Tempting Kate

by Jennifer Snow

  She was desperate. This wedding was happening in six weeks...in Big Bear...at this resort if it killed her. And it actually might, she thought, wide-eyed, as a large transport truck approached in the opposite lane on the slippery hill.

  She gripped the steering wheel and closed her eyes briefly after the vehicle passed.

  Her cell phone rang, making her jump after her imagined head-on collision. She cursed to herself, quickly glancing toward the display panel on her dash. Her stomach turned when she saw the number flashing on the screen underneath the name Fuck-head.

  She hit the do not answer button on her steering wheel. What the hell did Cooper want? Unfortunately, she knew exactly what he wanted, and it was her own stupid fault. She gripped the steering wheel. How had she been so stupid to have angry, passionate, impromptu sex with her ex-fiancé the week before?

  Because she’d been lonely, more than a little drunk and had just lost a big client. And she’d stupidly thought that “coming by to get a few things” he’d left in the garage when he’d moved out was a genuine retrieval mission and not a lame excuse to see her.

  The moment she’d opened her front door instead of just allowing him access to the garage, she knew she was in trouble. He’d still been in his police uniform, looking nervous but even more gorgeous than ever, and she hadn’t been able to find the strength to push him away when he’d hugged her. “You look amazing,” he’d said.

  In actual fact she’d had mascara-stained cheeks, her hair a tangled mess, wearing an old football jersey, but she’d accepted the words and had clung to him a little longer than was safe.

  “I’m sorry, Kate, so sorry,” he’d whispered in her hair. The same words that he’d said repeatedly to her voice mail and in emails for the last ten months. Words that had once been hollow, meaningless, suddenly became fact, a solid reason to avoid listening to common sense as she’d dragged him inside.

  His mouth had found hers in an instant, and from there, clothing had been discarded, caution had been abandoned and any sense didn’t have a chance. They’d had sex in the living room, the kitchen, in the shower and on the bed that they’d once shared. It had been great sex—promising, uplifting, rejuvenating...until he was still there the following morning when she’d woken up hungover, regretful and ashamed.

  She groaned now at the memory of his face as she’d tossed his boots outside and shoved him through the door. The night had been her fault, her mistake. One she didn’t dare repeat. Did she still love him? Maybe a part of her did—the part that didn’t remember so vividly what it had felt like to dismantle her own wedding before it had occurred. But mostly not. He’d simply caught her at a moment of vulnerability. Which would not be happening again, especially since she’d couriered all of his remaining things to his apartment the next weekend. No more excuses.

  A sign to the right of the road caught her eye, and she slowed her speed to peer through the snow. Chain-Up Area, 2 Miles. Chain-up area? What was that? Sounded kind of like spicy erotica, she mused. Which maybe she’d been reading too much of lately.

  Two miles ahead, she noticed several cars in the pull-out area, their drivers putting chains on their tires. Ah...that made sense. She bit her lip. Was she supposed to do that? Did she even have chains in the vehicle? Did they come with it? She didn’t think so. Surely the Escalade could handle the snow.

  Fifteen miles later, however, she was starting to panic. The snow was even heavier now and falling fast, and the road beneath her tires felt like a sheet of glass. Car horns honked behind her as she slowly crept along the mountainside, continuing her trek north. What the hell had she been thinking to come up here? She’d been to Big Bear once, when her parents were still alive, but that had been in the fall, before the snow and icy conditions set in, and she hadn’t remembered the drive being so winding and dangerous.

  When the sign for the Snow Summit resort appeared, she released a deep breath. Thank God, she’d made it—her last thought before the vehicle hit a section of black ice and spun into the opposite lane.

  Panicked, she pumped the brakes, which only made the spiraling worse, and as she struggled to regain control of the wheel, the car landed in the deep ditch on the side of the road.

  Great, just great. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the seat and forced a deep breath. This was nothing. She wasn’t hurt. She hadn’t hurt anyone... She could handle this.

  A tap on the glass a second later made her jump, and her eyes flew open. A man stood beside her car, dressed in a heavy winter coat, hat and gloves. He motioned for her to roll down the window.

  She hesitated, but hell, she was stuck in a ditch. Chances were he was more help than danger.

  “You look a little lost,” he said with a pleasant, easy smile.

  With his light blue eyes and chiseled features, he looked like the latest guy to play Superman... Henry something or other. Judging by his build, she could almost believe he’d be able to just lift the vehicle from the ditch, or so her overactive damsel-in-distress mind mused.

  Yep, too many erotic novels. “Not at all, this ditch was exactly my destination...stupid GPS,” she said, suddenly grateful for the tiny mishap. Since Cooper, her reaction to the sight of most men was a desire to punch them, but this guy made her feel slightly less hostile.

  “Well, I have a tow kit. I can pull you out if you’re ready to leave,” he said with a smile that made her mouth go dry.

  She nodded. “I think so... Yes, thank you.”

  “Why don’t you climb out and go sit in my truck while I pull your car free,” he said, opening her door.

  A blast of cold snow blew across her lap, white against her charcoal dress pants, and she shivered as she climbed out. Pulling her light jacket closed, she zipped it as high as it would go. Snow piled over the tops of her short leather boots as she took several steps away from her vehicle, and she gasped. “Damn it, it’s cold.” Had this hellhole not gotten the memo that it was spring?

  “You’re hardly dressed for Big Bear weather,” the man said, offering his arm for support as she struggled to climb the tiny hill out of the ditch. The smooth soles of her high-heeled boots made traction impossible and she slid backward with each step. “May I?” he asked, holding out his arms toward her.

  “May you what?”

  “Lift you out of here.”

  She shook her head violently. At five foot nine, she was hardly a china doll. “I’m already shaming women everywhere with this clueless, city-girl damsel-in-distress situation... I think I can do this,” she said, digging her heels into the bank and, with every ounce of dignity and determination she possessed, launching her body over the high snowbank. “See?” she said proudly, straightening her coat and turning to face him.

  He held his hands up. “Sorry, you’re right. You don’t need me, and I’m sure you could probably just grab the bumper and pull this thing out yourself, but I’d still like to help, if that’s okay?”

  Her smile even felt flirtatious as she nodded. “Sure, why not?”

  “Climb into the truck and stay warm,” he said, turning his attention to her vehicle.

  She got in quickly and shivered in the warmth. “So much better,” she muttered, kicking her boots together to shake off the melting snow. Through the window, she watched the guy hook up his tow kit to her Escalade, grateful for his out-of-nowhere appearance. Glancing around, she saw the closest business was several blocks away—not a hike she’d want to make. And sitting in a ditch, waiting for a tow truck, she’d probably have frozen to death.

  He worked quickly, obviously having done this before, and as she watched, she warmed even more. He was far from her usual type. Big football player build and thick thighs straining against the confines of his jeans as he leaned down to attach the tow rope to her bumper...but she found herself checking out his ass when he bent to collect his tool from the ground.
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  A nice ass, indeed.

  He turned and she looked away quickly.

  When he climbed in moments later, he put the truck in Reverse and freed the Escalade from the ditch with ease.

  “Wow, clearly not your first time doing that,” she said.

  “No. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that it’s your first time in Big Bear?”

  He removed his gloves, and her eyes immediately flew to his left hand. No wedding ring. The silver lining on a shitty day. “Second, but the first time was when I was a kid and not this time of year.”

  He handed her keys to her, and his warm fingers grazed her cold hand, sending an electric current up her arm. If a simple touch could create such an intense reaction in her, she wondered what a purposeful caress could do. Or those full, sexy lips. “Well, you’re free.” He hesitated before releasing them. “Make sure you get chains put on before you head down again...which is hopefully not too soon?”

  So the flirtation hadn’t been in her mind. “Tomorrow, I think... I hope anyway.” It couldn’t possibly take any longer than that to convince that rude Scott Dillon to reconsider hosting his brother’s wedding, could it?

  “Would it be terrible if I said I hope that your business here takes longer than you plan?”

  She swallowed hard as his gaze took in the length of her. Damn it, she should have allowed those hands to lift her out of the snow. “You just may get your wish if the guy I’m here to see is as much of a jerk as I think he is.”

  “Most men are,” he said with a laugh.

  The deep, rich sound made her stomach flutter. “But not you, of course.”

  “Not me. Nonjerk car rescuer extraordinaire Scott Dillon, at your service,” he said.

  Her mouth gaped. No way. The hottest guy she’d laid eyes on in forever, the guy who’d just saved her from a ditch, the guy she was already envisioning naked was Scott Dillon? And he was already lying to her. Typical jerk.

  He frowned. “What did I say wrong? If it was the reference to rescuing your car, that will totally be our secret. If anyone asks, you got yourself out of there.” His teasing grin was back, but there was a look of caution in his icy eyes.

  Sighing, she allowed any and all inappropriate thoughts about him to vanish, along with her hope for rebound sex with a stranger that evening. “I’m Kate Hartley. We spoke on the phone.”

  * * *

  NO SOONER HAD he shut his office door than his office intercom beeped. “Mr. Dillon, there’s a woman here at the front desk to see you,” Cameron said.

  Yes, the woman he’d been picturing naked in the backseat of his pickup truck, only to have the image shattered seconds later when she’d revealed her identity. So much for his hope of having literally stumbled upon a gorgeous tourist, one who wasn’t planning to stay in Big Bear for more than a night or two. His favorite kind of woman. “Tell her I’m not here.”

  “Um...she just heard me talking to you,” Cameron whispered.

  “So say it anyway,” he said. He scanned the mess of his office, knowing that regardless, in about a minute and a half, the determined, spirited, sexy-as-hell Kate Hartley would be barging in with or without his consent. She hadn’t driven all this way to be ignored. Too bad he couldn’t offer her the kind of attention he wanted to bestow.

  He stacked the pile of unpaid invoices in a drawer, tossed the empty coffee cups into the trash can in the corner of the room and quickly swept the visible dust from the top of the fine oak furniture around him with the palm of his hand. Housekeeping had been reduced, and he sure wasn’t keeping on top of it.

  Oh, well. If Ms. Wedding Planner didn’t like it, he’d be happy to watch her curvy ass leave.

  The knock on his door was loud and right on time, he mused, glancing at his watch. “Go away,” he yelled, picking up the phone receiver and bringing it to his ear.

  The door opened, and Kate walked in. “I just need a few moments of your time,” she said, forcibly polite.

  Gone was the flirtatious, easygoing smile. And contrary to what he would have expected, this meaner, more professional look was even sexier. The front of his pants grew even tighter—his previous hard-on for her in his truck had yet to disappear completely. Damn. He covered the receiver. “You already took up enough of my time, Ms. Hartley...and I’m on the phone.” He motioned for her to leave.

  Coming toward the desk, she hit the hang-up button on the phone.

  “Hey! I was on hold for an important guest...client...thing.”

  She cocked her head. “None of the lines were lit up.”

  Busted. He replaced the receiver and stood. “Look, I already told you when you called that I will not be hosting a wedding here, so unless you came in here to thank me again for saving your ass...” His face was just inches from hers. He could so easily reach out and kiss her...and probably frighten her out of his office and back down the mountainside.

  But she didn’t give any ground, remaining firmly on the spot. She was tall, almost eye level with him, and her dark eyes held a determined, heated expression. “I don’t understand. It’s your brother’s wedding.”

  “You don’t need to understand. What you do need to do is go buy yourself a set of chains and get back to sunny, warm LA before it gets too late.” He fought the insane sensation of disappointment at the thought. Sure, he’d envisioned lots of wine and hot tub sex before he knew who she was, but even entertaining the thought now was absurd. Now he needed her out of his resort as soon as possible.

  “I’m not leaving.” To his surprise, she sat on the edge of his desk.

  Huh, maybe he should have left the dust. “You’re not?”

  “No. Here’s the thing. I need this wedding to happen. Here. On Memorial Day weekend. So unless you can give me a really good reason why that can’t happen, I’m not leaving.” She folded her arms across her chest, a challenging look on her face.

  Oh, he could give her a reason. A really good one. In fact, it would be his pleasure. Moving closer, he placed a hand on either side of her on the desk. His legs touched hers, and the smell of her expensive, soft perfume tickled his nose as he lowered his face to her ear and whispered, “I had sex with the bride-to-be.”

  4

  KATE PACED THE stone walkway outside the resort moments later, her cell to her ear, oblivious to the blowing snow and deep, damp chill cutting through her thin jacket. Liz was crazy to want to hold a wedding here—it was freaking freezing.

  Pick up, Liz...pick up...

  “Hello?”

  “Liz, it’s Kate.” She paused. Now that the woman had answered, she realized she had no idea how to confront her about Scott’s accusation—or if she should at all. This contract was important, and pissing off the bride was a sure way to lose it. Still, she had to find out if Scott had been telling the truth. She couldn’t fight fire with fire if she was holding a match against his blowtorch.

  The crackling reception interrupted Liz’s words. “I...can’t...hear...where are you?”

  Kate reluctantly moved just inside the resort lobby doors, where the lack of howling wind made it easier to hear. She lowered her voice. “I’m in Big Bear. I came to see Scott.”

  “I knew that asshole would refuse to hold the wedding at the resort,” Liz said, her bitterness perfectly clear through the bad reception.

  Kate sighed. A heads-up would have been nice. And unfortunately, the tiny glimmer of hope that Scott had been lying vanished with Liz’s words. “Yeah...he’s reluctant.” She refused to give up yet. There had to be some way to convince this guy to do this for his brother. Even though he’d slept with the bride.

  “What’s his problem?” Liz asked.

  As if she didn’t know. “Um...” How to say this delicately? Losing this client was not an option. “He says there’s a history between you two.”
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  “A history?” Her laugh held no amusement. “He calls one stupid night—that was completely his fault—a history? What a jackass.”

  Kate remained silent. Usually when two people had sex, they were both responsible, not that she was letting Mr. Arrogant off easy. “How long ago did it happen?”

  “A million years ago. Really, Kate, it should not be a problem. He’s just being stubborn because I refuse to tell Derek about it. I mean, what would be the point? It’s not like I care about Scott, and he certainly doesn’t have feelings for me. It was one night before I realized that Derek and I were serious about one another, perfect for one another.”

  That was for sure. Derek and Liz were both city people, in the movie industry, driven by success and power and money. Kate had never met a better suited couple.

  Scott, in comparison, was...what was Scott?

  Earlier in the day, she’d been tempted to find out. Now she just needed to know the kryptonite to break him.

  She scanned the lodge through the interior glass doors. Now that she’d seen it, she thought it really would be a shame if he didn’t allow the wedding to take place here. With the marble and stone accents throughout, it didn’t have that old, log-cabin feel so common to these mountain ski resorts. The large check-in area and dining room that she’d seen on her way out were extravagant and elegantly decorated—quite a contrast from the rugged man who owned it. She’d had her doubts, but she was starting to believe this place could actually be a perfect place to hold the wedding...and future mountain weddings, she thought.

  “So how do I get him to agree?” she asked Liz, her determination returning. She suspected money wouldn’t work. He didn’t seem to be a success-hungry, type-A personality, given that he hadn’t done any marketing for the resort. And telling him to think about Derek probably wouldn’t do the trick—she suspected protecting his brother was what he thought he was doing. But she would find an angle. Everyone had a price or a weakness.

  Liz hesitated, before saying, “I think I can help you with that.”