fused, bodies locked, each slick spasm deepening the intimacy.
When her body finally calmed she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling in stunned disbelief.
Jordan collapsed half on top of her, fighting for breath. “That was—”
“It was.”
There was a pause while he tried to recover. Then he lifted his head. “You may not know your own phone number, Karen, but you sure know how to rock a guy’s world. For what it’s worth, I’d give you a solid grade A.”
Grinning, she turned on her side so that she could look at him. How could she feel this comfortable with him? It didn’t make sense, but right now she wasn’t in the mood to analyze it. “Only an A?”
His eyes drifted shut. “It’s the top mark, honey.”
“What about an A with a star? Or an A plus?” She slid her hand down his body and heard him groan.
“Seriously?” He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. “You expect a lot. I’m beginning to understand why men never call you after that one night. You think it’s the fake number that keeps them away, but it’s probably that they’re lying spent in the gutter somewhere trying to recover enough energy to move.”
“What can I say? I’ve always been an overachiever. Want me to prove it?”
He pulled her closer. “If that’s what it takes to boost your confidence, I’m all in, Karen.”
Rosie
Rosie lay with her head on Dan’s chest. “That was—” she pressed her mouth to his heated skin “—amazing.”
“You’re amazing.” Dan pulled her closer.
They were in his bedroom at Snowfall Lodge. Catherine was out at a charity carol concert and they’d had the apartment to themselves all evening. Dan had grilled chicken, Rosie had made a salad. They’d shared a bottle of wine and then decided on an early night. Lying in his big king-sized bed, watching the snow falling beyond the window, made her feel more relaxed than she had in days. This was all she’d needed. Time together, away from everyone.
She smiled to herself. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” He turned on his side and ran his hand slowly down her body. “I was reaching the point where I was going to grab you and ravage you behind the nearest tree house. A quickie.”
“Sounds like a quick route to frostbite.” She leaned in and kissed him. “I feel a little guilty for being secretly pleased that Katie got herself snowed in with Jordan.”
“Why would you feel guilty?”
“Because they don’t get on well. She’ll be hating every minute. I suppose he will be, too. They irritate each other.”
“Not your problem, honey.” Dan pulled her closer and she curled her body into his.
“It is my problem. She’s my sister. I love her. And I feel bad. I’m the reason she’s here, and now she’s snowed in with a man she doesn’t like. I bet they’re going crazy trapped together. What do you think they’re doing?”
“Knowing your sister, she’s probably grilling Jordan for information on me.”
“That’s a possibility. She hasn’t exactly been relaxed since she arrived. I assure you she’s not normally this bad. Has she upset you?”
“No.” He stroked her hair gently. “But it hasn’t been easy to steal time together, has it? She’s done her best to keep us apart.”
“Not on purpose.” Or was it on purpose? “Katie and I haven’t seen each other for a while. Christmas is always a time when we catch up properly. We have a bedroom each at home, but at Christmas we always share and talk until about three in the morning.”
“I understand.”
“It matters to me that you don’t think badly of her. I never really thought about it before, but of course a marriage is more than the joining of two people. It’s the blending of friends and family. I want you to love her, too.”
“Relax. I like your sister very much.”
She was conscious that he’d only spent a few days with Katie and she’d been in her full-on protective sister mode the whole time. And now Rosie was the one feeling protective. Had she been too hard on Katie? She knew how much her sister loved her. Had she been unfair? “Something happened to her, Dan. She has this scar on her shoulder.”
“Did you ask her about it?”
“Yes, and she dismissed it. Said it was nothing, but it didn’t look like nothing to me. I wish she’d talk to me. It’s annoying. Or maybe frustrating is a better word.”
“Not everyone likes to talk about their problems.”