Intercepted (14 page)

“How so?”

“Well, this… Making love to me… It
’
s also
sort of… your job, too. How does it work? Are you going to give me a massive
bill before you leave?”

He laughs out loud and shakes his head.

“Jake, I
’
m serious.”

“I know. You
’
re killing me, Natalia. Do you
seriously think I
’
ll charge you for having sex
with you?” He laughs again.

“Um…Isn
’
t it what you do
for a
living
?”

“Babe. I told you. I
’
m not that
different from every other single guy out there. I fuck whoever I want.”

“
So I
’
m
not
getting a bill?”

He chuckles. “No. No bill.”

I let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Thank God. That would
’
ve been one hell of a bill.”

At this he laughs louder. “
That
good, huh?
”

“Fucking mind-blowing, Jake.” I grin. “Now I have to go.” I get up and he
follows me to the door. His arm snakes around my waist and he pulls me into a
deep kiss.

“Wanna get some more fucking-mind-blowing sex tomorrow?”

“Cocky smug bastard.” I smile.

“The guys are getting up early to hit the slopes. I
’
ll manage to stay back and join them an hour
later. Will an hour be enough?”

I reach up and grip his hair at the nape, then kiss him with the same
intensity he used on me. “I like your hair.”

He grins and threads his fingers through my hair. “I like yours.”

“Nine a.m. tomorrow?” I say between kisses.

“I
’
m already hard.”

“
Creep.
”

He grins and I narrow my eyes, stifling a smile.

I jog back to the lodge, feeling heady and high. It
’
s the Jake effect and a faint voice from within
tells me I
’
m crossing into dangerous
territory. I shut the door on that and hurry to Derek
’
s room to win some more bills to my money pot.

Chapter 18:
Jake

I close the door and press my forehead against it.
What the hell is
happening to me
. This girl is turning into an addiction and it
’
s getting harder to turn away. Whatever this is,
I need to get a fucking handle on it before it gets out of control. I keep
trying to prove to myself that the effect she has on me will soon wear off and
I
’
ll be able to breathe again. But it
’
s been the opposite. Every time I see her it
’
s more difficult to say goodbye, then the
countdown begins until I see her again.
Fucking Christ.

I pour myself a drink, raking my brain for some order. If I
’
m willing to ride this until I leave Aspen in two
days it needs to be my decision. Maybe I can let things play until I leave and
then reevaluate the situation when Natalia and I are apart. In less than two
months we will both be living in the same city and we can keep it going if that
’
s what we want.
Yes
. I am pleased with my
plan and can now focus on how and where to fuck her. 

The guys walk in as I
’
m stepping
out of the shower. They want to call it an early night so we can hit the slopes
as soon as they open. I don
’
t tell them
about my plan to meet them later in the morning yet. I let them take the
bedrooms and offer to take the couch. 

In the morning I hear Pete and Dillon ruffle around as they eat
breakfast. I purposely wait to get off the couch until they are almost ready to
go. 

“I
’
m not feeling that hot. Why don
’
t you guys hit the top and I
’
ll catch up with you in an hour or so.”

Dillon frowns. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I rub the back of my neck. “I
’
m just moving a bit slow today.”

Pete and I exchange a look and I know he
’
s already called my bullshit act.

“Hope you feel better.” He winks and I dart a look at Dillon who
’
s oblivious to my ulterior motives.

It is almost nine when they leave and I
’
m sweating bullets. I don
’
t want them to run into Natalia on their way out.
Luckily a good ten minutes pass before she knocks on the door. When I open it I
’
m taken back by her appearance. She
’
s wearing workout clothes and is breathing
hard. 

“Sorry.” She smiles. “I didn
’
t have
time for a shower. Wanna do that together?”

Sudden joy invades me. This girl is a constant surprise. I love that
about her. Her skin is glowing with sweat and I
’
m instantly turned on. She smiles at what
’
s happening in my pajama pants and I wrap her
wrist and tug her against me. 

“I
’
m
gross, Jake.
”

I bury my nose in her neck and pick her up as I take a long breath. She
laughs and wraps her legs around me, telling me I
’
m disgusting and sick, but she
’
s kissing me anyway. I love that she
’
s so comfortable around me and that the shower
together was her idea.

In the bathroom, I strip her clothes off and pull us under the cascading
stream of hot water. She lets me wash her hair and I am shocked at how erotic
and sensual this simple task is with her. I
’
ve done this with other women, but it
’
s never felt this intimate. It was mainly for
their pleasure and didn
’
t mean
anything more. 

Natalia takes the shampoo and does the same for me. I smile because she
’
s standing on the tips of her toes in order to
reach my hair. I lean down to make it easier and she kisses my cheek and says
Thanks. Unease stirs in my chest at that small gesture and I need to shake it
off. I grab her hips and turn her around so she
’
s facing the wall, then press her to me. She lays
her palms against the marble wall and pushes back, slightly bending over. My
dick is throbbing and the need to be inside her takes over. My hands cup her
breasts and she presses against them, arching her head back and pushing her ass
against me. I ease into her and she moans out loud. It goes straight to my
groin and I push deeper into her. 

“Jake.
Damn
.”

I slam into her and she grinds back. It doesn
’
t take me long. I come hard inside her, groaning
her name as she yells mine, then collapses in my arms. 

I turn her around and cover her mouth with mine. Her lips are soft and
wet. She
’
s completely surrendered to me.
Her eyes are closed and her only support is my arm around her waist. She kisses
my shoulder and smiles, resting her head on my chest.

“God, what are you doing to me?” she whispers and I still because that is
the same thought that
’
s been
roaming in my mind since the first time we met.

“Just making sure you know how good you are at this.”

“
This
being...”

“
Casual sex. You
’
ve mastered
the art.”

“Oh.” She smiles. “That
’
s good to
know.”

I kiss her, then pull her out of the shower and hold a robe up for her.
She looks up at me and hesitates, then slips it on. I don
’
t want her to get dressed just yet because I
’
m not ready for her to leave. 

I make us coffee and we sit at the dining table in comfortable
silence. 

“I should probably go,” she mutters. Our eyes lock and a quick emotion
crosses hers. I wonder if this is as strange for her as it is for me and if
she, too, is afraid she
’
ll fall for
me.

“What
’
s your schedule like today?” I
ask her, downing the last of my coffee. She stifles a smile.

“Um, actually. I have the day off.”

I roll my eyes and hang my head. She laughs. This is just my luck. I
’
m spending the day with two guys and all I
’
m going to do is think about every minute I could
be spending with her.

“When are you free?”

“
Well,
” I say, reaching for her
hand and tugging. She stands up and walks toward me. “I
’
m free right now,” I say, then pull on her hand
so she sits on my lap, straddling me. I
’
m
already hard. I grip her waist and bring her closer, then untie her robe and
slide it off her shoulders. It falls to the floor and my hands move to her
breasts. She
’
s naked and exposed and mine.
My eyes memorize every inch of her. Our eyes lock and without looking away I
wrap my hands around her knees and spread her legs wider, then lift her up and
slide into her. She
’
s wet and
ready and my dick is so hard it hurts.

“Baby,” I whisper. “
You feel so good.
”

She grips my shoulders and we start to move. She tilts her head back and
closes her eyes as she rides me, moaning every time I push deeper into her.

“Oh, fuck!” She screams and it sends me over. I slam into her and once
again I
’
m falling into a dark abyss of
foreign emotions.

Her arms circle my neck and she drops her head to my shoulder.

“I think you
’
re trying to kill me,” she
whispers to my ear. I chuckle.

“
Ditto, Princess.
”

She stills and pulls her head back. “What did you call me?”

I frown. “Princess?” She
’
s
suddenly pale. “Baby, what
’
s wrong?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing. It
’
s
just... Nobody has ever called me that except... Tango. The last time I heard
it was two years ago.” I cup her face and her eyes are wet. I press a kiss to
her lips and the tears spill down her cheeks.

“I
’
m sorry.” 

“It
’
s okay, Jake. Now you know what
a head case I am. It
’
s good that
you have no expectations because I
’
m sure I
would disappoint you.” She watches me for a long moment and doesn
’
t say anything. Her fingers stroke my face and
there
’
s longing in her eyes.

“Jake. What
’
s going to happen after you
leave? I mean, we just go our separate ways and that
’
s it?”

I brush the hair off her face. “I think the only thing we can both manage
is what
’
s happening right now. But if
this is not what you want, we can stop.” I
’
m such an asshole. But it
’
s true. This is all I can manage.

“Do you want to stop?” she murmurs.

I shake my head. “No. Do you?”

“No.” She presses her forehead to mine and lets out a long sigh. The
darkness stirs in my chest and there
’
s
nothing to hold on to. I wrap my arms around her and squeeze her tight and she
does the same. We stay like that for a long moment, and I wonder if she knows
that
she
is what I
’
m holding on
to, because what lies beneath this terrifies me.

Her head rises and she smiles, then gives me a soft kiss and stands up. I
watch her walk to the bathroom and retrieve her clothes. She smirks as she
slips them on because they
’
re drenched
in sweat, but she doesn
’
t have
another option if she doesn
’
t want to get
caught.

“I should have thought about the ‘after,
’”
she says. “You
’
re messing with my head, Jake.” She looks up and
winks at me, and I wonder if she knows how much she
’
s been messing with mine.

I dress into my ski clothes and walk her to the door. She grips my shirt
at the chest and pulls me for one more kiss.

“What
’
s your last name?”

I frown. “
Harper. Yours?
”

“
Prinz.
”

I tilt my head and she shrugs. That
’
s
probably where the ‘Princess
’
nickname
came from.

“You look hot in ski clothes, Jake Harper.” She kisses me again and
inspiration hits me.

“Come skiing with us.”

She stills.
“What?”

“Come skiing with us. The guys won
’
t mind
and it will be fun.”

“
Jake. I don’
t know if…” She
smiles and I grin back.

“You don
’
t know if it
’
s a good idea.
”

She stifles a smile and I kiss her.

“Come on,” I say against her mouth. “Meet us at Spyglass for lunch.”

“Are you sure? You should spend time with your friends.”

“Pete, Dillon and I go on ski trips all the time. They won
’
t care.”

“Okay.” She smiles.

“Okay.”

It
’
s one o
’
clock when we push the doors into the Spyglass
lounge. It
’
s swarming with people and I
’
m scanning the room for Natalia. I
’
ve already told the guys she
’
d be joining us. Dillon seemed fine with it and
Pete was even excited. I wish he
’
d stop
busting my balls over it. I
’
m not going
to fucking marry the girl.

She
’
s sitting by the window at a
table big enough for all of us. She looks up and smiles when our eyes meet. The
guys slump into the seats and I lean down to kiss her. She tenses, then goes
with it and relaxes.