Daring to Love: A Contemporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 3) (3 page)

Finally! I thought she’d never give in.

Evan knew very well the effect he had on women, of all ages. And even though she pretended otherwise, he could tell that Charlene wanted him. Badly.

The way she'd gaped at his body when she’d thought he wasn’t paying attention. Lingering a bit too long, when she'd had to touch him. He’d enjoyed her touch so much; he’d carefully orchestrated situations where she had to keep him from falling. He could feel the heat radiating from her body, and the tremors as she struggled to control the desire to throw herself into his arms.
She’s a goner.

He was absolutely sure that he’d win this particular bet. A kiss. Some more flirting as they travelled back down the mountain. An après ski drink, and then she'd willingly follow him into his bed for some wild and crazy sex.

He wasn’t concerned with failure, as he’d yet have to find a woman who could resist his charms. And his opponent, Hannes, would be five grand poorer by tonight! Evan smiled to himself. He loved a good challenge. And this was going to be fun.

At the beginning of this day, his awful hangover had him in the worst possible mood. But a few hours and a good lunch later, the hammering in his head was almost gone and he starting to enjoy the situation. He loved the chase almost as much as the reward at the end. And he was doing what he loved most of all; he was out in the snow, skiing and sharing a beautiful day with a beautiful woman besides him.
It doesn’t get better than this.

He moved closer to her, and pulled her into his arms, as much as their skis would allow. Dipping his head, he kissed her. Her soft and lush lips pressed against his, and the next thing he knew, was her body melting against him. Raw desire thundered through him like a flood, and his blood rushed all the way down to his core.

The kiss was nothing like he had experienced before. It was tender and passionate at the same time, both of them clinging to each other like they were dying of thirst in a desperate need for water. Her tongue traced his lips and her hips pressed into his, and he was lost in the waves of pleasure that roamed his body.

When he deepened the kiss, she responded with a passion he hadn’t expected. Her warm and soft tongue explored his mouth, sending heat waves through his body, despite the crisp, cold mountain air surrounding them. He placed his hands on her hips and pressed her even closer against his body. His need to taste her and learn every corner of her mouth prevailing over anything else.

But something else happened during the kiss. Something that caught him by surprise and he didn’t have a clue as to how he should respond to it. He wanted to have her, yes, but not just for tonight.
One night won’t be enough. I want her to be mine. Forever.
That thought left him speechless and reeling.
Forever?
He tried to make sense of what he was feeling and realized that was exactly how he felt.

He didn’t just want a one night tumble between the sheets with Charlene. He wanted to spend the next fifty years or so, making love with her day after day after day.

The revelation tickled through his brain and left him in shock.
You’re Evan Armstrong and you don’t do forever.
He was the guy girls came to for casual, no strings sex. Crazy, wild, fun sex. Not deep emotions. That wasn’t him.
No way!

Suddenly, he mentally cursed himself, his stupid bet, and his thrill seeking attitude. He cursed Hannes and the whole World Cup circus. He even cursed Tanner for choosing this particular woman. She was exactly his type and Tanner knew that. Dammit!

Again, his daredevil nature had brought him into a mess of a situation.
Holy shit! You’ve got yourself into a fine mess this time!

His lips finally released her so they could both take a breath. Breathless, he saw the hunger in her eyes and in a rare move to do the right thing, he took the most difficult decision of his adult life. He backed off.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to maul you.”
I actually want to rip of your clothes and spend the next hour devouring every inch of your skin, but I can’t.

He wanted her. There was no doubt about that, and his body was clamoring for him to forget his conscience and go with the feelings of the moment. But he just couldn’t turn his head off.
Don’t treat her like this. She’s not a trophy, or the winning prize in a competition. She deserves better than this.

“I guess we should head back down the mountain, huh?” He could see the disappointment in her eyes as her ardor cooled, and it cut right into his heart.

He hollered to the attendant to get his attention, “Hey, we’re back down.”

“Sure thing. Get over there and take the chair after this one,” the attendant told him.

Charlene was still trying to deal with her turbulent feelings as she sat down on the chair lift and they began their descent. She felt as if someone had just thrown her into the Arctic sea. Her body, that only moments ago had been hot and steaming with desire, was now about to freeze over into an iceberg.

The hottest kiss I’ve ever had, and after all of his flirting, he apologizes and goes cold? Do I kiss that badly?
The doubts continued to roll through her brain.
One more reason to never make out with a client!

The only bright spot she could find in this entire situation was that he hadn’t killed himself going down that double black diamond slope. So, in that respect, the kiss had been worth it.
It was just a kiss! Just a kiss!
She tried to convince herself of that, but she knew that kissing Evan had been so much more than just a kiss.

When they arrived back at Eagle Mountain village, another worry clouded her mind. How was she going to handle instructing him for the next few hours. There were still two hours left on his original six, and she didn’t know how in the world she was supposed to forget what happened up on the top of the mountain and go forward.

“You made good progress. Ready for another round on the bunny slope?” she offered him, mentally patting herself on the back for how steady her voice was. Nicely done. She was a professional. She could do this.

“Thanks, you’re not a bad instructor. But I guess I’m done for today.” He said, removing his skis.

“Well…,” she paused, unsure of how to act. Deciding to treat him as any other paying customer, she stuck her hand out, “It was nice meeting you.”

He shook her hand briefly, avoiding to look into her eyes and then busied himself with releasing the clasps on his ski boots. With nothing else to do, she turned and headed off towards the employee locker room.

She’d only gone about twenty feet, when a boisterous voice from behind her caused her to turn around.

“Well, if it isn’t Evan Armstrong, the grandiose womanizer! That woman there certainly doesn’t look as if she’ll be hopping into your bed anytime soon. You owe me five grand. Next time better not bet with me, loser!”

Charlene turned away, tears in her eyes as she rushed towards the locker rooms and solitude.
She’d been nothing more than a bet? Evan Armstrong? Not Evan Miller? Who in the hell…
Suddenly, the extent of the deception that had been played hit her.
Holy crap! Evan Armstrong! I just spent the last few hours trying to teach the triple world champion how to ski?

She pushed her way into the building, thankful that the locker room was empty.
I must have looked like the world’s biggest fool out there!

She quickly removed her ski gear and tucked it away in her locker, not bothering to stop the tears that coursed down her cheeks.

I was the star in a bad joke!
She thought about the first time she’d seen Evan this morning, and now that she knew his real identity, the similarities were obvious. The media pictures always showed him with brown hair and clean shaven. With that ridiculous golden hair and the three-days’ worth of stubble on his face, it was no wonder she hadn’t recognized him!

She used the sink to splash cool water on her burning face and then mopped up her remaining tears. Her reflection in the mirror stared back at her as she put things into perspective. Evan had bet that other man five thousand dollars he could get her into bed.

How embarrassing!
She cringed when she realized how close she’d come to doing just that. And after only one kiss.
It was the best kiss of your life, but still…

She shook her head at her reflection and the next thought almost knocked her off her wobbly legs. Why had he backed off? Was her kiss so bad that he’d preferred to pay the five grand rather than suffer through having sex with her? God, just how bad of a kisser was she?

Judging by his reaction, she’d believed he enjoyed the kiss as much as she had. A shiver ran through her body. She’d thought their kiss was off the charts, but apparently he hadn’t felt the same. He’d been willing to lose a five thousand dollar bet so that he didn’t have to be in her presence any longer.

Charlene was so humiliated! She didn’t know what bothered her more, that she’d been used for their little game, or that he’d backed off after what she considered the hottest kiss ever.

How am I supposed to walk around the village now, in danger of seeing Evan or that other guy at any time?
There was only one more race to go, and this one was all for charity.
The World Cup team will be gone in a few days. I’ll just hide in a hole till then.

She hurried back to her apartment, not stopping to chat with anyone along the way. By the time she arrived, she was irritated and angry. She couldn’t quit thinking about him and that was infuriating!

Darcy, her roommate was already home, when Charlene entered their apartment.  She tucked her head, not wanting to deal with anyone right now, but Darcy wasn’t to be ignored.

“Hey! What happened to you? Do you want to talk?”

Charlene shook her head, and headed for her bedroom where she stomped inside and slammed the door.
I need to do something to get him off my mind.
Resorting to her normal mode of blowing off steam, she slammed back out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. She began cleaning the shower, scrubbing it by hand, as she tried to get rid of her anger.

Darcy knew better than to come bother her when Charlene cleaned the shower. She only did that when she was upset as hell. Charlene scrubbed and rinsed for a long time until she burned out some of the anger and felt like she could deal with the situation.

Tossing the cleaning supplies back beneath the sink, she finally emerged from the bathroom with water logged hands. The moment she seated herself on the couch, Darcy came sprinting from her room and joined her.

“So, what’s up?”

“I met Evan Armstrong.”

"
The
Evan Armstrong?" Darcy asked, hopping up from the couch in excitement. Charlene watched her move in a tizzy around the room, talking a mile a minute, “That is so cool. He’s like the sexiest skier ever. Scorching hot. And three times world champion."

“Yes.”

"Is he as gorgeous as they say?"

Charlene saw the gleam in her roommate’s eyes, just before she closed hers and sighed, “He’s super sexy.”

Darcy made a lovesick face, “You are so lucky. I never meet any hunky guys. So, what’s he like? Did he ask you out? Did you get cozy with him up on the mountain?”

"Sort of.” Bad mistake! Charlene knew it the moment she saw Darcy wrinkle her nose.

“Hah! I knew it! You don’t scrub the shower for nothing. Spill it!”

“Well, he flirted a lot and we kissed. But he doesn’t want me. After what I thought was  the hottest kiss ever, he backed off. Turned cold as stone and couldn't get away from me fast enough."
And I found out the only reason he’d flirted with me was because of a stupid bet!

She didn’t tell her friend that little eye-opening nugget of truth. It was too humiliating.

Darcy gave her a big hug, “Hey, honey, it’s his loss if he couldn’t see how special you are.”

When Charlene didn’t answer, she suggested, “You know what? Let’s have a few beers at Snow Daze. You can either find someone else to help you forget about Evan Armstrong, or drink his memory away.”

Charlene nodded, so much for hiding in a hole until the World cup team had left. But Darcy was right, a few beers and she wouldn’t care that she’d been played for a fool. She might even laugh about it. Or not.

Fifteen minutes later, Charlene and Darcy were sitting in their favorite bar with fresh drinks on the table in front of them.

“Isn’t this better than sitting at home moping?” Darcy asked.

“Sure.” Charlene put on a pretend smile. She tried to find something else to focus on, but couldn’t stop thinking that Evan or one of his friends could walk into the bar at any moment.  When the door opened again, she almost jumped.
Why didn’t I stay home?

Evan had seen the hurt fill Charlene’s eyes as she rushed away from the patio area and he hated himself for having been the cause of her distress. He was used to getting himself into trouble, and he took his licks without complaint. That was part of the deal. No risk, no fun, right?

But he’d never intended for somebody else to get hurt. That was not okay and he berated himself the rest of the afternoon on how things had gone down with Charlene. He’d messed up big time with her and had no idea of how to fix things.

He spent a restless night, thinking about Charlene and wishing he’d handled things differently.

The next morning he dragged himself down to the lobby of the team hotel for breakfast and bumped straight into a skier from Switzerland. Heidi. Of all persons, it had to be her!

They had enjoyed a brief relationship a while ago, but nothing had ever come of it. It had never been something serious, neither one of them interested in more than a casual affair. At least, that’s how things had started out.

Over time, Heidi had decided she wanted more. She wanted a committed relationship with the promise of a future. Evan had argued that they were “more or less” together, but that hadn’t been enough for her. Reason enough to break up before things got ugly. They’d parted fairly amicably, and Evan had gone back to being the guy who only did casual relationships. No commitments. No attachments.

That had been three years ago, and after a few weeks of “regrouping”, they’d gone back to being friends.
Had we ever been something more than friends? With benefits?
Probably not.

Nodding his head in her direction, he offered her a greeting, “Good morning, Heidi.”

She turned her smile upon him and then frowned, "Hey, why do you look like someone else just won the overall world cup?"

"I don't!" he answered with a grumble.
There’s no way I’m going to tell her about my latest stupidity. Besides, why am I letting some chick I only met once twist me inside out like this? Charlene isn’t important to me.

Heidi had spent too many years with him, though and wasn’t going to let his answer go. "You do," she countered, examining him with her x-ray vision.

“A woman!" It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

How the hell does she do that?
He sighed. Heidi had always been able to look through his masque and see what really went on in his mind. That was one of the reasons he’d gotten together with her in the first place. It had been refreshing to have someone in his life that didn’t let him pretend everything was alright when it wasn’t. And it was why he still liked her a lot as friend.

Knowing how tenacious she could be, he decided he might as well eat breakfast while he spilled his guts to her. “Let's have breakfast, okay?"

During breakfast, he told her what had happened. She stayed silent while he talked, and for several long minutes after he quit talking. Finally, she looked at him and shook her head in a sorrowful fashion, “Your need to impress got you into trouble again."

Those words cut into his stomach like a knife. "I don't need to impress anyone! I am the world’s best skier! What else do you want?"

Heidi put her hand on his arm in a calming, friendly gesture, "You’re right. And for anyone else that would be enough. World’s best skier. Gorgeous looking. Rich. Popular. Part of a loving family.”

Evan tried not to get upset as she continued to list his various attributes.

“But none of that is enough for you. It never has been, and probably never will be. You always feel like you have to go out and impress those around you."

"I don’t,” he grumbled in a low voice that was barely audible.

Heidi fixed her eyes on him and then asked, "So why do you make stupid bets about your ability to get any woman into your bed?"

The silence that followed, had him squirm inside. Evan knew she was right. But he didn't want to admit it.

Heidi continued mercilessly, truly on a roll now. "And last year, when you jumped down that frozen waterfall and almost broke your neck? And during the Olympics when you claimed to be able to drink 23 different beers in one evening? It almost cost you the participation in the Olympics because your trainer was so pissed."

She stared at him, and it cut into his very soul. He felt himself shrinking under her scrutiny. Whether he liked it or not, Heidi was spot on.

His throat was dry as he tried to speak. Licking his lips, he tried a second time, admitting, "Maybe you're right."

Heidi barked out a laugh, causing other diners to turn and stare at them. Evan examined her and then shook his head at how much enjoyment she was getting from his discomfort.
This is why she’s such a good friend. She never lets me get away with anything. Especially feeling sorry for myself!

As she continued to laugh, he found himself comparing her to Charlene and it confused the hell out of him. Heidi had never evoked those disturbingly strong feelings in him. His feelings for Charlene were a thousand times more intense than anything he’d ever experienced before.
How can that be? We only shared one kiss!

Heidi wiped the corners of her eyes with her napkin, "I never expected to hear that from you. Admitting someone else is right." She continued to giggle.

It wasn’t until she saw the expression on his face, that she gathered herself together and sobered up. She put her hand on his shoulder and asked, "Is this girl important to you?”

He nodded.
Yes she was. Very important!

Heidi gave him a sympathetic pat and then withdrew her hand, “You messed up. In a big way. Go and apologize. In an even bigger way."

Now why didn’t I think of that?
Evan felt some of his guilt slip away and he decided to take her advice. He’d make it right the second time around.

“Thanks,” he whispered and reached over giving her a brief hug. Taking a breath, he changed the topic and asked her about her plans for the summer.

Heidi's face started to shine brightly when she answered him, "I'm getting married to Romeo!"

“Wow!” he said in surprise. “I didn’t even know you two were dating.” Romeo was another skier from Switzerland, and while Evan didn’t know him very well, what he did know of the man was all good.

Heidi nodded her head and then thrust her hand under his nose, “It all happened pretty fast. I’m so excited!”

Evan looked at the huge rock on her finger and smiled at her, "Congratulations. I’m glad you found your other half. You deserve to be happy."

“Thanks.” Heidi proceeded to tell him about their wedding plans, and he could see, how much she was in love with Romeo. A punch of jealousy hit him in his chest. Would he find his perfect match one day? The one woman he could love and cherish for eternity?

After breakfast, Evan excused himself. He wanted to go find Charlene. As he left the restaurant, Heidi’s words echoed in his mind.
You messed up big. You need to apologize even bigger.

He ran through various scenarios, and finally came up with something he thought would work. When he reached the lobby of the resort, he scanned the place.
But
w
here do I look for her?

Seeing Tanner walking down another hallway, he hurried to catch up with him.
He’ll know.

“Hey, Tanner!”

Tanner stopped and turned to wait for him to catch up, “Evan. What’s up?”

“How do I find Charlene?”

“Wow! You don’t waste any time do you?”

“No. Now tell me where I can find her.” When Tanner raised an eyebrow at him, Evan shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes, “Please.”

His friend grinned at him, “What’s it worth to you?’

“Come on, man. Don’t be that way. Just tell me where I can find her?”

Tanner laughed but he gave him the information he wanted.  Evan could hear his chuckle all the way back down the hallway, but he didn’t let it dissuade him from his purpose. He had a woman to find and an apology to make.