Falling Fast, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 4) (4 page)

“Sounds good. How about you and I head up there tomorrow and keep marking more trail?”

“Tell me what time to meet you, and we can head up together.”

Gage shrugged. “Let’s see how the morning goes and maybe plan for late morning. You want to meet for an early dinner in the restaurant in a bit?” At Cam’s nod, Gage continued. “Does five work?”

“Yup. I was about to head in for a shower. Need me to take care of anything else right now?”

“Nope. We’re covered on the slopes for the afternoon.” Gage’s cell phone buzzed. He slipped the phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. “I need to take this,” he commented before stepped away and answering as he walked across the deck.

Cam turned back to the mountains and breathed in the cold air. An eagle screeched in the distance followed by the call of a crow. He took a last look at the mountains before turning away and walking inside. He made his way to his hotel suite. The room was disconcertingly quiet. So many years of traveling to ski lodges had been spent with Eric. Even though they were in far flung locations, most ski lodges had a familiar feel to them. Last Frontier Lodge had the same familiar feeling—a feeling he savored because it meant he was where he wanted to be doing what he loved. Last Frontier Lodge ranked as one of the nicer lodges Cam had encountered. Gage had done a good job updating the place and had been generous in providing Cam with his own full suite. Yet, Eric’s absence was a haunting echo. Sometimes Cam wondered if he should just walk away from skiing, but every time he considered it, he could hardly bear it. Skiing was too central to his life. He only wished it wasn’t so tied to his late brother. He clung to the glimmer of hope that came from the pain starting to dull over time.

After he showered, he sat at the table by the windows and watched the sun slide down behind the mountains. The horizon was streaked with lavender and pink, the cool colors of winter sunsets. His phone sat on the table. His eyes kept bouncing to it and away. He finally reached over and slid the phone in front of him. He quickly tapped the screen, pulling up his mother’s number. After several rings, she answered.

“Hey Cam! How’s Alaska?”

“Hey Mom. Alaska’s gorgeous. How are things there?”

“Just fine. We’re both busy with work. We’ve had plenty of snow here. I’m hoping the skiing is as good there as it is here this winter because if not, you might want to get back here.”

He smiled. His mom knew how much he loved skiing. She’d be worried he’d miss the good snow. “No need to worry, Mom. We’ve got plenty of snow here in Diamond Creek. You and Dad should come up if you can. You’d love it.”

“We probably will. I was just telling your father maybe we could get up there later this winter. So, how are you?”

Cam could imagine her expression. Her brown eyes would be warm and concerned. He could feel her soft smile through the phone. Eric’s death, of course, had been a blow for her and his father. Yet, Cam felt so alone in his grief. It didn’t matter how many times he tried to tell himself he couldn’t blame himself, he did. If he hadn’t said anything at that moment, Eric wouldn’t have looked over and he wouldn’t have clipped the truck and the car accident wouldn’t have happened. Cam felt tears press at the back of his eyes. He took a deep breath and looked out over the mountains into the swirl of colors. Stars were dotting the sky through the fading light. Another breath, and he thought he could manage answering.

“I’m okay, Mom. I’m glad I found this place. It’s beautiful. The owner is a great guy to work for, and it’s giving me time to get my feet back under me. How are you?”

“Oh, you know. We’re doing okay. I stay busy at the library, and your dad’s store is having its best year yet. We just want to know you’re okay. Promise me you’ll let me know if you need anything.”

“I will, Mom. How about you check with Dad and let me know when you think you two can come up for a visit?”

“You got it. I’ll talk to him tonight.”

“Okay. I gotta go, but I’ll call again this weekend. Love you, Mom.”

“Love you.”

Her warm words pinged in his heart, still sore every time he thought about Eric. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. He had another call to make, so he tapped his screen again, this time pulling up his sister’s number. Her voice mail picked up.
“Hey, it’s Ivy. You know what to do.”

“Hey Ivy, give me a call when you can. Miss you,” he said to her voice mail.

He set the phone back down, a smile curving his lips. Just thinking about Ivy made him smile. Ivy was ten years younger than him and kept him on his toes. She was the brilliant one in the family and was currently finishing up a graduate degree in mechanical engineering. After Eric died, she’d taken a semester off and prodded Cam through the darkest months after Eric’s death.

He glanced at the clock above the door and stood from the table. Moments later, he made his way down the hallway toward the lodge restaurant. He fumbled around in his pocket to make sure he had his keys. He suddenly remembered he’d left them in his truck. When he reached the reception area, he veered through the main entrance and out to the parking lot. After he reached his truck and snagged his keys from above the visor, he started to walk back to the lodge when he noticed a car stopped at the head of the long driveway. He waited to see if the vehicle was about to move when he saw a form silhouetted in the headlights leaning over the check one of the front tires.

***

“Dammit!” Ginger pounded on the steering wheel.

She’d just turned into the drive at Last Frontier Lodge when she noticed her tire felt squishy. She hadn’t had too may flat tires in her life, but the feeling was distinct. She stopped where she was and climbed out. A quick check and she confirmed her suspicion. The last thing she wanted to deal with was changing her tire in the cold darkness. “Dammit!” she said again to no one.

Or so she thought. “Dammit, what?” a voice replied.

She swung around and saw a tall, lanky form approaching her down the lodge drive. The lights from the lodge didn’t quite reach this far, but they offered a soft halo of thin light. As the form got closer, she saw it was Cam. Her body instantly tightened and her pulse quickened. She didn’t know what to do with how she reacted to him. All he had to do was show up and electricity buzzed through her, rattling her to her core.

“Flat tire,” she called out softly.

Cam came to a stop at her side and glanced down. He arched a brow. “Ah. Well, I suppose it’s a good thing you made it to the drive.”

She stood up and brushed her hands off. “I suppose. I still have to get it changed out though, so I might as well take care of it now.”

What she left unsaid was the fact she desperately needed something to do. Changing a tire would keep her occupied.
Remember what Marley said. He’s just a man. You happen to think he’s hot, but so do plenty of women. It’s nothing more than a little appreciation. Oh, now come on. This is waaaay more than a little appreciation.

Ginger swatted the voice away and walked rapidly to the back of her car. She popped the hatch open and started to tug the spare tire out. She half hoped Cam would just walk away. He didn’t. He came to the back of her car, lifted the tire from her hands and got right to work. It was bad enough she was stumbling through her silly attraction to him, but he had to go and be even more irresistible by being helpful and annoyingly manly in his efficiency at changing her tire. She was so befuddled by his presence that she let him just take over, which wasn’t usually how she was, but she didn’t really care at the moment. Not much later, he stood up and glanced over at her.

“There you go. Your spare’s in good shape, but you’ll want to take it in and swap the spare out as soon as you can.”

She nodded wordlessly. It was driving her nuts, but somehow Cam robbed her of the capacity to speak. And she liked to talk, damn it all. He stood in front of her, the jack resting in his hands. After a moment, he walked to the back of her car and put the jack and other tools away in the compartment on the side and closed the hatch.

When he turned to her, the air felt alive. Her breath caught in her throat, and her pulse hammered wildly. She was frozen in place. When she met his eyes in the darkness, they were locked on her. For this moment, she forgot everything—her uncertainties, her silly promise to never be attracted to a man again, and all the baggage she’d carted around for the last few years. Right now, all she wanted was a taste of Cam. He stood before her in the darkness, the lights from the lodge offering just enough light she could see the golden amber of his eyes. The air around them heated. Her low belly clenched and need rose within.

She stepped closer to him. For a second, she wondered if he’d step away, but he didn’t. She lifted a hand and stroked it up his arm. He hadn’t worn a jacket, so she could feel the shape of his muscles under her palm as she slid her hand up. She kept moving, her palm coasting across his sculpted chest and curling around his neck. A tiny corner of her mind wondered if she’d gone completely mad. Not only was she ignoring her promise to never be attracted to a man again, but she was about to kiss Cam.

Cam had been standing stock still, but he suddenly moved. He stepped closer to her, his amber eyes nearly burning into her. He opened his mouth as if to speak. Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought for certain he could hear it. “What are we doing?” he asked, his words rough.

“I want to kiss you.” Her words were raw and bare. She was so out of her element, she couldn’t even call upon her defenses to make her sensible again. All she wanted was this kiss. Right here, right now.

She felt his shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath before he nodded. “I suppose it’s a good thing I want to kiss you too.”

At his words, a flash of heat scored through her center. Ginger bit back a gasp at her body’s swift reaction. She didn’t wait and tugged him down to meet her as she leaned up. Cam’s lips met hers. For a flicker, she hesitated. She hadn’t kissed a man in over two years, so the feel of his lips against hers was unfamiliar. She pushed back against the feeling and threw herself into the kiss. If she was going to be stupid, she might as well make it worth her while. Problem was, she entirely underestimated how a kiss with Cam would feel. As soon as their lips touched, it was like a match to a flame. She gasped, and his tongue swept inside.

His arms slipped around her, his embrace strong and sure. She flexed into him, desperate to get closer. His kiss was everything she could have hoped for and more. She’d been so busy batting her fantasies away, she hadn’t even allowed herself to imagine this kiss. He kissed masterfully. His tongue stroked against hers in between tracing her lips, he tugged at her bottom lip and dove in deep again. Liquid need swirled in her center. She was so wet, she could feel the moisture seeping through her underwear.

Cam’s hand stroked up her back and laced into her hair, his touch hot and strong. He tore his lips from hers and lifted his head. Their breath gusted in the icy air. When he glanced back down, all she could do was stare at him. Desire thrummed through her body. She was caught in its sway. She didn’t want this to stop. Their eyes held, an electric current vibrating between them.

He swore softly, right before his lips crushed against hers again. She didn’t quite know how it was possible, but this kiss eclipsed the first and went wild. It was a tangle of lips and tongues—hot, wet and deep. Out of breath and nearly overcome, when his lips made their way down her neck, hot shivers raced through her. She trembled against the onslaught on sensations. When his lips reached her collarbone, he dipped his forehead to rest in the curve of her shoulder. They held still in the cold darkness. The heat within and around them was so intense, she barely noticed it was near zero outside.

Cam’s palm stroked in slow passes along her spine, sending tingles spiraling through her entire body. Her breathing gradually slowed, though her body felt alight from the desire pounding through her. The cold finally permeated her, and she shivered. He lifted his head. “We should get inside. It’s freezing out here.” His eyes locked onto hers, banked heat simmering in their amber depths.

She managed a nod, realizing she couldn’t just stand out here all night in Cam’s arms, although that was precisely what she’d have liked to do. Rational thought managed to nudge her though. At any moment, the slew of locals arriving for dinner at the lodge would start showing up. It was pure luck no one had driven by them yet. She took a breath. “Okay. Let me drive my car the rest of the way into the parking lot. Do you want to ride with me?”

It wasn’t much of a distance, but she wasn’t ready to let go of this tenuous and electric connection with him. At his nod, she got into her car and he walked around and climbed in the passenger side. In silence, she drove the short distance to the lodge parking lot. Moments later when they stood in front of the lodge entrance, Ginger looked up at Cam and her breath caught in her throat. He was so damn handsome. His amber hair was gold-tipped in the soft light under the entrance. His eyes coasted over her, and it was as if he touched her everywhere he looked. Heat slid through her again, and her pulse skittered wildly. She thought she should say something, but she didn’t know what.

He saved her when he cleared his throat and spoke. “I, uh, didn’t mean to let things get out of hand like that.”

His words unintentionally struck at the doubts she’d carried deep in her heart for the last few years. Vulnerability and uncertainty lashed at her. She shook her head, somehow dredging up the brash side of herself. “Let’s just call it one hell of a kiss. Okay?”

His mouth hooked up on one side and he nodded.

Chapter 5

Cam maneuvered his skis along a rough trail, carefully dodging a branch that had fallen across the trail. The sun was high in the sky. The snow glittered where it melted under the heat of the sun. He was leading Gage through the backcountry trails he’d marked thus far. He came to a stop beside a rough bridge he’d built to cross over a narrow stream. Gage skied to his side.

“You’ve made it farther than I guessed. You’ve added probably twenty more miles to what we already had,” Gage said with a grin.