by Mia Caldwell
Her head was lowered. He reached out and lifted her chin with a gentle finger. Her eyes still sparkled with unshed tears. And if he wasn’t mistaken, something else was in those eyes. Desire.
Perfect.
His own desire threatened to swamp him. He flashed on an image of grabbing her around the waist and pulling her in tightly, of kissing her, thrusting his tongue inside her hot mouth, claiming her as his own again and again until she was breathless, her breasts heaving against his chest.
He wanted to suck on that satiny neck then pull down her dress and suckle her breasts. He’d turn her around and yank up her skirt and sink his fingers into her —
Fuck. He needed to cool down. He looked into Sabela’s dark brown eyes and wondered what she was thinking. Undoubtedly, whatever it was, it wasn’t about being ravished on a stairwell by a madman.
He willed himself into control, something accomplished quickly, if not easily, from so many years of practice.
Finally, he spoke. “It’s been a long day. You may go to your room now. I’ll send Marie up with food. Eat, and then get some rest.”
She almost seemed hypnotized. She nodded and turned away. He watched her go, her shapely ass swaying, the motion natural and unaffected.
In fact, she herself was natural and unaffected. He hadn’t anticipated that, and he’d been thrown off his game, had almost blown everything.
It was all wrong. The plan wasn’t supposed to go this way.
Beyond frustrated, Colin clenched his fists as he watched her turn the corner. As soon as she was out of eyesight, he stalked back down the stairs, wanting to slam his fist into a wall for some relief from his frustration.
But Colin didn’t give in to such emotional responses. He never did. He kept his mind clear and focused on the objective. Sabela nearly bested him because of his attraction to her.
Why now, after four long years, was he feeling this way?
Frustration simmering, Colin returned to the dining room. He made a quick call to Marie and told her to take a plate to Sabela’s suite.
He lifted a fork and began to eat his own meal, now mostly cold. But he didn’t care.
He assured himself the plan would go on, he would reap much-deserved justice.
And if in succeeding with his plan, he got to sleep with one of the hottest women he’d ever met, then he wouldn’t complain.
She’d be all his, in more way than one.
Chapter Thirteen
THE BED DIDN’T FEEL THE same.
Sabela woke with a start, squirming and twisting beneath the soft sheets. The mattress was too soft and giving, the pillows too plush, the blankets too warm and full. In short, she was far too comfortable.
Where was she? She could barely tell it was light outside from the bits of sunbeams that squeaked through the slim cracks between the wall of closed curtains. It was morning.
Memories of the previous day returned. Meeting the man in the suit, the tense ride to the private airport, the jet trip across the ocean, and then the drive to Haberlin Chalet. Sabela took a deep, grounding breath and let it all out slowly.
She was here with Mr. Morgan, and he wanted her to pay back her debt by using her as an escort.
But she wasn’t sure she could trust him. He was unpredictable, and some members of his staff seemed afraid of him. And he made her feel the most unnerving things when he spoke to her, in particular when he was physically near her,
She curled up under the covers and recalled the previous evening. Colin had said he wasn’t looking for a whore, but there was a suggestive tone to everything he said that made her doubt his promise.
If she was to play his perfect girlfriend, why wouldn’t he want her in his bedroom?
Thinking about it only stressed her out further. While Colin was undoubtedly attractive, she wasn’t going to sleep with a man in order to have her debt forgiven. She wasn’t that kind of girl.
So what kind of girl was she? Last night she’d primped and pruned until she didn’t recognize herself, all because she’d wanted to be someone else. Was that someone else a woman who wanted to sleep with Colin?
There was a troubling overlap between want and need that Sabela didn’t know how to quantify.
She looked around the room. It had to still be quite early, from how the sunbeams were slanting. The storm was over. Everything was exactly how she’d left it when she’d gone to sleep.
Except for a folded white paper slipped beneath the door.
Sabela rose from bed and donned her warm robe, securing the fabric belt around her waist. She moved across the room and scooped up the paper. It read:
Dress warmly and meet me on the slopes. Ask Marie if you have any questions.
Colin. The neat, angular handwriting matched that on the letter the suited man had given her. Sabela studied the words and frowned.
She didn’t know how to ski.
Sabela hit the intercom button by the door.
“Marie? Good morning. How do I get to the kitchen?”
“Good morning, Ms. Vaughn,” Marie said brightly. Her light accent warmed Sabela’s heart and put her at ease. “Let me bring you some breakfast.”
“Oh, um, only if it isn’t any trouble.”
“You will never be any trouble, dear. I’ll be right there.”
True to her word, Marie arrived in no time at all. Sabela helped her wheel in the small tray filled to the brim with pastries, coffee, and granola. It was more than Sabela could ever eat alone.
Food delivered, Marie turned to leave. Sabela stopped her.
“Before you go, Marie, I have a question.”
“Yes, Ms. Vaughn?”
“Where are the slopes? I’m supposed to meet Colin there.”
“Once you go out the front door, simply follow the path around to the lift. It’s hard to miss.” Marie gestured out the window in the direction she meant.
“I don’t know how to ski. Is that going to be a problem?”
“Mr. Morgan will want to teach you, I’m sure,” Marie said with a smile. “You’re in good hands. I wouldn’t worry. He’s an expert.”
She left the room as quietly as she’d entered, leaving Sabela alone with her thoughts and her breakfast.
Did Colin expect her to learn to ski as part of their agreement? What a bizarre thing. She supposed it had to do with getting to know him better.
A big part of her wished she didn’t have to know him at all. Another part longed to know every deep secret hidden behind those dark eyes.
She picked at her breakfast in an attempt to prolong her departure. She didn’t want to go. But what would happen to her if she didn’t do as Colin asked?
She recalled the way she’d done his bidding on the staircase. How had he done that? And why had she allowed him to do it?
With a sigh, Sabela pushed the tray aside and moved to her closet. She might as well go to the slopes and see what Colin had in mind.
Towards the back of the closet was a jacket and thin snow pants matched with boots and gloves. It was clear he’d been expecting to take her onto the slopes.
“Let’s get this over with,” she whispered to herself.
Before slipping into her outerwear, Sabela dressed in a simple shirt and a pair of jeans. All done up, she felt too warm, but once she left the chalet she’d appreciate the insulation.
And the thick layers meant that her inevitable fall wouldn’t be so painful.
No way to procrastinate any longer, Sabela stepped out into the maze of hallways and headed for the front door.
Even though she had only been in the chalet a short time, she was starting to get used to some of the different nooks and crannies. A man like Colin could hide in here and never be found, she thought. It was probably why he liked the place so much.
Sabela wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, but there was something. She wasn’t blind.
Colin wasn’t a normal man. He was battling demons inside himself.
But the existence of those demons cou
ldn’t excuse his behavior at dinner the night before. What had started as flirtatious and quirky had turned ugly with his talk of whores. What did Colin really think of her?
If he had noble intentions, he wouldn’t have hesitated to lay out more specific groundwork for his expectations. Instead, he’d been deliberately ambiguous.
Perhaps he didn’t actually know what he wanted from her. Or perhaps he was too ashamed to admit what he really wanted.
Everything about Colin was confusing, including the attraction she felt toward him. Either he boiled her blood or he made her wish he’d kiss her.
There was little in between.
If he wanted repayment for her debt, then that’s what she’d do. If he wanted her to pretend to be his girlfriend, she’d play that part.
He’d said he wouldn’t stipulate sex from her. He’d said if they had sex, it would only be because she wanted it, not because he demanded it.
Right now, Colin wasn’t the kind of man she could trust with her body. She’d not slept with many men, and didn’t do so lightly. She wouldn’t change now, and she wouldn’t be with Colin until she knew more about him.
Once outside, she made her way around the chalet and followed the path. The way was clear. There was an immense hill, large enough that it could probably be called a mountain itself, behind the chalet, and she could see a small lift that would take skiers to the top.
As Sabela approached, she watched a figure descend from the uppermost outcropping of the mountaintop. She could tell even from that distance that the figure was a male, and she had no doubt who she was watching.
Colin navigated the slope expertly.
He moved in graceful accordance with his skis and was confident every foot of the way down the slope. When he reached the bottom, he cut near her and sent a spray of snow flying in the air.
He lifted his thick goggles and the sun sparkled on his golden hair. Sabela’s heart skipped a beat. Colin might be a beast on the inside, but on the outside he was a prince.
“Good morning, Sabela. How did you sleep?” he asked.
“Fine, thank you,” she said.
The reply was automatic. Between how stunning he looked now that they were out in the sunshine with the cold drawing the red from his tanned cheeks and how friendly he was acting, Sabela couldn’t muster anything more.
Maybe last night had been a misunderstanding. Tired and stressed from her long day, maybe she’d jumped to conclusions too quickly. Colin looked as approachable as he did handsome.
And she couldn’t forget how eager Marie was to spout his praises.
“Ready for some skiing?” he asked. “Last night’s snow is perfect, and the slope is in great shape.”
“Maybe I can watch you. I don’t know how to ski.”
“I’ll teach you.”
“I’m not athletically inclined. I broke my leg once throwing darts.”
“Wait, what? How did you manage that?” Colin hitched a brow.
“It’s a long, embarrassing story,” Sabela admitted with a sigh. “I don’t want to relive the shame.”
Colin laughed and shook his head. The crisp mountain air complimented the sound, and Sabela wished he’d laugh more often. It made him less intimidating.
“It’s important that you can at least make your way gracefully down the bunny hill.” Colin chuckled. “Think we can work on that?”
She conceded regretfully. “I guess.”
Sabela felt awkward, being asked to do something she had no interest in doing. She didn’t feel graceful in the way she moved at the best of times. Escaping into her imagination was so much easier than getting out and trying to actually do something.
Trevor had always joked that she broke out in bruises instead of hives every time she so much as looked at an athletic activity. Looking at the ski slope left her almost breaking out in broken bones.
It was a hospital trip waiting to happen, and Sabela couldn’t afford any more medical debts. She’d simply make Colin foot the bill. If she took it slow and didn’t freak herself out, maybe she’d get by with a sprain. That shouldn’t be too costly.
Colin pointed at the ski rack next to the lift. There were several rows of skis, all of them slightly different sizes, waiting there.
“Let’s get you in a pair and get you started.”
The next twenty minutes were torturous, but for a completely different reason than Sabela anticipated. Colin leaned over her, helping her get strapped into the right pair of skis, and didn’t shy away from touching her when he needed to.
The scent of his cologne tantalized, but it was his touch and how it sent sparks through her body that kept Sabela’s mind occupied.
Why did his touch, even when it wasn’t meant to be intimate, stir her like this? She was as frustrated with herself as she was intrigued by him.
When they found the skis that were right for her, she had to lean on Colin in order to get them on. Through it all, Colin was patient with her. He made sure the skis were securely strapped, then stood up and grinned at her.
“All set. Let’s tackle this thing.”
Colin had more confidence in her than Sabela had in herself. She followed his instructions on how to hold onto the lift that took her up the slope, and soon enough they were seated side by side on the moving bench.
Sabela’s heart pounded. Getting onto the lift had been frightening, and she hadn’t even begun to ski yet.
Would Colin refuse to consider her debt paid until she mastered a sport she knew she was never going to make much progress in? She hated how everything she did was measured by what she owed the man.
At the top of the rise, Colin hopped off of the chair and helped her down, and Sabela managed to land without falling.
So far, so good.
But it was all downhill from there – literally. Colin started to tell her how she was supposed to hold her skis and keep her knees, and what to expect on the way down.
The words went in one ear and out the other. All Sabela could think of was that the hill looked a lot larger now that she was at the top of it, bunny slope or not.
“Hey,” Colin said at last, “are you listening to me?”
“I’m trying,” she mumbled, swallowing hard past the knot in her throat.
“It’s important that you pay attention so you don’t get hurt. I’m not talking because I like the sound of my own voice. If I wanted to listen to someone, it would be you.”
His flattery couldn’t soothe her nerves. Sabela felt sick. Did he really expect her to do this?
“Colin, I don’t think this is a good idea. I don’t want to do this.”
She was being pushed too far too fast in too many ways. Staring down the slope was the perfect metaphor for her current situation as a whole. If she didn’t pull Colin’s foot off the accelerator, she was going to crash and burn.
For the first time that morning, Colin’s face hardened. “You’re just scared. It’s natural. Come on. If you don’t try, then you can’t succeed.”
“If I don’t try, I also won’t end up with any broken bones,” she quipped.
“I don’t think that will make it as a slogan for any motivational posters.” Colin’s face lightened a touch.
“I just … I … I can’t.”
“We’ll go down together. Just remember what I told you, and everything will be fine.”
“I can’t!”
Colin’s expression tightened again, a look she was starting to know well. “Are you saying that you won’t work to repay what you owe?”
There it was, the carrot before the horse that she knew he was going to dangle. And that’s why everything so far was measured by her debt — because of him and his constant reminders of why she was there. Sabela grimaced.
“I’ll go,” she said.
Ungraceful, she inched forward, but the skis weren’t going anywhere.
“Remember what I told you,” Colin said.
Then, before she had time to prepare herself, he set his hand
on her back and gave her a gentle shove to provide the momentum she needed for her descent.
As soon as the wind hit her face and she realized that she wasn’t in control anymore, Sabela forgot everything she’d been told.
Panicked and unable to focus, she sped off. It was like her feet had minds of their own. And they were rapidly getting ahead of the rest of her.
She flailed her arms around, trying to catch up to her speeding skis, but it only unbalanced her further, and her spinning poles nearly whacked her in the head. Her skis began to cross.
One minute she was standing upright, and the next she was staring straight up at the sky. With a thud, she hit the snow and started to slide the rest of the way on her ass.
And Colin had the audacity to laugh as he effortlessly skied to a stop beside her.
“Get up, and let’s try it again,” he said.
Sabela wiped snow from her goggles and tried to push herself up. She wanted to smack the smug grin off Colin’s face as he grabbed her hands and heaved her upright.
She stood, turned to the side to keep herself from sliding away again. Looking down the slope, she realized it wasn’t really all that far to the bottom; it had just seemed that way.
She didn’t listen to him when he began to instruct her on everything she’d done wrong. She was too busy considering how he had forced her to do something against her will.
If he wouldn’t let her back out of skiing, what was to say he wouldn’t force her into something more? Sabela’s anger grew.
Going against who she was wasn’t worth it. Ever since she’d woken up the day before, she’d been pushed, stretched, and bullied in one way or another. This time, with the skiing, it was physical. She was lucky that she hadn’t hurt herself during the fall.
It was enough.
“No, I won’t do it,” she said adamantly.
He gave her his no-nonsense look. “You will do it because I said so.”
The beast was back.
Sabela squared her shoulders, unwilling to back down. Nothing was worth being treated like this.
“I am sick of being bullied by you, Colin Morgan, and I’m not going to stand for it any longer! You will take me home right now! I’m done.”