Page 103 of Mountain Men Heroes
Derriere in the air, Ivy froze. Goosebumps prickled the length of her spine until Ivy stood ramrod straight.
Her eyes slammed shut. Right on cue, her bad luck showed up like an unwanted crazy uncle.
A whiskey-rich baritone warmed her from the outside in and had her wishing for warm blankets, and deep kisses and a rumbling fire. In that order.
Damn.
“Ivy, this is Damon Savage. My brother-in-law and your racing buddy. I trust you two will win.” Zahara provided like a chirpy little cardinal.
Damn her. She smelled a setup. Zahara’s eyes lit with an I-told-you-so glow and made Ivy want to grind her teeth.
Ivy did a slow one-eighty and the thick wool of her socks dug into the plastic grass carpet that acted as the only barrier between frostbite and her toes. Locked in like Velcro, it was all she could do to keep her balance as she stood, chin raised. Then raised a notch higher. Reaching up, she used a finger and pushed her glasses back in place.
Sweet baby Jesus, he’s like a freaking gladiator. She shivered from her pinky toes to the roots of her hair.
Broad-chested, dimples on either side of his cheeks and taut pecs. Naked, tattooed pecs with pebbled nipples and a light dusting of snow on his shoulders. A marble god, she corrected herself as her gaze raked over perfection. Her gift shop bought guidebook did not warn her of such wintry beauty. No shirt, nothing to protect him against the cold and he owned it as if ice laced his blood and he thrived in it.
In place of pants, only a scrap of brown leather with a big S on the front for Savage she presumed protected his essentials from the cold like the others she saw gathered on the opposite side of the table.
“Did you know it takes as little as five minutes for a body part to die of frostbite and fifteen for hypothermia to take hold?”
Smooth, Ivy. Real smooth. You’re going to be dead before you see any action.
Ivy couldn’t help the sudden urge to tuck her head into the nearest snowbank. She needed to get a life outside the freaking library and hospital.
Tall, hard, and very much all male. Damon. She rolled the name around on her tongue. Fitting, she surmised. Rock-solid and cocky with a stubborn angle to his chin. He stood, arms at his sides and a half grin claiming one side of his mouth as his eyes drank in the flush of heat brushing her cheeks.
Another team lined up at the starting line all smiles and full of taunts. The sound of the gun went off and cheers erupted.
Her heart did erratic things in her chest. They were next.
“I see I’m not the only one that likes facts. Nice. I did know but it’s still good for the refresher. When working with tourists an Alaskan native can forget the more delicate skin of outsiders.”
As she stripped off another layer of socks she considered his words.
Smooth like silk. He was good. Heat returned to her extremities little by little as her mortification faded.
“Damon here has signed on to be yours all day after the race. A personal guide at your beck and call.”
Damn her sister. More heat flooded her cheeks.
“Thanks.” She made quick eye contact with Damon who only smiled back in that home town lazy relaxed way that made her wonder if anything ever riled him up. He’d fit right in back home with all the Texan boys.
Ivy tried to act nonchalant, but that was hard to accomplish with her pants down around her knees. A harsh swallow worked her throat and that caught his gaze next.
Hers? All day? Christmas wishes did come true. Her inner vixen whipped out the cuffs and whipped cream ready for the party while, on the outside, Ivy worked her expression into cool and calm.
Besides, who was she kidding? Her land him? Nerdy doctor dropouts didn’t get the town’s gorgeous bachelor. Three days, a week or a month wouldn’t change that little fact. Not for her. Just how it was and she accepted it as fact a long time ago.
Quickie hookups and one-night stands never suited her anyway. Or rather no one ever really considered the quiet girl in the corner of the library poring over research books as sexy. Long hours in the library and her six-week rotations at the hospital kind of bit into her non-existent love life too. Not that she hadn’t fantasized about a man just like Damon taking her in the back among the empty aisles.
Oh, how she wished.
Damon’s smile broadened until and brightened his light brown eyes with a warm glow.
Beautiful. Love at first sight was a myth for idiots, but damn, lust at first sight… totally a thing and it had her panties dripping wet.
One more layer to go.