“Salmon-avocado-cheese wraps. You should write a cookbook, Jakey,” said Steve.
“Are you looking forward to the party tonight?” asked Randall.
Dammit. So that’s what Liz had been calling about. He’d completely forgotten. He knew it was ridiculous to say aloud, but he was tired of the sponsors’ lavish meet-and-greet parties. He was tired of all of it: the champagne, the canapés, the boring conversations, the adoring but vapid ski bunnies and corporate wives.
He imagined pulling Ariel into a dark corner of the posh restaurant. Feeding her prosciutto and melon from a silver tray. Well, that didn’t seem too bad. But add about two hundred other people into the mix and things turned kind of ugly. Especially if fifty of them were reporters and one of them was Liz.
Ariel was a reporter, he reminded himself. That cautionary line seemed weaker every time. He couldn’t seem to bring himself to avoid her. He couldn’t even keep his hands off her. He’d resigned himself to that. He’d just have to be careful not to reveal too much. While at the same time revealing all of her … her gorgeous curves … to his hungry gaze.
It didn’t seem fair. But then, life wasn’t fair. He’d learned that lesson early when his father’s vision deteriorated and he’d had to stop driving trucks, the family eking along on his disability and his mother’s small salary as a school nurse.
Thinking about his family caused Jacob’s stomach to tighten. He had to get out of the hotel lobby.
“I’ll see you guys tonight,” he said to his friends. “I’m taking the motorcycle out for a spin.”
“Addicted to speed,” sighed Steve. “It’s a burden, we know.” He punched Jacob lightly in the stomach.
“See you later, dude.”
When Jacob pulled out on his motorcycle minutes later, he looked all around before turning toward the highway. He didn’t want anyone to know what direction he rode. He opened the throttle and shot out of Vail like a rocket.
• • •
When Ariel finally decided she felt mobile enough to grab some lunch, she went out into Vail Village and ran into Steve Fratello and Randall Henderson.
“Hi there,” Steve called to her in that same cheerful tone she remembered from their last interaction. “Want a sip?”
“Spirulina smoothie?” guessed Ariel, inspecting the tall, clear plastic cup that Steve held out to her.
“Avocado shake,” said Steve. “Have as much you want. It’s my second.”
“Your second?” asked Ariel. Cyclists certainly loved to eat. What would Theo think if instead of drugs she wrote that Jacob Hunter was using avocadoes? The thought made her smile. “You guys don’t worry about calories,” she said, remembering Jacob’s speech the day before.
“I worry about not getting enough,” said Randall with a serious look on his face.
“Careful,” said Steve. “This guy’s a wolf. He’s been known to go for the arms of other guys riding in his pack.”
“Not after a few avocado shakes,” said Randall. “You’re safe for now.”
Ariel’s smile widened. At first, she’d taken Randall to be stiffer and less quirky than Steve Fratello, but it seemed he had a sense of humor in his own right.
“You’re safe, too,” said Ariel. “I just treated myself to sashimi.”
“Girl can eat,” said Steve approvingly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about exactly, but it sounds good.”
Ariel nodded. Then, in case the men already knew, she decided not to beat around the bush. “I went on a bike ride with Jacob yesterday,” she said casually. “I needed to replenish myself. I knew when I left the hotel that a soup and salad wasn’t going to cut it.”
When Ariel saw Steve and Randall exchange glances, she knew that Jacob hadn’t said anything about their ride. She wasn’t sure if she felt grateful or annoyed. Maybe Jacob took women cycling all the time. In Milan. In Paris. Maybe women were always breaking their chains, abandoning their bicycles, and begging him to make love to them. Mortification caused Ariel’s face to flame anew.
“You must be in pretty good shape to ride with Jake,” observed Randall.
“We weren’t exactly sprinting,” said Ariel, but Randall was shaking his head.
“Still,” he said. “We are in the Rocky Mountains. In case you haven’t noticed.”
“It was a little hilly.” Ariel laughed with a rush of pride. “I wouldn’t want to do it again today. Maybe tomorrow though.”
Steve and Randall were looking at her with respect.
“I like your attitude, Hayes,” said Steve. “I bet Jacob does, too.”
What did he mean by that? Ariel scanned his face for a hint of irony or insinuation but failed to find anything behind that frank open grin.
“Why don’t you come to the party tonight at Il Terrazo?” suggested Randall. “Our sponsors like to throw parties for promotion. Lots of free food and drink. It’s a good way of making sure that nobody eats any arms.”
“I’ll be there,” said Ariel, surprised at the real warmth she heard in her voice.
So far, cyclists were nicer than she’d assumed they’d be. She almost felt like she was making friends.
• • •
The party at Il Terrazzo was shaping up to be everything Ariel had expected. The sponsors had rented out the entire restaurant. Inside, beautiful young waitresses drifted around from table to table with silver trays of sparkling drinks. Men in dark suits were leaning against the bar, talking seriously and waving heavy glasses of amber liquors.
Walking out onto the restaurant terrace and noting the spread of delicacies on the banquet tables, Ariel realized that Randall was right. Nobody would be eating any arms tonight.
If she were in New York, Ariel would have worn a classic little black dress to the restaurant party. Elegant. Safe. You couldn’t go wrong. But here in Colorado, the fashion code was … more colorful. And Ariel had dressed accordingly. She’d worn a short, tight emerald green dress with a plunging back. It was a dress she’d packed at the last minute — almost unable to believe she was doing it — because she’d remembered Theo’s admonition to have more fun. Well, the dress was definitely fun. She was afraid it was a little too fun. But it was too late now. She felt daring in the dress, if over-exposed.
Ariel shook her curls out of her face and walked toward the banquet tables, aware that people were turning to look at her. She tried not to search for Jacob among the young, good-looking men clustered along the stone balustrade. She hoped she didn’t trip on the way to the table. As a dancer, Ariel knew she could summon a certain amount of grace. But not after she’d turned her muscles to jelly with that “easy” bike ride. She felt like she was wobbling with every step.
Breathe, Ariel told herself. You’re not running a gauntlet. You’re going to get a plate of shrimp cocktail.
• • •
Jacob saw Ariel the instant she stepped onto the terrace. It was as though he’d been caught in a tractor beam. He couldn’t help but gawk over Liz’s shoulder. Ariel’s curves were hugged by the brilliantly colored fabric that set off her gorgeous green eyes to perfection. She’d left her bright hair down in a mass of riotous curls, pulled back from her face here and there by bobby pins.
Everyone on the terrace had stopped conversing to stare at her. Everyone except Liz who kept talking, her back to Ariel. Until she noticed that Jacob wasn’t paying her the slightest bit of attention. Liz turned and when she saw the voluptuous redhead moving toward the banquet table, her jaw dropped. Not in a good way.
Jacob wanted to be polite. He didn’t want to be rude to Liz, who, let’s face it, was an energetic, attractive, wonderful woman. But he could barely form the words to excuse himself. Every fiber of his being was pulled toward Ariel and he didn’t look at Liz as he found himself walking to intercept Ariel at the banquet table.
; He reached her just as she was about to grab a piece of shrimp. Sensing his presence, she paused and looked up. When her green eyes hit him, he felt like he’d been struck by lightning. Unfortunately, a certain part of his anatomy was acting as a lightning rod. He wasn’t sure how much of it he could take. He reached out and brushed her hand. She caught her lower lip between her teeth and he could tell that she was equally caught in the magnetic field that crackled between them.
Eyes never leaving hers, Jacob picked up a chilled pink shrimp and dipped it in cocktail sauce. He held it to her lips. Ariel’s eyes began to shine. She took a bite of shrimp, lips curving in a smile. Jacob was staring at those lips. He had wanted this woman so badly. All last night. All day. Now she was standing in front of him and he couldn’t wait any longer.
“You look good in spandex,” said Jacob and Ariel’s eyes flashed.
“This isn’t spandex,” she retorted and it was all he could do not to crush her in his arms. He ran his eyes over her, an eyebrow raised.
• • •
Ariel flushed, crossed her arms beneath her breasts. She was regaining awareness of her surroundings. What a spectacle she was making of herself! Letting Jacob Hunter hand-feed her shrimp at a crowded party!
She noticed the leggy blond she’d seen talking with Jacob in the hotel lobby glaring at her with unmitigated hatred. Oh great, thought Ariel as Jacob reached out and trailed his knuckles down the curve of her waist.
“The green is even better on you than my team colors,” he said to her. Then he delivered a full, heart-stopping grin. “Ready for another ride?”
The sexual tension between them was palpable. Ariel wondered if it would start to melt the ice around the shrimp. She couldn’t resist him.
“Are you challenging me, Jacob Hunter?” she asked, lifting her chin. Had he noticed how slowly she’d been walking? Her muscles still ached. The thought of another bicycle ride made her want to collapse. Of course, if she could manage to break her chain instantly … that might be the kind of ride she’d be ready for.
As if reading her thoughts, Jacob smiled, his handsome face filled with suggestion. “I’m challenging you, Ariel Hayes,” he said. “Come with me. Right now. We have some unfinished business to attend to.”
At the rich note in his voice, Ariel’s legs almost buckled. She put her hand in Jacob’s and let him pull her through the darkness of the restaurant and outside to the street.
It was already dark. The streetlight spilled over Jacob. His hair looked golden. Ariel couldn’t help but stare at his firm ass in his tight dark jeans as he straddled his motorcycle. Would she regret this? Silly to even to wonder. She had no choice in the matter. She knew she’d follow Jacob Hunter wherever he wanted to go.
Ariel was surprised as they rode out of Vail Village and started climbing through the mountains. She swayed with Jacob as he leaned into the curves of the road. It was overwhelmingly sensual. Her body hugged his as the wind rushed past them and they rode endlessly on through the clear, fragrant night. At last, Jacob stopped the motorcycle on a long, desolate stretch of highway. On either side of them, the mountains rose majestically, silhouetted against the sky. Jacob climbed off the bike and his feet crunched on the road’s gravel shoulder. Ariel came up close behind him.
She felt as though something strangely significant were about to happen. She had that same sense of mystery, of deep spiritual connection, that she’d experienced the first night in the pool … when Jacob was still a nameless stranger, a wanderer who pointed out the constellations.
The highway was utterly empty, running darkly into the distance. Why had Jacob brought her here? She heard the sounds of summer insects and the wind blowing through the spruce trees, carrying the scent of mountain flowers.
God, the air was so clean here in Colorado. The stars were so close.
Jacob turned toward her, cupped her face in his hands. She closed her eyes briefly and kissed his palm. Everything felt so right. She was so happy that they’d escaped the party, that they’d escaped from their social roles … the arrogant cyclist … the conniving reporter. Alone on this deserted road, they were simply Jacob and Ariel. Man and woman. Jacob broke the silence between them, his voice hoarse.
“My father used to take me here when I was a kid,” he said. He put his arms around Ariel from behind, tucking his chin into her hair. The two of them stared down the highway together.
“They were still building this part of the highway,” said Jacob. “This is an extension. It wasn’t open for through-traffic. My father used to be a truck driver. He’d drive his rig on this road and I’d draft him on my bicycle. I’d never gone so fast. My father was pulling me behind him and it was like I could fly. Nothing can compare to that feeling. Afterwards, we’d drink thermoses of Mom’s iced tea and sit on the side of the road just looking at the mountains.”
“After my mother died, it was just me and my dad,” whispered Ariel. “He worried about all the time I spent dancing. He wanted me to have something to fall back on. But he drove me to practice every day. He showed up to every recital. He taught high school English and he loved Shakespeare.”
“That’s how you got your name,” said Jacob and when Ariel’s body jolted slightly in surprise, he tightened his arms around her. “‘The isle is full of noises,’” he quoted softly. “‘Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.’ It’s from The Tempest. Ariel was a sprite. I paid attention in school, too,” he said. “And I always loved English best. I still read a lot when I’m touring. Sometimes it feels like my books are the only things that stay constant as I go from country to country.”
Ariel listened in amazement. Jacob was constantly surprising her. She turned in his arms and pressed herself into his chest. He claimed her lips and the sensation shivered over her. Running his hands over her bare arms, Jacob felt the goose-bumps on her skin. The mountain air had turned cold.
“My sprite,” whispered Jacob, his lips burning on her neck. “Will you spend the night with me? If I promise you delight … ”
Ariel’s answer was muffled in his hungry kiss.
Chapter Nine
Jacob pulled Ariel through the door of the hotel suite, already sliding his hands up her short dress, pulling at the lacy panties beneath. Their mouths locked together, they grasped at one another feverishly.
Ariel tore at Jacob’s belt, slipping the leather through the belt loops of his jeans and fumbling with the buttons beneath. Jacob lifted her in his strong arms and pinned her against the wall. He pulled the neck of her dress down from her shoulder, exposing her full breast, and lowered his mouth down on the tight bud of her nipple, circling it with his tongue, teasing and nipping at it with his teeth. Ariel cried out with pleasure.
She was crazed with desire for him. She’d waited for him long enough. She couldn’t bear it. She hadn’t felt like this about a man in … well, ever. She wanted to close up every particle of distance between their bodies. She needed him to press himself into her, to feel the full length of him penetrating her very core. Clutching at his shoulders, pulling his mouth up to kiss her again, she whispered in a ragged voice she didn’t even recognize, “Now. Now.”
And she looked into his eyes.
All the intensity and passion she’d seen in those eyes as he’d sprinted up the hill on his bicycle was now focused on her. She felt transfixed by that golden light. Skewered. She couldn’t breathe.
Oh no, she thought, what if I pass out?
What if Jacob Hunter over-excited her so much that she ended up unconscious? That would be embarrassing. But she didn’t need to worry. He was holding her completely, pressing her to the wall with his body. She couldn’t collapse. She drew a shuddering breath and saw Jacob’s eyes darken as he traced her lips with a fingertip.
He wanted her, too. It was written all over his face.
“Ariel,” whispered Jac
ob and reached into his back pocket. He removed a condom and tore the package open with his teeth. The whole time his eyes held Ariel’s; his gaze was mesmerizing, intoxicating. Ariel’s panties were around her ankles and she kicked them off. Her skirt was up around her waist.
She couldn’t believe what was happening. He ran his hand up her thigh, higher and higher, until he dipped his fingers into the wetness there. Moaning, she hooked her leg around his waist and he lifted her up.
Slowly, deliciously slowly, he eased his full length into her, pushing his hips against her. Her head fell forward. Her hair was in his face, in his mouth. Their sweaty foreheads banged together and Ariel laughed a rich, low laugh.
“Careful, Hunter,” she said. “You’re not wearing your helmet.”
Chuckling, he held her even tighter against him, his hardness filling her completely. “Once I hit my head so hard I saw double,” he said. “That doesn’t sound so bad to me right now.” He pushed her hair back with one hand. “The only thing more beautiful than you is two of you,” he whispered.
“Shucks,” Ariel whispered back, between kisses that made it hard for her speak. “You should be the writer … ” She felt Jacob grin against her mouth.
Then his tongue was moving over her lips, sliding over her tongue. Their kiss grew deeper and deeper, and Ariel could no longer find words. Jacob began to move inside her. She met each thrust with a torque of her hips. He was so hard, so big. She dug her nails into his neck, forced his head down to her. She could hear his ragged breathing in her ear.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stand you doing that … ” he managed. Her next motion made him groan. She allowed herself a smile of pure triumph and moved her hips again. He cried out, his breath hot against her.
“Don’t stop. Do it harder,” she said. “This is the sprint. We have all night for the longer stages.”
“Are you challenging me, Ariel Hayes?” Jacob panted.
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