Just In Time: An Alaskan Nights Novel (20 page)

Roman shifted underneath her so her body was fully seated over his hips, then used his hands to trace a path over every inch of her skin. He began with that sensitive area near her belly button, gratified when her eyes lidded to half mast at his touch.

With unerring precision, he then traced his fingers out over her stomach and down the taut muscles of her thighs. He felt them quiver under his touch, especially when he worked his thumbs back up the inside of her thighs, narrowly avoiding her rapidly heating core.

She shifted against him, telegraphing her interest in having his hands back there but he kept up the torment, moving on to her torso. The small, pert breasts he’d fantasized about since he was a horny teenager beckoned him and he captured her nipples between the V of his palm, massaging her flesh while he dragged on the tight points. Her head fell back and the subtle writhing against his hips continued, and he knew to the depths of his soul he’d never seen anything more beautiful.

His woman, taking her pleasure at his hands.

The need and passion he’d managed to keep at bay, content in the joy of simply remembering and memorizing her with his touch, fled as the need to brand her rose up and snapped at him with fierce teeth.

Holding on to her hips, he gently rolled her off so he could stretch out next to her, then went to work. His hands ran that same unerring path down her flesh, but this time he stopped at the apex of her thighs, his fingers sliding into her beckoning heat.

A heavy moan escaped her in a hard exhale and Roman kept up his assault, determined to win this round with her first orgasm. Her body arched and he leaned forward to take one nipple in his mouth, the ripe taste of her flesh on his tongue driving him to an even darker madness as he feasted. And when he knew she was close, he added his thumb to put further pressure on the tight bundle of nerves at her core and trigger her release.

Avery clutched at his arms and he watched, mesmerized as pleasure suffused her face. Like the previous week when he came upon her in the sauna, his gaze was everywhere—on her face, on her body, on the undulation of her waist—taking her in and watching her in this moment of such powerful vulnerability.

He leaned down to press a kiss to her lips, unable to hold back a laugh when she smiled against him. “Round one goes to you.”

“Funny,” he murmured, “I was thinking the same thing.”

She lifted her hands to the back of his neck, bringing him close for another kiss before she shifted to press her lips to his ear. “Don’t think you’re going to take round two.”

“You think you can take me?” He tossed out the challenge and wasn’t disappointed with the immediate response.

“The real question is how long you can take it.”

With a set of speedy moves a wrestler would admire, she had him on his back, pinned under her hands. Similar to his own explorations, she traced his skin, her hands lingering over his shoulders before moving down to his torso. He felt his stomach muscles quiver as she painted the ridges of muscle there, then felt them contract on a hard pulse of need as she dragged her tongue over one of his nipples.

She’d always known his erogenous zones, her ability to follow the reactions of his body absolute, even when words were unspoken, and this was one of those areas. She lapped at him like a cat after cream before moving down to run her tongue over his stomach muscles, the gentle suction replacing what she’d so recently stroked with her fingers.

Roman knew her destination and braced himself for the onslaught. True to her promise to take round two, she once again moved lower. He wanted to watch—wanted the joy of seeing his woman take him in her mouth—but the needs of his body trumped everything and he nearly arched off the bed as her mouth closed over him. Wet warmth surrounded the most sensitive part of his body and Roman simply gave himself up to it.

Gave her control and settled in to enjoy the ride.

Avery played his body like a goddess, drawing pleasure with her tongue and her hands in a fantasy come to life. Never before, Roman knew, had he enjoyed such an erotic experience. The scent of her—uniquely Avery—wrapped around him and brought with it the loving sense of the familiar and the exciting knowledge of sharing something special with her.

The woman he loved.

The pleasure of the moment rapidly faded under the increasing demands of his body and he reached for her. “Join me.”

Her eyes were dark and dilated with passion as he dragged her up until she was seated over him. “I want you, Roman.”

“I want you, too.”

She fitted her body to his, taking him deeply inside before she began to move. Her long, athletic body rose up and over him and he kept a steady hand on her waist, matching their movements as he lifted to meet the downward thrusts of her hips.

A hard, desperate feeling he couldn’t define settled in his chest as they rode the madness together. He ignored it, enjoying their passion as they both drove the other ever closer to fulfillment.

When he heard her breaths shorten—heard the low moan that started in her chest—he pushed them both harder until he felt her quiver around him at the start of her orgasm. Roman thrust once more, riding the demands of her body as she pulled his own response in hard, tight bursts.

Avery fell over his body, looking utterly sated, and he reached up to wrap his arms around her before shifting them to their sides so he could cradle her in his arms.

That strange desperation that had gripped him during their lovemaking rose up once more in his chest as she nestled against him.

He’d spent the last fourteen years missing the girl he knew and remembered. But only now did he understand that his memories were of a younger woman with an innocence about life.

The Avery in his arms was a woman with experience and wisdom, and hopes and dreams for her future.

He couldn’t take that away from her.

Couldn’t ask her to give those things up as he moved to the next phase of his life. Even if playing hockey wasn’t it, coming back to Indigo wasn’t part of his life plan, either.

How had he failed to understand this? To see this?

She had a future in front of her—a bright one, golden with opportunity. She didn’t need the challenge of juggling something with him, both of them traveling constantly.

Catching time with each other when they could make it work.

It was finally Avery’s time to reach for the brass ring.

A
very sat across from Chris Morris and marveled at how her life had changed in the last week. One of her best friends was now married, Roman was back in town for longer than a weekend and she was about to be offered a new job. Chris was kind and cordial and she’d made the requisite small talk as they got acquainted over lunch, but all the while her mind whirled with the reality of the changes in her life.

And, despite the impending job offer, Roman was foremost in her thoughts.

Where she’d feared intimacy in the past, she now realized it was the one thing—no matter the eventual outcome—they could give each other without reservation. She’d mistakenly thought sex bound them together, but in reality, it was a gift they could share that didn’t have the same boundaries that defined the rest of their lives.

But it didn’t have to be the only definition of their relationship.

And this time, she was determined she wouldn’t lose someone so important to her.

Along with that understanding, she’d grown increasingly concerned. Sex the night before had been amazing but she’d felt something shift. Even as they drew closer to each other, it had felt like somewhere inside he was pulling away.

First was the lingering melancholy that had haunted his eyes when they got back to their room. Then, there had been a strange urgency in his lovemaking that went beyond the physical tease of driving each other to madness.

The nagging sense she’d had all week that something was wrong had only grown more purposeful and more convincing. Roman was dealing with something in his life and she was determined to find out what.

If their renewed time together had taught her anything, it was that she valued Roman’s presence in her life. He mattered and she wasn’t going to let him go so easily this time. She was a grown woman who understood that the physical needs of her body were only a part of who she was.

The people in her life and the emotional places they filled inside her were as important, if not more so.

“So I’m not sure if Roman mentioned anything to you about our conversation last night.”

Avery keyed back in on the conversation and smiled as she buttered her roll. “I saw the two of you talking but he didn’t say anything other than the fact that you’d met.”

Chris’s eyebrows rose but he kept his voice light. “So he didn’t mention I’d like to hire you at Luxotica.”

“He mentioned some consulting work.”

A small, tight ball settled in her stomach and she wondered at the news. A job offer was a big deal and Roman hadn’t said anything about it.

“After he told me his mother is the owner of the Indigo Blue, I amended my interest in hiring you to a consulting gig only. He seemed pretty adamant about not standing in your way, though. Said I should talk to you.”

Which only reinforced the point that he was planning on leaving.

The knowledge wasn’t a surprise and it made her even happier that she truly had found a sense of distance between the physical and the emotional.

But damn, why couldn’t he have said something?

Avery kept her tone light, but she couldn’t help question in her mind what it all meant. “He’s a good friend and wants what’s best for me.”

“Which is Luxotica, I know it. Look, Avery. I’d settle for you on my team as a consultant so you could maintain your ties in Indigo, but I think your talent can take you far. Far beyond one of Alaska’s remotest areas.”

“I like my home.”

She kept her tone gentle, but deliberately floated the words to see what sort of reaction she’d get. He wasn’t the first to suggest she could get more out of life—could find more
in
life—if she left her home.

“Of course, and what you manage in Indigo is an impressive hotel. You’re a favorite of tourism companies throughout the state and you know your business and your area. But imagine putting that to use for a bigger company with bigger resources.”

“What role do you see for me?”

“At first? I’d like you in one of our West Coast properties. We still have some service gaps to fill versus many of our competitor hotels in L.A. and San Francisco, and I need someone with good ideas who can find a way past that.”

“And after that?”

Chris sat back as the waiter set their salads down. “The sky’s the limit.”

Avery wondered at that but kept her thoughts to herself. Chris wasn’t kidding about their West Coast properties. She’d looked into them this morning and had put out a few calls before taking the meeting. The Luxotica line did tremendously well in Europe and Asia but wasn’t hitting the mark in the United States.

Was she up to the challenge of fixing it?

Even as she asked herself the question, she already felt the excitement rising at how she might come in and make a difference.

“Why me? To your point, I work in a small town in Alaska. What do you feel I have to offer in a market as high-end and expensive as California?”

“You’ve got a passion and a fire about you. The packages you started offering at the Indigo Blue—they’re original. And your social media presence is impressive. You’ve built over ten thousand followers on your Facebook page for a small hotel in the middle of Alaska.”

“We’ve gotten some good press. And we’ve got a ready-made attraction in town with our bachelor auction. It draws attention.”

“It’s more than that. You’re not afraid to take risks. Your weekly moose-sighting photos are a favorite, and one of the videos you put up on YouTube last year went viral.”

“Which is why I have to ask what you think I can offer you to fix the California problem. I’m not a native of the area. And I hardly think a high-end establishment like yours wants the California equivalent of moose sightings.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Would I? I don’t want to dismiss the offer, Chris. In fact, I’m more than a little intrigued. I’m just not sure why you think I’m the right one.”

“You’re a risk taker. That’s what I look for. People can teach you Los Angeles. Hell, I’ll get a limo to drive you around for a week if that’s the only concern you have. But your ideas. Your ability to work with people. That’s what I’m hiring you for.”

Avery was still thinking about it a couple of hours later as she walked to her room. She’d made a quick stop into one of the panel discussions after lunch, but rather than try to cram another in, she was ready to relax and think about Chris’s offer.

Could she really leave Indigo?

A part of her knew the answer was that she could. She’d spent too many years longing for something different—to get away—and she knew she could handle it. She was also pragmatic enough to know that she could always come home again.

She’d gone to Ireland and had four of the best months of her life and had come home and easily readjusted. Home was where you chose to make it—it was as simple as that.

“Hey.” Roman glanced up as she keyed herself into the room. He was in workout clothes, and from his wet head and the towel in hand she could see he’d just come back.

“Someone got a workout in.”

“They’ve got a nice gym.”

She moved in and pressed a quick kiss on his lips. “And no getting flabby in the off-season.”

“The horror.” He lingered over the kiss before stepping back. “How was your lunch?”

“Chris offered me a job.”

“Really?”

She raised one eyebrow as her gaze met his. “Don’t act so surprised. I know you know.”

“He said he wanted you and wanted to offer you a consulting gig.”

“Well, he said he’d settle for that but he really wants me on staff.” She tossed the light sweater she’d worn over her dress onto the bed. “He also said you wanted what’s best for me and didn’t want to stand in my way.”

“I don’t.”

“But what does that mean? Why didn’t you say anything to me about talking to him?”

“You’ve got your whole future ahead of you. It’s not my place to hold you back. Honestly, it’s not even my place to have an opinion. You’re being given your shot at the brass ring and you’ve worked long and hard to get there. You don’t need my thoughts ringing in your ears.”

“Would you want to hold me back?”

The question was out before she could censor the words or think of a different way to get at her question.

Did she want him to hold her back?

Or was she looking for something else? Something, maybe, that suggested he’d make a choice and follow her.

“You need to make the choices that are right for you.” There was that same look she saw the night before in his eyes. A mixture of sadness and, she thought, a strange inevitability about where things between them would end up.

•   •   •

Roman stared out the window of Mick’s plane and took in the sight of Denali where it rose up in glorious splendor. Like pretty much everyone who saw it, he’d always been fascinated by the mountain. The harsh peaks and the sheer awesomeness of nature had always made him feel small.

Helping to put his life in perspective.

So why the hell couldn’t he get any of it now?

The time he’d spent with Avery in the last week had been some of the best moments he could remember in a long time. The sex was outrageous, but even that couldn’t overshadow the simple joy of being with her.

So why was he acting like such a sullen jerk?

And what would it hurt to try to have both? His career was going to change. Even if he could find a way around the current injury, he didn’t have a lot of years left in him. Her mother couldn’t stand in the way any longer, either. They could live the life they wanted. Carve out a life that worked for both of them.

But what sort of life would they have? He’d still be married to the game of hockey, just on a different stage. And if she took Chris’s offer, she’d have a new career to focus on.

New demands on her time and an equally grueling schedule, if the job description was any indication.

Excuses, Forsyth. Excuses
.

His conscience beat a rapt tattoo behind his eyes, jackhammering a headache along with the harsh assessment.

None of this was about his career or hers. Nor was it about what happened fourteen years ago, and he damn well knew it.

He loved her.

And Roman knew the feeling would live with him for a lifetime.

If given the chance, he’d like to try a relationship with her once more. Their time together since he’d returned to Indigo had proven that there was a reason he’d never found another woman to take Avery’s place.

Because there
was
no one who could take her place.

But he wasn’t the man she fell in love with all those years ago. And he wasn’t the man he thought he was, either. The boy who’d been born on skates had grown into a man who lived on them. And he had no idea who he was without them.

What would happen if they tried to have a real relationship? If he let her in and gave them both hope there could be more?

His career was ending and everything he’d ever known about himself—every achievement, every way he measured himself—was ending with it.

What if
he
couldn’t be the man she needed?

If he lost her again, he knew he’d never be whole.

•   •   •

“How was it?”

Avery pushed a bright, sunny attitude into her voice as Grier rolled out pizza dough on the kitchen counter. “Great. It was a fantastic conference.”

“How’d your panel go? I’m sure you wowed them.”

“I think I did.” Avery crossed the living room to the counter that surrounded her kitchen and grabbed the glass of wine she’d poured earlier. “I got a lot of great comments and made some really strong professional contacts.”

Grier reached for a large ball of mozzarella on the counter and set it on the bar. “Grate that for me, will you?”

“Sure.” Avery was grateful for the small chore and grabbed the ball of cheese like a lifeline. “When do the guys get here?”

“Mick needed some help with a window that cracked in the living room. He figured it would take a few hours to get the new one installed if he had Roman’s help.”

“So that’s why you’re making three pizzas.”

Grier shot her a grin over her shoulder as she layered sauce on the first pan. “Manual labor makes a man hungry and all that. Besides, this will make a nice batch of leftovers.”

“You’re so considerate with him.”

“What?” Grier looked up from piling sauce on the second pan. “Mick?”

“Yeah. You think about him. And he does the same with you. Like the other day with the pancakes for your wedding hangover.”

A light blush suffused Grier’s cheeks. “We do nice things for each other that don’t involve food, too.”

Avery smiled at that. “I’m sure you do, and I’m also sure several of them are things I have no interest in hearing about.”

Grier picked up a towel and Avery ducked as the wet cloth whizzed past her head.

“I’m being serious, though.” Avery kept her gaze on the smooth slide of cheese as she tried to explain what she meant.

“Well, yeah. Sure. I mean, I love him.”

“I think it’s more than that.”

Grier set down her ladle and turned toward the bar. “Why do I get the feeling this is part of a bigger thought?”

“Because it is.”

“And?”

“And I’m confused and happy and sad and feeling sort of scattered, all rolled up into one large ball of crazy.”

“What happened down in Anchorage?”

“I slept with Roman the whole time. I got offered a new job. And I figured out he’s holding something back.”

“That’s a lot of stuff to pack into a couple of days.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Why don’t we take it piece by piece.” Grier picked up her wineglass. “Tell me about the job first and let’s get that part out of the way.”

“Luxotica hotels wants me to be instrumental in running their West Coast operations.”

“Avery!” Grier circled the bar and pulled her in for a tight hug. “That’s awesome news!”

“And just like the Ireland trip, it means not living here.” Avery whispered the words as they hugged. “A more permanent version of that.”

“Is it something you want?”

“Sort of.”

Grier pulled back. “Define ‘sort of.’”