Chapter 13
Risky pointed a finger and wagged it back and forth like he was admonishing a naughty puppy.
“I’m not having sex with you while you’re doped up on painkillers and you can barely move. Get that look out of your eyes.”
Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been horrified that my lascivious intentions had been telegraphed so clearly. I didn’t like losing the indifference I often hid my innermost thoughts and feelings behind.
I looked down at my bandaged wrist and noticed I was black and blue all over. The mottled colors of the bruising stood out vibrantly against the white bedding I was sprawled across. Definitely not the sexiest I’d ever looked or felt. It was probably a pipe dream to think I could seduce anyone in such a rough and ragged state.
I turned my back on him to hide my embarrassment, throwing my comforter back over my head so only my eyes were visible, and fiercely pretending like I hadn’t made a fool of myself by propositioning him. Avoidance seemed like the only solution to ease the awkwardness I felt like I was drowning in.
“Hey. You need to eat something before you go back to bed. That prescription they gave you to manage the pain is no joke. It’s going to wreck you on an empty stomach.” He motioned to the food he’d brought with him. “I’m going to take care of you, even if you want to fight me over it.”
I’d been taking care of myself for so long; I didn’t know how to let someone take over the task.
I groaned under my breath and motioned to my bare lower half sticking out of the blanket. “Let me put some clothes on, and then I’ll eat something.”
Risky’s dark eyebrows arched, and the corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. His caramel-colored gaze drifted over my bare legs, and I was assaulted with the memory that he’d already seen everything since he was the one who had put me in my current attire. There was little point in pretending to be modest.
“Lucky”—Risky’s deep voice sent shivers racing across my skin—“make no mistake—just because I won’t fuck you right now doesn’t mean I won’t be fucking you in the future. Especially if you look at me the same way you did a couple of minutes ago.” He chuckled. “You have no idea how much restraint I’ve been showing the last couple of days.”
I turned and went back toward the kitchen. I was suddenly starving.
“I never asked for restraint.” I grumbled the words under my breath, but he still heard them.
His crooked grin turned into a cocky smile.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Just because I was in the mood to have sex with you a minute ago doesn’t mean I’ll have the urge again once my life stops falling apart.”
Our eyes locked.
The look on his face grew even more smug and knowing. “That’s fine. I’m happy to put you back in the mood once you’re feeling better.”
He shifted, and the flirty and fun act dropped like it was a mask he could put on and take off at his whim. “For now, we need to dig into who wants you out of the way. Sabotaging your business so you’re forced to sell is one thing. Trying to run you off the mountain is a whole different ball game. I thought the deck situation was dicey and sloppy. What happened yesterday was planned and precise. I lied when I told you that you had an enemy. It’s enemies, plural.”
I snorted while picking at the food in front of me. “I’ve always been an overachiever.”
The attempt at dry humor didn’t amuse him in the slightest. “You need to put the property into a trust. If something happens to you, the trust will follow your order posthumously. If someone wants you out of the way because your beneficiaries are easier to deal with, that should eliminate any threat coming from those who want to manipulate your family.”
“What about the threat that clearly wants me dead? How do I deal with that one?”
“You don’t. I’m going to deal with it for you once I narrow down who’s behind it. I’m working on getting an ID on the driver of the SUV. Once I have that, I should be able to track down who paid him to run you off the road.”
“Shouldn’t the cops be doing all of that?” I couldn’t keep the disdain out of my voice.
“Hmm … they’re going to make it look like they’re doing something because there were witnesses to the attack and there’s video evidence. I work faster and have a better network, involving the sort of people willing to trade money for taking a person’s life. And I don’t have any red tape to wade through or annoying legalities holding me back.”
“You make it sound like you’re above the law.” I took the mug of coffee he handed me with my uninjured hand and nearly dropped it since it wasn’t my dominant side.
He’d called me clumsy earlier. He wasn’t wrong. I had a habit of getting distracted and letting my mind wander when I should be focused on whatever was in front of me.
“I’m not above the law. I’m just out of reach, which is even more irritating to those who interfered in the past. I’m going to do my thing; you worry about yourself and getting this place ready for winter. It’s supposed to snow later this week.”
I wanted to argue because I was the one being targeted. I was the one fighting to keep my business afloat and myself out of a coffin. So I should be the one quietly promising vengeance for all the wrongs I’d recently suffered.
Instead, I ate the breakfast he’d brought me and went back to bed. My aching bones and sore joints weren’t good for much else at the moment. It was the first time I’d ever been able to pull the plug on the hurricane-force winds of unease inside of me and just … be. There was someone next to me, holding the storm at bay. I’d never known the sense of relief that came along with having someone in your life you could rely on.
It was also a slippery slope. For the three days I rested and waited for my sprained wrist to stop screaming every time I moved it in the slightest, I found myself handing over more and more responsibility to Risky. I had him set up the initial round of interviews for the seasonal staff. I asked him to meet with the health inspector to get the outdoor kitchen signed off. I begged him to take me into town so I could follow up with the sheriff and my doctor. One appointment was irritating and offered no updates; the other was quick, and I left with a clean bill of health and orders to baby my wrist for the next few weeks. He never complained about the menial tasks, even seeming to enjoy the break from power tools and manual labor.
When I was finally ready to go back to the helm of the nearly sinking ship, the first order of business was to hire my new staff. I let Risky handpick candidates after his buddy with the Bronco ran extensive background checks on all of them. I was surprised by how excited so many of the candidates were when I interviewed them. Like Risky, many of them had been through the area when my grandparents ran the property, and this place had lingered with them. It was nice that others shared such fond memories of the people who meant everything to me. I tried to keep the nostalgia at bay and hire based on skill and ability, but it was hard to keep my heart hardened when I heard how beloved my grandparents had been. I also hired a couple of younger kids who were just now old enough to spend the winter on the mountain. I figured there was nothing wrong with starting over with a blank slate and fostering a whole new generation who could appreciate how special the legacy left to me was.
My final interview of the week was with an alarmingly attractive young man named Nico who’d just barely turned twenty. I could tell he was a heartbreaker the minute our eyes met. As he opened his mouth, it was clear he was full of shit and used to using flattery and charm to make his way in the world. He was over-the-top flirty, especially for a job interview. I was ready to tell him he wasn’t a good fit for the lodge, but then he whipped out his phone and started showing me videos of him snowboarding. I hated that he was so damn good. When he told me he was going to try out for the Olympic team, I had no problem picturing him standing on a podium with a gold medal. He had to be a prodigy—or at least innately skilled. I shouldn’t hire him because his arrogance was going to be a problem, but I couldn’t turn him down because he was the best candidate for the job. It felt like I was in the reverse position from when I’d hired Risky.
Speaking of the dark-haired handyman, he was less than thrilled that the young snowboarder thought it was appropriate to playfully tease his boss. I thought he was harmless, and I knew his attention would turn to the girls I’d hired closer to his age. As well as the attractive vacationers who would soon swarm the property. Only Risky wasn’t patient enough to wait for Nico’s interest to shift to someone else. I caught him pulling the smaller man aside, saying something that had him keeping a wide berth from me from that point forward.
Things were hectic. I could see the start of the season bearing down on me. Thankfully, the weeks following my accident were peaceful, and no other incidents occurred. Risky promised he was getting closer to having proof of whoever had tried to have me killed. As the days went by, I could tell he was getting frustrated, not having an answer sooner.
Finally, the first heavy snow fell, blanketing the mountain and turning the world outside the lodge windows pure white. It was beautiful and peaceful. Watching the snowflakes fall and seeing my breath fog in the air reminded me why I was so determined to preserve this space. Every time it snowed like this, it felt like life reset, and there was a chance to start over without as many missteps. All one had to do was wait for the snow globe to flip over, and the past was erased and covered in another layer of untouched snow and ice.
The lodge was empty. I cleared everyone out the weekend before my first week of being booked solid. I wanted the time to make sure all the loose ends were tied up and give everyone on staff their last taste of freedom before we all got too busy to think about anything other than making our guests happy. And maybe, subconsciously, I wanted a few stolen hours to spend some time alone with Risky. We’d barely had more than five minutes to talk since preparations had ramped up. Now and then, I would catch him staring at me with not a care as to who might be watching. His gaze had always been warm and inviting. Now there were hidden promises and a hint of sensual threat between each blink. I felt like he was just waiting for the right time to pounce.
He was.
I stood in front of the windows, drinking cheap wine out of a novelty pint glass and watching the world outside the glass turn pristine ivory. I saw Risky’s reflection in the glass as he approached me from behind. His image was wavy, but his intent was clear.
Whatever mood I was in, he was about to change it to something much sultrier and far sexier, just like he’d promised the day after he brought me home from the hospital.
He stood directly behind me. His head bent, and I felt his lips land on the back of my neck. His breath fanned across my skin as one of his hands wrapped around my waist. His fingers skimmed under the hem of my loose thermal shirt and inched across my lower abdomen. My abs contracted involuntarily, and my breath caught in my throat. The hand holding the glass of cheap wine shook ever so slightly, and my knees turned liquid. Risky used his teeth to nibble on the side of my neck. His free hand grabbed the glass I nearly dropped when the fingers of his other hand dipped beneath the elastic band of my underwear. My entire body trembled, but I was still hyperaware that we were technically standing in the lobby of a hotel, which was a very public space.
I caught his wrist with my still-healing hand to slow his aggressive movement. I felt the tips of his fingers feather across the very top of the slit between my legs. My body immediately went damp, and I felt my insides clench with desire.
“There are cameras everywhere.” I sounded breathless.
He chuckled into my ear and tried to move his captured fingers lower. “Don’t worry about it.”
I squeezed his wrist in warning and stared at his reflection in front of me. With the way he was standing behind me, with his head lowered and my entire body in his embrace, it looked like he was a vampire about to lure me over to the dark side with one bite.
“We spent weeks making this place perfect. I’m not about to let you mess it up. This is a proper business.” I sounded more prim and proper than I ever had in my life.
I wasn’t someone who lost my mind or my morals when it came to sex. In the past, I’d always viewed intimacy as a task or chore that was a requirement I needed to fulfill when I was involved with another person. It was never something I craved or sought for my own pleasure. I never longed for the touch of another person or ached for the feel of a warm body pressed against mine.
All of that changed when Risky dragged his tongue down the side of my neck and broke free from my hold so his fingers could slip between my legs and dip into my fluttering opening. My head dropped back with a gasp and rested against his shoulder. He smelled good. Like a campfire and roasted marshmallows. My favorite. His beard rubbed against the sensitive hollow where my neck met my shoulder.
His lips landed where my pulse was jumping erratically, and I heard the smile in his tone when he replied, “This is your home. That means you can do whatever you fucking want.”
I turned my head to give him a sharp look, but the effect was lost when I gasped with pleasure as his fingers started to move in and out of my body.
“If I make a mess, I’ll clean it up.” His other hand curled around my jaw and turned my head to the side so he could kiss me. With his lips on mine, he whispered, “You won’t get the chance to do something like this with that view once this place gets busy. Take advantage of the opportunity while you’ve got it.”
He used his knee to press my legs farther apart and moved his fingers deeper within me. I felt his thumb circle my clit as his fingers held my face tighter. His kiss turned from taunting and alluring to something more demanding and urgent. Almost against my will, my palms slapped against the glass in front of me. I told myself there was nothing some glass cleaner and elbow grease couldn’t take care of.
He was right.
This view, the mountains, the idyllic setting, the intoxicating atmosphere, and possibly this man were all mine. I shared them with others because I loved this place so much, but it was mine. I could do whatever I wanted, anywhere I wanted, with whomever I wanted. And even if I wanted to object, my body overruled my brain and was all in with whatever Risky had planned for it.
His fingers were soaked between my legs. My nipples felt hard enough to cut the glass in front of me. My hips shifted anxiously against the hefty bulge pressing into my backside, and my mouth couldn’t stop becoming pliant and passive under the press of his. I was being consumed by him and getting lost in passion and hunger I’d never felt before. If this was what I’d been missing every time I was with someone else, it was no wonder my previous partners had thought they’d climbed into bed with an iceberg. The only thing icy between me and Risky was the chilly glass I was leaning against.
I was enlightened.
And I was very turned on.
Any protest died before it made it to my lips. Not that I could speak through the way Risky was practically devouring me anyway.
At some point, I lost my soft lounge pants and boring cotton underwear. My top and bra lasted longer, but the moment my breasts were free, Risky spun me around so my back was to the glass expanse. I curled my arms around his neck and moaned softly at the gentle scrape of his facial hair across my sensitive skin. He used his mouth to torment my nipples while his careful touch continued to turn me inside out. My entire being tingled. I felt electrified from the roots of my hair to the tip of my toes. I’d never been swamped with so many sensations before and was starting to understand why so many women made such choices in men. If they were all capable of making me feel like this, I might’ve loved something more than the mountains in my twenty-some years.
When his flannel and jeans joined my discarded clothing, I briefly wondered if I was getting in over my head. Just because this was the only man who’d ever made me forget myself and maneuvered me into a position to trust him didn’t mean I had any idea what to do with him once our relationship changed. I was historically bad at relationships, and right now, I needed Risky in more ways than I could count. If I alienated him or inadvertently started to freeze him out, what would happen to me and the resort if he decided to move on? Especially with my life and future hanging in the balance. The very thought made my stomach clench.
For a brief moment—when the heated caresses paused and his hands were busy situating a condom he’d pulled out of nowhere like a magician—I told myself to stop this before it went any further. A nagging voice told me the right thing to do was to protect him from me, which was ridiculous. More than once, the man had alluded to just how dangerous he was. I should be afraid of him, but all I felt was want and need.
The desire to be closer to him far outweighed the niggling urge to run away.
He pressed in tightly, his hands gliding around the back of my thighs. I gasped at the brush of his wet fingers. It was wild to have the evidence of my arousal be so blatant and raw. Risky picked me up with little effort and nudged me to wrap my legs around his lean waist. I loved the way his powerful body moved against mine. It was a heady juxtaposition, having the blazing heat from him attached to my front and the cool and smooth glass at my back. Even though I knew we were alone and the snow was the only witness to this lustful indulgence, it felt voyeuristic, being fucked up against a see-through surface.
As soon as Risky was positioned between my legs, his hardness rubbed against my softness. I was already wet and waiting. He was rigid and unyielding. I wanted to grind my hips against him, but the way I was clinging to him gave Risky all the control. He teased me by rocking his hips forward and dragging the tip of his erection through my aching center. I made a strangled sound in my throat and grabbed a fistful of hair to silently urge him to move faster.
If I hadn’t been floating on a haze of desire, I would’ve voiced my wants, but I couldn’t string words together. The best I could do was shake and moan with his name slipping out occasionally.
When he finally relented and pushed his throbbing length into my welcoming heat, my eyes widened, and I forgot to breathe. Anytime I’d been in this position before, I’d felt icky and invaded. I didn’t love the sensation of my body adapting to someone else. It wasn’t always awful, but rarely did I find genuine glee in the act.
With Risky, it was different. I didn’t feel attacked as much as I felt owned. The way my body greedily took him in and wrapped around him, eagerly melting and quaking with his every movement, gave the sensation that he was welcome. I didn’t want to close my eyes and pray for it to be over; I wanted to cling to him and make the feeling last forever.
The back of my head banged against the glass. Risky chuckled and moved a hand so his wide palm protected my skull from future impact.
“Easy, Ms. Fortune.” He gave me a hard kiss after the soft warning.
I wanted to tell him none of what we were currently doing had ever been easy for me, but I never got the chance.
He started to move with purpose and intent. Our lower bodies rocked together while our chests were pressed so tightly against one another that I swore he could feel my heartbeat. I wondered if he knew no one else had ever made it pound so hard and fast. And if he knew, would that matter to him?
His mouth was mostly glued to mine. Our breath mingled, and our tongues and teeth clashed. I’d heard of being kissed soul-deep before, but this was my first time experiencing something that started superficial, then moved to places so deep that they’d never see the light of day. Every time we kissed, it seemed like there was a seismic shift. This man was tilting the ground under my feet. I had a sinking feeling I would never find my footing with him around.
Risky’s thrusts moved deeper as I moaned his name, along with a litany of swear words. I was an independent, liberated woman. I was someone who had planned to be single for an eternity, so I knew how to seek solo satisfaction when the need was too much to bear. I had a favorite toy or two stashed away, meaning I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the swirling pleasure that heralded an orgasm. That feeling paled compared to the fire raging within me right now.
My bones were ablaze. Heat licked at every nerve. My skin was so sensitive that every touch made me shiver. A tiny inferno started at the base of my spine and steadily burned its way throughout my body. I was consumed by fire and flames. I was so hot that I worried the cold glass behind me might crack from the difference in temperatures.
Risky dropped his head into the crook of my shoulder. I felt his teeth lock on to the curve of my collarbone. Once again, I got the sensation he was marking his territory. It should probably bother me more, considering we were still basically a few steps above acquaintances, but this was the only time in my life I didn’t mind someone staking their claim. In fact, I had to fight the instinct to bite him back. A minute part of my brain that was still functioning reminded me I was his boss, which meant no biting allowed.
The hand he had holding me up dug into my ass, and his jaw clenched. The gold in his gaze glimmered as he watched me come undone. The orgasm hit like a ton of bricks. Every muscle contracted, and my vision went fuzzy around the edges. I moaned and tugged at his hair when he moved even faster, clearly chasing his own completion. He whispered my name into my ear, his breath coming in uneven pants. His chest was damp with sweat, causing our skin to glide together. My nipples tingled at the feeling of being dragged across the taut surface.
When he came, his big body tensed up, and a wicked light flashed through his eyes. He rested his forehead against mine while our lips hovered a few centimeters apart. He chuckled before pressing a quick, hard kiss against my mouth.
His gravelly voice rasped into my ear, “I’ve always wanted to get snowed in like this. Thanks for making one of my dreams come true, Lucky.”
I blinked at him foolishly. I was still in a daze. “Thank God you waited until I was healed. I would’ve never survived if you’d let me seduce you when I tried.”
He laughed again and gave me a heated look. “I told you, that took all the restraint I had. There is none left. You’d better brace yourself, boss lady.”
I gulped and watched him watching me to see how I reacted to his words. I wasn’t sure how to respond because I couldn’t tell if he was trying to tempt me or warn me away.