by Cathryn Fox
He stiffened and inched back. Their eyes met, and when confusion morphed into understanding, he said, “I thought you were drowning. I was performing—”
“CPR,” she rushed out, mortified. Please ground, open up and swallow me whole! “I knew that.”
Good Lord, how could she think he was kissing her? She resisted the urge to slap her forehead for being so stupid. Of course he was performing CPR. He was a trained white water rafting guide. He probably did this kind of thing all the time.
He continued to hover over her, his mouth still so close. She was more apt to drown in the embarrassment flooding her than the lake water. Working to appear unaffected, she went up on one elbow, and wrung the water from her hair. Then she turned her attention to the floral dress clinging to her body like a second skin. She peeled it away from her hips. When it made a sucking sound, she cringed and tried to wipe away the makeup running down her face. Good God, she could only image what she must look like. So much for Amy spending hours on her hair and makeup.
So much for snagging the hottest guy...
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m sure,” she sputtered.
He narrowed his eyes, like he didn’t believe her. “I thought you took in some water.”
Moonlight spilled over her rescuer as her glance moved over his face, dropping lower to take in the leather jacket stretched over broad shoulders. She’d seen him twice today, and knew he was hot, but having him this close did the most ridiculous things to her body. Her brain practically shut down, and her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, once again mimicking a damned hooked fish.
Get it together, Kathryn.
He leaned over her for a long moment, staring down at her. He had a strange look on his face, like he didn’t know whether to stay there or run the other way. Finally he said, “Come on.” He climbed to his feet and pulled her up with him, placing his hand on the small of her back to guide her away from the water. She tried to concentrate on her walking. But it was damn near impossible to put one foot in front of the other when all she could think about was how good his fingers felt splayed over her back. He led her to a piece of driftwood, where his helmet lay in the sand. He sat and pulled her down with him.
He put his elbows on his knees, folded one hand over the other, and turned toward her, watching her closely. “Why don’t you just take a minute.”
“I’m okay, really.”
“You don’t seem okay to me.”
She shrugged, trying for casual. “That’s just because you don’t know me.”
“So you’re not hurt?”
She forced a smile. “Only my pride.”
After a long moment he let it go and gave her a playful look. “I’m Noah,” he said, his voice a little deeper than it had been moments ago.
“I...know. I heard all about you.”
He arched a brow. “Oh yeah? What have you heard?”
Before she could help herself, she said, “That you should come with a warning label.” God what did she say that for? Clearly his closeness was messing with her mind.
He laughed out loud, and Kathryn couldn’t help but smile.
“Sassy,” he said. “I like that.” He brushed his thumb over the droplet dripping down her cheek. “I guess I need to do some catching up then.”
She inhaled his scent, warm sand mixed with leather, and tried not to choke on her tongue when she asked, “Catching up?”
“You know who I am, but I don’t know a thing about you.”
“I’m Kathryn, with a K.”
“So Kathryn with a K,” he paused, and ran his finger over the top button on her dress. “Before we get to know each other, I think we should get you out of these clothes.” She clutched her dress and he grinned, a teasing look on his face. “Or at least get you by the fire until you dry.”
“Oh, right.” What the heck was it about this guy that turned her inside out? Everything that came out of his mouth made her think of sex. And she never thought of sex. No, that wasn’t true. She thought of sex, she just never had sex. Which was horrible and embarrassing for a girl going into her sophomore year.
He stayed over her for a second longer, his gorgeous blue eyes moving over her face before he climbed to his feet. He took her hand and pulled her up with him. Their groins collided and her entire body convulsed. He must have mistaken the shiver for something else because he pulled off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“But I’m all wet,” she said.
“I don’t mind that you’re wet.”
She caught the lopsided grin on his face, the suggestion in his eyes. Okay, so her thoughts weren’t just going in an erotic direction because the guy was hot. She was thinking about sex because everything that came out of his mouth was sexual. She was sure of it.
Once again his hand went to the small of her back. She took note of the way the girls watched him as they trudged through the sand, and when they reached the fire, Amy came up to her.
“Sorry Kathryn. I was going to go in after you, but stopped when I saw you were in good hands.”
As her glance went to Noah’s hands, hands that made Kathryn quiver without even trying, she instantly knew there was nothing good about them. This guy had bad boy written all over him, and any girl would be wise to keep her distance.
She gave a wistful breath, because Kathryn Lane, good girl extraordinaire, always did what was wise. Right?
* * *
After getting up early and tinkering with Jonny’s bike, Noah climbed onto his own crotch rocket and took a ride. There was nothing he liked more than cruising through the mountains when traffic was nonexistent. He could crank up his speed and go fast, and if he was really lucky, outrun the demons.
He took a winding turn and thought more about Kathryn and the way she had disappeared shortly after they’d walked to the fire to dry her clothes. One minute they were all standing around shooting the shit, but when he turned to talk to a townie, she’d disappeared. He heard her rustling around in her room later that night, and had thought about knocking on the thin wall that separated them. Instead he climbed into bed, exhaustion taking over him. He crashed for a little while, until the blood-soaked memories pulled him awake at the crack of dawn.
After a long ride along the windy paths, he made his way into the town square. Everything but Edible Matters, his favorite coffee shop, was closed at this hour. He drove past Randall’s Market and headed toward Edible’s. He needed a strong cup of java, but the clouds moving in overhead warned him it was time to turn back. His wheels weren’t great on slippery roads, and he was only in a t-shirt. Kathryn had left with his jacket last night, and since he’d watched her suck back a few coolers with Amy, he didn’t want to wake her this morning to get it. He was just about to make a U turn right in the middle of the street, when a flash of red caught his eyes.
No way!
As if thinking of her had suddenly conjured her up, he inched his bike forward quietly. He came up behind Kathryn as she browsed the shops on Main Street. She stopped outside a place that had paintings displayed in the window. She stayed there for a long time, her fingers touching the glass as she admired a local artist’s work, specifically the paintings showcasing the Rocky Mountains.
He watched her, and it occurred to him that she seemed different this morning, a little more relaxed as she window-shopped alone. He took another moment to really look at her. This morning her hair was tied back, but when she angled her head, he could see that her face was free of makeup. There was no denying that she was pretty, even more so without all that crap on her big, green eyes.
He pulled closer to the sidewalk and revved loud. When she spun around, alarm on her face, he opened the mask on his helmet and asked, “Need a lift?”
She eyed him and then looked up and down the near empty streets. “Are you following me?”
He braced both feet on the ground, and folded his arms. “Maybe you’re following me.”
“Why would I be foll
owing you?”
“I could ask the same question.”
“That doesn’t even make sense,” she said.
She planted her hands on her hips and Noah looked at her clothes. Last night she’d been in a cute dress that had showed off her nice legs, and today she was back in her work wear, with expensive shoes geared for the office, not a long trek into town.
He nodded upward. “You better get on, unless you want to get all wet again.”
A noise crawled out of her throat as she tightened her blazer around her body. “It was nice when I left.”
He snapped his fingers. “Things can change just like that around here.”
A droplet landed on her forehead and she wiped it away. “I thought that only happened on the East Coast.”
He grabbed his spare helmet and handed it to her. “Is that where you’re from?” he asked, although he already knew she was. He’d lived on the East Coast himself for a couple years and had picked up on her accent.
“Yes,” she said absently as her glance went from the helmet to the bike and then to him. She frowned. “Is that thing safe?”
“It’s only as safe as the driver.”
She inched back. “In that case—”
Laughing, he jerked his thumb behind him. “Come on, Kat, get on. I’ll pop your cherry.”
“What?” she asked, her body tightening. “What do you mean?”
Her reaction surprised him. “You’ve never ridden before right?”
“Right.”
“So that’s what I meant.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Oh, okay.”
Something in the way she had reacted to his teasing struck him as odd, and he couldn’t help but ask, “What did you think I meant?”
“Nothing,” she said breezily, waving a dismissive hand.
“So what do you say, Kat? Want a lift?”
She exhaled slowly, and he could almost hear the wheels spinning as she glanced up at the sky, a dark threatening cloud directly overhead. “Fine,” she said, and she fiddled with the helmet shield. “And it’s Kathryn.”
“Kathryn with a K. I know.”
She adjusted her ponytail and pulled her helmet on. It seemed a bit too wobbly. “How’s the head?” he asked.
She adjusted the helmet. “It’s big, but it will be okay.”
“No, I mean how are you feeling? You don’t strike me as a drinker, so I figured you’d be a bit hung over this morning.”
“I’m okay. Someone left an orange juice and a bottle of Tylenol outside my door.”
He revved his bike slightly. “Good, then the noise won’t hurt you.” He shifted forward as she climbed on behind him. He showed her where to put her feet, and his cock sprang to life as she wrapped those long, sleek legs of hers around him. He waited for her hands, and when they didn’t come, he reached behind him, grabbed them both and pulled them around his chest. He drew her arms around him only because this was her first time and he didn’t want her to fall off.
He did a turn in the street, and her hands tightened around him as he headed toward their lodge. Her small fingers dug into his chest, but oddly enough, her touch didn’t seem to bother him too much. With the ground slick, he took his time, but the rain falling on his shield made it tricky to see. He lifted it, letting the rain pelt his face as he negotiated the slippery road. Instead of pulling his bike into the staff garage, he continued past the resort, taking a back route to the ski hill.
He could hear the cranking of her shield as she lifted it. “Where are we going?” she asked, her breath warm on the back of his neck.
He took one hand off the handle bar and pointed toward the ski hill. “Up there,” he said over his shoulder. “Shield down,” he ordered.
He listened to her shield snap shut as he cut through the trees, dodged a few low hanging braches and took a sharp corner. He leaned into the bend and she pressed hard against him.
“Noah,” she said, her voice uncertain as her thighs tightened around him.
His cock twitched. Jesus...
“Don’t worry, Kat. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
A few minutes later, he stopped his bike at the bottom of the empty ski hill, which had been shut down for the summer. He adjusted the kickstand and they both climbed off.
Kat removed her helmet and rain fell as she looked around. He watched her, and when she blinked in confusion, he noticed the tiny flecks of honey in her green eyes. She pushed her wet bangs from her face, and swiped her tongue over her bottom lip. “Why did you bring me here?”
“I figured if you liked looking at pictures of scenery, you’d like this a lot better.”
Blinking fat droplets of water from her lashes, she glanced at the mountains in the distance. “It really is beautiful.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Noah pulled his keys out of his front pocket, and walked to the shed that controlled the lift.
She hurried up behind him. “What are you doing?” she asked, and he didn’t miss the worry in her voice.
“Turning on the lift.”
“We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Why not?”
“Noah, we can’t.”
He unlocked the door, pressed a few buttons, and then flicked the switch. “Sure we can.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “See how easy we can?”
She shook her head. “If we get caught...I can’t lose...”
“It’s okay, really. The lift needs to be turned on every now and then for maintenance. No one will think it’s anything but that.”
“What if we get caught?”
“What if we don’t?” He started walking toward the lift entrance. “Come on.”
He glanced over his shoulder to see her root her feet. “I don’t think this is a very good idea.”
“You will. Just wait.”
A noise sounded in the woods. “What was that?” she called out.
Noah turned back and peered into the trees. “Probably just a wild animal.”
“Like a raccoon.”
“Yeah, or a bear.”
“Oh, God!”
Turning, he headed toward the moving the conveyor. “Are you coming, or what?” he asked.
“Well, I’m not staying here alone with a bear.”
Panting as she caught up to him, the cool rain coming down harder, they both jumped onto a wet ski lift. When she nearly slipped off he grabbed her, pulled her close, and held her in position.
“Hold this.” He took one of her small hands and put it on the side bar. She gripped it like it was her lifeline, and while the panic on her face was cute, in a bid to relax her he said, “Don’t worry, Kat. If we get caught, I’ll tell everyone I kidnapped you and forced you to ride.”
The tow carried them higher, and she looked down to see her dangling feet. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“I know, but you want to, don’t you?”
She shook her head, her wet ponytail flaring around her face. “No I don’t want to. I’m not into breaking the rules.”
“We’re not breaking them, we’re just bending them,” he said.
She opened her mouth like she was about to counter, but as the chair carried them toward the sky, she glanced at the scenery and said, “Oh, my God.”
“I told you.”
He followed her glance, and exhaled slowly as they climbed the mountain, steam rising up from the ground below as the cold rain fell harder.
She wiped her eyes. “I wish it wasn’t raining.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I kind of like the rain.”
“I do, too, but I want to take a picture, and I don’t want to damage my phone.”
“We can come back when it’s not raining.”
A noise crawled out of her throat as she cringed. “I can’t imagine you’ll ever get me to do this again.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “I bet there are a lot of things I can get you to do.” She arched a dubious brow,
and he rocked the chair.
She squealed. “Noah, don’t.”
“Don’t what?” He stood up on the seat, and spread his arms, something he’d done a hundred times before.
“Get down, you’re scaring me.” When he sat back down and aimed a grin her way, she shook her head and laughed. “You’re crazy.”
“You know, I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile.”
“I shouldn’t be smiling.” Her glance left his and searched the ground. “What we’re doing is wrong.” She poked her finger into his chest. “You’re a bad influence.”
“You have no one to blame but yourself. You knew I came with a warning label.”
She whacked him, and he let loose an exaggerated oomph as he grabbed her hand to hold it. “You hit pretty good for a girl.”
The smile she gave him felt like a sucker punch. Jesus, she wasn’t just pretty, she was gorgeous.
She looked to the left, then right, taking it all in. Something moved over her face, something wistful. “I would love to paint this.”
“Is that what you’re into? Painting?”
She crinkled her nose, and that’s when he noticed her freckles. Damn they were cute. “I don’t really get to do it much.”
“Why not?”
“Because...” She frowned, and her head fell forward, like the world was weighing her down.
“Because what?” he probed, even though he was pretty sure he already knew. The lift bumped and she fell against him.
“I’m a business student and that doesn’t leave much time for anything else. I guess I’m all work and no play.”
He exhaled slowly and stared off into the distance. “Believe me, I know what you mean.”
From his peripheral vision, he saw her glance shoot to him, and when he looked back at her, she gave him a strange look. Despite his high IQ, it didn’t take a genius to interpret the meaning behind that look. She clearly thought he had no idea what he was talking about. And why would she? He knew what she saw when she looked at him. He knew what he presented to the world.
“How would you know?” she asked. Then, as if embarrassed by her judgment, she began to backtrack. “I mean...”