Free Fall

_{Chapter 5}

"What did I tell you about my middle name?" There was a teasing lilt in those whiskey-colored eyes as Lily spoke. "Have you been enjoying yourself?"

"More so now." Reaching out, Logan put his hand over hers and felt the icy cold of her skin sing along his. "Holy smokes."

"I know. I'm a Popsicle. I just got in a few minutes ago."

He entwined her fingers in his and gave a little squeeze, trying to give her some of his warmth. She had short, unpainted fingernails that looked as if maybe she sometimes chewed them, and a silver heart ring on her right thumb, which he glided a finger over. He felt a little tremor go through her body, but didn't flatter himself. The woman was frozen solid. "Lily, you need a hot shower. How's your knee?"

"I haven't had a chance to look at it today."

"And I thought I was dedicated."

She laughed again, a soft, musical sound that seemed to wrap around him. "I'm glad to see you here. I figured I scared you off good yesterday, what with all the drama."

"Nah." Odd how his restlessness had vanished. Granted, being with this woman wasn't exactly a leisurely vacation, but he thought that what they could share for the next few days might be a lot better. "You should come live a day in my life sometime. I'm not talking just ski-slope opera drama, either. We face a wider variety of stupidity."

Her smile was slow and sexy. "You're not scaring me off."

"I wasn't trying to. So why are you working the bar?"

"Matt's running late."

"Matt?"

"Remember Sara?"

"The sister worried about you stealing another Jeep?"

"That's the one. Matt's her husband. He's the bartender tonight, I'm just filling in until he gets here."

"You have a big family. I met your aunt Debbie."

"Ah." She looked him over. "I see she let you go without sinking her teeth into you. She must be losing her touch."

"Maybe I wasn't interested."

She shrugged, but he would have sworn that his answer pleased her. Still, she backed up, spread out her white apron and bowed. "What can I get you tonight?"

If she only knew. "Whatcha got?"

"A little of everything. Hot, cold, spicy, sweet… name your poison."

"Hmm." He found himself smiling, feeling totally alive. And incredibly, arousingly aware. "How about something slow, with a kick."

Her eyes darkened just a little. "Are we still talking drinks?"

"That, too."

A variety of emotions crossed her face. Excitement. Thrill. Nerves. The combination was wickedly stimulating.

Her gaze dropped to his mouth while she dragged her lower lip between her teeth. He'd bet his last buck she was thinking about their kiss.

Good. That made two of them.

"Something slow with a kick…" She turned away to survey all the possibilities.

He snagged her wrist, waiting until she looked at him. Her hand was still icy, but now her lips were chattering, too. He'd been outside all day too many times to miss the signs. She was badly chilled.

"No," she said, and pulled free.

"I didn't say anything."

"You were going to tell me to go get warm, and you'll help out while I do."

"It's not a bad plan."

"Except…"

"You're not a woman who likes needing help?"

"No. But thank you," she added softly. "It's sweet. You're sweet."

"What I'm thinking about is quite probably the furthest thing from sweet you've ever seen. Do you want to know what I'm thinking?"

She stared at him, shivered hard. "Yes."

He had to laugh. No woman he'd ever known would have said yes. "I'm thinking of all the ways I can warm you up." He leaned forward. "With-"

She put a finger to his hps. "You're warming me up already. You have a way of looking at me, Logan White."

"Do I?"

"Like you want to gobble me up."

"Does that frighten you?"

"Nothing frightens me."

Someone down the bar gestured for a refill, and she smiled her apology and moved toward them. A lanky guy with a head of dark curls made his way behind the bar and gave her a big bear hug with a smacking kiss right on the lips.

Matt, Logan assumed.

Lily stripped out of her apron and a moment later came to Logan's side with two whiskey shots. She sat down next to him, picked up her glass and lifted it in a toast. "To warmth on a snowy winter's eve."

He lifted his glass, too, and touched it to hers. "To being warm together on a winter's eve."

Her lips curved. "Even better."

He agreed. And though he rarely drank anything harder than a beer, he took the shot.

She did the same, then swiped her mouth with her arm and smiled. "That should help."

"Yeah, so would-"

"Lily Rose." A woman who looked remarkably like Lily came up to them. She had Lily's brown, bouncy long curls, Lily's whiskey eyes, though not as happy, and Lily's face, only at least ten years older. Her mouth tightened at the shot glass in Lily's hand. "I need a moment."

"Now's bad."

"Please."

Logan could tell the word, uttered sincerely, surprised Lily, and she nodded. "All right. Excuse me," she said to him.

He watched her follow her sister out of the bar, limping fairly steadily on that knee as she went. He set a ten-dollar bill on the bar to pay for the two whiskeys and then followed the two women, not exactly sure why he felt so dead set on getting Lily warmed up and fed. Old habits, he thought-that same protective instinct that hundreds of SAR call-outs had honed-but the knowledge didn't stop him. He figured it had been way too long since anyone had protected Lily.

Lily and her sister stood off in a dim corner of the hallway.

"For God's sake, Lily Rose! You can't drink with the guests! It's bad enough people are talking about the missing out-of-bounds signs, now they'll worry about the wild woman who runs this place."

"People are not talking."

"Yes, they are. You shouldn't be behind that bar, you have a crew. Honestly, if you can't manage this thing, I told you I could step in, but you never ask for help."

"Hold on." Lily let out a low laugh. "I don't need your help."

"I beg to differ."

"Look, I'm killing myself to manage this resort, and I'm doing a damn fine job of it. If you don't think so, you can just bite me."

"Bite me? Is that the mature response here?"

"It's an honest one."

"You were drinking. With a guest."

"Well, clearly, I'm going to hell."

"Lily Rose-"

Logan vowed never to tease her with the name Rose again.

Lily leaned into Gwyneth. "I don't have to explain myself but I'm going to because I'm feeling charitable. I've never had a drink with a guest before."

"Really? How about that time you were found on the floor of the bar, nuzzling directly from the beer on tap? You weren't alone."

"I was sixteen. And okay, yes, I was with the daughter of a guest, but she was sixteen, too. I paid for that mistake, you know I did. Grandpa nearly killed me. And Grandma made me clean all the toilets and showers in the inn, daily, for my entire sophomore year."

"I'm just saying."

Lily rubbed her face. "Gwyneth, I've had a long day. I'm cold and wet. I'm going to my room to shower."

"And then?"

"Whatever strikes my fancy."

"I worry about you, Lily."

"No, you worry about Bay Moon, and how long it'll take me to screw up. I'm not going to. Get used to that."

"Is that what you think? That I'm just watching for you to screw up? My God, Lily. Really?"

Lily rubbed her temples. "I'm too tired for this. Good night, Gwyneth."

"Good night." Gwyneth sighed. "Just…be careful, will you?"

"Always." They both turned to go their separate ways.

Logan knew the exact moment Lily saw him because she lifted a brow. "Logan. This is my sister, Gwyneth."

Gwyneth shook his hand while giving him the eagle eye. "How long are you staying with us?"

"The rest of the week."

"By yourself?"

"Gwyneth-" Lily said warningly.

"Yes," Logan answered. "I'm by myself, on vacation."

"Which we already messed up yesterday," Lily said. "When he jumped in and helped me on patrol. By the way, we're comping you one of your days," she told him. "And some entertainment stuff, too, like snowmobile riding, maybe ice skating…whatever you want."

"That's not necessary."

"Yes," she said. "It is."

So formal suddenly, and so distant. He wondered what had happened. Had it been her sister hammering at her? No, she didn't seem the type to care what anyone else thought.

She moved away from Gwyneth and he walked with her. "Just two sisters, right?" he asked in a low voice.

"Yes. Thankfully." And as she had from her sister, she turned away. "I'll see you, Logan."

"Count on it." He watched her go, wondering how to reach her again, or if he even wanted to.

But he knew he did.

Very much. Lily didn't see Logan again that night. After her shower, Aunt Debbie showed up in her room with a gift of gorgeous silver-and-crystal earrings, regaling her with her New York life and how great it had been over the past year.

Then there'd been a problem with the plumbing in the ski shop's employee bathroom, and after that, a computer crash. Since their computer guy was a high school techno-head in town-also the baby brother of their cafeteria chef-who'd gotten himself arrested for joyriding in his aunt's car just last week and no longer had access to a vehicle, Lily had to go get him.

By the time all the fires were put out, it was past midnight. The bar was still hopping, but Logan wasn't in it. Nor was he in the cafeteria or the open lodge area or the hot tub. She couldn't blame him- it'd been hours since he'd said he'd see her.

But disappointment flooded her. Once again, the lodge had taken over her life, keeping her from something she'd wanted. Someone she'd wanted.

With a sigh for what might have been, and then another for her easy, carefree life of old, she dragged herself off to bed.