with each foot. Nothing hurt. "No, I'm fine." She longed to kiss away Nick's worried frown. She settled her mouth on his grim-set lips instead.
"Better than fine," she said, pressing her lips to his. "In fact," — she quickly pulled away —"I've never had so much fun in my life."
She grabbed his hand. "Come on. Hurry. I want you to go with me this time."
* * * * *
"Are you sure?" Hope took charge of Nick's numb brain. He didn't dare let Eve find out how eager he was to duplicate her headlong ride down the hill. Or how much the possibility frightened him.
"I'm certain. You have to try it. Was I going as fast as it seemed? It felt like I came flying down the street."
Nick wasted no time dumping the snow that had collected in the metal bed. "This thing took off like a rocket launched from Vandenberg. Then, when it finally stopped, I thought sure you were hurt."
Eve turned to head up the hill. Instead, Nick pulled her back into his arms. "Don't scare me like that again."
His lips almost touched hers. Then he gave in to the need and devoured her smiling mouth with his.
What is happening to me ? Eve's taste on his tongue was like all the ice cream he'd ever eaten, soft and sweet, her breath warm as it caressed his face. Nick gathered her into his arms, unhurt and safe, right here with him. Where she belonged.
Where she belonged ? Where had that notion come from?
For a moment during Eve's wild descent he'd felt the way a father must feel when his willful toddler runs out into the street. Panic gripped him, forcing the air from his lungs and grinding his world to a halt, leaving him damned helpless, knowing he couldn't do anything to prevent Eve from being hurt.
He hoped never to let her out of his sight again.
Hey, didn't you also swear never to let the "L" word in your life again?
The depth of his feelings for Eve terrified him. He cut short the kiss and stepped back.
Eve staggered. He had to steady her, but was quick to let her go.
He had come damn close to losing his head over the tempting woman still dangerously within his reach. A call girl. Nothing more.
Just keep remembering that .
He set Eve aside, making idle conversation to cover his unease. "You really want to do it again?"
"What? Have you kiss me senseless, or go flying down the hill again?"
"Kiss you senseless." Nick grinned, more delighted with Eve's company as the hours ticked by. "I guess I did, at that. Can I help it if the vision of you lying in the hospital in traction, every bone in your body in a cast, won't go away?"
Had she heard the honesty and caring in his voice?
He hoped not. Especially when she took his hand.
Squeezing it, she tentatively placed it over her heart. "See. I'm fine. It's still beating."
Yes. Beneath his palm, the yielding softness of her breast spoke distinctly to Nick.
Alive.
Willing.
And his .
Okay. He'd ponder that later. For now, he needed to move with caution. Having sex with Eve was habit forming, a habit incompatible with his reclusive lifestyle.
"Come on. It's time you showed me what this hill is really like." Tugging her along with one hand, the toboggan trailing by the rope gripped in his other hand, Nick started up the hill.
"Don't walk in my tracks."
"Why not? This makes a fine path."
"I know," she said, already breathless from their rapid climb, "but think about this. That first run packed down the snow. Each additional run will melt the snow a little and pack it even more. When the track begins to get icy is when you really go fast."
Nick suddenly halted his uphill climb. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."
"Poor baby. Afraid of a little speed?"
Giving her a grim look, he scooped up a hand full of snow, pressed it into a soft ball and let it fly. The snowball shattered against her chest.
"Hey!" Eve dropped to her knees and formed snow into a well-packed ball twice as big as the one he had thrown. She threw it at him with surprising accuracy, hitting him square in the forehead.
He yelped in
"Better than fine," she said, pressing her lips to his. "In fact," — she quickly pulled away —"I've never had so much fun in my life."
She grabbed his hand. "Come on. Hurry. I want you to go with me this time."
* * * * *
"Are you sure?" Hope took charge of Nick's numb brain. He didn't dare let Eve find out how eager he was to duplicate her headlong ride down the hill. Or how much the possibility frightened him.
"I'm certain. You have to try it. Was I going as fast as it seemed? It felt like I came flying down the street."
Nick wasted no time dumping the snow that had collected in the metal bed. "This thing took off like a rocket launched from Vandenberg. Then, when it finally stopped, I thought sure you were hurt."
Eve turned to head up the hill. Instead, Nick pulled her back into his arms. "Don't scare me like that again."
His lips almost touched hers. Then he gave in to the need and devoured her smiling mouth with his.
What is happening to me ? Eve's taste on his tongue was like all the ice cream he'd ever eaten, soft and sweet, her breath warm as it caressed his face. Nick gathered her into his arms, unhurt and safe, right here with him. Where she belonged.
Where she belonged ? Where had that notion come from?
For a moment during Eve's wild descent he'd felt the way a father must feel when his willful toddler runs out into the street. Panic gripped him, forcing the air from his lungs and grinding his world to a halt, leaving him damned helpless, knowing he couldn't do anything to prevent Eve from being hurt.
He hoped never to let her out of his sight again.
Hey, didn't you also swear never to let the "L" word in your life again?
The depth of his feelings for Eve terrified him. He cut short the kiss and stepped back.
Eve staggered. He had to steady her, but was quick to let her go.
He had come damn close to losing his head over the tempting woman still dangerously within his reach. A call girl. Nothing more.
Just keep remembering that .
He set Eve aside, making idle conversation to cover his unease. "You really want to do it again?"
"What? Have you kiss me senseless, or go flying down the hill again?"
"Kiss you senseless." Nick grinned, more delighted with Eve's company as the hours ticked by. "I guess I did, at that. Can I help it if the vision of you lying in the hospital in traction, every bone in your body in a cast, won't go away?"
Had she heard the honesty and caring in his voice?
He hoped not. Especially when she took his hand.
Squeezing it, she tentatively placed it over her heart. "See. I'm fine. It's still beating."
Yes. Beneath his palm, the yielding softness of her breast spoke distinctly to Nick.
Alive.
Willing.
And his .
Okay. He'd ponder that later. For now, he needed to move with caution. Having sex with Eve was habit forming, a habit incompatible with his reclusive lifestyle.
"Come on. It's time you showed me what this hill is really like." Tugging her along with one hand, the toboggan trailing by the rope gripped in his other hand, Nick started up the hill.
"Don't walk in my tracks."
"Why not? This makes a fine path."
"I know," she said, already breathless from their rapid climb, "but think about this. That first run packed down the snow. Each additional run will melt the snow a little and pack it even more. When the track begins to get icy is when you really go fast."
Nick suddenly halted his uphill climb. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."
"Poor baby. Afraid of a little speed?"
Giving her a grim look, he scooped up a hand full of snow, pressed it into a soft ball and let it fly. The snowball shattered against her chest.
"Hey!" Eve dropped to her knees and formed snow into a well-packed ball twice as big as the one he had thrown. She threw it at him with surprising accuracy, hitting him square in the forehead.
He yelped in
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