Chapter 4

Four

HANNAH

H ow did I let myself get talked into this? I thought as Jake held up my coat so I could slip my arms inside. Then he walked around me, and I got another look at his muscular body, piercing blue eyes, and Adonis face.

Oh right. That’s how .

Jake belonged on a magazine cover—that’s when it hit me. I’d seen him in an ad for snowboarding gear. He’d seemed vaguely familiar when we met, but I hadn’t been able to put my finger on it.

He was Jake Ashley, a professional snowboarder and two-time Olympic medalist.

I watched him with a bit of awe as I buttoned my white wool double-breasted trench coat. Once both rows of buttons up the front were secured, I adjusted the faux-fur lined lapel, then smoothed out the flared skirt.

December in Vegas was relatively mild during the day, but the temperatures could drop pretty low at night. So, along with our dresses, Wendy and I had both bought warm, but fancy, coats as well.

Another splurge, but when Jake’s gaze heated as it swept over me, I didn’t care about the cost.

“You are fucking gorgeous,” he complimented sincerely, making me blush.

“You’re not so bad yourself. But then, I imagine you are already aware of that since you’ve been on quite a few magazine covers in nothing but a snowboard,” I teased.

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration,” he said with a laugh. “I was never in anything less than a thermal and snow pants.”

I scoffed. “Both of which were so skintight they hid nothing. You might as well have been naked.”

“I didn’t—wait.” Jake’s brow shot up. “You know who I am?”

“It only just came to me a minute ago.” I giggled. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it earlier.”

He laughed and took my hand again, leading me outside. “My name is usually more recognizable than my face. Although I meet people who have seen me in ads and still have no clue who I am. Seems like my sponsors got the short end of the stick there.”

“Oh?” I asked, a little confused.

Jake grinned and shrugged. “Obviously, they overestimated my ‘celebrity’ status. Except with sports fans.” He looked at me curiously. “Are you a fan of snowboarding?”

“I’m a fan of most winter sports,” I admitted as we walked down the sidewalk. A small gust of wind sent a shiver racing down my body, so Jake pulled me close, tucking me into his body with his arm around me. He was toasty warm, so I snuggled in close. “I’ve tried skiing a few times but not snowboarding. I’m much more comfortable on ice rather than snow.”

“Ice? Don’t tell me…you play hockey?” he teased.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. I kick ass. When those Canadians see all five feet and two, one hundred and five pounds of me, they shake in their skates.”

Jake laughed uproariously, forcing us to stop so he could catch his breath. “You are fucking adorable, Hannah,” he said with a smile.

“Um..thanks.” Cute wasn’t exactly the adjective I was going for in this outfit…

“And sexy as hell,” he added in ateasing voice. “So get that disappointed look off your beautiful face.”

I giggled with a sheepish expression. “So, um…where are we going?”

Jake winked at me, then we resumed walking before he answered. “I found an amazing bakery a block from my hotel last night. They have some of the best cookies and brownies I’ve ever eaten. Cookies and hot chocolate are a Christmas Eve tradition in my family, so I thought we could enjoy it together.”

“That sounds wonderful,” I said with a soft smile. Then I rubbed my hands together in anticipation. “I don’t eat much sugar, but I decided to take a break from my rigid schedule and diet for a few days, and that means I’m going to eat allllll the desserts. I’ll probably regret it once I’m back on the ice, but my coach will have no one to blame but himself…” She giggled. “And Wendy, of course. They are the ones who talked me into a vacation.”

He glanced down at me curiously. “Coach? What is it that you do, Hannah?”

“I’m a figure skater.”

Realization dawned on his face, and he chuckled to himself. “Ah, it all makes sense now.” He seemed to absorb the information for another second, then he halted in his tracks and stared down at me in shock. “You’re Hannah Clark,” he stated.

It was my turn to raise my brow in surprise. “You know who I am?”

“I saw you compete a few times in the past couple of years. My sister Cammie is a huge fan.”

Holy crap. He was Cammie’s brother? How had I never put that together?

I’d met Cammie a couple of years ago when I was minorly injured at a competition in New York. It had been a big event, and they’d needed extra hands for the medical staff. She was a nationally certified EMT with a Master’s in Athletic Training and was a year into her doctorate in physical therapy. And, Shawn, the medical director, was a friend of hers and had begged her to join the team temporarily. Luckily for me.

We hit it off and had been friends ever since. However, I was on the road or training in Denver most of the time, and she was busy with school and her job as a medic and ski instructor at the Winter Falls Resort. So we usually met up in random places around the world, even though we’d grown up less than two hours away from each other.

That meant we’d never met each other’s families, so while I’d heard my friend mention her brother, Jake—and even that he was a snowboarder—she’d said nothing about him being a professional. Somehow, I’d never put two and two together, which seemed crazy now because I could see the family resemblance so clearly.

“Damn, Hannah. You are fucking amazing. Everyone has you pegged for the gold in February.”

Jake’s compliment brought me back into the moment, and my cheeks heated. “Well, don’t jinx it!” I said with a giggle.

He laughed, and his eyes sparked with amusement…and something else that caused my stomach to do little anticipatory flips.

I quickly changed the subject, and we spent the rest of the walk talking and learning little things about each other.

“Here we are,” he eventually murmured.

We’d stopped in front of a cute little store with a big display window showing off treats that were making my mouth water.

He opened the door and gestured for me to enter first. The smells hit me as I walked inside, and a little moan of delight escaped my lips.

Jake’s hand glided around to splay over my belly before he pulled me back against him. I felt a large, hard bulge pressing into my back, and my heart rate tripled.

His breath was hot on my ear when he whispered, “Do not make sounds like that, baby. Unless you’re prepared to find yourself naked in my bed while I make you scream instead.”

Heat shot straight to my core, and my damp panties were suddenly soaked. I bit my lip to keep from moaning again, but it was obvious he still sensed my reaction.

“Does that thought get you hot, Hannah? ’Cause it’s sure as fuck making me burn.”

“Um…I…” My brain was too scrambled to form a coherent sentence.

“All I can think about is tasting you and?—”

“Can I help you?” a female voice chirped, interrupting him.

I wasn’t sure whether to be grateful because I was about to spontaneously combust or irritated that I didn’t get to hear the rest of his dirty words.

Jake chuckled, and the low, rich sound made my core clench. “We’ll come back to this later.”

He took a step back and rested his hand on my hip. I blinked a few times to clear away the fog and focused on the woman standing behind a purple counter with a glass display of baked yumminess on each side.

“Why don’t you go have a look?” he murmured, then let me go.

I took a deep breath while I steadied myself, then slowly walked closer to take in the shelves of cookies, cupcakes, and other sugary treats.

Jake ordered a couple of vanilla frosted cupcakes, a dozen cookies in a variety of flavors, and two big cinnamon rolls.

“Planning to have a party?” I bantered.

His smile was adorably crooked when he replied, “A party of two.”

My brow rose, and I laughed. “That’s a lot for two people.”

He winked, and all my southern regions clenched. “I’m very hungry,” he emphasized, his blue eyes heated. Then he glanced back at the clerk and smirked. “I’ll need lots of extra icing.”

Clearing my throat, I turned my eyes back to the display in front of me. I was seriously questioning my position on one-night stands. Although, if I was truly honest, I didn’t think a night with Jake would be enough. He was the kind of guy a girl could easily fall for, and that would be a huge mistake. Even if he was open to the idea of a relationship, it would never work. With both of us on the go all the time, we’d never see each other.

Still…I couldn’t help thinking that he might be worth the heartache that would inevitably follow if I slept with him tonight.