Chapter Ten
Charlotte
The next morning came so early. Charlotte groaned as she slapped her alarm into submission. The soft hiss-hiss of snow hadn’t stopped all night. Good for the resort, she supposed, but being a desert girl in the mountains seemed ridiculous sometimes. For instance, she had to sleep in thermal leggings, a waffle-print long-sleeve tee, and thick socks under four blankets, even with the heater at seventy. The little apartment just couldn’t stay warm, especially with a north wind battering it.
She shivered, and climbing out of bed required psyching up, because the cold seeping up through the wooden floor, into her socks, froze her toes. Evangeline had laughed for five straight minutes the first time she’d spent the night with Charlotte, watching her shriek and scurry to the bathroom, with its overhead heater and warm shower.
Other than that, the apartment was pretty great. There was a spectacular view out of both the big windows. The one behind her bed was of the mountains, with its snowy peaks and pine trees, and the other of the bright buildings dotting the Snowmass resort. Maybe the apartment was only a six-hundred-square-foot studio—you couldn’t beat the scenery. The kitchen was quaint with its miniature range, fridge, and microwave, and a two-person table nestled next to it. The rest of the space had been made cozy, with room for a comfy couch, a TV mounted on the wall above a tiny fireplace, and a nook for her bed.
No, she couldn’t beat the accommodations. She just wished they were warmer.
Charlotte danced from foot to foot until the bathroom heater started overcoming the chill, then slipped into the blessedly steaming shower. If she was honest, it wasn’t the cold that had kept her tossing and turning most of the night. No—add one nightmare about turning up to the MCAT an hour late with intrusive thoughts about what Luke looked like under all his ski gear, and you had the recipe for crappy sleep.
As she washed her hair, she kept reliving the way Luke’s body had moved, both on the SBX course and when he’d punched Dickhead #1 at the café yesterday. He was everything the “tightly coiled spring” cliché could muster—hard bodied and waiting to explode into action.
Charlotte snorted. She needed to get a grip. Luke was a nice guy, and sexy as hell, but her time was limited right now, and she was holding out for something long term. The last three times she’d dated a pretty, athletic type, she’d caught each flirting with, kissing, or screwing some giggling snow bunny, sorority girl, or socialite. Definitely not keepers.
The last guy-who-must-not-be-named was the one she’d actually dated the longest—nine months. Long enough to fall in love. Long enough to blind herself to the reality of him. She’d thought she could change him, pull him out of his man-whore ways.
She’d been wrong.
Growling, Charlotte turned the shower off without caring how cold she’d be when she stepped out of the steam. She wanted the cold to smack her around a little bit. Thinking about her ex always stung more than it should after all this time.
She had to admit, Luke was charming as hell, and she’d enjoyed hanging out with him. Besides, she had needs, and she had a feeling Luke would be an excellent way to fulfill them. But could she trust her heart not to get involved if she did give him a chance? It didn’t have a great track record.
No. She should just focus on what was really important, the MCAT and her future, and invest in a new vibrator. She had a busy, full life without a guy getting in the way.
Then again, vibrators didn’t have shoulders like Luke Madison’s. Or an ass like his, either. Or the kind of smile that could melt ice. Or…
“Girl, you need to get a grip,” she murmured at her reflection as she brushed wet snarls out of her hair.
Her phone buzzed on the vanity.
Evangeline: Girl, we’re snowed in. Like, for real.
Charlotte frowned. That happened here? She thought it only happened in the south when more than half an inch of snow fell. Wrapping herself in a towel, she went to open the blinds in front of the window that looked down onto the resort. The sun had barely peeked over the horizon, but it was enough to see snowplows dragging trenches through snow that came halfway up their tall tires.
Holy shit.
She hurried back to her phone. Should I bother opening?
E: Yes. We should be plowed out soon. Dad’s snowblowing our driveway. Put up a sign saying we’ll open an hour late.
C: Gotcha. I’ll start some coffee and some rolls in case people show up before the kitchen is ready.
E: Good plan. In soon.
C: Be careful.
E: We will.
Charlotte set her phone down and reached for the hair dryer. She could’ve slept a little longer, but if nobody showed up, she’d have fresh coffee, hot rolls, and her MCAT study guide to keep her company.
Nerves tugged at her stomach. She didn’t have room for error. You could only take the MCAT three times, and she’d told herself—and her parents—this was her last shot. If she failed again, she’d start a master’s program to become a physician’s assistant. She’d already been accepted to start at ASU in that program in the fall. So she had a backup plan.
But she would never be Dr. Charlotte Brown if she couldn’t pass the MCAT.
Charlotte leaned against the sink. Her career goals were partially for her mom, but more because she loved medicine. She’d heard one doctor say, “Don’t go into medicine to help people. Go into it because you love the science.”
What if she loved both?
She stared at herself in the mirror. A girl with a determined frown and a furrow between her eyebrows stared back, her skin flushed from the shower. She’d do this. She had to.
Charlotte had two batches of rolls in the warmer and coffee ready to go by seven thirty. Evangeline had texted again to say it was slow going, even in her dad’s all-wheel-drive SUV. They usually opened at seven, but from the looks of the drifts piled against the walls of the café, they might not have anyone show before nine.
Armed with a shovel, she went outside to clear and salt the walk. The lifts were running, and the parking lot was clear, along with the main road up to the resort. The lot only had about six cars in it, though.
Shivering, she went inside to warm up and study. It was cozy here when the café was quiet and empty. She’d just resolved to enjoy a free morning when someone knocked at the front door. Charlotte’s head popped up from the study guide, and she saw a man’s silhouette framed in the doorway. She couldn’t see who it was, but he was alone.
Should she let a guy in here when she was by herself and the resort was half empty? It was too late to pretend no one was here—she was in full view of the door—but she didn’t mind being a little rude.
“Charlotte?” a muffled voice called. “Is the café closed?”
She jumped to her feet, smiling in relief at Luke. She unlocked the front door. “Not exactly, but all I have ready are rolls and coffee. The Bzdyls aren’t here yet.”
“Coffee sounds like heaven.” He stamped his boots on the front walk, then came in. No wonder she hadn’t recognized him. He was in thick black ski gear, with a scarf covering the lower half of his face and a knit cap jammed down on his head as far as it would go.
“What are you doing up here?” she asked, hurrying to pour him a cup. “It’s like a scene from Frozen out there.”
“Maybe I couldn’t let it go.”
She groaned. “That’s practically a dad joke.”
He laughed. “I’m up here because I decided to be a good Samaritan. A lot of people get stuck driving, so I spent the last hour pulling cars out of ditches. I was halfway up the mountain road when the plows passed, so I decided to follow them up and get breakfast.”
“I thought you were meeting your trainer?” She handed him a plate of rolls with butter and jam on the side. “And, sorry, this doesn’t qualify as protein.”
“He’s meeting me this afternoon, so I’ll call it pre-workout carb loading.” He grinned at her, and Charlotte’s heart beat a little faster. Definitely one hell of a smile.
“That’s good of you, going around and doing hero duty,” she said, turning to wipe the counter and hide her blush.
“Not really.” His voice had taken on a dull quality. “I needed to get out of the house. Speaking of which, do you know anyone looking for a roommate? I may be homeless soon.”
She turned back, frowning. “Something happen?”
“It’s a long story,” he said, and his smile turned bleak. It didn’t quite reach his eyes.
She leaned her elbows on the bar, facing him, and wasn’t bothered when his gaze drifted down before snapping back to her face. “I have the time.”
Luke took a long drink of coffee before answering. “I told my mom last night, about dropping out of school. She’s pretty pissed, and she might not let me stay at their place while I’m training. I’ve…disappointed her.”
Charlotte heard the finality of that last sentence and didn’t pry. “That sucks. If I hear about someone needing a roomie, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.” He reached out to touch her hand. “You know, I haven’t even asked you what your last name is.”
“Brown, and you’re the famous Luke Madison.”
He grunted. “Infamous, more like.”
She gave him a sly smile. “Is that what a bunch of girls will tell me?”
“Probably.” He leaned across the bar, too, so that their faces were only six inches apart. “But maybe I want to turn over a new leaf.”
Charlotte let out a slow breath. He was so close, she could see flecks of golden brown in his brown-green hazel eyes. “Change is good for the soul, Luke Madison.”
“Is it, Charlotte Brown?”
Her whole body was focused on slipping closer to his, and her eyes couldn’t leave his mouth. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure anyway.”
Luke braced himself on his forearms, leaning in. “So how do we start?”
His slow smile lit a bonfire in her brain. “Um, I have no idea.”
“I do.”
Luke lifted a hand to cup her cheek and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, then drew closer and covered her mouth softly with his own.
Oh, sweet Jesus, I’ve missed kissing.
And Luke was damn good at it. He teased her lower lip with his tongue before nipping lightly at it with his teeth. Charlotte had no idea how her knees were still holding her up. She kissed him back, probably too eagerly, but it was so good she couldn’t help herself.
He pulled away, some of his cocky assurance returning, then came around the bar. All Charlotte could do was stare, wide-eyed, as he stepped in close. He drew an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. Without the ski clothes in the way, she could feel hard muscle and strong arms and…
Then he was kissing her again, and it wasn’t some gentle, slow kiss. The hand at the small of her back shifted north, and suddenly she was sandwiched between the bar and his body. Charlotte whimpered. Did she really have to open the café? Her apartment was exactly twelve stairs away. Easy distance, really. They might even make it without having to pull apart. Luke seemed pretty agile—surely he could manage that.
The back door to the café creaked open, then slammed shut. Before Luke could step away, Evangeline came around the corner, tying on her apron. “We finally made it. Char, you wouldn’t believe…”
Evangeline looked back and forth between them, then covered her mouth, her eyes crinkled with mischievous glee. “Maybe we should’ve taken the long way.”
Luke laughed, and Charlotte started pushing him toward the customer side of the bar. “Sorry.” Her cheeks flamed. “I can’t even decide who I’m apologizing to—you, or my cackling best friend.”
“Oh, you don’t have to apologize to me at all,” Evangeline said. “In fact, carry on. I could use a pick-me-up.”
Mr. Bzdyl peeked out from the kitchen, calling, “What’s funny, aniołku ?”
Charlotte dropped her face into her hands.
“Nothing, Papa!” Evangeline sang. “But our hero is here, and Charlotte gave him rolls and coffee.”
Mr. Bzdyl came over and held out his hand to Luke. “Thanks for taking care of our lovely Charlotte. You want eggs?”
Luke shook his hand. “Uh, yeah, that’d be great.” He shot Charlotte a hungry look that didn’t look like it had anything to do with breakfast. “Scrambled?”
“With bacon!” Mr. Bzdyl held up a finger. “What’s breakfast without pig?”
“Pork, Papa.” Evangeline gave him a fond smirk. “It’s pork.”
He flapped his hand at her. “Pig, pork, what do I know except how to cook it?”
When Mr. Bzdyl left, Evangeline started laughing. “You were ‘taking care’ of her, all right.”
Luke winked. “What does ‘aniołku’ mean?”
“Little angel,” Evangeline said, flushing a little. “Totally wasted on me, though.”
She sashayed back into the kitchen, waving over her shoulder, and Charlotte gave Luke an embarrassed shrug. “She’s an acquired taste.”
“I like her.” He tore bits off his roll. “I’m glad you’re here, though. I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner sometime.”
“Ah, we’re back to the ‘asking Charlotte out until she says yes’ bit again.” She smiled, listening intently to the devil on her shoulder. The one who said she needed to live a little, to let this crazy-ish snowboarder—who had such a lovely dash of Boy Scout—work his way into her life. Couldn’t you study too much? Maybe taking a break would help. The kissing most definitely would, she bet.
“I guess you won’t have to ask anymore. Because…yes.”