Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
TATE
Waking up with Josie was the best thing ever.
She was toweling off after we’d showered together.
The shower happened after I woke up with her warm and soft against me.
I hadn’t been able to resist waking her up with a kiss.
It had ended in the shower with both of us completely sated.
Kara was in the back of my thoughts, but with Josie up so early, I knew I had a little more time.
Josie’s skin was flushed all over, and her hair was damp around her shoulders.
“What time do you need to be at work this morning?” I asked.
She lifted her watch off the bathroom counter. “I have to be there in about a half hour.” She glanced at me, her brow furrowing. “Do you mind giving me a ride? I totally forgot about my car being stuck in the snow. I’m blaming that on you,” she added.
I chuckled. “Why me?”
“You’re the one who made me forget.”
I finished tugging my jeans on and buttoning them before stepping closer and palming her cheek. “I’m glad I made you forget.”
“Should I call a tow truck?”
“Nah. I should be able to get it out. The plow guy’s already been here. He texted me earlier. After I take you in to work, I’ll come back out and use my come-along winch to pull it out.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“Definitely not. If you leave me your keys, I’ll park it. I can pick you up later too if that’s okay.”
Josie blinked, and I saw that hesitation flickering in her eyes. “Is it me driving your car? Or you don’t want me to pick you up?”
Pink crested on her cheeks, and she caught her bottom lip with her teeth, worrying it a little. “Driving my car is fine. And I want you to pick me up. It just feels…” She took a quick breath. “Fast.”
“I’ve known you for as long as I can remember. Maybe it does feel fast, but it’s not really,” I pointed out.
I felt a sense of momentum as if racing down a hill. Maybe I hadn’t expected to feel this lightning strike of chemistry with Josie, but I already knew there was more to it than that. I could only hope she felt something similar, but it was enough to leave it quiet for now.
“Is that okay, then?” I prompted.
“Yes,” she whispered.
I dipped my head to kiss her, meaning for it to be brief, but she was still naked. When I felt the brush of her nipples against my chest, a groan escaped, and my hand slid into her hair as I deepened our kiss. A moment later, we broke apart, staring at each other. I was already hard again.
“I have to go to work.” She cleared her throat.
“Get dressed,” I ordered with a wink.
I tugged my shirt on and shook my head slowly, shocked at the force of my need for her. It was already an impatient fist pounding on a door again.
As predicted, Kara was thrilled Josie would be staying with us for a little while.
She declared it a “long slumber party” and happily rode into town with me to drop Josie off at work.
When I stopped to pick up Josie that afternoon, it took all of my discipline not to lean across the counter and kiss her in front of everyone.
Janet caught my eye, and I sensed she was reading the room or, more specifically, Josie and me. Her attention shifted to Josie. “You should talk to Tate about helping with the new ski resort.”
Josie glanced between us. “Well, he told me about it, but what do you mean helping out?”
“Talk to Archer Cannon. He’s heading up the planning and coordinating with the ski resort in Diamond Creek,” Janet said.
“I can connect you with Marley Hamilton,” I offered.
“She runs the business end of things for Last Frontier Lodge in Diamond Creek, so she’s going to help us set it up here.
If online stuff is your gig, that would be perfect.
We need somebody to help with that. In all honesty, I’m pretty hands-off with the planning because my main contribution is the property. ”
“You’ll be making plenty of money once that resort is up and running in a few years, Tate,” Janet said. “I wouldn’t call that hands-off.” Her eyes twinkled as she waggled her brows.
“Maybe,” I hedged. “I’ll introduce you to Marley.”
“Meanwhile, you might as well kiss Josie. You know you want to,” Janet teased.
Josie blushed, which only made me want to kiss her more. I waited, though. She needed to be comfortable with us being public.
“Janet!” she hissed. Although her cheeks were getting pinker by the second, she was smiling.
Janet gestured her hand around the mostly empty café. I didn’t recognize the family sitting in the corner, so I presumed they were tourists. Although Alaska’s tourist season was primarily in the summer, it certainly didn’t end in the winter.
“Oh my God,” Josie murmured.
I leaned across the counter, holding her gaze, to give her the kiss my body demanded.
When my lips met hers, the bell on the door chimed.
When I straightened and glanced over my shoulder, Lyle and Kayla were walking in, of all people.
They appeared to be in the middle of an argument, and I heard the tail end of Kayla saying, “Shut up, Lyle.”
Josie flushed even harder, but she didn’t look like she wanted to hide what had just happened.
Kayla stopped beside me, letting out a huff as she glanced between us. It was obvious she had seen what happened. She rolled her eyes. “Nice.”
Janet tipped her head to the side. “Really, Kayla? You know better.”
Kayla had the decency to look chastised.
“You ready to go?” I asked Josie.
“Yeah, let me get my things.” She spun around, walking swiftly through the swinging half door into the back.
Kayla met my eyes. She had tried to get back together with me more than once.
I’d been blunt. I wasn’t interested, not even a little.
It wasn’t about making a point to hurt her, and I told her as much.
She’d taught me an important lesson and showed me who she really was.
While I did believe people could grow and change, that didn’t mean those they hurt had to carry on as if nothing had happened.
I actually felt for her, and we were on civil terms, just as I was with Lyle.
I still thought he was a jerk. He’d also taught me an important lesson.
The ones who mattered were decent to you.
I’d forgiven both of them, but we’d never be friends the way we were before.
They had to deal with one of the downsides of living in a small town.
Your actions tended to follow you. I was just a detail in their story.
“How’s it going?” I asked them both.
Lyle shrugged. “We’re going to marriage counseling. It’s not going well.” Kayla rolled her eyes.
I simply nodded. “Well, take care.”
Josie came out, slipping into a puffy down coat and looping her purse over her shoulder. “See you tomorrow,” she called to Janet as she rounded the counter.
I reached for her hand when I released the door behind us. She laced her fingers with mine and smiled up at me. “Well, we did that,” she said dryly.
“Did what?” I asked as our steps crunched on the packed snow of the parking area.