Sinful Weekend

Francesca
St. Claire

From the moment the beautiful brunette entered the ski
resort’s crowded bar, Nick Dahlberg was hooked. As if her natural glow and smiling
brown eyes aren’t arousing enough, when she removes her bulky vest, her sexy
contours send his imagination—and libido—into overdrive. What fun a sinful
weekend with her would be.

The yearly vacation with her best friends from college dictates
no flirting, but when Stephanie notices the tall blond staring at her from
across the room, lust coils and heat instantly ignites between
them. The man is yummy with a capital Y.

The following day brings them face-to-face, and his
invitation to explore a secluded ski run is too tempting to resist. Thankfully
her friends are leaving before the weekend, because Stephanie finds she can’t
say no to spending time with Nick…or the long list of delightful pleasures his
naughty imagination has in mind.

A Romantica®
contemporary erotic romance
from Ellora’s Cave

Nick Dahlberg noticed the beautiful brunette the moment she
walked into the crowded bar. Escorted by three other beauties, she stood out
from the group—her aura brighter and more dazzling than any of her companions.
She was a knockout plain and simple, though the word “plain” did not apply to
her in any way, shape or form, with her long, wavy chestnut hair, smiling brown
eyes and a body made for sin. And what fun a sinful weekend with her would be…

A pair of colorful Aztec-print leggings worn under a brown
sweater dress hugged her long legs like a second skin. What would it be like to
stroke her shapely limbs without the cumbersome garment? Fantastic, no doubt.
As she removed her white faux-fur vest, her sexy contours sent his
imagination—and libido—into overdrive.

Damn!

“Check out the eye candy at the bar,” Jen whispered.

Stephanie nodded, acknowledging her friend’s meaning, and
scanned the room. One or two men caught her eye. Men she might have enjoyed
flirting with any night other than tonight—a girls’ night out—though none of
them were particularly hot.

Wait!
She did a double take.
Now that!
Tall, blond and
gorgeous…
Wow.
Yes,
he
was definitely worth getting some flak from the girls. By the time her brain
finally caught up with her heartbeat, she’d been staring for quite a while…and
so had he. Sparks leapt between them. Lust coiled and heat
ignited instantly within her. And who could blame her? The man was yummy
with a capital Y.

Just then a group of people moved to the table in front of
her, blocking her view. When they finally settled and she regained a clear shot
of the bar, his seat was empty.

Shit!

The view from the ski lift—mountains covered in snow against
the blue sky—was breathtaking. The best scenery Stephanie had seen since
attending college in Colorado, the place where she’d learned to ski with the
help of her three best friends, Jen, Julia and Laura. Once a year, they tried
to duplicate those four, amazing fun-filled years by coming together for a week
of skiing at different resorts around the country.

The first two years after graduation had been almost like
college. They all lived in the same apartment in NYC and often spent weekends
together as well as their annual vacation.

Julia was the first to break from the pack, much to her
friends’ dismay, by taking a teaching job in Mystic, Connecticut. But she
couldn’t have been happier. NYC had never really been her scene. She was a
small-town girl at heart with a love for nature and community life, and in
Mystic she’d found both in abundance. What she hadn’t yet found was a date she
could be excited about. Available hot men were a bit scarce in that part of the
country.

Laura soon followed in her steps by moving to Boston, after
completing her masters at the New York School of Interior Design, and started
an interior design business with her childhood friend Ralph. Very busy and
extremely successful, she was left practically no time for relationships.

The previous year Stephanie had been the third to leave,
leaping cross-country to settle in San Francisco and leaving Jen on her own in
NYC. But Jen was fine. She loved the energy of a big city and made the most of
it by having the best sex life of the four friends.

Stephanie missed her friends enormously, more so since she’d
moved to California the year before. She hadn’t known a soul then and her
grueling schedule left no time for a social life. But that was about to change.
Well-settled in her job as a sales manager for a company of outdoor clothing
and gear, she could now afford to relax a little, cut down on the hours and
make new friends—male friends preferably.

Gah! It had really been too long since she’d been with a
man.

Just before leaving for Tahoe, she’d had a trim and a
European wax. Not that she expected to flaunt her dusty pussy at some guy
during her stay, but nonetheless better safe than sorry. She was definitely
ready for some action.

Her “aha” moment had happened the previous night in town
when the guy at the bar had instantly kindled a burst of desire and a strong
physical reaction in her. Like a pleasure fountain running through her, heat
sparked along her nerves to settle low in her belly. And though her mind seemed
to be at odds with her body—cautioning her against a perfect stranger—she
wanted him. Badly.

Engrossed in her thoughts, Stephanie gasped when she faced
the snow-covered slope the four of them were about to tackle shortly and saw
him
.
Her heart flipped, her pulse leapt to a gallop and she was hooked.

Finding him there was a sweet surprise. One she’d been
hoping for since his sudden disappearance from the bar. He really was a hot
sexy piece of ass—over six feet tall and built like a swimmer, his face
naturally tan as if he spent hours on skis, and the bluest eyes she’d ever
seen. But his demeanor was what drew her attention most. Watchful. Like a
person used to noticing details. And he had an imaginative mind, if his
mirthful and sensual gaze was any indication of his thoughts.

Lustful images of his long limbs tangled with hers sent her
into an automatic purr. Hatless, his head of thick sandy hair—longer than an
executive’s short crop, shorter than a surfer’s—was a very attractive shag that
begged to be mussed. Then he smiled.

“Oh Jesus!”

Remembering where she was, Stephanie glanced furtively
around. Her friends were busy talking and apparently had yet to notice
him—which they would if she wasn’t careful—and then tease her mercilessly.
Feigning normality, she followed the group onto the slope, her eyes cast well
away from the subject of her thoughts.

She had a blast skiing with her friends and the morning flew
by in an instant. Lunchtime rolled around before she knew it. After a quick
deliberation, the girls decided to try the food at the resort’s Sundeck BBQ
restaurant.

“Jen, I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll have a turkey on rye
and a Diet Coke, please,” Steph said as her friend was about to enter the
dining room.

“Sure.”

“Thanks.” She turned away and walked straight into a wide
solid chest. Mumbling an apology, she stepped back and raised her head.

Wow!
A god turned into a
GQ
model.
Who would
have guessed he’d be even hotter up close and in person?

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

Time stretched as they assessed each other at close range.
His gaze caressed her face, lingering, his beautiful lips slightly pursed.
Jesus, he was good. Just a look from him made her hotter than half an hour of
foreplay with her last boyfriend.

His lips curved slightly. “I’m Nick.”

“Stephanie.”

He leaned in and the woodsy marine freshness of his scent
filled her senses. “I know an out-of-bounds track through old-growth forests
where the ride is as wild as it gets. I’d love to take you there.”

His voice, Christ, his voice was pure honey and whiskey. How
she’d love to hear that rich sexy voice whisper arousing words in her ear. Her
heart knocked hard against her ribs, but she forced herself to meet his eyes.
“I’ll tell my friends—”

“No friends. Just you.”

No friends…just me
.
She gaped at him, the
rapid thud of her heart echoing in her ears. No way. She couldn’t abandon her
friends and follow some guy she’d just met…or could she?

She smiled ruefully. “Sorry…”

Regret flashed in his eyes. “So am I.”

He leaned in and she looked up at him from under her lashes.
Without minding the people walking by, he brushed his lips over hers then
walked away without so much as a backward glance.

Now that! She hadn’t seen it coming, but the effect of his
kiss lasted the rest of the day—a lot longer than the quick feathery touch of his
lips on hers.

No friends…just you
.
All afternoon his words
echoed in her head, making her heart beat faster and distracting her to the
point of being teased by her friends. Finally she excused herself from the next
ski run and went for a break on her own.

While enjoying the uninterrupted view of the mountains from
the resort café’s sundeck, a cup of hot chocolate in hand, Stephanie made a
study of her options. Her friends were leaving Tahoe in the morning, but she
still had her boss’ chalet throughout the weekend. Why not stay, enjoy the
company of a handsome man and a couple more days of skiing? She certainly
wouldn’t have either once she got back to San Francisco.

“Sure I can’t change your mind about joining me on that
run?”

Nick!

The thrill she experienced—tiny currents of electricity
shooting straight through her body—totally validated her decision to stay. And
when he slid into a chair across from hers, filling her field of vision with
six feet plus of total gorgeousness, she agreed to join him. “Okay.”

“Okay?” he repeated, blue eyes widening, lips curving over
his perfect teeth.

She chuckled at his surprised reaction. “Yes, my friends are
leaving tomorrow and I’ve got the chalet until Sunday. It’d be a shame not to
make full use of the place.” She tried to sound matter-of-fact. “All I’ll have
to do is catch a bus back to San Francisco since I’ll be missing my ride.”

“Great! Shall we agree on meeting here tomorrow at ten
then?”

“Let’s make it noon. My friends aren’t leaving until
eleven.”

“Noon it is.” He stood and grabbed his gloves from the
table, a grin splitting his face. “As for getting back to San Francisco…” He
bent forward, placing his hands on the arms of her chair, eyes level with hers.
“No worries. I’m heading that way too.”

Eyes the color of the sky locked with hers, sending a bolt
of heat straight to her pussy as she anticipated his kiss. But he stood and
walked away, leaving her stunned and motionless. When he turned and smiled at
her, she melted into a wide grin.

Jesus!

Nick kissed her on the cheek and the scent of alpine fir
trees, coffee and something else she couldn’t quite identify floated through
the air.

He smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“Ready?”

“Uh huh.”

With their skis on and ready to go, Nick said, “We’ll start
slowly until you get used to the terrain so stay close to me.”

“Yes sir!” She saluted in jest and then laughed at his
cocked eyebrow.

There was something about the man that drove her to act
young and frisky. He boosted her spirits and made her bubbly beyond her normal
self. An exhilarating sense of new beginnings swept through her.

Christ, she had missed the company of a man. And not just
any man. A man who stirred her juices in a big way. If she had chosen to, she
would’ve had no problem getting a date from any number of work colleagues who
were keen to date her. But a man such as Nick—whom she was so decisively
attracted to and wished to know better—was a different matter. The fact he
lived in the same town as her was a fantastic and convenient coincidence…
if
they wished to carry on seeing each other after the weekend. But she had gotten
ahead of herself. They’d only just met and hadn’t even test-driven each
other…yet.

She smiled at her own thoughts. Oh, she was most definitely
one horny chick!

Skiing with Nick was a blast, but by the time they’d
finished their first run, Stephanie was well and truly ready for a break.

“Phew, there was a close call more than once,” she said,
removing her ski goggles.

Even though his eyes were hidden behind his goggles, his
voice revealed concern. “Were you scared?”

“No, but I should have been. This trail was quite a stretch
for me,” she admitted.

He pushed his goggles onto the top of his head and leaned
over on one pole. “I’m surprised. I expected you to be in better shape,” he
teased, his face deadpan despite the humor dancing in his eyes.

She snarled.

He laughed.

Their eyes met and held. Excitement, anticipation and desire
pulsed through the air. He skied closer and she closed her eyes as his warm
breath fanned her face. His cold, soft lips touched hers in a light feathery
kiss. His gentleness surprised her. She encircled his waist and gave in to the
kiss. His lips were wonderfully smooth. His hands marvelously arousing as they
cupped her face and the back of her neck, angling her head this way and that,
controlling the kiss. Her mind went blank. Raw need grew strong as their kiss
deepened and lengthened. How could his touch be so earth shattering? When he
parted her lips with his and slid his tongue inside her mouth, desire exploded
within her.

His arousal thickened the moment his tongue entered her
mouth. He’d intended for this to be a gentle kiss but, damn, her lips were too
sexy for sedate kisses, and he hadn’t felt sexual attraction of this intensity
for a long time. When she moaned, he tightened his arms and stroked the
contours of her curvy body under her padded clothing. He kissed her deeper,
demanding more. Every cell in him tingled. If he didn’t quickly take control of
his urges, he’d be pushing her against a tree and thoroughly ravishing her—his
tongue and cock deep inside her, his hands cupping her shapely ass, bringing
her to orgasm with raw and urgent thrusts, the tension building higher and
higher until they flew over the edge. Now there was a thought.

Reluctantly he ended the kiss, dropping his forehead to hers
as he tried to regain some sort of composure. This wasn’t the time or place to
get carried away. Christ, he was hornier than a sex-starved teenager. The
desire to take her was overwhelming.

He cupped her face and traveled his gaze over her hair and
mouth, a never-ending source of luscious thoughts streaming through his
mind—her shapely lips closing over his rock-hard dick, sucking him dry—before
settling on her eyes again. His thumb slid along her lower lip and she breathed
deep. He was only a moment away from losing total control. She drove him crazy,
but this was a public place and the temperature had dropped. Given the choice,
he’d rather not get frostbite on his ass when he made love to her the first
time. No, he’d much prefer to have her in his bed, under him, her naked arms
and long legs wrapped around him. He shuddered. Sanity prevailed.

He prudently stepped back and discreetly arranged his cock
in his pants. He could wait…just…even if his blood pumped south, hardening his
shaft, making it impossible to think of anything else but fucking her. For now
he’d enjoy a couple more hours skiing with his hot sexy partner. And later…

Enough!
If he didn’t stop his train of thought they
would never finish what they’d come for—skiing.

“Ready to try another run?” he asked, running a hand over
his hair.

She removed her woolly hat and shook her thick dark mane. It
spilled over her shoulders in a silk cascade. “No, but I’m ready for a hot
chocolate. You?”

Spellbound by her graceful moves, he became caught up in
another fantasy—her sexy hair framing her beautiful face, caressing her breasts
as she undulated on top of him. No, hot chocolate was definitely not what he
had in mind.

“Yes,” he said, sliding his goggles back onto his nose, trying
to hide his lustful thoughts. “Let’s go to my place and have it there.”
Stephanie hesitated long enough he teased, “What? Afraid I don’t know how to
make hot chocolate?”

Myriad emotions flashed across her face, apprehension one of
them, bluntly evident when she took another moment to answer. “What’s your last
name, Nick?”

Understanding her concern, he smiled reassuringly. “Smart
woman. The name is Dahlberg. Nicholas Dahlberg. Write it down as well as my
address and text them both to one of your friends. Have you a phone with you?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Text her. My car is in the parking lot. I’ll take you
home later if you wish to change before we go out to dinner.”

When had she consented to having dinner with him? His words
weren’t a question. He dispensed instructions as if she’d already agreed to
spend the evening with him. A small smile curved her lips at the pleasure his
dominant approach instilled in her. She was a sucker for a commanding man and
Nicholas Dahlberg appeared to be that kind of guy.

Once they reached his car, he gathered their skis and placed
them on the roof rack of his Grand Cherokee.

“Where did you learn to ski so well?” he asked as he secured
the bars.

Elation bubbled through her. Pleased by his compliment, she
only wished her body wasn’t responding to him so eagerly. It put her at a
disadvantage in the mating dance preceding sex. One look from him and she
wanted to jump his bones, and worried he would think her an easy lay. “Oh,
thank you. I took my first ski lessons in Colorado, but I’ve skied pretty much
everywhere.”

He pointed and pressed the remote at the Jeep, unlocking all
the doors, then retrieved a pair of brown, scarred all-terrain boots from
inside and sat on the bumper to change. “Is that where you’re from?”

She moved around the back and sat next to him, long legs
stretched out, feet on the snow-spotted asphalt of the parking lot. “Nope. I’m
originally from Pennsylvania, but I went to college in Colorado Springs.”

He half turned to her. “Did you really?”

Amused by his surprise, she nodded. “Yeah.”

“So did I. What year?”

She couldn’t help but tease him. “Long after you.”

He narrowed his eyes and she giggled.

Nick was far from old. She ventured to guess he was in his
mid-thirties. Older than she was by maybe seven or eight years…thank you, God!
She had no patience for insecure or juvenile behavior, the kind she’d
experienced when dating much-younger men.

Handsome. In great shape. Experienced. Mmm… What more could
she ask for in a fling?

She wiggled her eyebrows in jest and Nick shrugged, his
electric-blue eyes holding hers. “I’ll find out sooner or later.”

There was humor in his voice, his tone light and friendly,
but the heat and promise in his eyes hinted there could be some truth to his
words. Her stomach lurched and she flushed as her body steamed at the thought.
She stared at her hands, clasped around her gloves. What would his commanding
sexy voice be like in the dead of night behind closed doors? Just imagining
being alone with him dampened her panties. Desire surged strong and sudden. She
stole a glance at his large hands against his muscular thighs and wet heat came
crashing down on her pussy.

“I find you very beautiful.”

Her eyes shot up to find raw desire on his face.

“And sexy,” he said, his voice soft. Intimate.

Excitement skittered through her, hardening her nipples,
setting her on fire as his eyes roamed over her face and lingered on her mouth.
She leaned slightly forward and Nick slid a hand through her hair. He held her
open mouth to his, capturing her soft moans as he deepened their kiss. She was
swept away by the overwhelming thrill of his lips pressed against hers and
surrendered to the shivers of desire moving through her. His kiss was deep,
sensual. Their tongues met in a slow hot dance that made her gasp and drove her
to an entirely different place than she’d ever been before. With each stroke,
she sank deeper into his embrace.

The slam of a car door jerked her back from him. Reality
crashed down on her, but for a few moments their eyes remained connected—and
she found it hard to turn away from such a strong bond.

“We’d better go.”

“Yes.” Was the breathless whisper hers? The husky word ended
on a sigh as if she’d needed to relieve the tightness in her chest.

Was Nick as affected by the kiss as she was? She tried to
repress the shiver of excitement caused by the memory of his lips and
concentrated instead on the mountain road while listening to Earth, Wind and
Fire on the stereo. They finally entered a narrow lane and stopped shortly
after in front of a house perched on a cliff.

“Welcome to my mountain retreat,” he said. “Shall we go in?”

She removed her ski boots on the porch and entered the front
hall in her socks.

The large room with breathtakingly tall ceilings and wall of
windows overlooking the valley and distant mountains was amazing. Stephanie
couldn’t help a gasp of admiration. “What an incredible place you’ve got here!”

“The view is pretty impressive, isn’t it?”

“Not just the view, check this room!” She spun around,
taking in every detail. “Beautiful.”

The décor was truly a page out of
Architectural Digest
—hardwood
floors, a fireplace set in a stone wall. The beautiful open room with
mid-century furnishings and the soft wool-pile carpet created a comfortable,
chic living space. “Have you rented it long?”

“I own it, actually. Shall I take your coat?” he asked as he
shrugged his off.

Stephanie stared at him in awe. “Wow! I’m hugely impressed,”
she said, handing him her coat. “Are you some important person I should have
read about?” Without waiting for his answer, she walked to the glass wall for a
closer peek at the spectacular view of the lake through the snow-covered trees.

He chuckled. “No, just a successful architect with a love
for my work.” He dropped their coats on the back of the sofa and followed her
across the room.

He stood quietly behind her for a long moment, but she
didn’t forget he was there. How could she when electricity grazed her entire
back? He placed his hand on her shoulder and heat and strength radiated through
her fleece pullover to her skin. Her sweet spot came to life. All her senses
heightened as her heart tripped in anticipation of his next move.

She didn’t have to wait long. Nick pushed her hair aside and
kissed her neck. His arm came around her waist, keeping her flush against his
warm hard chest. Her head fell back on his shoulder and rolled to one side. His
tongue, hot and smooth, swept over her neck. A shiver started right where his
lips caressed her skin and raced through her body. Her nipples hardened with a
passing wave of heat. Her spine softened and her knees turned to jelly. She
struggled to breathe as her pulse thundered in her head.

“Come to the bedroom with me,” he whispered against her
neck.

Her breath stopped. This was the moment of truth. She could
delay going to bed with him, tease him a little longer or maybe even postpone
consummation until they were back in San Francisco…or not. She wanted him.
Badly. Right now. He was the reason she’d stayed. One year of celibacy was
enough to drive anybody mad, but refusing the opportunity to have sex with a
gorgeous man like Nick redefined madness.

“Okay.”

They slowly moved up the stairs, entwined in one another’s
arms. Twice they stopped to kiss—a couple of wet opened-mouth kisses that left
both of them panting before they reached the top. They arrived at the bedroom
without breaking contact. Once inside, Nick tugged off her fleece then her
thermal layer of underclothes, kissing her again and again, moving from her
lips to her throat and lower still until he reached her perky nipples.

She had a fleeting concern for her less-than-sexy clothing,
but as need pumped through her everything except their joining became
irrelevant. She fumbled as she quickly unfastened each button of his shirt. Her
nervousness to perform well for him surprised her. Why was it important to
impress him as long as she got her itch scratched? Only all the difference. She
wanted him to like her.

Clothes piled on the floor and they toppled naked onto the
bed. He rolled her underneath him, skin to skin. Lifting a hand, he stroked her
throat, his gaze never leaving hers, found her pulse point, lowered his head
and kissed her there. When he nibbled and licked her ear, her breathing
increased, her chest rose and fell faster.