Just In Time: An Alaskan Nights Novel (19 page)

The fact that he was here was heady unto itself. The fact that he saw her at her professional best and encouraged and believed in her was something else entirely.

It was wonderful.

The next question was directed to her and she refocused her attention on the person asking about the logistics of instituting an exchange program. She answered, describing her experience, the company she’d used that matched her and Lena up, and how she’d originally enrolled herself and the Indigo Blue in the program.

As she spoke, her mind whirled with the conversation she and Roman had shared earlier in the week. The choices she’d have been forced to make if he’d asked her to go with him.

She wouldn’t have only had to choose about leaving her mother.

She’d have had to choose about her career, too. She wasn’t just some girl from Indigo who mopped down the bar and checked people in. She’d become a member of the community. An active hospitality resource in their region, with connections to events and activities, tour groups and travel packages.

She had a career.

And she’d have had none of it if she’d left Indigo to follow Roman Forsyth around the country as he followed his dream.

For far too long, she’d laid her sadness at the feet of Roman and her mother. And maybe it was time to face the fact that the reality of her life was right where it belonged.

With her.

•   •   •

“Here’s to you.” Roman lifted his glass of Chianti and waited for Avery to lift hers as well.

“I’ll toast to that.”

She took a sip of the rich red wine, her expression so light he was surprised she wasn’t hovering about three inches off the chair.

The wine was particularly good and he enjoyed the taste of it almost as much as watching her. “It was a good day. Thanks for letting me come along.”

She reached across the table and took his hand. “I’m glad you’re here. Really glad.”

“I am, too.”

Their waiter arrived to take their orders and Roman got the chicken Parmesan while Avery ordered her perennial favorite, lasagna.

She watched the departing form of their waiter before she turned back and took Roman’s hand once more. “Today it hit me that I have a great career.”

He nodded, not sure where she was going. “Of course you do.”

“I never realized that before this week. And, well, before Ireland.”

“That trip meant a lot to you.”

“It did.”

Roman knew he wasn’t nearly as supportive at first as he should have been. He had been in Indigo the previous winter when she’d gotten the call that she had been accepted, and his inner selfish streak had roared with indignity at the idea of her going that far away.

“I should have been more supportive about that trip. Especially at first.”

“It’s okay.”

He squeezed her fingers. “No, it’s really not.”

“After Sloan, Grier and I dissected it a million different ways, we kept coming back to the same answer.”

“What was that?”

“You were jealous of my adventure and convinced I’d meet someone wonderful, abandon my post under your mother’s care and run off to roam the world.”

He couldn’t hold back the laughter at her words, especially since she wasn’t all that far from the truth. “You know me too well.”

“While I think women spend far too much time assigning meaning where it’s not meant, in this case we figured we sort of had something.”

“And you did meet someone wonderful.”

“Declan is wonderful.” Her warm gaze grew hooded. “But he deserves someone who will love him back. Fully. That person isn’t me.”

“I’ve had a few of those myself. It’s like no matter how hard you try, no matter how great the other person is, you just can’t be what they need.”

“The old
it’s not you, it’s me
situation.” Her smile was gentle as she spoke, and he took a deep breath of relief that they could actually discuss this subject.

“Yep.”

“I bet you left a path of broken hearts strewn all over Manhattan, Mr. Forsyth.”

“Fortunately, relatively few. And from the last I heard, all had been accounted for in new relationships, most of which led to marriage.”

“Well, the Internet’s quite active with sites devoted to you. Posts go up almost immediately after a game, lovingly detailing your prowess on the ice, your heroic hockey skills, and just how hot you looked when you pulled your helmet off in the penalty box during the second period.”

“I haven’t seen those.”

“It’s sweet in a stalkerish, teenage fantasy sort of way.”

“Then it’s lucky for me sixteen-year-old girls outgrow their celebrity crushes once a real boyfriend arrives to put the stars in their eyes.”

The laugher in her eyes faded until all he saw was the past shining back at him. “Most of them, anyway.”

T
he heavy weight of Roman’s arm rested over her shoulders and Avery asked herself when she’d last felt so good. They’d walked to dinner, the restaurant a few short blocks from the hotel, and now they were taking their time to meander back.

Anchorage came alive in the summer, with the long days a natural incentive to get people out and enjoying the city. Add on the numerous visitors who came to the city before or after a cruise and the streets were full of life.

That rush of activity had also ensured they were recognized by more than a few people. The attention had been good-natured, but it had slowed their walk back to the hotel. True to her word, Avery didn’t mind the notice paid to Roman, but she did wonder at it. He was so kind and patient, answering the same questions over and over.

How did he deal with it day after day, year after year?

“You weren’t kidding about being the belle of the ball.” She patted his stomach as they turned up the long, curving driveway to their hotel.

“Did it bother you?”

“What? The people who stopped us? Not at all. I think it’s sort of sweet.”

“You’re a masochist.”

“No, it’s just neat to see that side of you. I’ve seen how everyone from Indigo treats you, but they at least know you. Perfect strangers actually light up when they meet you. Your picture will be on Facebook walls and flying through the air in text messages before the hour is out.”

“It’s nothing to do with me. It’s for the idea of me.”

Before she could say anything to such a cryptic statement, Roman pointed toward the horizon. “You just don’t see a sky like that anywhere else.” The late evening light was breathtaking, the colors so bright and golden it drew the eye to its glorious palette.

“Manhattan’s a far cry from Anchorage.”

“There are some nights, though. The way the sun sets over the Hudson. It reminds me of this a little bit, especially in the fall.”

“I bet New York is amazing.”

“You’ve never been?”

She couldn’t help but smile at that. “I did a layover at JFK for my flight to Ireland, but that’s it. Similar to my disdain for the Yankees, I couldn’t come to New York and get that close to you. What’s it like there?”

“Everything you’ve ever heard it is and then more. It also changes how you look at what you need in life.”

“How so?”

“A car, for one thing. I didn’t have one for the longest time, but I finally had to give in because my professional commitments had me out in Jersey or on Long Island. Other than that, though, I don’t really need one. I take the subway everywhere.”

“You don’t mind being closed in underground?”

“It’s the easiest way to get around. And it’s not that hard to get used to.”

Avery tried to imagine traveling everywhere in tunnels under the earth and came up short. “I just can’t picture what it’s like. I also can’t imagine that it’s comfortable for a man of your size.”

“People give you space. And most people are in their own world, headphones on or a book in hand. It’s a strange system, but it works.”

He extended a hand and gestured her through the front door of the hotel. “You up for a nightcap?”

“Sure.”

“I’m sure your adoring public is waiting to greet you.”

“I think you’re mistaking your life for mine.”

He raised his eyebrows and extended his hand toward the crowded bar. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

She followed the direction of his finger and saw several people who raised a hand in greeting, large smiles on their faces. Walt Singer was the first to reach her, his arms extended for a hug. “Avery. You were fantastic today.”

“Thanks, Walt.”

“You did me such a huge favor,” he whispered in her ear. “At least let me buy you and your friend a drink.”

She eyed Roman and saw him nod with a good-natured smile. “That would be great.”

Before she knew it, a glass of wine was thrust in her hand and a beer in Roman’s. And within a few more moments after that, she was dragged halfway across the bar to meet a colleague of one of the panelists.

When she finally looked up a half hour later, it was into the bright, smiling face of Roman as he watched her silently from the bar.

•   •   •

“She’s quite a looker.”

Roman turned toward the man next to him. “And you caught me staring.”

“She’s the whole package. Inside and out.” The man extended his hand. “Chris Morris. I’m with the Luxotica hotel chain.”

Roman introduced himself in return. “They’re beautiful properties. I’ve stayed in several myself.”

“You’re with the Metros.”

“Yep.”

“You had an incredible season. I was at that game against the Red Wings last November. That hat trick was particularly impressive. The fact that it was your second that week especially so.”

Roman couldn’t hold back the smile. “That was a good week.”

“As of the end of the season, you’re two shy of Gretzky’s record of fifty.”

“It’s the one record I’d most like to beat.” Roman’s stomach tightened. It had been his highest goal—to beat the Great One on that particular stat—and he knew the chances of doing it now with the condition of his right eye were slim to none.

The guy lifted his beer for a toast. “Here’s hoping you do it, then.”

Roman clinked glasses and tried desperately to ignore the dark, hollow emptiness that settled in his chest and spread through his limbs with cold, creeping fingers. It was killing him to keep the situation with his eye injury to himself. But he knew if he admitted it to Avery, he’d also be forced to acknowledge how real the problem was.

It was a career ender.

He knew that. Had known it the moment he’d come to on the ice after taking the hit. He’d fought around it through the end of the season, depending more heavily on his teammates and passing the puck when he had the chance rather than take a shot on goal himself.

He was just lucky the injury had happened late in the season, allowing him to fake his way through the last few games without too much trouble. The team doctor had checked him out when it first happened and Roman had used his leadership position to bully his way into playing the last few games, claiming he was fine.

He knew damn well he wasn’t, especially since the problem wasn’t getting any better. Add on the three specialists he’d seen since the off-season began—each with answers he didn’t want to hear—and he knew he needed to make a decision.

It wasn’t fair to his teammates to play at less than 100 percent.

“How do you know Avery?”

Chris’s words pulled Roman from his morose thoughts. “We’ve known each other since we were kids. You?”

“I’ve heard her name off and on for several years now. After seeing her on the panel today, I’d like to talk to her. See what she’d like out of her future.”

Roman heard the professional interest in the man’s voice and keyed in on it immediately. “You want to hire her?”

“I’m not opposed to it, but I’d take her as a consultant if that’s all I can get. She’s got a lot of energy and some really innovative ideas.”

“Our entire hometown of Indigo loves her. My mother most of all.”

“Your mother?” Chris took a swig of his beer, his confusion evident.

“She owns the Indigo Blue.”

Chris cracked a broad smile at that. “Then forget I said anything. I’m interested in having her on a consulting basis only.”

Roman waved the bartender over and ordered them two more beers. “My mother would be the last one to stand in the way of her advancement. You talk to her if you think that’s what you want to do.”

Chris accepted the beer with a quick thanks. “I’ll plan on it.”

Roman glanced back across the bar, where Avery and her red dress stood out in sharp relief to the crowd of men in suits who surrounded her. “She deserves a chance to spread her wings.”

•   •   •

Avery stripped out of the dress and tossed it onto the bed. She had to hand it to Grier, the red was an inspired suggestion. She’d spent the evening feeling like she had the room in the palm of her hand and she knew the dress helped.

What she couldn’t quite shake was the sense of melancholy coming from Roman.

“You okay?”

“Yep.”

“I’m sorry I abandoned you in the bar.”

“Don’t be. You were working the room just as you needed to be. I told you your adoring public awaited.”

She watched his face, waiting for the note of censure or annoyance to appear, but all she saw was the same unwavering support he’d projected all day.

“It still had to have been a bit boring for you.”

“I met a nice guy at the bar. He’s part of the Luxotica hotel chain. I’ve stayed in several and they’re fantastic hotels.”

“Very high-end boutique hotels.”

“You do know your stuff.”

She grabbed her toiletry kit and headed for the bathroom, still concerned there was something she was missing, yet unable to put her finger on what it was.

Or maybe it’s nothing, Marks. Despite the last few days, you don’t know each other all that well anymore.

She tried to believe her own pep talk but something held her back.

Coming back into the room, she eyed where he lay on the bed clad only in shorts, a sports magazine in hand. The urge to just stand there and stare at him was strong, but she pushed past it to get to the root of her concerns. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“I don’t know. You seem sad.”

“I’m good.”

“All right.” She was almost back to the bathroom when she stopped and turned once more. “Because if this is too much. Us. Here. Together. I get it. I can give you space. It’s not like with your mom. I can discuss tough stuff with you.”

“I asked you if I could come along.”

“Yeah. But. . . .”

“Avery.” Roman sat up and tossed the magazine onto the end table. “Come here.”

She walked over and stood between his knees. His large hands circled her waist, his thumbs lightly teasing the waistband of her shorts.

“There’s nothing wrong. At all. I just have to come to grips with the fact that you’re a woman on the rise and I’m an aging athlete whose career has seen better days. I’m not sad about it, but maybe I am a little melancholy.”

Of all the things he could have said, this was the last she’d expected. “You’re not that old.”

“My career’s on the downswing.”

“You were the MVP last year.”

“And this year I was another player in the league. The stakes rise every year and so does my age.”

“But—” She broke off, the truth of his words sinking in. No matter how fit he was or how skilled, mother nature and the sheer passage of time conspired against him.

“You, on the other hand, are coming into the prime of your career. You’ve got the experience to be useful, but you’re young enough to have the energy and drive to keep succeeding.”

“You make it sound like we’re several decades apart.”

“Career-wise we are.”

His hands shifted to the hem of the tank top she’d put on after changing out of her dress. “Fortunately, we’re far more age compatible in other ways.”

Pleasure lit up her nerve endings wherever he touched and she allowed him to pull her closer until his hands came around her body, coming to rest on her ass. He pressed his lips against her stomach, in the small space where the tank rode up and her shorts rode down. With his clever tongue, he ran the tip over the sensitive skin exposed there and she saw stars as her legs quivered at the sexy, tantalizing play of his mouth.

How had she never realized the skin around her belly button could be so sensitive?

She rested her forearms on his shoulders and reached her hand out to weave her fingers through his hair. The thick strands were soft to the touch and she enjoyed the way they curled slightly over his neck. Her other hand drifted over the large span of his upper back. Hard muscles flexed and stretched as he moved against her and she marveled at how in tune they were with each other.

At how their bodies fit.

His movements grew more impatient and she felt more than saw him grip the straps of her tank and pull it down to bunch at her waist. He kept a tight grip on the material and dragged it along with the shorts the rest of the way down her body.

“Step out of your shorts.” His voice was almost a growl and she did as he asked, lifting first one foot, then the other before kicking the material away. His hands returned to her, pulling her down on top of him on the bed.

“I want you.”

Joy unfurled through her, warming every inch of her body like the sun on a summer day. “I certainly hope so. You know, since I’m naked and all.”

“You’re cheeky.”

“I’m happy.”

His eyes darkened with something so deep—so honest—she almost couldn’t look directly into his gaze for fear she’d get lost there. And then the moment was gone as fast as it had come and his smile matched hers. “Me, too.”

Their lips met once more, the always-fevered give-and-take a carnal prelude to what was to come. Avery matched his movements, mimicking the slide of his tongue before sucking his lower lip between hers.

“You don’t play fair,” he whispered against her mouth when she finally released him.

“I aim to win.”

“This is one game we can both win.”

“Then by all means. Game on.”

Roman heard the promise in her words and recognized the meaning behind her tease. The game
was
on and they were going to drive each other to the very brink of their physical capabilities—and beyond, if he knew Avery.

And he did know her.

He knew the arch of her neck and the fine bones of her face. Knew the soft swell of her breasts and the long lines of her thighs.

He
knew
her.

Every time she was in his arms, it was like they were kids again, falling in love for the first time. And yet, this time he felt even more for her.

His feelings as a young man didn’t have much depth or breadth or the understanding of loss. For all the pain it had caused, their time apart had also made the feelings more real, somehow. The need for her more intense. He craved her.

And he needed her so desperately he thought he’d never be sated.