learned to step aside, allow some other sucker the opportunity to make points with the ladies. Not him.
From the moment he'd come into money, there had been a steady parade of women wanting something, their manicured hands held out to him. Once, he had even been victimized by a paternity suit. There, his patience had paid off. After the birth of the baby, a boy, a blood test had proved he had not fathered the child, something he had known all along.
He’d had good reason to be cynical. Nick St. Clair never indulged in unprotected sex.
Still, it wouldn't be smart of him to let Eve turn all her charm on a tow truck driver when it might as well be him.
* * * * *
"Nick. Nick ?" Eve called, raising her voice even louder, convinced he still hadn't heard.
He slowly turned and gave her a puzzled look.
"You can stop pulling now. We've reached the street."
"Oh." He let go of the tow rope. "What now?"
He probably had no idea how eager he sounded. What was with Nick and toboggans? She gave him an encouraging smile. "Give me the rope and climb on behind me."
"O-kay." He retrieved the rope, tossed it in her lap but, still a foot away, he stopped. He hesitantly took off his knit cap and ran his fingers through his hair. Then he carefully pulled the cap down over his ears, all the while studying the never-used toy.
He's unnerved, but ashamed to admit .
She wouldn't have believed it possible if she hadn't witnessed Nick's flicker of fear with her own eyes.
"Before I do," he murmured with a small frown, "maybe you better tell me what to expect."
"I'm not sure. Every toboggan is different." She ran her hand along the gentle curve in front beside her feet. "This one seems really well made. What bothers me, is that it looks as if it was made for speed."
Nick's frown deepened. "Is that bad?"
"It could be. The only way to find out, is to give it a try."
Nick scowled. "I thought you said you knew all about riding one of these."
"I do." She thought for a second, not wanting to influence his decision to climb on. "The trouble is, the heavier the load, the faster a toboggan goes. So — since I'm lighter — why don't I ride it alone, first, just to try it out?"
While he mulled that over, Eve prepared for the ride. She wedged her feet against the curved front end and took a tight hold of the rope with her gloved hands.
After a long moment Nick asked, "You're certain that's the best way? You're not just trying to do me out of the first ride?"
"I'm certain. Now, give me a shove."
"All right, then. Hold on." Nick gave her shoulder a gentle push. The sled didn't move.
"Harder. It's been sitting here so long the bottom has probably frozen to the snow."
Without telling her what he planned, Nick rocked the toboggan back and forth, almost dumping her off again. "There. That should loosen it." He sounded pleased with himself and gave her a mighty shove.
The metal bottom made a shushing sound as the toboggan skidded smoothly over the snow, picking up speed.
Suddenly Eve went careening down the wide, empty street. She hauled back on the rope, which did nothing to slow her down. The wind continued to whistle in her ears and she flew past the slender trunks of trees growing along side the road.
Nick yelled something. She looked back, saw him wildly waving his arms and dancing about, but couldn't make out what he said.
She was nearing the bottom of the hill and turned her attention back to the street, which began to curve. Shift your weight. Turn.
Not soon enough .
She'd run out of road. The shiny-new conveyance plowed into a snow covered embankment and what felt like a ton of wet snow landed in her lap.
"Eve. My God, Eve. Are you all right?" Nick caught up with her, panting by the time he reached the bottom of the hill. "I've never been so scared in my life. This damned contraption is going right back in Bob's shed." He pulled her to her feet and brushed snow from her hair. "Are you hurt?"
"I don't think so." She tried taking a step
From the moment he'd come into money, there had been a steady parade of women wanting something, their manicured hands held out to him. Once, he had even been victimized by a paternity suit. There, his patience had paid off. After the birth of the baby, a boy, a blood test had proved he had not fathered the child, something he had known all along.
He’d had good reason to be cynical. Nick St. Clair never indulged in unprotected sex.
Still, it wouldn't be smart of him to let Eve turn all her charm on a tow truck driver when it might as well be him.
* * * * *
"Nick. Nick ?" Eve called, raising her voice even louder, convinced he still hadn't heard.
He slowly turned and gave her a puzzled look.
"You can stop pulling now. We've reached the street."
"Oh." He let go of the tow rope. "What now?"
He probably had no idea how eager he sounded. What was with Nick and toboggans? She gave him an encouraging smile. "Give me the rope and climb on behind me."
"O-kay." He retrieved the rope, tossed it in her lap but, still a foot away, he stopped. He hesitantly took off his knit cap and ran his fingers through his hair. Then he carefully pulled the cap down over his ears, all the while studying the never-used toy.
He's unnerved, but ashamed to admit .
She wouldn't have believed it possible if she hadn't witnessed Nick's flicker of fear with her own eyes.
"Before I do," he murmured with a small frown, "maybe you better tell me what to expect."
"I'm not sure. Every toboggan is different." She ran her hand along the gentle curve in front beside her feet. "This one seems really well made. What bothers me, is that it looks as if it was made for speed."
Nick's frown deepened. "Is that bad?"
"It could be. The only way to find out, is to give it a try."
Nick scowled. "I thought you said you knew all about riding one of these."
"I do." She thought for a second, not wanting to influence his decision to climb on. "The trouble is, the heavier the load, the faster a toboggan goes. So — since I'm lighter — why don't I ride it alone, first, just to try it out?"
While he mulled that over, Eve prepared for the ride. She wedged her feet against the curved front end and took a tight hold of the rope with her gloved hands.
After a long moment Nick asked, "You're certain that's the best way? You're not just trying to do me out of the first ride?"
"I'm certain. Now, give me a shove."
"All right, then. Hold on." Nick gave her shoulder a gentle push. The sled didn't move.
"Harder. It's been sitting here so long the bottom has probably frozen to the snow."
Without telling her what he planned, Nick rocked the toboggan back and forth, almost dumping her off again. "There. That should loosen it." He sounded pleased with himself and gave her a mighty shove.
The metal bottom made a shushing sound as the toboggan skidded smoothly over the snow, picking up speed.
Suddenly Eve went careening down the wide, empty street. She hauled back on the rope, which did nothing to slow her down. The wind continued to whistle in her ears and she flew past the slender trunks of trees growing along side the road.
Nick yelled something. She looked back, saw him wildly waving his arms and dancing about, but couldn't make out what he said.
She was nearing the bottom of the hill and turned her attention back to the street, which began to curve. Shift your weight. Turn.
Not soon enough .
She'd run out of road. The shiny-new conveyance plowed into a snow covered embankment and what felt like a ton of wet snow landed in her lap.
"Eve. My God, Eve. Are you all right?" Nick caught up with her, panting by the time he reached the bottom of the hill. "I've never been so scared in my life. This damned contraption is going right back in Bob's shed." He pulled her to her feet and brushed snow from her hair. "Are you hurt?"
"I don't think so." She tried taking a step
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