He shakes his head and laughs. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“Oh, I really don’t think you’re in a good position to be underestimating me.” I squeeze the throttle and launch the sled forward a few feet, watching Baylor’s smug grin fall from his face. As entertaining as it is, it’s darker than I’m comfortable with, and I feel a little guilty that he followed me out here, looking the way he does. He’s probably freezing. I’m still not even sure how far we’ve pushed each other out during our chase, so I give in and pat the seat behind me. “Alright, fine. Get on.”
He quickly jumps on the back, like he’s scared I might change my mind, and then wraps his arms around me. His hard body presses against mine in an alarmingly erotic way. I can feel his stomach flexing on my back with every slow breath he takes. His firm, long legs trap me in a Baylor cage. And that’s exactly what I am—trapped between a wall of hard muscle and machine.
“I can drive if you want,” he offers.
“Not a chance.” Driving the sled is the one shred of control I feel I have left here.
His biceps contract around my rib cage, giving me a squeeze to let me know he’s ready, and I gently push on the gas. The temperatures dropped quickly after the sun went down, so I welcome the protection and warmth Baylor gives me.
As I head back up the mountain, I start to recognize where I am and realize we went out a lot farther than I thought we did. I ask him for directions on a few turns I’m unsure of, but every time he adjusts his hold on me, my breathing gets heavier.
“You okay?” he asks, tilting his head.
I stiffen and nod. Maybe if I just don’t move or breathe or think, I’ll make it back to the cabin without him knowing how much he’s affecting me right now.
Baylor moves one arm lower and one higher, tightening his hold on me.
The muscles in my abdomen tremble.
His chin rests on my shoulder, right next to my neck. “There’s something you should know, Penny.”
I inhale slowly.Three … two … one. “Yeah? What’s that?”
“I didn’t offer Shaun the amount of money Henry said I did.”
I ease off the gas a bit so I can hear him better. “What are you talking about?”
He exhales with what sounds like frustration. “I didn’t think a couple of hundred would work on him, so I handed him about two grand and told him if he showed up at Heights, he wouldn’t like what happened to him.”
I stare out at the snow-covered path in front of me, letting his words soak in. But the more I run the scenario through my head, the more I can hear my pulse in my ears. My cheeks ignite first and then my whole body. I’m not sure if that reaction is out of anger or something else. “Why would you do that? Is my humiliation worth that much to you?”
“No,” he tells me. His hands move again, and I think he’s removing his gloves. “Because no one is touching you on this trip if it isn’t me.”
My lips part, and I suck in a breath.
What?
His teeth drag up the sensitive slope of my neck. “Are you still convinced I hate you? You think I didn’t want to bend your naked body over that sink the first night?”
My breath turns ragged.
“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than when you were soaking wet, standing in front of me like that. Fuck. The things I’ve dreamed of doing to you every day since then.”
My first instinct is to ask what they are, but I swallow back that curiosity.
“You’re lying,” I say. Because nothing makes sense if it’s true.
“The only lie is if you believe I just started fantasizing about you since you got here. I’ve thought about having you all to myself, every which way, every day since I met you, Aspen. Making you angry with me is just a bonus.” His lips are below my ear when he says, “Because the way you glare at me from across a room makes my cock hard.” He rolls his hips into my ass, and I feel it.
I bite my lip hard to keep from moaning at the images forcing their way into my head. But it escapes the moment he attaches his mouth to the nape of my neck and sucks. As soon as he releases, the cold air hits the wetness and sends a shiver down my spine.
“There’s no one out here, Aspen. We could just stop the sled right here, in the middle of the woods. It could be our little secret if you want. I’ll keep you warm.”
He slides a hand under my jacket. His cold fingers are a shock to my system at first, but then he’s teasing the skin below my bra, and I’m wet. The other hand wanders lower, cupping me from the outside.
“Stop the sled, Aspen.”
