by Cathryn Fox
Coming to her rescue and turning the focus back to her, he said, “You should loosen up more.”
“Yeah, maybe.” She looked at him and her eyes said it all—he needed to do just the opposite.
He turned from her, and they both stared at the scenery for a moment, then Noah broke the quiet. “What is it you can’t lose?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Earlier, you said you can’t lose, but you didn’t finish.”
She hesitated for a moment and then said quietly, “My scholarship.”
He nodded. “Do you attend Sanford?”
“Yeah, how do you know?
“You said you were from the East Coast, and Sanford’s the best business school east of Toronto, so I just assumed.”
Oddly enough, her school was only minutes from the one he used to go to. Both smack dab in the middle of the city, the two prestigious schools, Sanford and Kingsdale—one known for business and the other known for its top notch computer science program—were friendly rivals. And sometimes not so friendly, considering they took their sports very seriously.
Clearly not wanting to talk about it anymore, she plastered on a smile and asked, “So what are you into?”
“If I say your body, would you hold it against me?”
She looked confused for a moment, then when she got the joke—her, holding her body against his—she laughed so hard, he couldn’t help but join her.
“What?” he finally asked.
Swiping the tears mingling with the rain from her face, she asked, “Noah, you can’t be serious? You can’t think a line like that really works?”
“You wouldn’t believe how many times it does.” He gave a sheepish shrug and said, “I guess you’re too smart to fall for it.”
Rolling her eyes, she said, “You guess?”
Seeing the smile on her face, and knowing he was the one who put it there, made him want to do it again.
“I really do love it when you smile. You should do it more often.” He thought about that for a minute, and an idea formed as his eyes locked with hers, taking in the skepticism lingering beneath. “I think that will be my goal for the summer.”
“To make me smile?”
“Yeah.” He swept his hand toward the panoramic scenery below them. “Look where you are, Kat. I think you should have a little fun.”
“Why?”
He looked at the mountains, and the light fog crawling up the rocks. “Because losing yourself in your work can be a dangerous thing.”
She went quiet for a long time and then finally asked, “Do you think there’s a happy medium?”
“Probably not.”
She slanted her head, her gaze moving over his rain-soaked face. “You’re kind of a strange guy, Noah.”
Wanting to lighten the mood, he winked. “That’s one of the nicer things people have called me.”
Before she could respond, a big eagle flew in front of them, its massive wings stirring the heavy air.
Kat gasped and jerked back against the seat. Instinctively Noah put his arm around her, and pulled her close. “Careful,” he said, not wanting her to slip from the wet seat.
Eyes alive, she shook her head and watched the bird as it circled them before flying away. “That...that...was amazing. Damn, I really wish I had my camera ready.”
The joy on her face made him want to see the bird again, too. “Like I said, we’ll have to come back.”
He settled against the seat with her as the lift began its descent. They both sat in silence for a while longer, lost in their thoughts as they took in the view. He shot her a sidelong glance and noticed her fingers didn’t grip the side bar quite as hard as they had at first, and she now leaned forward, her eyes darting everywhere, cataloguing each new sight. After they slipped off the chair, he shut it down, and they climbed back on to his motorcycle.
“Ready?” he asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist without prompting.
With her mouth close to his ear, she whispered, “Thanks.”
The softness in her voice had him spinning around, and when he caught the vivid honestly on her face, his throat tightened. The warmth in her eyes filled him with doubt as his mind went back to the bet. Shit. Now if he didn’t follow through with it, he’d lose Jonny’s bike, and he couldn’t let that happen.
“Shield down,” he said and then revved the bike to drown out the guilt niggling at his gut. They made their way back to the resort. He drove into his small space in the garage, and parked.
Kat climbed off and looked at Luke’s Porsche. “Nice car,” she said. Her glance went to his small workbench in the corner, where bike parts lay scattered about. “Yours?” she asked.
“Yup.” The site of Jonny’s bike made him think about the bet again. Guilt taunted him once again, but then he quickly shrugged it off. He needed to focus on his goal.
When she picked up a fuel pump to examine it, he put his hand on her back to guide her outside. “You better get out of those clothes.”
She gave him a curious look, but instead of probing she nodded and set the part back down. A few minutes later he stood outside her bedroom door, and braced his hand on the overhead jamb.
She peeled off her wet blazer and he couldn’t help but look at the two damp spots on her white blouse. “Thanks for the lift,” she said.
“Anytime.”
“Seriously, Noah. It was…” she paused like she was looking for the right word, and then added, “…fun.”
“You say that like you’ve never had fun before.”
“Thanks again,” she said, ignoring his remark, one that he knew was bang on. She was about to close the door, when he put his other hand on it to stop her. He dipped his head, and pitched his voice low. “Not so fast. You have something I’m going to need.”
Her eyes widened, and he was certain he saw her nipples tighten beneath her blouse as she stood there staring at him, her jaw slack. “What...what do you need?”
He looked past her shoulders, and gestured with a nod. “My coat.”
Chapter Four
Kathryn tried to focus on her readings, but she couldn’t stop thinking about yesterday. Couldn’t stop thinking about Noah. Even though he’d broken the rules by taking her up the mountain on the lift, the fact that he wanted to show her the landscape was very sweet of him. Actually, it surprised her that he would do something like that for her, considering he barely knew her. It also surprised her that he actually noticed her admiring the scenery painting in town. How observant of him.
She mulled that over and suspected there was more to the guy than met the eye. Still, she’d be wise to focus on her internship and forget all about him.
Lying on her bed, with her laptop open and the thick book on marketing in front of her, she flipped through the pages, struggling to focus. Just as she was about to nod off, her computer beeped, indicating she had a Skype call coming in.
She glanced at her laptop and, when she saw that it was her father, she sat up on her mattress and smoothed her hair back.
She pressed answer, and when her father came into view, sitting at his office desk on a Sunday afternoon, Kathryn said, “Hey, Dad, nice to hear from you.”
“Kathryn,” he said, small lines crinkling around his tired eyes. In that moment Kathryn’s heart went out to him, the sadness in his eyes making her want to please him all the more. Her mind went back to five years ago to when she’d lost her mother—and he a wife. He’d buried himself in his work after her death. His only goal now was to see his daughter succeed and join him in his firm. Her heart thudded as she considered that, and suddenly Amy’s words came back to her.
What good is living if we don’t have some fun, and cut loose once in a while?
Kathryn had loved her mom and missed her dearly, but she really wished her father would find someone else who made him happy, someone who gave him a reason to get out from behind his desk. It would also be nice to see him focus on something other than her. If he were
happy again, it might take the pressure off her to please him.
“I just wanted to check in with you to see how thing were going.”
“Things are good,” she said. “I don’t start work until Monday, but I went in Friday to get a feel for things.”
That brought a smile to his face. “Good for you. That shows great initiative.”
Sitting on the bed beside her, her phone pinged, taking her by surprise.
She glanced at it, and when she saw the message, a message from Noah, her heart jumped into her throat and she couldn’t help but wonder where he got her number.
Want to go white-water rafting?
“Kathryn,” her father said. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine,” she assured him, ignoring the text. But when her phone pinged again, she felt the need to explain. “It’s just one of the staff asking if I wanted to go rafting.”
Her father’s brows knit together. “Rafting? You’re not there to go rafting, Kathryn. You’re there to work.”
“Which is why I’m going to text back and say no.” She grabbed her phone and punched in the response.
“You should be taking this weekend to familiarize yourself with your new job.”
At the stern tone in her father’s voice, she dropped her phone like a hot potato and returned her full attention to him. He had braced his forearm on the desk and leaned toward the monitor, his brows lowered into a familiar countenance of displeasure.
“I am,” she assured him, snatching up the colossal book on marketing and holding it up to the screen for him to see.
“Good,” he said, nodding and leaning back in his chair again. When her phone pinged again, she could hear the displeasure in his voice when he said, “You should take care of that and get back to work.”
After ending the chat with her father, she grabbed her phone, but couldn’t help but feel a little excited to see that all the messages were from Noah.
She thumbed in the text. I’m busy.
Doing what?
Reading.
Zzzzzzz.
It’s not boring.
I told you, you needed to loosen up and have more fun.
I am having fun.
What are you reading?
Where did you get my number anyway?
Amy. Now tell me what are you reading?
Not knowing whether to be thrilled or upset that Amy had given her number out, she looked at her marketing manual. She hesitated for a moment, her glance going to the Nicholas Sparks novel on her nightstand. He already knew she was all work and no play, and not wanting him to know just how boring Kathryn Lane really was she said, “Nothing you would know.”
Try me.
Fine. Nicholas Sparks’s latest.
If I give you the Cliff Notes version, will you come rafting?
Are you trying to tell me you read Nicholas Sparks?
Yeah.
You’re not a very good liar.
And here I thought I was.
Hate to break it to you...
Now you’ve hurt my feelings. You can make it up to me by coming rafting.
I told you, I’m busy.
But you HAVE to come.
Why?
I didn’t make you smile yet today.
She laughed at the smiley face, and then clamped her hand over her mouth, wondering if he could hear her through the paper-thin walls.
If I open the door, stick my head out and smile, will you leave me alone?
Give me ten minutes first.
She listened carefully and heard him rustling inside his room. What the heck did he need ten minutes for?
She powered down her laptop, and shut her marketing book, and then looked down at the clothes she was wearing. Even if she didn’t want to go rafting, which, when she really thought about it, kind of sounded like fun, she didn’t have anything appropriate to wear. Most of her clothes were professional. She watched the minutes tick by and when her phone pinged and the text said, Ready to smile? she walked to her door, wondering what he was up to now.
She opened her door to find him standing there breathing hard, like he’d been running. With a crooked grin on his face, he held up a Nicholas Sparks movie. It wasn’t the same as the book she was reading, but it was still a great movie. “If I promise to watch this sappy shit with you, will you come?”
Unable to help herself, she smiled.
His lids fell slightly, his features softening as his glance went to her mouth. “There it is,” he said, his voice so low she had to strain to hear him.
Something in the quiet way he spoke, in the way his glance lingered on her lips when she smiled, made her knees go week. Despite thinking he looked utterly adorable, she drew a breath to center herself and said, “As much as I would enjoy watching you sit through that movie, I have work to do.”
“It’s Sunday. Work is for tomorrow.”
Just then Amy and Jared came down the hall. Amy handed a big picnic basket to Jared and planted her hands on her hips. She eyed Kathryn. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
“I’m not...I don’t...”
Amy looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “Come on.” She grabbed Kathryn’s hand and practically dragged her down the hall.
When they reached her room, they began the “let’s dress Kathryn” process again. Amy rifled through her dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and a cute tank top. She held them out to Kathryn who reluctantly accepted them.
“I wasn’t planning on going.”
Amy cast her a pleading look. “Will you at least do this for me?” She grabbed Kathryn’s hands. “Come on, I’m really into Jared, and want to spend some time with him. But I’m not going to go if you don’t.”
Kathryn didn’t really know girlfriend protocol, considering she had only acquaintances at school. There hadn’t been time to form friendships. A part of her suddenly resented having been deprived of such a common part of her girlhood. “Why do you need me there?”
“Because,” Amy said, drawing out that one word. “It makes it more fun and I don’t want to be a third wheel. Besides, I think Noah is into you.”
A secret thrill moved through her. “Well, I’m not—”
“I know, I know, but please do this for me. I would do it for you.”
God, how could she say no when Amy was always so nice to her? It was the closest she’d ever come to having a best friend. “Fine, I’ll go.”
Amy squealed. “Thanks, Kat. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
She was about to tell her it was Kathryn, but stopped herself. The nickname was actually growing on her.
When she walked back to her room with Amy’s clothes in hand, Noah leaned against the wall, and crossed his legs at his ankles. He cocked his head, laugher in his eyes when they met hers. “Told you so.”
“And what exactly did you tell me?” She grabbed the movie from him.
His grin widened. “That I could get you to do a lot of things.”
She shook the movie case. “Well let’s see if you’re still smiling when I make you watch this tonight.”
“Is it going to hurt?” he teased.
“Yes, it is.”
“If it hurts, you’ll have to kiss it and make it better.”
Rolling her eyes, Kathryn shut the door on him. She leaned against it for a moment and thought about what it would be like kissing Noah. Everything about Noah and his teasing did the strangest things to her insides. She sucked in a couple of quick breaths, then quickly changed her clothes and met the three of them in the hall. They took the stairs to the bottom floor. A mountain breeze rushed over her when she stepped outside. Noah came close and warmth invaded her stomach, but it had nothing to do with the hot summer afternoon and everything to do with the boy standing next to her.
“Are we taking the shuttle?” Kathryn asked.
Noah drove his hands into his pockets, pulling his swim trunks low on his hips. “I’d rather take my bike.”
She looked at Amy, w
ho nodded toward the garage. “You might as well go with Noah.” She lifted the picnic basket like it explained everything. “I’m going with Jared in his car.”
With that they all walked to the garage, and five minutes later, Kathryn had her arms wrapped tightly around Noah’s chest as he negotiated his bike through the streets. She relaxed into him, and could feel a little bubble of excitement in her stomach as she breathed in his scent. God, he smelled so good, like leather, the beach and something uniquely Noah.
Honestly, as she thought more about these new friends she had made, friends who accepted her for who she was, she couldn’t help but feel a part of something special, and maybe even a little flattered by Noah’s attention. Girls flocked to him, yet he asked her, boring Kathryn Lane, to go rafting. And for some odd reason, she was the girl he wanted to see smile every day. None of it made sense to her, but she wasn’t going to dwell on it like she normally would. Today she was just going to enjoy the outdoors, Noah, and being part of a crowd. Tomorrow she’d buckle down and get serious for the rest of the summer.
Noah pulled his bike into a parking space at Canyon Run, and they both climbed off. Jared squeezed his car in beside them. Kathryn took in the boathouse and all the boats chained up outside. Her stomach moved into her throat.
“It looks scary,” she said to Noah as she wrapped her arms around herself.
“Ah, a rafting virgin,” Jared said coming up beside them. “Don’t worry, it’s safe.”
She pointed to the bruise still slightly visible under his eyes. “Isn’t that how you got that?”
Jared scrubbed his chin and exchanged a look with Noah. “Yeah, something like that,” he said, but Kathryn was smart enough to know it was a lie.
“Come on, it’s going to be fun,” Amy said, skipping past her. She walked up to the shop window that rented wetsuits and grabbed two, along with water shoes. “Let’s get changed.”
She followed Amy into the female changing area, and keeping only her bra and underwear on, she climbed into the tight wetsuit. Afterward, they locked their valuables in lockers provided. Then they met they guys, who were already suited up outside.