“Lana. It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s actually kind of funny.”
Suddenly, she had her arms wrapped around his neck, hugging him. The action was so unexpected, Rick stood there for a moment. Then he tentatively placed his palm on the small of her back. He’d only meant for it to be a chaste hug in return, but Lana leaned into his chest. Rick’s arm slipped around her waist of its own accord, drawing her snug to his torso.
It hadn’t occurred to him how much she needed a hug until her arms tightened about him.
Man, she felt good. How long had it been since he’d had a woman in his arms? Long enough that he wasn’t sure if he was holding on too tight or if she minded his head dipping down. Lana’s hair was silky as it brushed against his throat.
“I’m sorry,” she said, abruptly pulling away. The loss of her was a shock to his system. “I feel terrible about everything yesterday. I kicked Silas out of Alaska. He’s on his way back to Chicago. You won’t have to deal with him anymore, not if I have any say in the matter.”
“That’s a relief. I might have just locked the door if I saw him coming again.”
“You and everyone else who’s ever met him.” Taking a deep breath, Lana plastered her breezy smile in place. “It’s never a dull moment with us, is it?”
“You keep me on my toes,” Rick said gently. He waited, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she chewed on her lower lip, the same way she had on his couch. In his somewhat stoned state, he’d been mesmerized by the action, but today he understood it for the concern it was.
“Lana?”
“Hmm?”
“Stop worrying about me. You have enough on your plate.”
Allowing himself a moment of sheer self-indulgence, Rick held out his hand to her in silent request. When she placed her fingers in his, he stepped closer, wrapping her up in a much better hug. This time, she rested her cheek against his chest.
“You’re a really good guy, Rick.”
“It’s all a lie. I rob banks and seduce billionaires when no one’s looking.”
This time, her smile was softer but real. “Then I’ll have to be on my toes.” Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, Lana said, “Thank you.” Then she hurried away, tugging her jacket around her to ward against the cold.
Rick watched her go, then he rejoined his friends inside. Ash and Easton had been having far too much fun setting up Rick’s dating profile.
“Delete it,” he told them firmly. “I’m going to ask Lana out.”
Ash pulled out her phone, typing into it. Her movements were quick and precise, the way they always were when she was pissed. “You’re an idiot. East, tell him he’s an idiot.”
Easton took a drink, smart enough to not get in the middle.
“Graham, please save him from himself.”
Graham watched through Frankie’s window as Lana headed down the steps to her car. “She’s a sweet girl. Just don’t know how long it’ll last, buddy. She’s never here in town. But if you’re just looking for a holiday fling…”
“I don’t know what I’m looking for,” Rick admitted quietly. “But I’d rather figure it out with her.”
“Fine.” Ash stood up, resigned. “She did shoot you in the arm. Makes sense for you to shoot yourself in the foot. If you’ll excuse me, the princess needs a ‘lift.’”
As a sky-blue SUV drove toward the resort, Rick knew that he wasn’t waiting anymore. Jen had moved on, and it was time to do the same. Time to start living his life while he still had it. A guy could be mistaken for a moose any day.
Rick was going to ask Lana out—for real this time—and pray she said yes.
* * *
“Is there a reason why I pulled the short straw today?”
The usual acerbic tone in Ashtyn’s voice was almost lost beneath the thwapping of helicopter blades cutting through the cold winter air.
Normally, Lana would have met Ash at the hangar on the far side of town, but she had been wrapped up in phone calls, and she needed to be back for a meeting with Hannah about the Christmas party. If she wanted to do this, she needed to go in a very small window of time, meaning it was far more convenient to have Ash pick her up at the resort’s private helipad.
“Shuttling people to and from the airport isn’t my gig. Tell me why I agreed to this again?”
“Because I asked nicely,” Lana said as she climbed into the copilot’s seat, pulling a headset over her ears. “And I doubled your normal fee for the convenience.”
Through the headphone, Ash’s sarcasm came through loud and clear. “There are other pilots, you know.”
“I prefer to support female-owned businesses.”
Ash snorted. “I’m not buying it.”
She might not believe Lana, but it was true. There was no point in trying to argue with someone who couldn’t be convinced, so Lana looked out the window instead.
“Besides,” Lana said, “the other pilots were too scared to go up here in December.”
“Don’t do me any favors.” Ash’s lips had curved into a smug smirk as they lifted off, angling over the mountainside. “Nice penis, by the way.”
“I’m growing rather fond of it. Hannah is going to tell on me if I don’t get rid of it.”
“Good luck with that. Jax thinks it’s hysterical.”
The familiar way she seemed to know the resort owner’s feelings caught Lana by surprise. “Oh. Are you and he…?”
Ash grimaced. “Not if his life depended on it. I grew up with the little brat. There’s no way I’d ever get with him. I wasn’t aware we came up here to discuss my love life. I should have charged you more.”
“Trust me.” Lana grinned at her. “You’re charging me enough to have proved your point.”
Ash snickered before seeming to realize she wasn’t supposed to. Slipping her sunglasses on, Lana settled in to appreciate the view as they flew higher into the snowy mountain range. In another place, she and Ashtyn could have been friends. Lana didn’t only respect her. She honestly liked the other woman. She’d love to hire someone like Ashtyn Lockett and keep her on the payroll for those tough jobs that needed doing. There was nothing Ash was afraid of, except for maybe the massive mountains her brother was so famous for climbing.
Lana didn’t blame her. Freezing to death on the top of Mount Veil wasn’t Lana’s idea of a fun time either. Ash was far smarter than her twin, as far as Lana was concerned.