Jill Shalvis - Instant Attraction

“What are you doing?”

“Carrying you back up.”

“I can walk.” When he didn’t set her down, she sighed and slipped her arms around his neck, setting her head down at the crook of his shoulder as he carried her up to the top. “You feel like a superhero.”

“Because I carried you?”

She made a noise that said she thought that assessment fairly ridiculous. “My heroes aren’t cocky, ex-world champs who have lots of muscle.”

“Well, ouch.”

“Yeah, and they don’t wear capes or have superpowers either, in case you were wondering. They…feel. They hurt.” She cupped his face until he looked down at her. “They can love and be loved. They know they’re worthy, and that they deserve it.”

He stared down into her face, his blood pounding. She knew how he’d felt. She’d sensed it, or he’d given himself away, and he didn’t know what to do with that.

From the direction of the lodge came the whine of a snow-mobile engine.

“The cavalry,” she said.

I think I’ve got it together now, he wanted to tell her. He wanted to say that and more, but then Stone was there, reaching out for her. Left with little choice, Cam handed her over, watching Stone settle her in front of him before taking off for the lodge.

The snow had continued to come down now, lightly, and the trail was icy, hampering his speed. He wasn’t as quick on the ice, not these days, but oddly enough, that thought didn’t come with the usual gut twist.

T.J. met him halfway on a second snowmobile. When they got back to the lodge, Cam leaped off and turned toward his truck, intending to start it so he could drive Katie into town, but there was a Jeep in the driveway, blocking him in.

Changing direction, swearing at whatever idiot had parked right behind him, he yanked the lodge door. Stone stood in the foyer doorway, looking disconcerted.

“Katie,” Cam said.

Stone stepped aside.

Katie was wrapped in a blanket on the couch with a woman leaning over her holding a stethoscope.

“The doctor was already nearly here, as it turned out,” Stone said, “bringing Annie some supplies.”

Cam looked at the young, stacked beauty. She was dressed more for a cover shoot than a patient run. “That’s not good old Doc Sinclair.”

“Good eyes, bro. It’s his daughter. Emma.” Stone, a guy who’d never met a woman he didn’t want to get to know better, was frowning. “Apparently he coaxed her to Wishful with the promise she could run his place, but we get injuries out here all the time, and with the ER thirty miles away, we need a competent doctor, not Dress-Up Doctor Barbie.”

As Cam was usually the one requiring the emergency services, he knew this all too well. “How do you know she’s not competent?”

“Look at her.”

“I am. She’s easy enough on the eyes, if that’s what you mean.”

Stone shot him a shocked look. “She’s like twelve.”

“Actually, I’m more than twice that.” The auburn-haired “twelve-year-old” lifted the stethoscope from Katie’s chest and set it around her own neck, reaching for Katie’s wrist to check her pulse. “I’ll be thirty next week. And are you pouting because I turned you down the other night at Moody’s, or because I beat you down Wilder’s Run?”

Cam lifted a brow in Stone’s direction.

“I didn’t ask you out,” Stone said. “I asked if you wanted a drink. That was me being polite. You weren’t the same in return.”

“Because I said no?”

Stone appeared to grind his back teeth together. “And you didn’t beat me down Wilder. My binding broke.”

“Ah.” Emma was probing the wound on Katie’s head. “Well, then.”

At that, Stone made a noise as if his head had gotten a flat tire.

Cam had no idea what had crawled up his brother’s ass, but he didn’t care. “How is she?” he asked Emma.

“Not concussed.” Emma dug through a black bag and pulled out Steri-Strips, which she used on the gash on Katie’s eyebrow.

“The shoulder?” Cam asked.

“Strained. Icing it will help. Oh, and before I forget”-she tossed a brown bag at Stone-“for your aunt.”

If Cam hadn’t been so concerned about Katie, he might have been amused at the look on his brother’s face. Stone, the middle child, the people person, the peacemaker, didn’t soften or offer his usually charming smile, didn’t work the magic that he usually had in spades when it came to women. Instead, he ignored Emma and came around the couch. “You better?” he asked Katie.

“Yes.” She offered a weak smile. “I’m sorry to be such a PITA.”

“Nah. Now Cam? He’s the pain in the ass around here.” He said this gently, with all his usual charm firmly back in place for her. “But maybe you should stay away from cliffs until you go home on Sunday, what do you think?”

She laughed softly, but Cam didn’t. Because, Jesus Christ, Sunday was almost here. “That’s a really bad day to travel,” he said.

“Why?” Katie asked.

“Because…” Why? “Because there’s always traffic on Sundays.”

Stone gave Cam a shit-for-brains look that said, “Really? That’s the best you got?” before shaking his head in disgust. With one last gentle squeeze of Katie’s hand, Stone straightened and headed for the door.

Emma followed him out.

Which left Cam alone with the patient.

“You know,” she said quietly, staring at the flames rip-roaring in the fireplace. “It’s funny. I should have felt so out of place here.” She turned to him. Her eyes were filled with things that made him swallow hard and feel torn between running like hell and grabbing her tight.

“But it fit,” she said. “Being here fit. I feel so good about that. So damn good. I hope I get as lucky next time.”

Struggling for words, he came closer and sat next to her. “Having you here fit.”

“I’m glad.” She went to stand up, but he held her still.

“I’m sorry, Katie.”

“I’m a big girl. And this was a job. It’s got some nice perks, I’ll admit.” She flashed him a small, tight smile as she pulled free. “But all of that is nearly over now. And I’m ready to move on.”

“Where to?”

“LA first, to visit my parents. Then…” She lifted her shoulder, then winced in pain. “You know, maybe I should let Riley come back early.”

“No, don’t.” He’d done this. He’d pushed and pushed, and she’d given up on him. “Don’t leave early because of me.” He looked into her eyes. “My life’s not ever going to be the same, Katie. I want you to know that. You’ve changed me.”

“How?”

“Well, for one thing, you turned me into this person who tells people how he feels.”

“And how do you feel?”

He tugged at his sweatshirt, sticking to him from the snow. He’d rushed out after her without grabbing his jacket. “A little cold and wet at the moment.”

She didn’t look impressed, and in fact, turned away, but he caught her hand and met her frustrated gaze. “Okay, listen.” He struggled to find the right words. “I feel bad about this morning.”

“Are you referring to when you ran out of my place like a bat out of hell because we had great sex?”

“It was great sex.” He let out a breath. “And, yes, okay, it unnerved me because it was also more.” He paused, thinking she’d be pleased at that admission.

But she wasn’t. In fact, she looked just about the polar opposite of pleased. And something else unusual, she didn’t say a word. That was not a good sign. “Yeah, see, now I sort of thought you’d have something to say about that.”

“Maybe if you’d expanded on that thought, I would.”

He let out a breath. “Expand?” Okay, he was going to run into trouble now. He wasn’t much of an expander. “I just poured out my soul and you want me to go on?”

“Pouring out your soul, Cam, would be telling me a lot more than that you’re unnerved. It would be telling me why, and what that more is.”

“Yeah, I guess I know that.” He managed a smile, then reached for her hand and brought it up to his mouth. When he kissed her fingers, she shifted, turning her hand so that she could press her palm to his jaw. Then with a sigh, she leaned in and kissed him. “Let me make this easy for both of us. You made my time here more special than I could have hoped, and I’m grateful. We have a connection, and I’m grateful for that too. You’re smart and sexy and funny, and I enjoyed being with you.”

Past tense, he couldn’t help but notice. “Except for when I was stupid.”

“True. Except for that.” Her smile faded. “I promise you, I really understand that this thing between us is as temp as my job was. I knew it going in, and no matter what happens, or how much I fall for you, I will know it going out.”

Her eyes were soft and sweet now, and so deep it almost hurt to look at her. Quite simply, she staggered him. “Katie.”

“I swear to God, if your next sentence has anything to do with you regretting what we’ve had, or that you’re still worried about me falling for you, I’m going to-”

He kissed her. He just leaned in and kissed her, soft and deep and hot, the way all their kisses ended up being, and when she pulled back, she smiled. “Yeah, now see that’s how we should communicate from now on out. It’s clearly what we’re best at.”

He let out a half laugh half groan and hauled her close, burying his face in her hair, still smiling, even as he wondered…

How was he ever going to let her go?

Annie stood at the counter in the lodge kitchen, listening to the radio tell her that a huge storm was coming, which fitted her mood just fine, as she beat her dough into submission.

She was making bread. Because bread was the salt of the earth, and the owner of her heart. Dammit.

She was going to eat warm, buttered bread and feel better.

Until her jeans got too tight.