Page 20 of Christmas with the Elkin Billionaires

Tana crossed the room and leaned over Lindsey. Sure enough, she was fast asleep, her breathing deep with exhaustion. Lindsey’s leg hadn’t seemed to bother her when she walked into the house and to her room. And there were no other signs that Lindsey had been injured. Tomorrow her daughter might have to deal with extreme weakness in her bad leg, but only time would tell. It wasn’t anything they hadn’t dealt with before. Tana’s pulse slowed, relaxing. The grip of anxiety released her.

In the quiet of Lindsey’s room, she recalled Chase, strong and sexy, carrying the most important person in her life. He’d been so gentle with her. So unfazed by Lindsey’s arguments. And he hadn’t even hesitated for an instant when it was time to get into the car. He’d been by her side through it all. She took a deep breath, gathered up the rest of Lindsey’s snow things, and backed quietly out of the room.

Chase stood in the living area, the light from the picture window making him a manly silhouette. The line of his jaw became sharper as he watched her cross to the front closet. Her heart thudded, but it wasn’t out of fear.

When Lindsey’s clothes were put away, Tana joined Chase at the window. From here, the barely contained sorrow on his face was evident. He’d taken off his coat and hat, and his 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 her skiing. I get it.” He put a hand to his heart, and Tana saw that hedidget it—he really did. “I get why you are 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’mthe 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.”

“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 blue of his eyes 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 youhaveto 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 slid down to her hips 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. Theclickof the latch sounded louder than a firework, and both froze, breathing hard. Listening.

Then Tana was back 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, andcut.

She hadn’t paid attention when they were in the hot tub and the power in his stance covered it, but she’d worked in jobs like dance and skiing long enough to see the slight size difference in his legs. The scar on his left leg, which she hadn’t noticed before, gave her a slight pause and she worried about hurting him. It stretched from almost to his hip down to his knee and looked like a train track. He caught her looking. “It’s okay. It looks worse than it feels. Promise.”

When his T-shirt came off, it was her undoing and nothing else mattered.Talk about abs. Tana realized she was gaping at him, and especially at the thick, hard length of him. He hid nothing from her and she was there for it. For him.

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 wasdonewith 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 hit the bed, Chase was on top of her. He balanced himself on his elbows and kissed her hotly. Her mouth. Her neck. Her collarbone.Hurry, hurry,she thought.And slow down.

Chase teased one of her nipples with his teeth, and she arched off the bed, her desire combusting into something superheated and pure. He moved to her other nipple and she scrabbled for him, finding purchase wherever she could on his skin. Tana spread her legs open for him, as wide as she could. She ached for him.

“I want more of you.” He pulled out of her grip and slid down on the bed, his big hands holding her thighs in place. “I need to taste you.”

“Chase, no, no—we don’t have time, we don’t—”

“I saidtaste.I’ll devour you later.” He bent his head to her most sensitive flesh and licked, one long, lingering stroke that ended on her clit. She’d been so foolish to think he was skilled at skiing more than anything else. Her thighs trembled. “So sweet,” he said, and it took all her restraint not to thread her hands through his hair, like she’d fantasized, and keep him where she wanted him.

Tana couldn’t catch her breath. She felt empty without him, needy, and she opened her mouth to tell him so. What came out instead was a whimpering moan. She fumbled in her bedside table and pulled out a box. Flipping it open, she spilled out the contents, her fingers scrambling before finally finding a condom. Tana put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from making any more noises and pushed the foil packet into Chase’s hand.

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