Christmas Eve (11 page)

"Sure." Eve sat, her feet pointing toward the curved front and grabbed the bottom on each side.

So that's how it's done.
Nick grabbed the rope attached to the front on either side of the toboggan and yanked.

The toboggan leaped forward.

Oops
. Eve's feet flew up over her head and she somersaulted off the back of the toboggan, landing head first in the snow at his feet.

"Sorry. Are you all right? I guess I wasn't supposed to pull that hard." He stood her up again.

"So it would seem. Try going slow until we both get the hang of this," she suggested, brushing snow from her butt. Then she filled her hands with the snowy powder collected in the rolled up cuffs of her jeans.

"Sit," he ordered, then softened his tone. "Sorry. Have a seat and we'll try again."

She complied, once again grabbing hold of the sides. "I'm ready, but go easy this time."

At least she was still smiling at him. Determined not to dump her again, Nick gave a light tug. The toboggan began to slide, leaving a cushion of flattened snow in its wake.

The bottom of this thing must be really slick
.

The row of shrubbery between the two houses left only a narrow path of snow next to Bob's house. Somehow, Nick managed to traverse it without dumping Eve again, then stepped over into the neighboring drive.

A lumpy mound set at a crooked angle and covered with snow blocked Bob's drive. Eve's car?

She really
is
in the ditch
? How the Hell had she managed that?

He couldn't tell what make of car, but he could see that one wheel was off the ground. Her request for help hadn't been an act after all. Definitely a job for a tow truck.
Not
one for him. He was not the hero type.

Uh-uh. Time was when he wouldn't have thought twice about giving a lady a hand. Not any more. He'd been used and abused so often by the fair sex he'd learned to step aside, allow some other sucker the opportunity to make points with the ladies. Not him.

From the moment he'd come into money, there had been a steady parade of women wanting something, their manicured hands held out to him. Once, he had even been victimized by a paternity suit. There, his patience had paid off. After the birth of the baby, a boy, a blood test had proved he had not fathered the child, something he had known all along.

He’d had good reason to be cynical. Nick St. Clair never indulged in unprotected sex.

Still, it wouldn't be smart of him to let Eve turn all her charm on a tow truck driver when it might as well be him.

* * * * *

"Nick.
Nick
?" Eve called, raising her voice even louder, convinced he still hadn't heard.

He slowly turned and gave her a puzzled look.

"You can stop pulling now. We've reached the street."

"Oh." He let go of the tow rope. "What now?"

He probably had no idea how eager he sounded. What was with Nick and toboggans? She gave him an encouraging smile. "Give me the rope and climb on behind me."

"O-kay." He retrieved the rope, tossed it in her lap but, still a foot away, he stopped. He hesitantly took off his knit cap and ran his fingers through his hair. Then he carefully pulled the cap down over his ears, all the while studying the never-used toy.

He's unnerved, but ashamed to admit
.

She wouldn't have believed it possible if she hadn't witnessed Nick's flicker of fear with her own eyes.

"Before I do," he murmured with a small frown, "maybe you better tell me what to expect."

"I'm not sure. Every toboggan is different." She ran her hand along the gentle curve in front beside her feet. "This one seems really well made. What bothers me, is that it looks as if it was made for speed."

Nick's frown deepened. "Is that bad?"

"It could be. The only way to find out, is to give it a try."

Nick scowled. "I thought you said you knew all about riding one of these."

"I do." She thought for a second, not wanting to influence his decision to climb on. "The trouble is, the heavier the load, the faster a toboggan goes. So — since I'm lighter — why don't I ride it alone, first, just to try it out?"

While he mulled that over, Eve prepared for the ride. She wedged her feet against the curved front end and took a tight hold of the rope with her gloved hands.

After a long moment Nick asked, "You're certain that's the best way? You're not just trying to do me out of the first ride?"

"I'm certain. Now, give me a shove."

"All right, then. Hold on." Nick gave her shoulder a gentle push. The sled didn't move.

"Harder. It's been sitting here so long the bottom has probably frozen to the snow."

Without telling her what he planned, Nick rocked the toboggan back and forth, almost dumping her off again. "There. That should loosen it." He sounded pleased with himself and gave her a mighty shove.

The metal bottom made a shushing sound as the toboggan skidded smoothly over the snow, picking up speed.

Suddenly Eve went careening down the wide, empty street. She hauled back on the rope, which did nothing to slow her down. The wind continued to whistle in her ears and she flew past the slender trunks of trees growing along side the road.

Nick yelled something. She looked back, saw him wildly waving his arms and dancing about, but couldn't make out what he said.

She was nearing the bottom of the hill and turned her attention back to the street, which began to curve.
Shift your weight. Turn.

Not soon enough
.

She'd run out of road. The shiny-new conveyance plowed into a snow covered embankment and what felt like a ton of wet snow landed in her lap.

"Eve. My God, Eve. Are you all right?" Nick caught up with her, panting by the time he reached the bottom of the hill. "I've never been so scared in my life. This damned contraption is going right back in Bob's shed." He pulled her to her feet and brushed snow from her hair. "Are you hurt?"

"I don't think so." She tried taking a step with each foot. Nothing hurt. "No, I'm fine." She longed to kiss away Nick's worried frown. She settled her mouth on his grim-set lips instead.

"Better than fine," she said, pressing her lips to his. "In fact," — she quickly pulled away —"I've never had so much fun in my life."

She grabbed his hand. "Come on. Hurry. I want you to go with me this time."

* * * * *

"Are you sure?" Hope took charge of Nick's numb brain. He didn't dare let Eve find out how eager he was to duplicate her headlong ride down the hill. Or how much the possibility frightened him.

"I'm certain. You
have
to try it. Was I going as fast as it seemed? It felt like I came flying down the street."

Nick wasted no time dumping the snow that had collected in the metal bed. "This thing took off like a rocket launched from Vandenberg. Then, when it finally stopped, I thought sure you were hurt."

Eve turned to head up the hill. Instead, Nick pulled her back into his arms. "Don't scare me like that again."

His lips almost touched hers. Then he gave in to the need and devoured her smiling mouth with his.

What is happening to me
? Eve's taste on his tongue was like all the ice cream he'd ever eaten, soft and sweet, her breath warm as it caressed his face. Nick gathered her into his arms, unhurt and safe, right here with him. Where she belonged.

Where she
belonged
? Where had that notion come from?

For a moment during Eve's wild descent he'd felt the way a father must feel when his willful toddler runs out into the street. Panic gripped him, forcing the air from his lungs and grinding his world to a halt, leaving him damned helpless, knowing he couldn't do anything to prevent Eve from being hurt.

He hoped never to let her out of his sight again.

Hey, didn't you also swear never to let the "L" word in your life again?

The depth of his feelings for Eve terrified him. He cut short the kiss and stepped back.

Eve staggered. He had to steady her, but was quick to let her go.

He had come damn close to losing his head over the tempting woman still dangerously within his reach. A call girl. Nothing more.

Just keep remembering that
.

He set Eve aside, making idle conversation to cover his unease. "You really want to do it again?"

"What? Have you kiss me senseless, or go flying down the hill again?"

"Kiss you senseless." Nick grinned, more delighted with Eve's company as the hours ticked by. "I guess I did, at that. Can I help it if the vision of you lying in the hospital in traction, every bone in your body in a cast, won't go away?"

Had she heard the honesty and caring in his voice?

He hoped not. Especially when she took his hand.

Squeezing it, she tentatively placed it over her heart. "See. I'm fine. It's still beating."

Yes. Beneath his palm, the yielding softness of her breast spoke distinctly to Nick.

Alive.

Willing.

And
his
.

Okay. He'd ponder that later. For now, he needed to move with caution. Having sex with Eve was habit forming, a habit incompatible with his reclusive lifestyle.

"Come on. It's time you showed me what this hill is really like." Tugging her along with one hand, the toboggan trailing by the rope gripped in his other hand, Nick started up the hill.

"Don't walk in my tracks."

"Why not? This makes a fine path."

"I know," she said, already breathless from their rapid climb, "but think about this. That first run packed down the snow. Each additional run will melt the snow a little and pack it even more. When the track begins to get icy is when you really go fast."

Nick suddenly halted his uphill climb. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"Poor baby. Afraid of a little speed?"

Giving her a grim look, he scooped up a hand full of snow, pressed it into a soft ball and let it fly. The snowball shattered against her chest.

"Hey!" Eve dropped to her knees and formed snow into a well-packed ball twice as big as the one he had thrown. She threw it at him with surprising accuracy, hitting him square in the forehead.

He yelped in pain, then bent double, laughing uproariously. "Truce." He raised both hands in mock surrender. "If we start horsing around, I'll never get my ride."

"Okay, official time out. But don't get it in your head that I'm through with you, cause I'm not."

I'm not through with you, either.
But he
was
in emotional quicksand where Eve was concerned.

Her cheeks were rosy, her nose red, her eyes sparkling shards of green ice, and he'd like nothing better than to throw her down in the snow and rip off her clothes. Forget his wish to ride the toboggan. The thought of riding sweet Eve set off such longing the blood pounded through his veins and his labored breaths became quick shallow pants. Eve's, too, he noticed.

Maybe it was the steep climb affecting them,
not
need.

Yeah. Right.

What about Croupier, now chomping at the bit? In less than twenty-four hours Eve had managed to get under his skin and become a necessary part of his life.

How many days would it take to stop thinking about her, once he sent Eve away?

Chapter Twelve

Pleased with himself, Nick flew down the hill on his last ride of the day, proud he had finally found the nerve to run behind the toboggan, get a fast start, then leap on board.

He soon discovered the ride was not near as much fun without Eve. He missed the way the wind drove her long tresses into his face. The way her warm body kept the brunt of the cold air from hitting him full force. The way her wide hips snuggled against him.

No, he couldn't deny it. He missed holding Eve in his arms.

He was nearing the bottom of the hill and should have been thrilled with his solo ride, but his thoughts had him feeling as if he'd been doused with icy water. The joy over his solo ride seeped away, leaving him doubt ridden and ill at ease.

If he felt like this now, what would the days ahead be like for him without Eve?

The toboggan skidded to a halt and he leaped to his feet, his jaw tight. He'd get through them. He always had. Nothing had changed.

Or had it?

He grabbed the rope, yanked the toboggan around, and started up the hill. His own personal cheering squad stood at the crest, shifting from one foot to the other to keep warm, but wearing a wide smile.

A feeling of tenderness swept over him, one not easily reasoned away.

Sure, he'd had a good time this afternoon. That's what call girls were paid to do, entertain, and he'd been well entertained. And not just in bed. The fact amazed him. That he could spend several hours alone with a lady of pleasure and the lady still have on all her clothes.

That would come later. For now, he'd promised to brush the snow from Eve's car.

As Nick neared the top of the hill, she stumbled forward to meet him, her guileless smile a treat. "Was it good for you, too?"

"It was great," he murmured, taking her hand in his, the double entendre of her words going right over Eve's head, but affecting Nick like a glimpse of heaven.

Dragging the toboggan, he headed for the shed, Eve hurrying to keep up with him.

"I feel guilty about being the first to use the boy's new toy," she said.

"Don't. He moved to the east coast with his mother following the divorce. The likelihood of a snowfall during one of his court-decreed visits with his father hovers around zero. Besides, he's a good kid. I'm sure he won't mind."

Just last year, the boy had begged for something to use if it snowed and his father had given in to his plea. But when they moved away, his mother had left all her son's favorite toys behind. With a divorce, things that had once seemed immensely important sometimes no longer mattered at all. Nick could attest to that.

"Oh, I didn't know about the divorce. Is that why Bob's selling? As a part of a settlement? I'll bet he's not eager to let this place go."