“Well.” He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling decidedly embarrassed. He supposed he should have expected an employee of a ski resort to know how to ski. She’d looked so soft and curvy, he’d assumed she was an indoorsy type. “You certainly know how to make a man feel good about himself.”
Jade cleared her throat delicately. “Well, I suppose I could pretend to be ignorant about skiing so that you can teach me and feel good about yourself again.” Her pale green eyes sparkled with mirth.
Dawson couldn’t help it—he grinned. “That sounds more like it,” he said. “Two o’clock tomorrow?”
“That should be fine.”
“It’s a date, then.” Before she could change her mind, he plucked her hand off the counter top and pressed his lips to it. Her skin was soft against his mouth, and he smiled as he heard her indrawn breath and felt her pulse rocket. “See you tomorrow.”
He felt her jade eyes on him all the way out the door, and it took a mighty effort for him to resist the urge to turn around. But, he knew if he did that he’d want to spend the rest of the day hanging around the lobby with her, and he didn’t want to come off as a total creep.
As he got into his truck and made his way over to his assigned cabin, Dawson wondered what had drawn him to her so quickly. He wasn’t usually attracted to thick, curvy girls, but something about her had pulled him in hard and fast.
There’s no denying she’s beautiful, he thought as he opened his cabin door. Her exotic, Latin-American features were beguiling, and those thickly lashed, sparkling green eyes of hers seem to hold another world in them...and that figure. While not slender, it was killer. He was definitely looking forward to getting his hands on those curves.
Dawson set his suitcase by the front door, then looked around the living room. It was a charming space with oak furniture and muted, earthy colors. A small fire crackled in the hearth, already lit in anticipation of his arrival, and he sat down in the wooden rocking chair next to it. As his cell phone buzzed, Dawson pulled it out of his pocket to read a text from one of his pack mates, Rand.
Dude. When you coming back? You’re needed here.
Gritting his teeth, Dawson resisted the urge to chuck the phone in the fire and instead powered it off, tossing it onto the coffee table. He’d come out here to get away from the pack—the last thing he needed was for the problems he’d left behind to follow him.
As the beta to the Los Angeles Wolf Shifter Pack, Dawson was responsible for enforcing the Alpha’s Law. But lately, the Alpha had become more and more unreasonable in his demands, causing pack members to desert. The result was a dwindling spiral—the more people who ditched, the harder Romero, the Alpha, wanted Dawson to crack down on the ones left.
In the end, Dawson was long overdue for a vacation, so he’d told Romero he was taking off for a little while. Someone else could be around to deal with his mood swings and crazy bullshit. What Dawson needed to do right now was get some time and space, and hopefully some perspective, so that he could make the right decision.
Right.... And falling into bed with a human woman is going to help you do that?
Dawson cringed. Good point. Shifter and human dalliances were problematic enough on their own, especially when the human in question didn’t know your true nature. Add in the fact that he was going through a mid-life crisis and you had the makings for a disaster.
But does it really have to be a disaster? He argued with himself as he stared into the crackling flames. It wasn’t as if the pack were there now to make his life a living hell. He could surely enjoy Jade’s company for a few days. A good romp in the sheets would be just the thing to clear his head and release the pent-up tension and frustration burning a hole in his gut. And once that was done, he could focus his attention to the future, and make a decision once and for all as to what he wanted to do with his life.
Chapter Three
“And just where are you off to this afternoon?”
Jade halted mid-rush toward her room and turned toward her grandparents who were enjoying a little post-lunch break in the living room before returning to work. Abuelito was sitting in the stuffed arm-chair reading a book while Abuelita, who had spoken, looked up at Jade over the top of a Better Homes & Gardens magazine.
“Oh, I’m just planning on hitting the slopes,” Jade said airily and then checked her watch. It was twenty minutes ’til two. Damn Rachel for being late again—at least she hadn’t gotten stuck in a snow drift like she had yesterday or Jade’s date with Dawson would have been kaput.
“Well, I’ve never seen you in such a hurry to go skiing since you were a little girl.” Abuelito lowered his paper to look at Jade over his reading glasses. The knowing look in his dark eyes made the tips of her ears heat. “Is there something special happening on the slopes today?”
“Not at all.” Jade made a beeline for her room. “Just wanna get out there while the sun’s still bright. Gotta go!”
She shut the door behind her, feeling a little guilty about lying to her grandparents. But, she knew that if she told them about Dawson, they would insist on meeting him, and she wasn’t even remotely ready for that. Hell, they hadn’t even gone on a date together yet! And if she didn’t hustle, she was going to be late for their first one.
Jade touched up her make-up, then put on an extra pair of socks and exchanged her jeans for sweats. She kept the blue sweater she’d put on that morning and pulled a snowsuit on over everything. Once that was done, she tugged on boots and a jacket and then tied everything up with a hat, scarf and gloves.
“Okay,” she muttered under her breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. “I look like an eskimo.” But then, skiing was a sport, and being well dressed for skiing meant foregoing fashion for practicality. Hopefully Dawson wouldn’t mistake her for an Oompa-Loompa.
With minutes to spare, she dashed out the door and headed for the slopes, making a quick stop at the rental lot to pick up skis and poles. Dawson was waiting for her at the base of the practice hill, dressed in a hunter-green ski suit with matching gloves and hat.
“Hey,” she said breathlessly as she came to a stop in front of him. Dammit, but how did he manage to look so sexy in that snowsuit? Unlike her gear, which covered all her attributes, his seemed to accentuate the breadth of his shoulders and the leanness of his hips, and she bet that when he turned around, his ass would even look good in his snow pants. “You ready to teach me how to ski?”
His silver eyes sparkled down at her. “I think we’ll need to get those skis on you before we can do that. Do you mind if I assist?”
“Of course not.” Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach as she sat on a bench and allowed him to crouch down in front of her and snap the ski boots on her feet. “So,” she said as she stared at the top of his dark head. “Where are you from?”
“Oh, I grew up in Portland originally,” he said as he worked on her skis. “But for the last six years or so I’ve been living in LA.”
“Is that so?” Her heart beat a little faster. Maybe this wouldn’t just be a small vacation fling after all.
“Yeah.” He looked up, a small smile curving his lips. “And you?”
“Santa Monica.” Jade licked her dry lips.
His smile widened as surprised pleasure flickered in her eyes. “Well, look at that. We’re practically neighbors.”
They spent the first twenty minutes practicing on the bunny slope before moving on to the real slopes, starting with green ones and working their way up to blue squares.
“So what made you decide to give up the wilderness for LA?” Dawson asked her as they rode the ski lift up to the top of the next slope. His body was pressed tight against hers in the small space, and he had his arm around her shoulder, so she couldn’t help but snuggle against him for warmth.
“Life.” She sighed and then inhaled his scent—a combination of musk, spice and mint that teased her nostrils. “My parents decided to move to LA when my dad got a big job working in construction when I
was fourteen.”
“I see.” His thumb rubbed back and forth along her shoulder, sending tendrils of warmth through her. “Are your parents still in LA?”
Jade shook her head. “They moved to Nashville when I was twenty-two.” She looked out over the snow-covered hills and sighed again. “Over six years ago, now. I don’t see them much.”
Dawson nodded, his silver eyes full of understanding. “That why you came here for the holidays?”
“Yeah.” She smiled. “Plus, there’s no better time to come to a ski resort than when it’s snowing.”
They disembarked from the lift, then got into position at the top of the slope. It was one of the harder slopes with more twists and turns and steep inclines. But, just as Jade was preparing to push off, a pair of yellow eyes gleaming from the thicket to her right caught her eye.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. Standing right there, next to a bush, was a huge, black timber wolf. What’s more, he wasn’t alone—there were three others with him, all with different colored eyes and coats, and all of them much bigger than any wolf she’d ever seen before...and she’d seen plenty.
“It’s alright.” Dawson placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “They’re not going to hurt you.”
“How do you know?” Jade looked up to see him watching the wolves intently. The beasts stared back at him, intelligence gleaming in their eyes, and if Jade didn’t know any better she’d swear some kind of recognition passed between them.
But that was crazy.
“I just do.” Dawson picked up his ski poles, then nudged her back toward the slope. His voice and expression were calm but there was a tightness around his eyes she hadn’t seen before. “They don’t eat humans. As long as we don’t make any threatening moves, they won’t harm us. Now let’s go.”
Jade was a little nervous as they started down the slope, not sure if the wolves would view their ski poles as weapons or something. But, as she picked up speed, she forgot about the feral gazes on her back and gave herself up to the rush. Trees sped past her as she leaned into the turns, and she whooped out loud as she crested over a bump and went flying through the air for several feet. Dawson was right next to her the entire time, and the fierce grin on his face told her he was enjoying it just as much as she.
By the time they reached the bottom of the hill, her cheeks were windburned and her hair was a mess but she was exhilarated. “Wow!” She exclaimed as she caught sight of the sun, now more than halfway through its descent toward the horizon. “Time sure has flown.”
“It has.” Dawson looped an arm around her waist and hugged her against him. Her cheeks warmed, but she didn’t pull away. “I had a lot of fun with you today, Jade.”
“Me too,” she said softly, staring up into his silver eyes. The butterflies had started up in her stomach again. “I… I’d like to do it again sometime.”
His silver eyes sparkled. “How about we do one better? I’ll take you out to dinner. We’ve worked up quite an appetite on the slopes, and besides, the restaurant here looks good. I’d love to try it out.”
"Oh yeah, their food is excellent.” She’d been planning on eating there with her grandparents during her stay, but she was more than willing to go with Dawson instead. “I’d love to go to dinner with you.”
“Good. Let’s get showered and changed, and I’ll meet you at seven. Alright?”
“Alright.” Her smile widened.
They returned their skis and poles to the rental shack and then made the trek back up to the lodge. Jittery from nerves and from all the physical exertion, which she wasn’t quite used to anymore, Jade tripped over the top step.
“Oops!” Dawson caught her a half second before she face planted into the patio. “Gotta watch your step there, babe.” He pulled her to her feet, his chest brushing against her breasts, sending tingles sweeping through her body as his silver eyes gleamed down at her.
“Umm, I…” Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she wasn’t sure if it was from her proximity to Dawson or embarrassment for being a klutz. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Dawson’s lips were a breath away from hers. “I’ll catch you anytime, sweetheart.”
Jade wasn’t sure who closed the distance after that, but in the next moment their lips were touching, and his hands were around her waist pulling her into him. His heady scent washed over her along with a wave of heat, and she sucked in a breath as sparks skipped between them to race along her nerve endings.
His gloved hands framed her face, tilted her head back for better access, then slid his tongue inside her mouth. She moaned, a tiny little sound full of need, as he stroked his tongue with hers, a sensual expression of desire that sent tremors through her body. More heat unfolded within her, spreading through her limbs and down between her legs. Her nipples tightened, and all of a sudden she felt impossibly hot beneath all her layers of clothing.
Jesus Christ, she wanted him. And if the hardness pressing against her hip was any indication, he wanted her, too.
“I could do this all day,” he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers so he could look deep into her eyes. The lust she saw shining in the depths of his silver orbs took her breath away. “But then we’d never get to dinner. Seven o’clock, right?”
“Right,” she said breathlessly, the words fogging in the late afternoon air. Dinner. They were going to dress up and talk and eat together like civilized people normally did before sleeping together. But for some reason, right at that very moment, she wanted to do things the other way around. Which was crazy because she never slept with guys on the first date. Ever.
“Fantastic.” He kissed her one last time, lingering, his thumbs brushing against her cheeks in a gesture that was both tender and possessive. And then he headed back into the lodge. “See you then.”
Chapter Four
Dawson tugged nervously at the collar of his linen shirt as he stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom. He was freshly showered and shaved and trying to figure out what to wear that would impress Jade while still being practical for the cold weather.
Man, you’ve got it bad, he thought as he turned toward his suitcase and rummaged through it, looking for something that might resemble a tie. He’d packed for the wilderness, not for a hot date, and he didn’t have too much in the fancy department. But he wanted to look his best for her and that meant not throwing on whatever he first grabbed out of his suitcase.
Eventually, he settled on a pair of black corduroy pants and a dark grey sweater to go over his shirt. He kept the snow boots for practicality and because they didn’t look too much different than dress shoes. Shrugging on a dark woolen peacoat, he completed the look.
Alright, he thought, smoothing back his hair one more time. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d felt this nervous about a date. Let’s get going.
He stepped out of the cabin and inhaled the crisp, clear evening air. Peace settled over him like a comforting blanket as he looked out over the tranquil landscape… until he caught the blink of a pair of golden eyes from within the darkness of the trees in the distance.
Wolves.
Gritting his teeth, he turned away and started toward the restaurant. A few members of his pack had followed him out here, no doubt to see what he was up to, and he didn’t like being spied on. He’d made it clear in no uncertain terms that he was going to enjoy his vacation, and he refused to deal with pack business until he was home again. They had some nerve showing up right in the middle of his date with Jade. He wasn’t going to forget that or the scared look in her eyes—filled with fear and uncertainty.
The restaurant was up on a small hilltop overlooking the valley. From the outside, it was a smaller version of the lodge with the exception of huge floor-to-ceiling windows on the east and west sides of the building, letting plenty of light into the huge, open space to allow patrons the chance to enjoy both sunrise and sunset while they ate. Jade was already standing in the waiting area just inside, dressed in a snowy woolen coat. She�
�d pulled her long, brown hair back into a sleek updo, letting some of the curls dangle around her heart-shaped face, and it drew attention to her rosy cheeks and shy smile.
“Hey you.” Dawson leaned down to gently kiss Jade’s cheek—though he didn’t want to end up in a passionate embrace right there in the restaurant. Instead, he satisfied himself by inhaling her sweet, honey-floral scent. “You look great.”
Her eyes sparkled up at him. “You clean up pretty well yourself.”
The host led them to a table on the west side of the restaurant right next to the glass windows so that they had a perfect view of the setting sun. Orange and purple and pink streaked the sky, bleeding onto the pristine snow so that it blushed.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Jade asked as Dawson helped remove her coat. Beneath it, she wore a turquoise sweater dress with a knit-diamond pattern and off-the-shoulder sleeves that drew attention to the smooth column of her throat as well as her collarbones.
“It is,” he murmured, but he wasn’t talking about the sunset anymore. Unable to help himself, he brushed his fingers along the edge of her collarbone, enjoying the feel of her satiny skin against his. A slight tremor went through her, and he released her before he was tempted to capture those decadent lips again. Assisting her to sit by pulling out her chair, he took the seat across from her.
They ordered dinner and a bottle of wine, which the waiter poured for them before leaving them to converse. “So,” Dawson said, picking up his glass of chardonnay. “Do you come here every winter?”
Jade nodded, then took a sip of her wine. Her red lips left an imprint on the rim of her glass before she set it down again. “For the last four years, at least,” she admitted. “I used to go visit my parents in Nashville, but ever since I started working at Blue Box Productions, it’s harder for me to take long out of town trips.”
Dawson raised his brows as he recognized the name. “Blue Box Productions… that’s an advertising studio, isn’t it?”
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