Instant Temptation (5 page)

“For you to admit Nolan’s not your boyfriend. At least not yet, he isn’t.”

She stared at him, then let out a breath. “Bite me, TJ.”

“With pleasure.”

Instead of looking pissed, she let out a low laugh. “What’s gotten into you today?”

He had no idea, but he knew it was something he wanted to explore. Did she? He figured he had sixty seconds tops before his family made it around the side of the lodge on foot. He wanted those sixty seconds, so he stepped even closer, until their muddy boots were toe-to-toe. Reaching out, he rubbed at a spot of mud on her jaw.

Her breath caught, and unguarded desire crossed her face.

Yeah, they were definitely on the same page. “Nice riding.”

“Hmmm.” As if she needed balance, she set her hand on his chest. He liked the feel of her touch. A lot. She looked at him, her hand lightly dancing back and forth on his pec as if she didn’t even realize it. Leaning in so that their mouths were only a whisper apart, he breathed out a soft, “Harley.”

She looked up and met his gaze. He could see the swirl of desire and hunger, and the air escaped his lungs. “Harley,” he said again, a little hoarsely now.

“I know.” Her eyes drifted closed. Their thighs bumped. Heat and affection and need warred for space in his head as he laughed softly and pressed his mouth against her ear. “How about now? Are you really, really hot? ’Cause I sure am.”

Her eyes flew open and she stepped back, spell broken just as Cam and Nick came around the corner.

“Who won?” Cam called out.

TJ didn’t take his eyes off Harley. “She did.”

Harley blinked, then shot him a look filled with an intoxicating mixture of confusion and desire.

Yep. Definitely on the same page.

CHAPTER 4

“And that’s how I ended up making a fool of myself,” Harley said to Skye after recounting the events of the quad race the night before.

Her sister had come by to bum breakfast before heading to class. Breakfast, and cash. She needed books for the new quarter.

“So let me get this straight,” Skye said with a smile, eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes. She was the same five foot five that Harley was, but unlike Harley, she was willowy and dainty and model pretty. “You, Queen of Need No One, begged him to kiss you.”

Harley sighed. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. You have a big mouth.”

“I do not!”

“You told everyone when I locked myself out last week. I fielded calls on that one all day long.”

“Yes, well, that’s because you were wearing only your towel, which you dropped when you climbed in the window, mooning Mr. Kletzy across the street. Word is he hadn’t seen a naked woman in fifty years. He’s now requesting that next time you lose your towel at high noon because the light is better.”

“It wasn’t a complete flash, I caught the towel before it hit the ground, and I was just trying to get the damn newspaper.”

“Focus, Harley. The begging.”

Harley pictured herself leaning into TJ, all muddy and turned on, staring at his mouth as she touched his chest…“It’s embarrassing.”

“Walk me through it. You begged him to kiss you. And he didn’t.”

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

Skye looked at her for a moment. “Harl, you don’t ever ask for help on anything. I just don’t see this happening.”

“This was more of the silent type of begging.” And worse, it hadn’t been the first time. She flashed back to al those years ago, to that one night she and TJ had shared.

The one he didn’t remember, the ass.

She could still feel his warm hands on her back, the pleasure those hands had brought her, how she’d been reduced to begging then, too.

Damn it. Damn him. She sighed. “Okay, so the begging was mostly done with my eyes. I might have leaned into him. And set my hand on his…chest.”

Skye’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “In the center of his chest, or did you touch nipple?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“A lot.”

Harley blushed beet red. “Maybe I got nipple. But I didn’t mean to.”

“Doesn’t matter. You took the casual touch to the next level.”

“Involuntarily!”

“You put up a red flag. You might as well have announced you weren’t wearing any underwear.”

Harley groaned and covered her face. “Nothing happened!”

“Which reminds me—how does anyone resist any of the Wilders? They’re all so hot. TJ especially. He’s the biggest and the baddest, and when those sharp green eyes land on you…” Skye sighed. “He’s something.”

He was something, all right. “I’m dating someone else.”

“Oh, for God’s sake. Stop saying that. It’s not even true.”

“Yes, it is. Nolan and I have gone out twice.”

“But one of those times was an accident!” Skye sighed. “Look, Nolan’s great. Okay? He is. He’s just not great for you. I mean, he’s cute and smart and has a job, the major three requisites, but…”

“But…?”

“The two of you are too much alike. Sweet, kind…”

Harley narrowed her eyes. “Beta?”

“Well not alpha, that’s for sure. Get back to the begging.”

“Hellooooo, didn’t you hear my story? He leaned in, and I…touched him and closed my eyes and begged for the kiss.”

“Silently.”

“Yes, but he knew. He even laughed.”

“Laughed—or chuckled?”

“What’s the difference?”

“Laughing would imply he was a tease and an asshole. Chuckling softly would imply that he was as thrown as you, and is possibly just proceeding with caution since you’re not exactly an easy woman to deal with.”

Harley blew out a breath. Hard to dispute the truth. “Okay, maybe it was just a chuckle.”

Skye gave her a smug smirk.

“We’re so done talking about this.”

“Look, if you wanted a kiss, why didn’t you just grab his ears and make him kiss you, mud and all? You could have hosed each other off, and then moved to his shower, and then let the real begging begin.”

Harley, who’d just taken an unfortunate scoop of cereal, choked on it.

Skye smiled. “Look at you, all aflutter. Who’d have thought, you and badass TJ, circling each other.”

“See you’re not listening at all. We don’t even like each other.”

“Oh, I’ve been listening. But I don’t think you are. You like your comfort zone, I get it. We all get it. You’re a creature of habit, and keep your own counsel. Well, guess what? In that single thing, you and TJ are two linked souls.”

“Huh?”

Skye shook her head. “Let me simplify. You need to get laid. He’s hot as hel . By the way, he’s the opposite of beta. Honey, that man is allll alpha. There’s so much tension between the two of you that the air sizzles and crackles when you’re within a hundred yards of each other. Just do it already.”

Harley had spent much of the night imagining exactly that, remembering how he’d looked after he’d shrugged out of his outer shirt and wrapped it around her, leaving him in just a mud-spattered T-shirt, which had clung to his shoulders and abs. If it hadn’t been for the threat of Cam and Nick coming around the corner, she’d have jumped him right then and there. The only thing worse than knowing that was the fact that he’d known it, too. “If there’s any ‘doing it’ to be had,” she said. “It’ll be with Nolan.”

Skye grimaced.

“What?”

“Stop hiding behind the fantasy of being Nolan’s significant other. He’s like…Clark Kent, okay? He’ll never be your Superman. He’ll never match your passion.”

“Okay, no more Lifetime movies for you.”

“I’m serious.”

“Me, too,” Harley said. “Passion fades. How many times have Mom and Dad proven that?”

Skye shook her head. “Honey, you have been too long without a man in your bed if you’re already willing to concede passion in your life.”

Harley sighed.

“Come on, you’d walk all over Nolan and we both know it. If you’re looking for a man-made orgasm, my bet is on TJ.”

“Oh for chrissake.” Harley stood up, grabbed both their bowls, and moved to the sink. “I’m the older sister. How do you even know all this stuff?”

“We went to different high schools.”

“We went to the same high school.”

“No, you went to the Actually Learn Something High School, and I went to the Boys Are Awesome and Party Hearty High School.”

Harley laughed but Skye was right. She didn’t want to live without passion. She had lived without passion.

“Whatever you’re thinking,” Skye said, coming to her side, smiling at her. “Go with it.”

“Go to class, that’s what I’m thinking. I’m paying too much for you to be late.”

“Okay, but one more thing.” She pulled a couple of well-read paperbacks from her purse. “Pick one and take it on your hike into Desolation. Read it by your campfire. If you can tell me that Nolan makes you as hot as some of the scenes do, I’ll try to believe you.”

“What are they?”

Skye grinned. “Really hot romances. Contemporary or historical?”

“Huh?”

Skye shook her head and tossed one onto the backpack that was half packed and against the wall. “Just read. And report back to me when you get home. Thanks for the cash. I’ll pay you back.”

“Good.”

Skye hugged Harley hard. “Thanks for believing in me, Harl.”

“Always.”

Wilder Adventures sat on thirty acres of Wilder land, surrounded by 75,000 more acres of national forest. The compound consisted of the lodge, two equipment garages, and a series of eight smaller cabins. Their guests, if they’d arranged for overnight accommodations, stayed in the main lodge, which was run efficiently by Annie. All of the business equipment, of which there was a mind-boggling amount including bikes, quads, skis, snowmobiles, kayaks, boats, snowcats, and a helicopter, was handled by Nick. Each of the Wilders had claimed one of the cabins for themselves.

The start-up capital had come from Cam’s earnings as a pro snowboarder. Stone had contributed the required construction expertise. And TJ, through his years of trekking before they’d gone into business, had brought in the high-dollar clients and business knowledge.

The three of them had grown up fast and hard and without much hope. There’d never been any doubt in TJ’s mind that they’d end up dead or in jail just like the rest of the men in their family. But it’d never happened. Somehow they’d come out on top. So much so that they were pretty much paid to play for a living. Yet beneath that so-called play, Wilder Adventures was also a lot of hard work.

The offices were housed on the second floor of the lodge. At the moment, they were in Stone’s office for their weekly meeting. As usual, it was more a family gathering to bitch and tease than anything else. Stone was at his desk with Emma standing behind him, rubbing his shoulders. She was dressed for work at her medical clinic, wearing her doctor’s coat and looking official with her stethoscope around her neck, which clashed with her just-had-sex glow. Stone had the same glow as he sent her a slow, warm, lazy smile over his shoulder.

Cam was slouched in a chair in front of Stone’s desk, and he was also looking pretty damn loose, no doubt thanks to Katie, their receptionist and Cam’s bride-to-be, who was plopped in his lap.

Nick was in another chair, flipping through the latest mechanics’ magazine. Chuck was under the desk, no doubt hoping someone would drop something good to eat.

Chuck lived for food.

Her kittens were winding their way around people’s feet, having fun with shoelaces and each other.

Stone tugged the magazine out of Nick’s hands, revealing what Nick was really reading—a book of baby names.

“What,” Nick said in his defense. “Kid needs a name.”

Stone tossed the book to the desk.

Startled, Chuck ran out from beneath it, ears back. Katie cooed to her, picking her up and cuddling her while giving Stone a reproachful look.

At the cuddling, Chuck went still as stone. She still wasn’t crazy about being held, but she didn’t like to insult her human, either, so she endured Katie’s snuggling with a resigned expression, hoping she’d be rewarded with a snack.

“How about Tude?” Stone asked Nick. “Short for Attitude, ’cause any kid of Annie’s is bound to have it.”

“Can we get to business?” TJ asked.

“Sure,” Stone said. “I’ve got both good and bad news. Bad first. Goddammit.” With a pained grimace, he peeled a solid gray kitten off his leg. He lifted the little thing by the scruff of her neck and looked her in the eyes. “Watch the claws.”

The kitten batted at Stone’s nose.

Stone sighed and put her on his shoulder, where she curled up and began to purr. “TJ, your Canadian trip just got cancelled. The clients had some work stuff come up and can’t take the month off. But they forfeited their deposit with the last-minute cancel, so we’re still getting paid.” Stone grinned. “Guess you’re stuck here with us for a while.”

“Shit,” TJ said.

Stone looked at him, smile fading. “Yeah, now see, I sort of thought that’d be the good news.”

“Seriously, man,” Cam said. “You’ve done nothing but trek after trek this past year. Thought maybe you’d want to hang around.”

“You can help us with wedding plans,” Katie said as if that was actually some kind of bonus. “Instead of showing up at the last minute like you’d have to do if you left.”

Which is exactly what he’d been hoping for.

Annie arrived, looking harassed. “I’m late.”

No one dared agree with her. She was temperamental in the best of times, and pregnancy wasn’t one of them. No one wanted to risk their neck, not when her apron said it all: K*SS MY *SS—Would you like to buy a vowel?

Nick pulled her onto his lap, where she snuggled in, harassed look gone, replaced by a soft smile. “How are you feeling?” Nick asked her.

“Great, but Not-Abigail would be doing better if I hadn’t eaten all the brownies I made earlier.”

Nick rubbed her belly and smiled as Annie looked around. “What’s up? I miss anything?”

“You almost missed TJ telling us what his problem is,” Cam said.

Everything looked at TJ.

“I don’t have a problem,” TJ said.

“Really?” Annie asked. “’Cause you don’t seem like yourself.”

“Of course I’m myself. Who else would I be?”

“I don’t know,” Stone said. “Maybe some guy who’s really good at shoving all his shit into a box and not dealing with it.”