The Billionaire Athlete’s Christmas Fling - Leslie North Page 0,25

and hat, and his ginger hair was mussed in a way that made her want to run her hands through it.

“I’m sorry, Tana. I know I said it before, but—” Chase met her eyes. “I shouldn’t have encouraged the skiing. I get it.” He put a hand to his heart, and Tana saw that he did get it—he really did. “I get why you were so protective of Lindsey. Seeing her fall...” Chase let out a breath. “My heart stopped. I’ve never been so scared, and it’s because of me that—”

“Stop.” Tana put her own hand over Chase’s, there on his chest. She had to set him straight. “I’m the one who was wrong. I’ve been too overprotective. There’s a difference between keeping a child safe and keeping them from living. I was trying to keep Lindsey from living on the off-chance that she’d get a few bruises and bangs.” Something she’d been doing to herself as well.

“You sure about that? Because I’m to blame, too.”

For so long, she’d tried to avoid getting hurt again. The stakes were even higher now that she had Lindsey. It was one thing to get your heart broken when you were young and single, but with her daughter in the mix...

“Some things are good enough to take risks for,” she said softly, recognizing the truth.

His eyebrows shot up, the green stunning her all over again. Fierce, sweet anticipation flashed over her skin. Tana had a deep sense that he understood what she was trying to tell him. It was like the last day of winter cold before spring warmth breaks, and Tana wanted to savor it.

“Some risks you have to take,” Chase murmured.

They both reached for each other at the same time.

Chase’s hands went to Tana’s waist, and she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him down so fast that their lips met in a sultry crash. A rush of oxytocin barreled over Tana like an avalanche. All her years of single-mom worry disappeared. They’d come back, but at this moment, she was a woman in a man’s arms. With his mouth on hers.

Kissing him back, she parted her lips to let him explore deeper, and Chase took the invitation. His hands landed on her waist and she wanted to know what it would feel like to have his body close to hers. She couldn’t stop kissing him. Wouldn’t. Not this time.

“My room,” she murmured against his mouth. “Please, Chase.”

He surfaced to take one breath and pulled her down the hallway, their feet soundless on the carpet. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart and thought it might explode. She pointed to her room, eager for more.

In her bedroom, he backed against the door to close it. The click of the doorknob sounded louder than a firework, and both froze, breathing hard. Listening.

Tana kept kissing him. She kissed the side of his neck. The line of his shirt against bare skin. She nipped at his earlobe, which made him groan. She stifled that groan with another kiss.

They started stripping off their clothes, not wanting to waste another minute. Flannel shirt. Jeans. He was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen in her life, all lean, muscular, and cut.

She’d been working in jobs like dance and skiing long enough to see the slight size difference in his legs, but the power in his stance covered it. The scar on his leg gave her a slight pause, but only because she was worried about hurting him. When his T-shirt came off it was her undoing and nothing else mattered. Talk about abs. Tana discovered she was gaping at him, and especially at the thick, hard length of him. He hid nothing from her.

Chase stepped closer, the heat of his body coming off him in waves as he took her chin in his hand. He tipped her face up to look at him. Those full lips—she wanted them back on hers. Every nerve buzzed with wanting him. It was enough electricity to start a house fire.

“Are you sure?” His deep, quiet voice stoked something low in her belly. Desire.

“Yes.” Because the choice was obvious. Stark. Black and white. She could either risk the heartbreak of falling for someone who seemed perfect or risk living the rest of her life filled with regrets. She was done with regrets. Tana took Chase’s hand and pulled him onto the bed.

They fell into the blankets, tugging them out of their neat arrangement. The moment her back