Jill Shalvis - Instant Attraction

“That’s sweet of you.”

He looked at her, feeling decidedly unsweet. “Come here.”

She swallowed again. “Really? Here?”

He wished. But he gestured her closer and she nearly killed herself to get across the room. He took her hand and opened his closet. It was filled to the brim with outdoor equipment for any kind of adventure one could want.

She looked around. “There’s no place to-”

“Pick one.”

“Um…what?”

“Pick your next adventure.”

She blushed, then pushed up her glasses. “OH! Oh, you want me to pick out equipment. I thought-”

“Yeah, I know what you thought,” he said, nearly groaning at the look of disappointment on her face. She’d wanted him in the closet. Just the thought made him hard. “That’s next. This first.”

She stared at him, then tore her gaze from his and touched a pair of skis. Downhill skis. His gut clenched.

He’d figure she’d pick snowshoes, or cross-country skis. Despite his numerous attempts, he still hadn’t been on downhill skis or a board since his crash, managing to avoid both like the plague, and everyone had let him.

“These are nice,” she said, running her fingers over the edges.

Skiing and sex.

He’d once been great at both. Okay, well it seemed as if Katie wasn’t the only one taking a risk today. He pulled out the skis instead of facing the truth.

He was actually procrastinating sex.

God, that was a tough one to swallow.

He had no doubt he could turn on the charm and get her in his bed right this very minute-hell, she would have taken the closet-and it would be great.

But then…

Yeah, it was the but then tripping him up. It could be any of a hundred things, he had no idea exactly, but he could guarantee it would end badly.

It always did.

And he didn’t want this to end.

How ironic was that? He’d always slept with the women he liked. He’d slept with them and then it’d been over. Now this thing was going to be over soon regardless, and he hadn’t slept with her.

By choice.

He’d lost more than his nerve after his crash-he’d lost his mind.

Katie was still running her hand along the skis. “They look fast.”

“You’ve skied?”

“Not since high school.”

“That’s okay. It’s like getting on a bike.”

“I thought having sex was going to be like getting on a bike.”

Okay, still hard. “If there is any justice, it’ll be even easier. Try these.” He tossed her a set of ski pants from the new samples-sleek and black and formfitting.

“These would maybe fit if I hadn’t been eating Annie’s food for two-and-a-half weeks.”

He took in her maroon turtleneck sweater, which hugged mouthwatering breasts. Her gray wool pants did the same for her legs and ass, an ass he’d stared at enough times to know exactly what would work on it. “They’ll fit.”

“Okay, but if I burst out of them, it’s all your fault.”

And he’d be happy to take that blame. “Don’t worry.”

“Me worry? I left that behind in Los Angeles.” She smiled wryly. “Mostly.”

“It’s going to be okay, Goldilocks. We’ll stay on the easy runs. Now hurry and change, we’re burning daylight. I’ll wait for you out front.”

And then, because she just stood there a little dazed, a little overwhelmed, and a whole lot adorably sexy, he leaned and kissed her.

No idea why.

Okay, maybe he knew exactly why. Because he couldn’t get enough. Pulling back, he watched her glasses start to fog. He really loved knowing he did that to her. And after skiing, he was going to do a hell of a lot more to her.

For her.

And then…and then if history was any indication, he’d screw it all up somehow.

But that for later. For now, with her still staring up at him in sexy wonder, he left her alone in his office to change.

Katie looked down at the ski pants in her hand, her heart pounding. They weren’t going to have sex in his closet. They were going skiing.

Dazed, she tugged down her pants, then proceeded to get them stuck on her boots. Crouching to fix the problem, she had to laugh at herself-not exactly how she’d imagined getting naked in Cam’s office. Giving up on the pants, she unlaced her damn boots, then nearly jumped out of her skin at the low scraping sound beneath the desk.

It was the same sound she heard outside the bushes every time she walked by them. Somehow her animal stalker was in this very office with her, possibly planning on eating her alive. Oh, no. Not going out like this, and she leaped back.

And tripped over the pants around her ankles. Her flailing arms knocked over a huge stack of skis and poles on the way down, all of which fell in a spectacularly noisy cascade to the floor as she landed in a graceless heap on her butt.

Someone came pounding down the hall. “Katie?”

Oh, God. She yelled, “Don’t come in-”

But the door whipped open, and Cam stood there staring at her.

She couldn’t blame him. She lay on her back, draped over a pile of skis and poles, her pants still around her ankles. She decided to take some comfort in the fact that she wasn’t wearing either granny panties or a thong, but a nice pair of cotton bikinis in a demure pale pink.

With a picture of Hello Kitty on the front.

She’d have been far happier in a suit of armor, but what could she do?

Cam crouched by her side. “Are you hurt?”

“No!” She tried to sit up. Not easy with no stomach muscles and her feet weighted down. She straightened her glasses. “And I said don’t come in.”

He was looking at her panties and smiling. “Hello Kitty.”

“As in Don’t. Come. In.”

“You screamed.”

“I did not.” Scooting backward, she rolled over and staggered to her feet, pointing to his desk while scrambling to pull up her pants. “And you have a wild animal under there. You-” She stopped when he bent to look and let out a huff of laughter. “What? What’s so damn funny?”

“It’s just Chuck.”

“Chuck.” She pictured a rabid coyote. A psycho wild turkey. “Who’s Chuck?”

“Take a look for yourself.”

She glared at him, then bent a little and peered beneath the desk.

Sitting down there among a few electrical cords and a forgotten pair of athletic shoes was a scrawny, patchy gray cat, nearly all skin and bones.

“He adopted this place a while back apparently, when I was gone. He’s feral, and comes and goes as he pleases, though he hasn’t been around too much lately. Doesn’t like new people.”

Chuck was a cat. She bent down and took another peek. Yep. A cat. Sort of. He had whole chunks of fur missing, and the biggest green eyes she’d ever seen, making him look more like a baby ostrich.

“He’s not much of a people person,” Cam told her. “But he won’t hurt you. I won’t hurt you either, Goldilocks.”

“Ha.”

“Come here, kitty, kitty.” Instead of waiting, he stepped toward her, his eyes flashing an assortment of things, most of which made her heart skip more than a few beats.

“Trying to get dressed here.”

“I know.” Stopping just short of touching her, he dipped his head and took a good look at her from head to toe and back again, lingering at her unzipped pants. “Pale pink is my new favorite color.”

She stared into his amused, very heated eyes and felt all her good parts quiver. “You could have seen them up close and personal in the closet. You chose skiing.”

“I’m a stupid, stupid man.”

Their lips were less than an inch apart. She stared into his eyes, then at his mouth.

“Katie.” His voice was low, thrillingly rough as he lifted a hand and ran his thumb over her lower lip. It tingled for another kiss, and she closed her eyes…

He gently pulled off her glasses, then not so gently kissed her, long and deep. Her bones went all soft and gushy, but nothing on him felt soft and gushy, especially not what was pressing into her stomach.

“One more,” he said, his mouth moving down her neck.

“Two would be okay…”

With a low laugh, he slid his warm hands up the back of her sweater, making her want to stretch and purr like a kitten. “God, you feel good.”

“Yeah. Same goes.”

“Skiing,” he whispered against her lips, before removing his hands from her and stepping back. He nodded and let out a rough breath. “Skiing. I’ll wait out in the hallway.”

When he was gone, she let out a rough breath of her own, then stepped out of her pants-removing her boots first this time-and pulled on the ski pants. He’d been right, they did fit.

Like a damn glove.

She moved to the desk and bent down to look at Chuck. “Hey, cutie. What do you think?”

He didn’t even blink. Just stared at her with those heartbreaking eyes.

“Right. I’m asking for trouble.” She reached out a hand to stroke him, but he put his ears back and let out a low warning rumble. “Okay, have it your way, but I’ll charm you yet.”

More than a little self-conscious about the pants, she went out into the hallway, where one tall, dark, and oh-so-gorgeous man leaned against the wall waiting for her, eyes hot. “You look great,” he said.

Her good parts clamored as he handed her a jacket, hat, and a pair of gloves. He watched her add the extra layers. “I’m an idiot to have given you all that to wear.” His sexual frustration was the third person in the room.

Hers was the fourth.

Having no idea where this was going exactly, but suddenly enjoying the ride, Katie straightened. “Let’s do this. Let’s ski.”

Cam had been around the world looking for something to give him a new rush, to kick-start his heart, and he hadn’t found it. And yet here he was, his heart kick-started by a woman.

Clearly, he’d lost his mind.

No, Katie had lost her pants, and then he’d lost his mind. She’d stood there half naked in his office, wearing a snug sweater and those adorably sexy panties and nothing else, looking more than a little frazzled by Chuck.