Landing the Air Marshal (Snowpocalypse) (9 page)

“But don’t you smell that?” He took a deep breath, and his massive chest puffed out even more. “The crispness in the air. You can’t beat that.”

“Don’t they have air conditioning where you’re from? It’s plenty crisp if you set it to sixty-five.” And, honestly, that temperature was enough to set her shaking like a Chihuahua. Cold and Abby did not mix. At all. She didn’t know how her sister put up with this crap every winter.

“You’re missing the point. Snow makes memories. It only comes around one season a year, maybe two. You can make snowmen and snow angels, have snowball fights…”

Did this six-three hulking man really just say snow angels?

“You.” She pointed to him. “Are into making snow angels?” She thought back to him singing “Twinkle Twinkle” earlier with the little girl. Still not wanting to pry, she decided not to bring it up in case that was something he wanted to keep secret. But truth be told, she’d pay good money to see this beast of a man flailing his arms and legs to make patterns in the snow. Everyone she knew—besides her sister—would rather give up wine or chocolate than deal with the fluffy white stuff. But Gage somehow made it seem magical.

There was obviously more to Gage than met the eye. And she wanted to find out more. What made him tick. Why he wanted to make stupid snow angels in weather that made her whole body seize up.

“When the occasion arises.” He smiled. But this time, it didn’t reach his eyes. In fact, he looked a little disappointed. Like he wished he’d made more snowmen. Or maybe Abby was reading more into it than she ought to. But that was the curse of her field of work—hyperaware of everything.

She raised a brow. “This I need to see.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he shot up out of his seat in the sleigh and spoke to the driver. The driver slowed to a stop and Gage paid him, murmuring something in the driver’s ear. The driver looked at him for a moment, then at Abby and then nodded back at Gage.

“I paid enough so that we can keep the blanket.” He pulled it from her lap and wrapped it around her shoulders protectively. Abby wasn’t the type to ever need a man to take care of her, but she had to admit it felt nice being doted on for a night. Gage had a way of making her let go of things, and it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. She did heavy lifting with Yellow Raft every day by making hundreds of decisions hourly. It was nice to not have to worry about what to say, what to do. To just go with the flow. Even though she’d known him for less than a day, she trusted him. Maybe that was stupid. Or at the very least, a horrible sense of self-preservation. But dammit, she trusted him.

He hopped down from the sleigh and then reached out his arms for her. She grabbed his hands and let him help her down. Snow crunched under her stilettos and she walked unevenly along the mounds below her feet. Why the hell would anyone want to live here? Yes, snow was beautiful, but the tip of her nose was losing feeling, and if she didn’t know any better, the moisture in her eyes was crystalizing. Soon, she’d be a candidate for cryogenic freezing. Luckily, she had the blanket, which was a much-needed improvement.

“Those shoes are so impractical.” He jutted his chin toward her heels and braced her arm when she wobbled on the uneven ground.

“I wasn’t expecting to walk through a blizzard.” She cut him a look. “Airport, cab, hotel. No farther,” she said, mildly irritated that her good high-heeled boots were now trudging through clumps of snow.

He shook his head and laughed. “You always have a plan, don’t you?”

Um, yep. If her plane got delayed, she was able to find different connecting flights in a matter of minutes. Unexpected delays in set accommodations? Had that planned for, too. But when it came to Gage, her mind did a big old brain fart that paralyzed all higher cognitive functioning.

She stopped abruptly, and Gage walked another two paces before turning to her. “There’s nothing wrong with being a little prepared.”

“Of course not.” His eyes lit with amusement. “Hell, if there is ever a zombie apocalypse, you’re the first person I’m turning to.”

“I’m no Rick, but I have a baseball bat and a go-bag just in case shit goes down.” So maybe her go-bag was filled with gossip magazines and pore strips at the moment, but if everyone in the world decided to turn into flesh-eating monsters, she’d done enough spin classes and kick boxing, and watched enough
Doomsday Preppers
, to run her ass to the San Gabriel Mountains and last a few weeks.

“You watch
The Walking Dead
, too? Seriously, is there anything about you that isn’t incredible?”

“Well, for starters, you don’t want me anywhere near a kitchen. I burn water. And I’ve been told I hog the bed. And I overthink everything.” Another thing that her shmuck ex said when they broke up.

“Can’t say anything about the first, but I can confirm the second.”

“Oh God. Sorry.” Even on a California King, she managed to hog the covers. That had to be a new record.

“As for the third—” A puff of Gage’s breath floated around his mouth in a white cloud as he exhaled deeply. His expression softened, those eyes so expressive, pulling her under. “Sometimes you just have to enjoy the moment. Life will pass you by if you’re too busy to notice it.”

“Spend a lot of time
carpe
-ing some
diem
?”

A frown marred his face. “Less than I should.” He said this more to himself than to Abby, but she understood.

Oh, man. That spoke to the very depths of her soul. She’d kill for at least six more hours in each day. First, she’d go see a flick with her girlfriends. And there was that never ending pile of books she ached to read. There would be time to have something like
this
on a full-time basis, not just a weekend jaunt. Unfortunately, fairy-tale lives were just that—fairy tales. Growing up sucked.

“You miss your family back home?” she said, trying to shift the focus from her. She hated feeling sorry for herself. Pity accomplished jack shit.

“Is it that obvious?”

“I get that look when I think about my sister.” Her hand grazed his shoulder, and he leaned into her. “Who’s back at home?” She didn’t mean to pry. Okay, yes she did. She totally did. She wanted to know about the little girl, the reason he seemed to miss making snowmen so much. She had an insatiable thirst for any information about Gage.

“My niece. Emily’s a real firecracker. She’d like you.” He smiled and gave her a once-over. “She’d like your take-no-shit attitude and California style.”

She smiled at this. “I know a person in wardrobe if she ever needs anything.” That was where half her clothes came from, because she couldn’t afford them otherwise.

They continued walking, and Gage’s hand slid to hers, their fingers weaving together. Abby’s heart jetted sideways in her chest at the sweet gesture. “I’m pretty close with my sister as well,” he said. “We all usually spend the holidays together. This year was rough. I missed out on my little niece opening presents and building a snowman. She lost her two front teeth and I wasn’t even there.”

What was that sound? Oh, just her lady bits detonating. No big deal. Abby’s mind couldn’t even conjure up how cute it would be to see Gage and a little girl playing in the snow together.

“Was that who you were face-timing with earlier this morning? I liked your rendition of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’”

“You heard that.” He shook his head and smiled, but didn’t look embarrassed that he’d been caught. With a deep voice, smooth as his honey eyes, there was no
need
to be self-conscious, she supposed. “Yep, that’s my Emily.” The way his eyes lit up when he said her name, it did something between her thighs. Something about a man that cared for little kids just did it for her. Not that Abby had time for kids right now, but she’d like to in the future. Maybe in ten years or so, before her ovaries collected cobwebs but after enough time to establish herself in the film business. Seriously, God was playing a horrible trick on her to tempt her with the world’s sexiest man at the least convenient time ever. It was much better when men were the furthest thing from her mind, and her sex drive was quietly tucked away in the recesses of wherever it had been hibernating the past twenty-five years.

“I promised her we’d make snow angels if it snowed this year. It’s snowing right now, and I’m not there for her. It’s killing me.”

“I’m sure she understands. You have a job to do, protecting our nation. That’s important.”

He nodded. “Yeah.” A smile twitched at his lips. “She’d probably throw a fit if she saw how much snow was here right now. She loves it.”

“You should take a picture for her.”

“Not a bad idea.”

Gage handed her the bag and champagne and before she could say anything, he flopped down on a bank of snow, a dusting of fluffy white flurries flying into the air like he’d jumped into a pile of packing peanuts. She’d never seen snow this fluffy before. Once when she was a little girl, she’d traveled with her mother and sister to Chicago. A storm had hit while they were at her aunt’s house, and she could still remember the slushy, wet snow that slopped at her ankles when she raced to the car on the way to the airport. Even as a kid she’d hated it, much preferring the waves of the California coast. But with Gage’s elated grin, and his hair covered in snow, she was willing to reconsider.

“What are you doing?” She stared down at him, and a wide smile affixed to his face, creasing the skin on the corners of his eyes. Seriously, did he hit his head? Why would anyone want to get in close contact with something that was supposed to be in the freezer, even if he did look very enticing while doing it?

“Snow angels.” He moved his arms in the snow above his head and then down to his sides while moving his legs in and out. On a two hundred twenty pound, well-muscled man, this looked absolutely ridiculous and cute and hot all at the same time. “Come. Make one. You’ll feel much better.”

“I’m good with my blanket.” She put down the food and bottle and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders as if to emphasize her point.

He sat up and gave a wink before tugging at her leg. She toppled over, falling into his warm chest. The tips of her stiletto boots dug into the snow as she straddled his lap. His fingers threaded through her hair, and he pulled her down on top of him as his lips swept over hers. His mouth was warm and inviting, and she ran her fingers along his strong neck as she was lost in the kiss. “You’re not playing fair,” she whispered. Whenever his lips connected with any portion of her body, it was like her mind went to static, and she couldn’t form a coherent thought to save her life.

“Who said anything about fair?” And with that, he flipped her over so her back was pressed into the snow. She let out a little shriek as the cold pierced through her jacket, straight to her already freezing skin. With her mittened hands, she grabbed fistfuls of snow and plunked it on Gage’s head. He shook it off like a dog shakes off water when coming in from the rain, and the snow flew in all directions.

“You’re asking for it, sweetheart,” he said with a wry smile on his face. He grabbed snow on either side of her and gave her the wettest noogie of her life.

Oh. Oh God. So cold.

Flurries melted into her scalp, and she shrieked as bits of snow worked their way under her coat. Christ on a cracker, she might very well get frostbite. On her ass. Could people even get frostbite on their ass? Regardless of the current frosty skin predicament, she couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. Even in sub-freezing weather, this was the most fun she’d had in a long time.

“Are you ready to make a snow angel now?” he said, rolling over to lay beside Abby.

Abby looked over at him, more snow falling from her hair onto her face. “Do I have a choice in the matter? Or am I just going to get more snow to the face?”

He just smiled in response.

Abby huffed out a sigh, more for show than actual annoyance. Because, in truth, she’d gladly do this all night with Gage. Plus, most of her skin was numb by now, so the bitter cold no longer affected her. “Show me your ways, oh wise one.”

“Dig into the snow like this.” His hand pushed on her arm so that it sunk deeper into the snow. “Now move your arms up to your head and spread your legs.” His fingers gripped her thighs, pulling them apart inch by inch. The heat from his hands radiated up her legs, pulsing between her thighs. He hovered above her, his greedy gaze raking down her body.

She swallowed hard. “You sure have a knack for being bossy.”

“Just making sure you get the whole experience.” He lifted a brow. As she moved around, she felt a bit silly—because isn’t this what kids did? Not adults in their mid-twenties. Not women who were in charge of multimillion-dollar business decisions. And yet, this was exactly what she needed. It was nice to forget her identity for a few minutes and just be a girl in the snow, laughing and flirting with a cute guy. She worked harder at digging in her limbs, making a deeper imprint of her angel.

Gage stood up and then pulled Abby to her feet. She looked down at the two figures in the snow, her angel beside Gage’s, and smiled. Gage had given her something more than just a cold back. It felt…fun to let loose. Maybe, just maybe, this trip was the release she needed in order to feel revived when she got back to work.

“Have I had the full New York experience yet?” she said expectantly. “Or is there something else I need to do before we leave tomorrow?”

…

Gage couldn’t stop staring at Abby’s rosy cheeks, or the smile that made her eyes crinkle, those baby blues twinkling in the moonlight.

Dammit, everything about this woman called to him on a visceral level. His need to claim her, for her to be his, hammered harder than his pulse in his temples. He’d make the best of his last night with her, devouring her inch by inch, memorizing every curve, every taste, every sound, and then board his flight without a second thought.

Now he just needed to convince himself of that, because leaving tomorrow morning would be a new form of torture. If there was a God out there, he had a sick and twisted sense of humor to pair him with someone who lived too far away to actually even consider a relationship—not that he had time, with his job—and also one that would certainly give his mother a heart attack.