Ivy bit the inside of her cheek and nodded. “Oh yeah. It’s great though. I love it, I really do. I’m just trying to figure things out.”
“You’re doing great. I read your research from back when you were in grad school, so I figured we got lucky when you applied for the position here. It’s only been a week, and you’ve already made your mark on several projects.” He paused as if he was considering his next words. “Owen doesn’t ever get warm and fuzzy. It helps if you know a little bit about him. He’s tight with Joan’s family because they were there for him after his parents died. I didn’t meet Owen until we were at United Tech together. If you think he’s distant now, it was worse back then. According to Joan, he was devastated when his parents died and he’s never been the same since.”
Ivy’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, that’s so sad! How did they die?”
“Carbon monoxide poisoning. If you ever wondered why Owen was so damn passionate about making sure everything we design has clean output, now you know.”
Ivy’s heart squeezed for Owen. She knew what it was like to lose someone you loved. Her family had staggered after her oldest brother Eric died. She tried to imagine losing both of her parents at once, the mere idea of it taking her breath away. She met Derek’s kind brown eyes. “You mean they died at the same time?”
Derek nodded. “Yup. Joan said it was awful. She worked for Owen’s mother at the time.”
Ivy nodded slowly, still trying to absorb how painful such a loss must have been.
Derek continued. “If you’re wondering why Owen keeps his distance, that’s why. Kinda have to learn that’s what you get with him. Thing is, he’s one of the best guys I know. Don’t take it personally, it’s just how he is.”
Derek pushed away from the table and snagged his jacket, shrugging into it quickly. “Go compile that data. I’ll catch you Monday,” he said as he slung his computer bag over his shoulder.
She followed him out and took the few steps to her office, which happened to be between Derek and Owen’s offices. She’d noticed the cars in the parking lot when she arrived at Off the Grid, but she hadn’t thought much of it. In the short time she’d been here, she noticed a number of staff worked odd hours. She hadn’t considered Owen would be here and mentally chastised herself for not paying attention to which cars were here. With Derek leaving, she thought she might be the only one here with Owen. Whatever. You’re just here to work and that’s what you’re doing.
She tossed her jacket onto one of the chairs and sat down at her worktable. She’d quickly come to love the set up in her office. She could easily switch from using her own laptop to using the wide computer screens mounted on her worktable with wireless syncing between the systems. She slipped her shoes off and hooked her feet around the base of her chair. Within minutes, she was completely absorbed in her work.
She’d lost track of time when she heard the whisper of Owen’s office door opening. Owen leaned in the doorway to her office. She glanced up and her breath caught. His blue eyes stood out in the dim light, his chiseled features strong in the shadows. Her efforts at taking her mind off of him were blown to bits in less than a second.
He nodded toward her computer screen. “How’s that data looking?”
For a moment, she was puzzled. That’s how much he threw her off. She temporarily forgot what she’d been working on and why and simply stared at him. One of his dark brows rose, cueing her to the fact she was staring blankly at him. Wake up Ivy! You look like a fool right about now. Data, he asked about the data.
“Oh right. Derek sent over everything from the last few batches of data on the test projects. I’d like it to look better. We’re still not much above seventy-five percent for pure recycled energy on discharge. I’m convinced we can get it to one hundred, but I need some time to review the designs. That’s what I started doing,” she said, gesturing to the screen.
Owen pushed off the door and strode into her office. He caught the back of a chair and spun it beside hers. With a few taps on her screen, he pulled up the original designs for the project. Before she knew it, they were in a back and forth about ideas to modify the design. She couldn’t quite tamp down the hum Owen set to life in her body and nearly squirmed in her chair to have him sitting right beside her.
She didn’t realize how close she’d gotten to him until she felt the brush of his shoulder against hers. He was gesturing at the computer screen and explaining something. ‘Something’ was about all she could say he was talking about because she completely lost track. He’d barely brushed her arm, and the heat radiating from him nearly singed her. Her pulse rocketed, and her breath hitched. As if he sensed something, he slowly spun in his chair, his knees bumping hers as he did.
Owen’s eyes locked with hers, and the air came alive around them. His shoulders rose and fell with a breath, while she could barely catch hers. She could hardly think, but what little grip she had on thought, she tried to tell herself she needed to push her chair back and snap this moment. Yet, she could
n’t.
The space around them felt electric. Inside, heat seared through her. His voice broke into the quiet. “I…” He stopped and shook his head sharply. With a muttered imprecation, he grabbed the arms of her chair and gave them a swift tug, pulling her flush against his chair. Before she grasped what was happening, he slid his hand into her hair and fit his mouth over hers. Though more than a week had passed since his first surprise kiss, it was as if they picked up right where they left off. The simmering desire she’d been battling flashed to flame. His tongue swept into her mouth on a gasp, and she was lost—lost in the searing intensity of his kiss, lost in the tidal wave of need he elicited, and nearly overcome with raw longing.
He kissed her as if she were the very air he needed to breathe, his tongue stroking masterfully against hers. By the time he tore his lips away and blazed a scalding trail of kisses along her neck and to the edge of her collar, she was nearly boneless. Her channel clenched, throbbing with need. He lifted his head, his eyes catching hers in a blur of blue. His expression was intent as he stared at her, his eyes searching. As if he’d seen the answer to his unspoken question, he stood swiftly, lifting her into his arms as he did. Being held against the hard planes of his body was a heaven she hadn’t imagined.
He took three long strides and sat down in one of the cushioned chairs with her in his lap. He brushed her tangled hair away from her face. Her breath was coming in fitful gasps with heat scoring through her center. His fingers sifted through her hair and traced along the sensitive skin behind her ear, a shiver chasing in the wake of his touch. He traced down along her neck, his fingertip following along her collarbone. His touch was like a ribbon of fire on her skin. He followed along the edge of her shirt, a V-neck fitted skiing top that zipped in the center. By the time he reached the top of the zipper, she was nearly wild with need inside. He hooked his finger over the top of the zipper and dragged it down in slow motion. In a distant corner of her mind, so distant as to be almost inaudible, she heard herself saying she should stop this. But she couldn’t. The moment had captured her—she couldn’t turn away. It felt so electric and so right.