Falling Fast, Contemporary Romance (Last Frontier Lodge Novels Book 4) (18 page)

“Thanks! You two come again soon,” Bradley said before he swirled off.

Cam’s eyes swiveled to her. “Let’s go.”

She looked over and almost melted into a puddle at the dark desire swirling in his gaze.

Chapter 16

Snow started to fall on the drive to Ginger’s house. Plump snowflakes floated down, illuminated in the beam of headlights. Cam turned into Ginger’s driveway and came to a stop. When he turned the engine off, quiet settled around them. Since they’d left the restaurant, he’d barely been able to keep the lust pounding through his body in check. He couldn’t have said what he expected from attempting to talk to Ginger, but the effect had been one of immense relief followed by a straight shot of desire. He’d looked across the table at her with her translucent blue eyes, which darkened and brightened depending on her mood, her tousled brown hair and her plump lips, and all he’d wanted to do was yank her across the table into his lap. He’d settled for teasing her under the table, only to realize his own limits. By the time they left, he’d barely gotten his hard-on under control.

The porch light was on, and it cast a soft circle of silvery light with the snow drifting down. He glanced to her, colliding with her gaze. The lust surging through him tightened its grip. “Are you coming in?” she asked, her words raspy.

“Definitely.”

Her eyes darkened, and she unbuckled her seatbelt. Without a word, she opened the door to his truck and climbed out. He followed quickly. Once they were inside, she hung up her coat and kicked her boots off, gesturing for him to do the same. George bounded over to greet them. Cam had come to learn George expected a few minutes of petting. Ginger lifted him in her arms and stroked his head while she walked through the archway into the kitchen. She busied herself getting his food ready and handed George over to Cam. He sat down at the kitchen table and idly stroked George who leapt down once Ginger filled his water bowl with fresh water.

She stood and turned to Cam. “Do you want anything to drink?”

He shook his head and stood, taking two quick strides to stand just in front of her. Without preamble, he dipped his head and caught her lips in a fierce kiss. A bolt of heat shot through him as her tongue met his in a wild tangle. He tugged her close, sliding a palm down her back to cup her bottom and pull her against him. She moaned into his mouth and arched into his hips. His cock was so hard, it bordered on painful. He broke away from their kiss, his breath heaving. “Upstairs,” he choked out. He latched a hand around one of hers and started to walk to the stairs.

At the base of the spiral staircase, she stepped in front of him onto the bottom stair. In slow motion, she traced his jawline and stroked a hand into his hair. The air around them was charged, beating with the pulse of desire between them. When she whispered his name, heat blazed through him. Her lips dropped to his neck where she trailed hot, wet kisses while she slipped her palms under his shirt and dragged it up. She only leaned away long enough to yank his shirt over his head and fling it across the room. Her mouth and hands traveled in a meandering path until she swiftly unbuttoned his jeans and curled her hand over his cock. He was throbbing with need, so desperate to be inside of her he could barely hang on.

“Ginger, let me…”

He felt her shake her head.
“Uh, uh. My turn.”

When he managed to drag his eyes open and look down, her gaze met his—a gleam in her eyes. She shoved his jeans around his hips and freed his cock from his briefs. She settled her hips on the step behind her and took him in her mouth. His knees buckled, and he had to grab onto the railing to hold himself up. She proceeded to drive him to the point of madness with her hot, wet mouth. She dragged her tongue along the underside of his shaft and cupped his balls lightly in one hand. She curled her other around his cock and alternated between bringing him fully into her mouth and stroking him in her wet grip.

He was on the verge of exploding when she slowly drew back and stood. Driven solely by frantic need, he hooked his hand under the hem of her shirt, lifted it swiftly and tossed it aside. He needed to see her, needed to feel her skin against his. With a flick of his thumb, her bra came undone and her breasts tumbled free. Her nipples were a deep, dusky pink and taut. He cupped a palm around one of her breasts and captured the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Her head fell back on a small cry. He couldn’t resist and leaned forward to swirl his tongue around her nipple while he shoved her leggings down around her hips, dragging her underwear along with them. She kicked her leggings free, and they twirled around the stair railing. Everything became a blur as he sucked her nipple into his mouth and plunged his fingers into the slick heat of her channel.

On the verge of madness, he tore his mouth away and roughly turned her, stroking a hand over the soft give of her bottom and dragging his fingers into her folds. His brain was fuzzed with desire when he heard her say his name over her shoulder. “Huh?”

“I’m on the pill,” she said.

He shook his head, trying to clear the haze in his brain. “Are you sure? I can...”

She rolled her eyes over her shoulder. He could see the corner of her mouth lift in a smile. “I wouldn’t have said anything if I wasn’t sure.”

That was all he needed. He dragged his fingers once more through the pulsing, wet heat of her before gripping his cock in his hand and positioning it at her entrance. He stroked a hand down her spine, bringing his palm to rest in the sweet dip at her waist before surging into her clenching heat. With her hips rolling to meet his, he set a rhythm—slow and deep. He gripped her hip in one hand, the soft give of her skin under his fingers almost intoxicating. Need tightened inside him with each stroke and he drove deeper and faster, pounding against her. He slipped a hand around her waist, sliding over the curve of her belly and delving into her folds to stroke her clit. She arched and flexed against him, pushing her hips back into him. Her breath broke on a sharp cry. With her channel pulsing around him, he finally let go, the pressure spinning loose inside. His release crashed over him hard and fast.

He held her against him for a long moment. Their breath heaved and slowed in unison. When her body softened, he eased his hold and stepped back, immediately missing the feel of being inside of her. He dropped a kiss on the back of her neck before lifting her in his arms.

***

Cam gathered her against him and looked down. Again and again, Ginger almost lost herself in his amber gaze—it was like honey washing over her. He started to take a step and almost lost his balance. She giggled. “Are you really going to try to carry me up a spiral staircase?”

“Of course. I’ve got you,” he said with a low chuckle.

His hold never wavered, although their progress up the stairs was slow. He carried her straight to the bed, lifting the soft down quilt and letting it drift down over them. The rush of cool air pebbled her skin, but he immediately curled around her, the warmth of his body dispelling the momentary chill. She’d left the curtains open this morning, and the stars spread out across the sky in their glittering glory.

“Wow, it’s beautiful out,” Cam said.

His voice was a low rumble against her neck.

“It is. I like to leave the curtains open just for that.” The moon was visible in the corner, an almost perfect curved sliver sitting pretty above the mountains. Even in darkness, the hulking shapes of the mountains could be seen. The surface of the bay shimmered under the soft light cast by the moon.

Ginger rested in Cam’s arms and felt her heart slowly settle. His palm was resting on the curve of her hip, the warmth anchoring her. After losing herself in him and in the wild storm between them, she savored the feel of him beside her. An aching sweetness stole through her when his lips landed softly on her neck.

Chapter 17

Cam felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket. He’d stopped to check on a skier who’d seriously overestimated his skills and tried to jump the stream. Of course, the young man had landed shy of the other side and tumbled onto the ice. The skier was fine, but bruised and with a broken ski. After getting the radio call, Cam had ridden up with Don on the snowmobile. He sent the skier back down and was in the middle of a quick loop on the trails when his phone buzzed. He skied to a stop by the start of the trails and slipped his phone out to see Ivy’s name flashing on the screen.

“Hey Ivy, what’s up?”

“Hey Cam! Guess what?”

Cam smiled wryly, but he went along with Ivy’s question. “What?”

“I’m at the airport in Homer, and I need a ride.”

“Huh? What are you doing in Alaska?”

“Well, I wanted to surprise you, but I didn’t realize Homer was over a hour away from Diamond Creek. The cab ride is pricey, although I can’t even believe there’s a cab to drive me that far in Alaska,” she said with a small laugh “so I’m calling you. I know you’re busy, but I can wait until you can get here.”

Cam couldn’t help but laugh. Leave it to his big-hearted sister to try to surprise him and miscalculate. Ivy was probably the smartest person he knew, but she didn’t pay attention to details outside of her academic research. “Of course, I’ll come get you. All I need is time to get off the mountain and drive down there. I can probably be there within two hours. Will that work?”

“Of course. I’ve got my laptop. I’ll sit tight here and do some work while I wait. Take your time.”

Cam skied straight for the quickest route downhill, flew down it and came to a swirling stop at the foot of the mountain. He headed inside and ran into Gage while he was putting his gear away.

Gage stepped into the back room and leaned against the wall. “Don said the kid’s fine. If all we have is one broken ski this month and a few bruises, I’ll take it. He’s a little embarrassed. I told him even I haven’t been able to clear that stream yet,” he said with a grin.

Cam chuckled. Ski resorts dealt with injuries with some frequency. It was usually minor, but a few broken bones here and there weren’t unusual. Visitors signed waivers because skiing came with inherent risks. Gage went the extra mile and had established a good relationship with the hospital, along with a local doctor’s office that provided non-emergency care for a contract fee.

“It’s been a good season so far. I’ll take it too. Hey, my sister just called. She decided to try to surprise me with a visit, but she didn’t realize the Homer airport was over an hour away. Everything’s done for today, so I thought I’d go pick her up. Anything you need me to do before I take off?”

“Of course not. Get going as soon as you can. You think she’ll want to join us for dinner in the lodge?”

“Oh yeah. Ivy was planning to come up anyway, but she’s just here a little early. She’ll want to know everyone and everything. She’s my little sister, but she thinks she’s my big sister.”

Gage grinned and pushed away from the wall. “Great. I’ll see you later then.”

Cam followed him down the hall and raced upstairs for a quick shower and a change of clothes. Once he was in his truck, he put his phone on speaker and called Ginger. She was at work, so he knew she wouldn’t answer, but he wanted her to know Ivy was here. She startled him by answering.

“Hey,” she said brightly.

“Hey. Didn’t expect you to pick up.”

“The student I usually see this period is out sick today, so it’s just me. I saw it was you, so…”

He could feel the smile in her words, and he smiled in return. All he had to do was hear Ginger’s voice and it made his day.

“So what’s up? You don’t usually call when I’m at work.”

“Oh, right. I wanted to let you know my sister Ivy decided to come for a surprise visit. I’m headed to Homer to pick her up at the airport now.”

“That’s great! I know you were hoping she’d come visit this winter. Do you think she’ll be up for dinner at the lodge tonight?”

“Definitely. I was hoping you’d come by.”

What went unsaid was the fact that they’d been seeing each other almost every night since their pizza date. He didn’t want to make assumptions about how she might feel about meeting his family though.

“Of course! I’ll head up after I swing by the house to check on George.”

“Perfect. I’ll see you then.”

He heard a loud bell in the background over the line. “Time to go. My next student will be here any minute. See you later,” Ginger said before hanging up.

When the line clicked silent, Cam took a breath and let it out. For a split second, he’d wanted to tell her he loved her. The words almost slipped out. He hadn’t even thought about it. His heart pounded wildly in a delayed reaction. He’d fallen so hard and fast, he hadn’t even seen it coming. He gulped in air and tried to get a hold of himself. Ginger had come to mean so much to him. As the recognition of what he’d been about to say sunk in, he realized it felt exactly right. He didn’t want to scare her, but he desperately wanted to know how she felt. Much as he’d like to think he’d find a way to talk to her soon, with Ivy here, he didn’t know if he would. Maybe that was a good thing. He needed time to think about when and how to tell Ginger how he felt.

The drive went by in a blur and before he knew it, he was cresting the hill into Homer. The town spread out before him. It was late afternoon with the sun dipping down in the sky. Homer was nestled against the hills toward the end of the Kenai Peninsula. One could see to the head of Kachemak Bay here with the mountains curving around the bay. Cam hadn’t been to Homer yet, although many locals in Diamond Creek kept suggesting he visit. Diamond Creek’s airport was tiny and couldn’t accommodate the larger commercial flights, so many travelers flew to Homer and drove north from there. He followed signs to the airport and parked.

When he walked in, the airport was quiet from the lull between flights. He glanced around and saw Ivy over in a corner. She was typing away on her laptop, oblivious to everything around her. He strode over and stopped in front of her.

“Ivy,” he said.

Her eyes flew up. “Cam!” She shoved her laptop into the seat beside her and scrambled up.