Winter Love (Love Collection)

by Natalie Ann

  Appetizers were ordered along with wine for her, a beer for him. “Ever have caviar?” she asked him.

  “No.” Fish eggs weren’t on the top of his food chain wish list. He’d rather just eat the fish itself.

  “Try it,” she said, putting some on a dainty cracker and bringing it to his lips. “If I’m trying new things then you can too.”

  She would have to throw it out there in his face like that. “I’ve never been here before, doesn’t that count?”

  “It does, but you might as well add a bunch more to the list.”

  He was hoping the night would be full of firsts. There was something in her eyes telling him that the wait was going to be over, but he told himself it was too soon. He was weak enough to cave if it came down to that.

  The time they’d spent together was more meaningful than he’d ever spent with another woman before. In his mind, the length of time didn’t mean much if the intensity was present...and it was in full force.

  He grudgingly opened his mouth to taste the delicate food in front of him. She’d already taken a few pictures of it and he assumed she was lining things up in her mind to write about it. Maybe this would take the place of their sled interview. Bummer

  It wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought it was going to be. Kind of salty and fishy, but richer. Not something he’d consider ordering again, but it wasn’t as horrible as he imagined it might be. “It’s not bad.”

  “Can I quote you on that?” she asked, her eyes sparkling.

  “Another interview? You didn’t even post the one from today.”

  “It’s scheduled to go live a little later,” she said. “Are you looking to see your debut on the tiny screen?”

  “Just checking to see if you were too chicken to post the whole thing.”

  She laughed. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see. I wanted to add to it about our dinner tonight, so I’m posting it later and then telling people to stay tuned for more.”

  That was promising, he supposed. “Then yes, you can quote me all you want.”

  Dinner had been served, both of them all but licking the plate with the chef coming out to answer a few questions for Kendall when he had a second. She’d called ahead of time and said she was coming, and they allowed her to sneak in the back for a quick interview while their meals were being prepared by the sous chefs.

  “How about we stop back to your room and grab your swimsuit. You did bring one with you here, right?”

  “I did. It’s a little cold to swim and your pool is closed up tight at the lodge.”

  “Hot tub at the house. It’s what is in that little covered patio beyond the sliding glass doors.”

  “Oh. And before you ask, yes, I’ve been in one before. Never in the middle of the winter though.”

  “Then I fully expect some video of that too.”

  “I’ll think about it,” she said. “Some things are best left to the imagination of my viewers. Seeing us in our suits relaxing, yeah...they can imagine that.”

  Someone Like Zeke

  Back at Zeke’s house, Kendall was in a haze from the wonderful night. More like, wonderful day.

  When she set out on this trip months ago—well, more like in the beginning she’d known all along she’d end up here in January—she’d never expected to find this. These feelings. These emotions. Not with a stranger.

  Not with someone like Zeke.

  She wanted to say that they had nothing in common, but that would be a whopping lie.

  The biggest thing they had in common was the fact they both were homebodies.

  Sure, she was traveling the world, but it wasn’t really her choice. Or what she’d ever thought she’d do. Talking with Zeke made her realize a lot of things in the past few days.

  That though deep down she was doing this for her parents, it wasn’t making her happy like she thought it would.

  She loved the new foods and skills she was learning. That was a huge bonus.

  She even loved blogging and talking with people when she never thought she would before. She pushed herself for the new adventures and they were fun.

  She was enjoying herself.

  But it wasn’t making her happy.

  Like Josie had pointed out, she was homesick. She wanted to go back to her boring life.

  And though Zeke’s life was anything but boring, he was home. He was in his home more or less every day of his life. And his career, what he did every day, was something he loved.

  She was missing time in the kitchen more than she thought.

  She was missing not just her home, but what she loved. What was part of her heart, her body, and her soul.

  That was a scary thought making her wonder why or if she should continue on somewhere else when her time was up here. That maybe she should just make the decision to see if she could find something of her parents, or understand them, then go back to her life.

  But here she was, thinking of Zeke in the truck next to her pulling in his driveway and realizing that for the first time in months, she was actually happy.

  She was comfortable with him. He made her laugh. He was fun. And she was realizing now that she could see how her parents met here and fell in love.

  That when you found the right person, everything around you just had a different outlook.

  Wow! Did she just think that? Did she just tell herself—the most rational one in her family—that she could understand and maybe experience love at first sight? When she didn’t believe in it at all and that was part of the reason for this journey.

  Talk about a ridiculous crazy thought. That maybe she was wrong. Nah. She was just getting caught up in the day, nothing more.

  “Are you ready to get in the hot tub?” he asked when he pulled into his garage.

  “I am. I’m not looking forward to standing out in the cold in my bathing suit though.”

  “You won’t be out in it long,” he said, grinning at her. “Just wrap yourself up in a big fluffy towel. Or I can give you my robe if you want.”

  “You’ve got a robe?” she said, laughing at him. She didn’t know too many people his age with robes. Hell, even her parents hadn’t owned robes.

  “It’s only to wear to go to the hot tub,” he said, wrinkling his nose.

  She went into his guest room and changed into her suit. She’d already taken her dress and heels off at the hotel when they stopped there quickly. She was back in comfy leggings and another longer cotton shirt. In her bag with her suit, she’d thrown in a change of clothing and a few overnight essentials...just in case.

  The just in case part was if she could get Zeke to change his mind more than anything. She knew what her mind wanted and it was Zeke Collins.

  Looking at him across the table tonight, his wavy hair brushing his shoulders, making her want to run her fingers through the soft locks, was playing havoc with her agenda for her blog.

  She almost put the blog aside for the night and just enjoyed her date with Zeke, but he’d seemed so excited to be interviewed again that she decided to go with it. Just spending less than twenty minutes total of the whole two hours they were there taking a few pictures and talking in the kitchen with the chef and his staff.

  And if the soft wavy hair of his wasn’t enough to turn her on, then it was his clothes. They sure made one hell of a fancy couple.

  He was more a model on a runway than a surfer dude in her mind at the moment. His shirt fit him perfectly, his pants nice and tailored too.

  His build, yeah, that was pretty magnificent. But then again she’d seen enough of it in the sauna. Well, not enough, but plenty for her to know he could easily be a model.

  Chiseled was a good word for his physique.

  His eyes were always assessing her, letting her know he was thinking of something right now.

  Too bad she couldn’t figure out what he was thinking about.

  She opened the door to the guest room, changed, then walked out in her purple and blue bikini to see him standing there
in red board shorts. A different pair than he’d had on in the sauna. There was something bright hanging over his arm.

  “What is that?” she asked when he handed it over.

  “My robe.”

  She burst out laughing. He could make her laugh at the oddest of times. She held it out in front of her. “It’s got Ninja Turtles on it.”

  “Ninja Turtles are cool.” She rolled her eyes and went to put it on. “Wait a minute. Turn around for me so I can see all of you before you cover up with my fighting buddies.”

  She did as he asked because she wanted to do anything she could to turn him on tonight. The long whistle he sent her way was promising. She turned back and said, “Your turn.”

  He held his arms out to the sides and spun for her, giving her eyes time to roam over his muscled back. She was itching to get her hands on him.

  “Ready now?” he asked.

  “As ready as I’m going to be.”

  ***

  Zeke couldn’t remember ever having such a great date. He wasn’t even bothered that part of it was work for her. Matter of fact, he was thrilled about it. It gave them more to talk about, more time to find out all the things they had in common.

  He was able to ask her all sorts of questions and she did the same. Her favorite foods, his favorite. What she’d liked the best about her travels and what she had planned next.

  Surprisingly she didn’t have much lined up or planned after she left here. He found that odd considering she’d said the past six months out of the country were meticulously planned well in advance.

  She’d taken his robe off when they’d gotten outside, shivering, and then quickly stepping into the hot tub. Not fast enough before he noticed her nipples were pebbling nicely for his eyes like a scrumptious treat. Rock hard candy buzzed in his brain and he wondered if they would be as sweet as the treat he’d loved so much when he was younger.

  He climbed in right after her, sitting across rather than next to her. No need to crowd her too much, even if he was dying to. Itching to more than when he got his first snowmobile at six years old.

  “Okay, this is pretty great,” she said, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

  “Did you bring your phone out here?”

  “It’s in the pocket of the robe,” she said, “but I’m not sure I want to get up to get it.”

  He leaned over her and got it out of the robe on the chair next to the tub. “Go on. Video us.”

  “What’s your obsession with this?” she asked.

  He was afraid to say it. To voice that he wanted the world to see that he was taken with her. Did Erika use the word attachment? She’d be right! That it wasn’t a slip of the tongue Kendall had had on the snowmobiles and here they were in a nice intimate setting.

  “It’s why you’re here. I just thought I’d help you out.”

  She eyed him funny. “That’s why I’m in this hot tub with you right now?”

  “No. I mean Lake Placid.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Fine. A quick shot.” She wiped her hand off, grabbed the phone from him and turned it so that they would both be in the shot. “Under the water, please. I don’t need too much of me exposed.”

  He was fine with that. He’d noticed that though she was down to earth, she never wore anything extremely sexy or daring during her videos. Appearing in a tiny bikini might give a different vibe than she wanted.

  “How’s this?” he asked, sinking down and pulling her down next to him. Their bare legs touching under the water gave him ideas and he was thankful the water was covering his body’s reaction.

  “This works. Here goes… Hi, everyone! Kendall here.”

  “And Zeke,” he jumped in and made her laugh.

  “Zeke’s my new partner in crime. Oops, I meant adventure. Snowmobiling earlier. A fabulous dinner, and now a hot tub in the winter.” She turned the camera. “Look at all that snow in the back. Yep, I was standing out there in just a swimsuit.”

  “After she took off my borrowed robe,” he jumped in to see her reaction.

  Another laugh. “Would you all like to see the robe that I borrowed from Zeke?” She turned the camera. “That’s right. Grown men wear Ninja Turtles and they are proud of it.”

  “Hear that, men. Ninja Turtles can get a woman like Kendall in the hot tub with you.”

  He was thinking that might have been a little bit much, but she turned and looked at him, her eyes all soft and filled with something else he wasn’t sure he could read.

  “Ladies, let’s be honest. Do you really think it was the Ninja Turtles that did that? I think not. But we’ll let the men who like to be boys think it. And my hand holding the camera is starting to form icicles on it, so that’s all for now.”

  “That was great,” he said. “It’s like we’re a natural team.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” she said, putting her phone back in the pocket of the robe.

  He didn’t give her a chance to sit back down before he had his hands around her waist and her luscious rear end in his lap, his mouth slanting over hers.

  Talk About Sexy

  This was exactly where Kendall had hoped to be.

  In this overly warm water with a hot man.

  His hands on her waist, his mouth covering hers.

  The evidence of his desire telling her that maybe he wouldn’t be stopping either.

  “Zeke,” she said, her mouth moving over his chin, her fingers in his hair that was damp and curling more than normal. Talk about sexy.

  “Yes,” he said, his hands roaming up her ribs with his fingertips stopping on her breasts, feather-like caresses sending chills through her body regardless of the heated water.

  “Are you going to tell me no if I ask you to take me to your room?”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think you want to know my reasons first,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. What a touch he had.

  “You’re pretty smart,” he said, but his hands were still moving all over her, telling her that maybe tonight was going to be lucky.

  “Reason number one. You’re freaking hot.” His lips were on her neck and her head went back. Guess he liked her comment.

  “That’s a good reason. Keep going.”

  His hands weren’t stopping so she wasn’t either. “Reason number two. I’m extremely turned on by you. I have been all day, even riding on the sled with you first thing this morning.”

  “The feeling is mutual.”

  If she unplugged the hot tub, the water would still be bubbling from the heat of his body alone.

  “Reason number three. You’ve given me one memorable date. A full-day date I’ll never forget.”

  “I’d like to add to that for you.”

  She smiled now, his eyes just staring at hers, so she decided to give the main reason to him. He deserved to know.

  “Reason number four. You’re the first person to make me realize what makes me happy in life. At this moment, it’s you.”

  He stood up, cradling her in his arms, and somehow managed to open the glass doors and close them, then carried her up the stairs to the main level, then the next flight to his room, the entire time his mouth on hers. He was pretty damn talented and she was glad to know those talents weren’t going to be wasted tonight.

  “We’re going to get your bed all wet,” she said.

  “Then I think we should take care of the tiny bit of clothes we’ve got on.”

  He set her on her feet, then untied the bow behind her neck, dropping the triangles down, exposing her breasts. He wasted no time lowering his mouth to a hardened nipple.

  She stood there and took it because there was nothing else she wanted to do and nowhere else she’d rather be.

  He moved from one side to the other giving them equal consideration. Her knees felt like wet noodles trying to hold up a building. Between his warm mouth on her overly sensitive skin and the wet suits that were now chilly, all her erogenous zones were screaming for more attenti
on.

  Her hands went to his shoulders, over his chest, just trying to touch and feel anything she could.

  He must have gotten the hint because the little ties on the side of her bikini bottoms were undone, releasing them to the ground also.

  “You’ve got one hell of a body on you,” he said, looking her over.

  “That’s nice. Put your mouth back on it.”

  He laughed. “I can do that. I like that you’re a bit demanding too.”

  He didn’t leave her waiting long before he had her in his arms again, then lowering her on the bed. He’d stepped back, then pushed and kicked his own swimsuit away. “Wow. You said I had a nice body.”

  “Well, would you look at that,” he said. “We have something else in common.”

  She didn’t bother to comment. They hadn’t talked about having anything in common. Not the words out loud, just thoughts in her head. She was wondering if he was thinking of all the same things she had been, or the important ones.

  He didn’t give her much time to respond before his mouth went right to her waist, kissing her hips and below. Showing her that he was thinking along the same lines as her at this moment.

  This time he didn’t keep her waiting, didn’t make her ask, not even beg.

  His hands went between her folds that she knew were soaking wet and hot. She felt like she was boiling inside right now.

  He was stroking her up and down, all around, then slid a finger inside and she groaned. She’d been watching him play with her but now the feelings were too great to do anything other than drop back and just enjoy.

  She should have kept her eyes open because then she would have gotten a forewarning that his mouth was going to go to work with his fingers. Those long strong fingers of his sliding in and out at a steady pace.

  Now his mouth found the strongest zone on her body and set to finding every way he could to make her squirm.

  He was sucking on her. He was licking her. Then he nibbled and she squealed.

  “Zeke,” she all but shouted. So much for him not making her beg. That was thrown out the window with any thoughts of anything other than finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow he was teasing her with. “What are you waiting for?”