his chest, heading south, playing with the button fly of his jeans-
“How was that for a first move?” she murmured, pulling back.
He let out a breath. “I thought you were trying to get away from me.”
“Did that feel like I was trying to get away from you? Really?”
He looked into her glossy eyes, at her cheeks that were bright with color, at the mouth he could never get enough of, the one still wet from his, and felt boggled.
“If you can’t remember,” she murmured. “Maybe I’d better kiss you again.”
“Maybe you’d better.”
But she was looking around them, staring at the windows, which were completely steamed up, cocooning them in their own world. “How long were we at it?”
“I have no idea.” But he was going to need a minute before going back to the lodge.
Maybe two. He had to laugh at himself. At her. And then she was laughing too. Their eyes met, the laughter faded, and in the next beat they dove at each other again, hands fighting to get inside clothing-
At the knock on his window, Cam nearly bashed his head on the roof.
“Who-”
“No idea-” Through the fogged windows he caught the tall outline of Stone.
Katie was working frantically in the opposite direction now, trying to straighten her clothes instead of getting out of them. Cam waited until she gave a nod, then turned the key and hit the button for the window, and met Stone’s cynical expression.
“You don’t care, huh?” Stone’s steady gaze flicked to Katie. Cam turned to look at her too. She hadn’t gotten her jacket zipped back up, revealing the fact that she’d misbuttoned her sweater. She looked like he’d cared all over her.
Stone chewed on his tongue a moment. “I got the call about your tire, Katie. I went to go check on you, to give you a ride back.”
“Thanks, but, uh, Cam found me.”
Stone’s gaze once again slid toward Cam, whose hair was probably as messy as Katie’s. His shirt was rumpled, and let’s not forget the boner he was sporting.
He looked like someone who cared a whole helluva lot.
Stone merely patted the door, gave Cam one last long look, then walked back to his truck.
“What did he mean?” Katie asked him.
“Did I ever tell you Stone’s got a drug problem? I keep telling him crack kills but…”
She laughed. “Cam.”
“Okay, he’s got early signs of Alzheimer’s.”
“Or…” she said, smile fading. “Shut up, Katie. Is that right?”
Or that.
“So this is like all the other times then?” she asked quietly. “Where I get too close and you need your distance?”
“I-” Christ, he felt like he was spinning. “Maybe. Look, honestly? I’m an ass.”
“I appreciate you realizing that.” She sighed. “But actually, this is my fault. I need to remember we’re just… What are we exactly?”
At the look that crossed his face, she put up a hand. “You know what? Never mind.”
Kicking his own ass, he started the truck and drove them back to the lodge. Katie started to get out, then turned to him, and he braced himself.
“I’ve made it pretty clear how I feel,” she told him. “I’ve told you I’m attracted to you. I’ve
He met her gaze, which was steely and determined and filled with frustrated affection.
Affection for him.
“I’ve told you all that,” she said with that inner strength he admired so much shining there. “And yet still you hold back. Why is that, Cam?”
He wished he knew.
And when he didn’t answer, couldn’t answer, she sighed softly, shut the door, and walked away. Wanting him but not needing him.
And the hell of it was, the stupid crux…it was
Katie kept herself busy. She rented out the snowmobiles when a group came by. She helped Nick get another group ready for a snowshoe hike. She arranged for a family reunion to take place up on Alpine Ridge. She worked on the books. And after all that, she was
Cam had wanted her to make the first move. Well, she’d made
But she was done. If there was another move to be made before she left, he’d have to make it.
“Mail.” Annie tossed it down to her desk. She was back in her baggy clothes. Today’s apron read:
IF YOU DON’T LIKE MY
COOKING, LOWER YOUR STANDARDS.
Katie sighed. “What happened?”
“Nothing. Nothing happened. Which is my point. Why shave my damn legs and wear uncomfortable clothes if nothing is going to happen?”
“He yelled at me because he said I ruined his painting.”
“Did you?”
“Sort of.” She grimaced. “I ignored the KNOCK FIRST sign and brought in a whole bunch of snow with me. I ruined whatever he was working on. He got all pissed off before he even looked at me.”
“And let me guess,” Katie said. “In return, you were sweet and kind and understanding.”
“Yes!” Annie sagged. “Okay, no. I snapped. I snapped and yelled and stalked off.”
Yeah, She could relate. She’d snapped and stalked off on Cam as well. “Before he got a look at you?”
“Before I even took off my coat.”
“Well, then, it doesn’t count,” she said firmly. “Look,
“No.” Annie shook her head. “No way. He had one shot at me, and that was it.”
“Are you saying then that
She sure as hell did.
And yet it wasn’t up to her and she knew it. It was up to a man who had no positive experiences with relationships, a man who may not ever
Chapter 19
At five o’clock, Katie left the lodge and stepped into the lightly falling snow. Her car was parked out front with no note and no sign of how it’d gotten there.
Cam?
Given how she’d left things with him, she sort of doubted that. Stone? Maybe. Unfortunately, she had no one to ask because both brothers were out on a cross-country ski trip to Stone Creek.
And Annie was nowhere to be found either.
Hoping that meant the chef was busy seducing Nick, Katie got into her car and drove back to Wishful to thank Harley, and also to pay her. She took the lightly covered roads slowly and carefully, letting out a breath of relief
