Elkin Brothers Christmas: The Complete Series Page 18

  But then what? Could they just shake it off and go back to the parts they were playing? It would be challenging at best, and at the end of this vacation, she’d be no closer to what she wanted out of life. Her business, for one thing—but a real relationship, too. One with love and compromise and commitment.

  As if he could hear the storm of thoughts crowding her head, Gabe tilted her head up until their eyes met and held. “One night wouldn’t hurt.” He sounded so sure of himself, but Anna wasn’t. “It’s not unethical.” She trailed her fingers down the back of his neck until they met the collar of his shirt. Not unethical didn’t have the ring to it that yes, let’s go to bed did. “But, we shouldn’t.”

  She took a half-step back, and Gabe broke away from her. “You must be exhausted.” His voice was a bit strained, so unlike how he sounded when he sang with his family.

  “I am.” So not true. But it wouldn’t do any good to tell him she was breathless with want and wouldn’t be able to sleep. “An early night would probably do us good.”

  They carefully avoided each other while they took turns brushing their teeth and preparing for bed. Anna came out of the bathroom just as Gabe was on his way out to the living room with a pillow tucked under his arm.

  “Oh, don’t.” Guilt crashed into her. “You don’t need to sleep on the couch.”

  His eyes met hers with a searching focus. “Are you sure?”

  The question shimmered in the air. They’d been close to doing much more than sharing a bed, but sending him away didn’t feel right, either. “We managed it last night just fine.”

  He seemed to consider it, then headed back toward his side of the bed. Anna’s body thrummed with awkward pressure as she crawled in beside him and turned off the light on the nightstand. Gabe did the same, plunging them into the half-darkness of the room. Moonlight bled into the air through the cracks around the curtains, so she could still make out the shadowy shape of him.

  “Goodnight, Gabe.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Ugh. Now she was an arm’s length away from him in bed and feeling more needy and frustrated than ever. A pillow wall might be the only solution to keep her from rolling against him in her sleep. Nothing would be more embarrassing than waking up on his side of the bed wrapped around him.

  The minutes ticked by, and still sleep didn’t come. Anna corralled a herd of sheep in her mind and counted them one by one. Who’d have thought she’d be lying there thinking of mattress commercials after how well the dinner and caroling had gone? Not her.

  Next, she tried meditational breathing exercises, and then pretending to be asleep. Nothing worked. After what seemed an eternity, she pushed back the covers and tiptoed out of bed, moving quickly for the living room.

  At least she could take a deep breath out here.

  There was so much space to roam. Anna headed for the kitchen to get a glass of water and then took another turn in the bathroom, washing her face for the second time that night. The Elk Lodge supplied the creamiest of soap and bath bombs at the side of the jacuzzi tub to entice guests to linger in this little piece of heaven. Raspberry Relaxation seemed like a promising choice. Tomorrow, she’d treat herself to a relaxing bath.

  Anna made her way to the picture windows in the living room, taking in the view. The slopes really were stunning, especially with the snow clean and white, starkly contrasting with the vast dark sky above.

  “Are you all right?” Gabe’s voice from the bedroom door pulled her away from the window. “You’ve been gone quite a while.”

  “I couldn’t sleep. Obviously.” She laughed, but it was a tired laugh, and concern flared in Gabe’s eyes. He walked closer, Anna unable to look away from where his pajama pants were slung low on his hips and his sleep shirt—a Henley that she found unfairly irresistible—lay unbuttoned at the neck. “Couldn’t turn my brain off.”

  Gabe took a seat on the leather sofa facing the window and spread out his arms over the back, the movement stretching the shirt over his biceps. Anna sucked in a deep breath. Breathe, girl. Breathe.

  His eyes swept over every inch of her. “Does this have anything to do with the phone call you got earlier?”

  The real world pushed back into her mind with an unpleasant jolt. Anna turned away. She didn’t want to discuss her family or her past, or that she shouldn’t be at a place like the Elk Lodge with a man like Gabe. “I got out of a bad relationship recently,” she hedged. “My best friend was worried I’d made a mistake on the rebound by coming here with you.”

  One eyebrow arched upward and for a moment all the things she hadn’t wanted to talk about crowded together at the tip of her tongue. If she spilled her secrets here and now...

  Well, she wouldn’t.

  But suddenly she was aware she was standing there in a tank top and sleep shorts, Gabe’s gaze fixed on her. It was like when they’d come into the room before—and the heady, reckless feeling returned, this time more demanding.

  He let out a short breath and shifted on the couch. The temperature in the room seemed to skyrocket. Gabe’s pajama pants weren’t thick enough to hide his arousal. More than anything, she wanted to hear him make that noise again—that soft, deep groan in the back of his throat that sang with wanting her.

  Gabe blinked, and his professional expression fell back in place. He ran a hand through his tousled hair. “Best if we just focus on the matter at hand, don’t you think?”

  Anna tried to shake off the ringing temptation of him, which filled the room and made her want to keep breathing in that excitement forever. This was precisely why they couldn’t have sex. Just the act of standing near him made her feel like she was being pulled in. Gravity teased her nipples and a point down low between her legs until it was almost unbearable. Gabe was like an undertow, and it took all her energy not to get swept away.

  Which was probably for the best. Gabe asked her here to do a job for him, and it would never work once they went back to the real world. That was the nature of contract work. There and gone again, faster than you could blink.

  “You’re right,” she said, and then she let out a yawn. It started out fake but turned into something real by the end, and Anna found herself stretching her hands above her head. From beneath her eyelashes she caught Gabe gawking—stretching like this emphasized her full breasts, especially in a tank top. She hastily put her hands back down by her sides. That wasn’t playing fair. “Let’s go back to bed.”

  She caught a flash of frustration on his face—let’s go back to bed certainly didn’t sound like something they would say to each other at any other meeting—but that was the situation.

  Gabe Elkin.

  A single bed.

  A holiday getaway.

  Anna headed for the bedroom and slipped back under the covers, her heart beating fast. Surely he wouldn’t stay out on the sofa in his own family lodge. Half of her hoped he would, just for some breathing room.

  And the other half—

  The other half yearned for him. Anna had mostly read about yearning in the context of her mom’s old romance novels, the ones stored in a cardboard box in the basement. But this—this was exactly what she’d imagined it would feel like.

  Gabe returned and slid into the bed without a word, turning away from her. Sleeping next to him and not touching seemed all wrong, but apparently he was okay with it. She was probably just a body to him. Good enough for sex, but not good enough for anything else.

  7

  “I can’t believe you guys do this,” Anna murmured into Gabe’s ear as she leaned closer and snuggled next to him in the sleigh. It was drawn by a team of two white horses with bells on their harness, and they tinkled as they rode over the flat cross-country trails at the back of the resort. The trees to either side of them had been decorated with lanterns and silver bows. “I’ve never even seen a horse-drawn sleigh, much less ridden in one.”

  Not in Nevada, anyway. There had been sleighs in Christmas parades, sure, but they’d moved on the back of
parade floats or on wheels. She wondered how well a sleigh would run on desert sand, but suspected it would be difficult for the horses.

  Gabe squeezed her hand, sending a delightful heat to warm her cheeks. When was she going to stop having such a crush on him? Probably not during this trip judging by the way things were going so far. Especially not with his family sitting in the front row and Gabe in performance mode. All the holiday cheer made the air almost sweet, and his grin made her want to snuggle closer, not put distance between them the way she should.

  “Sleigh rides are a popular attraction with the guests.”

  “I can see why. It’s almost magical.”

  Gabe laughed.

  His brother Jonas turned around from the front seat where he sat next to Elin, his gaze zeroing in on their closeness. “You two lovebirds enjoying yourselves?” There was an edge to his voice that his smile didn’t hide.

  “Of course we are.” Anna smiled. She’d never give Jonas any reason to believe she wasn’t Gabe’s real fiancée. Any woman who wanted to marry Gabe would love the resort and everything they had to offer. Besides, the sleigh ride was so quintessentially Christmas that it would be tough not to enjoy it. “There’s something so romantic about a sleigh ride. Don’t you think?”

  The horses pulled them around a bend and back into view of the lodge. Elin put a hand to her mouth. “I’ve lived here a long time, but the sight of that building at Christmastime is one of my favorites and never fails to disappoint.”

  The lodge, all dark wood and glowing windows, was a festival of Christmas lights in matching gold tones that made the place look like it was gilded in the dusky evening. The last of the sunset bled from the sky in an orange and purple haze as they approached, and the sleigh driver reined the horses to a stop out front. Gabe climbed out first, Jonas following close behind. Both men helped the women down from the sleigh.

  His gloved hand felt big and powerful on hers, and he gave it a gentle squeeze as she stepped down. A smile played over Gabe’s face, warm and intimate. Is he acting?

  “I’m glad you got to come on a sleigh ride with us,” he said. “Maybe one day—”

  And then a snowball hit Gabe in the side of the head. His eyes went wide and he turned and ducked, scooping snow from the ground as Elin took Jonas’s arm and headed toward the lodge, laughing as she went. Tana and her daughter Lindsey had launched the attack and Chase was backing them up.

  A snowball fight.

  Another first. Anna had never been in a snowball fight before, and the snow seemed unwieldy in her hands. She got one ball together and launched it at Chase, who neatly ducked out of the way. Everyone was having fun, their voices echoing high in the clear night.

  Jonas came back out of the lodge at a run, scooped up some snow, and made a snowball without stopping. He aimed at her, but Gabe stepped in front, flinging out his arms to save her from the hit.

  Game on.

  It didn’t take long, however, for Anna to notice the cold seeping through her gloves. They were meant more for sleigh rides than skiing. The chill spread to her body and her teeth started to chatter.

  Gabe was the first to notice. “Time out,” he yelled, his voice louder than all the other noise. “Anna’s cold.” He put a hand to the side of her face and looked down into her eyes. “Let’s get you inside.”

  “No,” she protested. “I’m good to keep going.”

  “You’ll freeze out here.” Gabe slipped an arm around her waist and hustled them both toward the glowing warmth of the lodge. “If there’s anyone more in need of hot chocolate than you, I’d be shocked.”

  The lobby bustled with activity—more activity than Anna had expected, but Gabe had eyes for none of it. He led her straight to the gourmet hot chocolate station on a mahogany table at the side of the room, whipping her up a fresh cup of cocoa with surgical precision.

  “Here. Drink this.” The grey in his eyes was more intense when they were inside, giving the color a stormy cast. It wasn’t just the hot cocoa that made her blush.

  Gabe reached up and stroked a lock of hair away from her forehead. “Should we sit?”

  “I’m really okay.” The hot chocolate was smooth and delicious—still delightful, though it was the second cup of the night. The warmth of his gaze went to her bones, chasing away all the chills. “Shouldn’t we get out there and finish the battle?”

  “Not until I’m sure you’re thoroughly recovered from the cold.”

  She laughed. This was the Gabe she worked with and admired wholeheartedly. It wouldn’t be so bad to bask in it for a while, would it? Possibility glimmered in the air between them. They could go up to the room and cuddle on the couch until she was heated from her head to her toes. They could even go in the jacuzzi—

  Jonas and Chase, followed by Tana and Lindsey, came into the lobby on a burst of cold, fresh air.

  “You’re coming to the gingerbread house competition, right?” Chase clapped a hand on Gabe’s shoulder, and a twinge of disappointment marred the glow of the hot chocolate in her chest. They’d been having a moment together. Moment over. It did, however, explain all the people in the lobby who were making their way into one of the elegant meeting rooms to join the competition.

  “I wasn’t done throwing snowballs.” Anna grinned. “But I can hold my own with gingerbread.”

  Jonas gave a quick nod. “Good. You’ll make the competition much more exciting.”

  “Excuse me,” Tana cut in. “You’ve never seen me work with gingerbread before.”

  The four of them followed the guests into a room decorated with miles of tinsel and lights. A Christmas wonderland, for sure. The area was set up with tables covered in dark green tablecloths, topped with silver trays that held stacks of gingerbread and all the decorations a person could dream of.

  Gabe guided her to a table with a light touch on the small of her back. “This one’s ours.”

  First things first—Anna tugged off her gloves and coat, and Gabe took them over to a coat rack in the corner of the room. While he was gone, she rolled up her sleeves and considered the tools at their disposal. Plenty of frosting. Plenty of sprinkles. Little bowls of gold leaf. When the Elk Lodge did something, they didn’t skimp.

  “I think we go classic,” she announced as Gabe joined her. “A one-room house, and let the decorations speak for themselves.”

  He dropped a kiss on her cheek, sending a shiver all the way down to her toes. “Good plan.”

  Over at the next table, Tana had dipped a finger in frosting and was waving it in front of Chase’s nose. He laughed, a deep belly laugh that had Lindsey giggling behind her hands, and the three of them jostled and argued as they got the house set up. Jonas had taken a table in the corner with Elin, who sat perched on a chair, delicately painting on swirls of frosting and adding decorations. The room was full of people who were already working on their masterpieces—they’d gotten a head start.

  Anna and Gabe reached for a gingerbread piece at the same time, their hands colliding over the tray. Gabe caught her hand in his and kissed the back of it. Desire shot through her and heated her face.

  She cleared her throat and went about setting up the four walls of the house. Gabe stepped behind her, reaching around to pipe in the frosting as she held the pieces together. The hard lines of his body bracketed her in, and her breath caught.

  “There. Four walls are done,” Gabe said, smiling down at her and at what they’d accomplished as a team.

  “Let’s do the roof,” she said.

  Anna couldn’t help but notice the strong lines of his forearms, and the capable way his hands moved. But then he stepped back, letting her take over with the decorations as she added a row of gumdrops to the “front lawn” of the gingerbread house. Anna popped one in her mouth and savored the sweetness on her tongue.

  “Don’t you want to help with the gumdrop picket fence?” she teased.

  “It’ll be better if you do it.” Gabe stood close, supervising but not touching the candy.
He always wanted things to be perfect and that’s what she intended to do. Gabe’s grandmother would only ever see her being perfectly happy and content. The ideal fiancée.

  The host—one of the head staff members—called time on the contest a few minutes later. Gabe took their house to the judging table. The winners would be announced the next day.

  He returned with their coats and a relieved smile just as Chase and Tana approached.

  “Dinner at grandmother’s?” Chase asked.

  “We wouldn’t miss it.” Gabe nodded. “What time?”

  “As soon as everybody’s there.” Chase took Tana’s hand and she took Lindsey’s, and the three of them headed for the exit.

  Elin left on Jonas’ arm right after them, leaving Anna and Gabe. They made their way to the elevator and rode up, but outside the door to Elin’s apartment, Gabe hesitated. He put his hand in hers, and Anna straightened. Obviously, they needed to make a convincing entrance.

  However, she was surprised when instead of going into his grandmother’s suite, he tugged her down the hall. They stopped at a shadowy alcove with a round window overlooking the ski slopes and abandoned their coats on a low table nearby.

  “Did you want to show me the view?” she asked as he led her into the deeper shadows.

  “No.” And then his mouth was on hers, answering the need in her. She sucked in a gasp as the kiss deepened and Gabe’s tongue found hers. Oh—there was the wall, coming up against her back and holding her upright. His hands worked down her sides before one came back up to cup her face. Anna was almost sure her knees would buckle. She stayed standing, arms around his neck, pulling him in tighter than she’d expected. Gabe nipped at her bottom lip, and a tiny moan escaped her. They shouldn’t be doing this—not in the hall outside his grandmother’s suite, not where someone might come across them—

  And what? See that they were all over each other, the way an engaged couple might be? She sank into the kiss, losing herself a little bit more. It wasn’t right that they were wearing so many clothes. It wasn’t right at all. Anna ran one hand down the front of Gabe’s shirt, feeling the hard plane of his chest and the ridges of his abs underneath. Tear off the buttons, shrug it down his shoulders—