“I’m okay,” she said softly.
“So am I. Let’s just be okay together a minute.”
She burrowed in, pressing her cold nose to his throat. “I’m sorry I killed your snowmobile. I’ll pay for the damages.”
“No, you won’t. Trust me, we’ve put it through far worse.” He slanted her a look. “On purpose.”
“Because you’re all tough badass Wilders, and when you ride crazy and crash into things, it’s on purpose, right?”
“Not every time.”
She closed her eyes, then opened them and cupped his face, feeling the stubble beneath her fingers. “Why didn’t you tell me you hadn’t been on the mountain since your accident?”
“You were nervous enough, you didn’t need to worry about me chickening out.”
“Were you close to doing that?”
He flashed a grim smile. “More than you know.” He started to get up, but she held him back.
“And how are you now?” she asked.
“How are you now?”
“I’m pretty damn fine. Now you.”
He laughed roughly. “Always with the talking.”
“Talking’s good for you.”
“Are you sure? I’d think your tongue would get tired.”
“It’s good for you here.” She spread her hand over his heart.
His smile faded, but his eyes remained warm as he covered her hand with his. “I’m pretty damn fine too. Skiing with you the other day was…good. You thanked me for taking you, but I should have thanked you.” He got up and strode to the snowmobile. Grabbing the handlebars, he picked up the front end, muscling the nose away from the tree. Then he turned the key, and once again the engine roared to life.
“Come here,” he said, holding the beast.
“Oh.” She swallowed hard. “Well, I-”
“Get on.”
She looked at the machine, at the man waiting on her all calm and patient. Balls out. Heading over there, she slowed her steps when she got close. “Yeah, see I’m not sure about the whole driving thing. I don’t think I’m cut out for it.”
He held out the helmet. “Let’s go.”
“You know,” she said. “When it comes to your idiosyncrasies, I’m much more gentle than you.”
He waggled the helmet.
With a sigh, she put it on, then stood still in shocked surprise when he gently tucked a strand of her hair aside, out of her way, leaving his fingers on her for far longer than necessary. “Okay,” she murmured, “that works too.”He smiled, then leaned in and kissed her, not so gently.
“Even better,” she managed when he pulled back.
“Let’s do this, Goldilocks.”
“Yeah, okay.” What could she do but swing a leg over the snowmobile and get on?
But then he surprised her again by getting on behind her, slipping his arms around her, his thighs hugging hers. She felt his mouth brush the crook of her neck below the edge of the helmet as his hands skimmed beneath her jacket and shirt, and spread wide over her belly. “Put your hands on the grips,” he directed.
With a shiver, she did.
“Good. Now hold tight, and whatever you do, do not let go.” His thumbs stroked her ribs, nearly but not quite touching her br**sts. “What did I say?”
“Don’t let go,” she whispered obediently.
“The brake is here.” He showed her where to pull with one hand, the other still stroking her belly.
She drew a shaky breath and dropped her hands to his thighs, feeling the power there, squeezing-
He directed her hands back to the grips. “You have to hold on, no matter what happens.”
She shivered and tried to crane her neck to look at him, but he held her still. “Face forward. Keep your eyes on where you’re headed.” He slid his hands to her belly again, stroking up and down, until she was nothing but a melted bowl of goo. “Feel the weight of the machine.”
“Cam-” She broke off with a gasp when the very tips of his fingers grazed the undersides of her br**sts.
“When you turn,” he murmured in her ear, “shift your weight, go with it. Got that?”
“Shift my weight.” His thumbs made another pass, higher now…Oh God. She was covered in goose bumps, from arousal not fear. All panic gone. Apparently all she’d needed was to be turned on.
She should have thought of that a long time ago.
“Movement is important.” His hands kept stroking her, down her belly, then back up, brushing her br**sts now.
She shuddered in pleasure. “Cam?”
“Yeah.” His voice was low and husky, as arousing as his hands.
“I’m having a hard time concentrating.”
He shifted against her and she pressed back, feeling the hard ridge between his legs. “And I’m not the only one,” she managed.
He laughed softly.
God, she loved his laugh. “I can’t drive when you do that,” she murmured.
“The talking, or the touch?”
“Both. Where’s the gas?”
He pulled his hands from beneath her shirt and showed her, and then wrapped his arms around her. “Ready?”
Yeah, she was ready. For all of it. The air was crisp and icy, but she wasn’t cold, not with Cam’s rock-solid body pressed up to hers. In fact, thanks to his erotic teasing, she was the opposite of cold, and getting hotter by the second. “Hold on.” She smiled. “Hold on and don’t let go.”