At her wit’s end with her twelve-year-old niece, Wren Snow takes the manager’s job at Blue Spruce Lodge so Sky can get to know her father, Trigg Johanssen—a tycoon snowboarder with a playboy reputation.
Gold-medalist Trigg Johanssen is furious she kept Sky a secret, but quits competition to focus on his newly discovered daughter only to have his chemistry with Wren complicate their attempts to co-parent.
When outside forces threaten the ski resort he’s rebuilding, a marriage of convenience seems like the answer. It would give his daughter the life she deserves, but is it too much for a heartbroken woman still nursing past hurts?
First Kiss
“Don’t make me cry, you idiot.” She lifted her free hand and swiped the heel of her palm beneath her eye.
He chuckled and hooked his arm around her, drew her in and gave her a bear hug that crumpled her defenses. People didn’t usually touch her, which she always told herself she preferred, but his strong arms popped her thin shell of defenses like an egg, leaving her melty and gooey against the warmth of his chest. Her head dropped onto the hard pillow of his pec and her arms slid around his waist. She clung as waves of emotion swept over her, threatening to unmoor her completely.
This wasn’t a pass. It was platonic and sweet. It was kindness and friendship and something she hadn’t ever experienced—a shared moment of alignment. It was a kaleidoscope of emotions that she sensed turning in him as they turned in her, reshaping into new patterns that were startling and beautiful.
Then his hand moved to her hair and his lips touched her brow. He probably meant is as brotherly, but she instantly became aware of his heartbeat, the firmness of his chest beneath the side of her face, the scent of him in his T-shirt and the way his hard thighs brushed against hers.
She tried to think of something light to say, lifted her head and tilted it back, but he read it as a signal. He dipped his head and halted at the last second.
“Damn.” His breath heated her lips as he hovered with his lips so close to hers, her mouth tingled in anticipation. “We were going to ignore this, weren’t we?”
Where she found the courage to be so honest, she didn’t know, but she said, “I thought I was the only one who had to.”
She stayed right where she was, leaning in to him so the pressure of his chest soothed the growing ache in her breasts while her heart slammed in terror at what she had revealed.
His choke of laughter feathered across her mouth. “No,” he said, thumb caressing her cheekbone. “No, I’m trying like hell to pretend—”
Before she realized what she was doing, her toes had dug into the floor and she closed the distance herself, sealing them into the kiss.
He groaned. Then he cradled the back of her head in his wide hand and kissed her, deep and thorough. Opened his mouth across hers and explored and possessed and rubbed and captured and kissed the hell out of her. Kissed her until she couldn’t breathe.
She didn’t care, so long as he kept up that unhurried, masterful, hungry ravaging. Her hands moved to explore his back, reveling in the dips and flex of his muscles. He tagged her tongue with his, sending a jolt of excitement through her, then deepened the kiss even more, shifting so she was against the edge of the desk.
Her hands went up to his head, discovering stubble and silky strands, warm skin and the pound of his pulse in his throat. His mouth went down the side of her neck while his hands went down to her butt, squeezing, rubbing, getting under her cheeks and lifting so she sat on the desktop. He stroked her thighs, parting her legs as he moved between them, sending tendrils of pleasure through her abdomen and into her loins. Then he cupped her butt again and drew her to the edge, so they were eye to eye. Mouth to mouth. Sex to sex.
She shuddered in reaction and braced her arms across his shoulders, legs reflexively twining around his waist. He lifted his head and she met his glittering gaze.
They were going too far, but she wasn’t ready to stop.
“Don’t make me cry, you idiot.” She lifted her free hand and swiped the heel of her palm beneath her eye.
He chuckled and hooked his arm around her, drew her in and gave her a bear hug that crumpled her defenses. People didn’t usually touch her, which she always told herself she preferred, but his strong arms popped her thin shell of defenses like an egg, leaving her melty and gooey against the warmth of his chest. Her head dropped onto the hard pillow of his pec and her arms slid around his waist. She clung as waves of emotion swept over her, threatening to unmoor her completely.
This wasn’t a pass. It was platonic and sweet. It was kindness and friendship and something she hadn’t ever experienced—a shared moment of alignment. It was a kaleidoscope of emotions that she sensed turning in him as they turned in her, reshaping into new patterns that were startling and beautiful.
Then his hand moved to her hair and his lips touched her brow. He probably meant is as brotherly, but she instantly became aware of his heartbeat, the firmness of his chest beneath the side of her face, the scent of him in his T-shirt and the way his hard thighs brushed against hers.
She tried to think of something light to say, lifted her head and tilted it back, but he read it as a signal. He dipped his head and halted at the last second.
“Damn.” His breath heated her lips as he hovered with his lips so close to hers, her mouth tingled in anticipation. “We were going to ignore this, weren’t we?”
Where she found the courage to be so honest, she didn’t know, but she said, “I thought I was the only one who had to.”
She stayed right where she was, leaning in to him so the pressure of his chest soothed the growing ache in her breasts while her heart slammed in terror at what she had revealed.
His choke of laughter feathered across her mouth. “No,” he said, thumb caressing her cheekbone. “No, I’m trying like hell to pretend—”
Before she realized what she was doing, her toes had dug into the floor and she closed the distance herself, sealing them into the kiss.
He groaned. Then he cradled the back of her head in his wide hand and kissed her, deep and thorough. Opened his mouth across hers and explored and possessed and rubbed and captured and kissed the hell out of her. Kissed her until she couldn’t breathe.
She didn’t care, so long as he kept up that unhurried, masterful, hungry ravaging. Her hands moved to explore his back, reveling in the dips and flex of his muscles. He tagged her tongue with his, sending a jolt of excitement through her, then deepened the kiss even more, shifting so she was against the edge of the desk.
Her hands went up to his head, discovering stubble and silky strands, warm skin and the pound of his pulse in his throat. His mouth went down the side of her neck while his hands went down to her butt, squeezing, rubbing, getting under her cheeks and lifting so she sat on the desktop. He stroked her thighs, parting her legs as he moved between them, sending tendrils of pleasure through her abdomen and into her loins. Then he cupped her butt again and drew her to the edge, so they were eye to eye. Mouth to mouth. Sex to sex.
She shuddered in reaction and braced her arms across his shoulders, legs reflexively twining around his waist. He lifted his head and she met his glittering gaze.
They were going too far, but she wasn’t ready to stop.
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Win a print copy of From the Top
(Open internationally)
Fiercely independent after a difficult childhood, Ilke Lunquist devotes herself to one thing: skiing. She’s on the cusp of gold when an unexpected pregnancy throws her future into chaos.
Nathaniel Hart takes on the daunting project of restoring Whiskey Jack Ski Resort to be close to his young son, but with one failed marriage behind him, he avoids serious relationships.
They might be virtual strangers with only a baby in common, but Nate is determined to be part of his child's life. Ilke didn't become a champion by ever backing down from a challenge, especially not one where her child's happiness and her own heart are on the line. When tragedy strikes, heartbreak draws them closer together. Nate discovers he’s more than ready for a bigger family and maybe, just maybe, Ilke will find the home that has eluded her all her life.
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ReplyDeleteCarol Luciano
Lucky4750 at aol dot com
This sounds like a really sweet story!
ReplyDeleteThis series sounds really interesting.
ReplyDeleteGreat Series, Thanks for your generosity.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading this book. Thanks for the chance to win a copy!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance. I am looking forward to reading this book. I loved the first two.
ReplyDeleteLove Dani COllins's books and the The Blue Spruce Lodge books sound interesting
ReplyDeleteAlso Thanks for the chance to win From the Top
Looks good.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful read, thanks for the chance.
ReplyDelete