“Smiling at your socks is the best start to the day you have? I really think I could do better for you.” He stretched out, finding his body wanted more of hers.
She glanced down the length of him then deliberately turned her back. “We’re not going to find that out, because I’m not staying all night.”
“A late addition to the rules?” he called to her.
She nodded.
It made sense and would help keep some distance. But he didn’t like it. He sat up, reaching to stop her but she whipped away from him.
“I’ll see you same time tomorrow,” she said hurriedly, and was gone.
He let her go, slumping back down in his tangled sheets. He needed time to re-strategize. Yet again Nicoletta Valeri—Princess NV— had gotten her own damn way and he had the feeling an avalanche of trouble was headed his way because of it.
But he couldn’t regret it. Not ever.
CHAPTER SIX
Nicoletta headed to the training center early the next morning, telling herself she wasn’t disappointed when she didn’t come across Austin in the foyer of the Lodge or on the walk down to the village again. But she ached to see him. She’d barely slept—her mind and body too happy to continually replay the evening’s activities. She needed a real life repeat pronto.
Turned out he was at the center already, working with a snowboarder with a knee injury. The medical clinic took up one portion of the building and then there was an overlapping lab where athletes were tested and worked on injury prevention and recovery plans with Austin, the nurses and resident physiotherapists. As training got fully underway team doctors and physiotherapists would join them.
Nicoletta’s face burned as she caught sight of him. Utterly self-conscious she walked past him to where some of the other skiers were setting up their plans for the day.
He didn’t so much as glance at her as she went by. Didn’t offer a smile. Didn’t even say hi.
He completely blanked her.
More than her face burned now. There was not being ‘obvious’ and there was being rude. Here she was blushing and overly-aware and frankly hot for him, and he clearly couldn’t care less.
Fuming, Nicoletta stomped towards the helipad. Fifteen minutes later, at the top of the elite-athlete-only slalom slope, she snapped on her helmet and tested the camera she had attached to it. Screw the unfamiliar aches in her body, today she’d go faster than ever. She’d damn well show him how little he affected her. She’d focus on sharpening her form as always. All that mattered was her training.
But when she came down at lunchtime to hand the footage to the support crew, she couldn’t help glancing to see if he was still around. He was—joking around with another snowboarder in the gym area. Still not looking at her. Still not even a hello—he’d given her less acknowledgement than he’d done before she’d had wild animal sex with him. And she was pissed.
When he picked up his tablet went to his office alone, she followed—and didn’t give a damn who saw her.
“What are you doing in here Nicoletta?” he asked coolly, continuing to swipe his stupid screen.
“Oh. So you remember my name?” She closed the door and glared at him.
At that he put the tablet onto his desk and actually looked at her for the first time all day. “Are you getting sassy with me?”
Nicoletta paused when she saw the glint in his eyes. But she was too pissed to pull back now. “Are you getting civil with me?”
He walked around his desk, his hands jammed into his jeans. “You didn’t want any one to know and yet here you are, locking yourself in my office the first chance you get.”
“You didn’t have to ignore me completely,” she said, suddenly feeling too needy. Hell. What was she doing?
“No?” He jerked her towards him just the second before she realized she should back off.
She put her hands on his chest to push him away. Coming in here had been a mistake. If he’d had enough of her, he’d had enough and she was making a fool of herself already.
But he wouldn’t release her.
“I can’t see you during the day,” he muttered the hot words right against her mouth. “Because once I’ve seen you, I can’t wait to have you again.” His hand slipped under her shirt, slipped further south still. “If you don’t want people knowing then you need to keep your fucking distance. Understood?”
Relief—and raw lust—poured through her. His erection pushed against her and his hand moved greedily into her panties—pleasing them both.
“I don’t care,” she gasped as he penetrated her. “I just want you now.” More than this. She wanted naked and... naked.
He growled. “Put your wicked legs together then.”
“Together?” All she wanted to do was spread them further, wishing she was stripped so he could take her completely.
“So you lock my fingers in nice and tight.” He nudged her foot in with his.
“Oh man,” she breathed as he wriggled his fingers deeper, his thumb flicking over her clit.
“Austin,” he corrected dryly.
“Yeeeah… oooohhhhh,” she whispered, unable to stop herself from riding his hand.
He kissed down her neck. “You’re so wet already.”
“I told you, I only have to think of you.”
He rubbed harder, kissed her deep, muffling her moans with his mouth. She rocked as he supported her his fingers plunging faster—one, then two. With her legs locked so tight together his touches were exquisite agony.
But she tore her lips from his as her orgasm hit. “Austin,” she breathed, her heart pounding. The need for more doubled.
“Not quite a scream but I guess it’ll do,” he teased, drawing back. “Better?”
“Barely.” Weak-kneed she confessed the truth. “I can’t get enough,”
“Later,” he growled, pulling his hand free. “You’d better get out of here now.”
“What about you?” She cupped his erection.
He stepped out of her reach, his jaw hardening. “I’ll survive.”
“I’ll come to your room as soon as I’m done,” she promised, suddenly contrite. This hadn’t been fair of her.
“You’d better,” he answered tightly. “Now get the fuck out while you still can.”
Austin took a few deep breaths, trying to relax his strung-out self. She was known to be a demanding diva, but this was a different kind of demand to that usual entitlement. That she’d needed his attention was more sweet insecurity than high maintenance finger snapping. And her neediness was a soothing balm to his own—he’d barely been able to sleep for thinking of her. For wishing he’d insisted she stay longer. So he was damn glad it was the same for her. He couldn’t get enough either.
It was ten minutes before he could go back out and continue his day. She’d gone back up the slopes by the time he had. Thank god.
“Wha
t are you watching?” he asked the bunch of skiers who were crowded round one of the computers.
“NV had a Go-Pro on her helmet this morning,” one explained. “This is the footage.”
Austin watched as he had so many times in the past. And yet again he was blown away by her ability. She was technically incomparable. It had taken years and years of training and focus to get to this skill level and while she was already the best, she always continued to push for more. The speed she was heading down that almost sheer slope?
He turned and walked away. The woman needed her sleep if she was determined to defy death down the mountain during the day.
He was going to have to rethink their arrangement.
It was well into the evening when he finally walked back up to the Lodge with Kyle. He’d been held up with a patient who’d broken her leg and been stretched off the intermediate slope.
“Hey NV,” Kyle called across the foyer to Nicoletta who was sitting staring at her phone again.
“Hey,” she smiled at him vaguely.
But that was enough encouragement for the bastard.
“You want to grab something to eat in the restaurant?” Kyle asked her. “I’m headed there now if you’d like?”
Austin shoved his fists into his pockets. He wanted to call him on it but he couldn’t blame the dude. The liftie was just trying his luck and Austin had to admire his chutzpah.
“Thanks, but I have to get an early night.” Nicoletta stood, not so much as glancing at Austin. “I’m right back into training now.”
“Oh. Sure.” Kyle smiled his best at her.
“Thanks anyway.” She almost smiled back as she walked past.
“She’s not as scary as all that, is she?” Kyle commented, watching her go. “It’s the eyes. Don’t you think? Beautiful, brown eyes you could just look into forever.”
Austin didn’t trust himself to answer. Scary? Nicoletta terrified him.
“Some people just see the blond-ish hair or the breasts or the never ending legs,” Kyle mused. “But for me it’s those eyes.”