Page 17 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

The water shifted and swirled around her. Chase came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, his touch lighter than the breeze.

“You okay?”

Tana put her knuckles to her teeth.No. I’m not.“I’m...torn. I—I’m attracted to you.”

“That’s a relief.”

She laughed, but it did nothing to release the pressure in her heart. “Of course I’m attracted to you. You’re hot.” Chase got closer, and she could feel the heat of him against her back along with the water. “But I don’t have time for a relationship. And there’s the issue that I’ve applied for a promotion in your family’s resort. It wouldn’t look good.”

Chase leaned his chin on her shoulder. “No?”

“No,” Tana said firmly. “And I’ve heard you mention more than once that you’re only going to be here temporarily. You—you have other plans for your life. You don’t know which direction you’re going to go.”

His firm body, pressed against her back, was enough to make Tana want to stay the night.

“Hmm.” The rumble of Chase’s voice vibrating across her skin and all her muscles was as familiar as it was scintillating. “I know I’m not lonely when I’m with you.” He said it so casually, like he was commenting on the weather or the pine trees surrounding his house. “We could just have a fling. It doesn’t have to be serious. Nobody would need to know about it, so it doesn’t affect anything here at the lodge. And I’m not going to leave before the holidays anyway.” His lips brushed against her neck, and Tana shivered. “Friends with benefits.”

Oh, it was so tempting. Tana’s heart ached for it. Herbodyached for it. She turned around in Chase’s arms and put her fingertips gently to his chest, regret coursing through her. The hot tub’s jets suddenly felt strong, like they were pushing her away. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I just—I can’t. I have to go.”

Towels were stacked on a bench built into the deck, and Tana grabbed one, wrapping it around herself, and feeling like a fool.

“Tana.”

She stopped, halfway back to the sliding doors that led into the house, and turned to face him.

Chase stood in the center of the hot tub.

Don’t look at his abs.She forced herself to keep her gaze on his face.

He sat down on the far side of the tub, his arms stretched out, completely at ease. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me. Okay?”

Tana nodded.Okay. Cool.That’s what she should have said, but no words came. She turned and left, unsure of what to say. This had not gone at all like she’d planned or hoped.

But then honestly, it was her own fault.

She could have said yes.

11

CHASE

Three days later, Chase watched Lindsey fly down the hill, wishing he was out there. His body still remembered what it was like to speed down black diamonds and carve his skis into the snow to stop at the last possible second. His physical therapist said he could try, but if he did, he wasn’t going to start on the bunny slope. He hadn’t done one of those since he was Lindsey’s age.

He was surprised that Tana had okayed all the additional lessons, and frankly, watching how quickly the little girl progressed felt damn good. Not that he could take the credit. It was all her. Her happy squeals made him smile as she whizzed by going faster than she’d ever gone before.Man,did she have natural talent. Her cuts were sharp and precise, and Chase marveled at how much more confident she looked on her skis.

“I’m going on the jump!” she shouted, then turned her focus back down the hill. The jump was a very mild one at the bottom of the bunny hill.Wait.But it was too late. Lindsey was already on the approach. She caught a little bit of air and came down with her face screwed up in concentration. And landed. Shelanded.She’d done it.

“Yes!” He was surprised at how loud he was cheering, but that was fine—Lindsey was whooping too. Joy suffused him, making everything seem like it was in new and vivid color. “You got it! You got it.”

Lindsey skied over to him, hands held high, and they clashed their ski poles together.

“Mom!” she shouted. “Mom, look what I can do!” Lindsey went past Chase in a blur.

Tana had come out of the lodge in her ski boots and was waving at Lindsey. “What did you do?”

“I went over the jump!”

Seeing Tana sent Chase mentally right back to the hot tub and the roll of her hips in his hands. The slide of her bathing suit against his chest, the way her mouth yielded to his. He shook himself out of memory lane. Lessons werenotfor fantasizing about Tana. Period. He came to a stop beside the mother and daughter pair in mid-conversation.

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