Free Fall by Jill Shalvis Page B

in my life sometime. I’m not talking just ski-slope opera drama, either. We face a wider variety of stupidity.”
    Her smile was slow and sexy. “You’re not scaring me off.”
    â€œI wasn’t trying to. So why are you working the bar?”
    â€œMatt’s running late.”
    â€œMatt?”
    â€œRemember Sara?”
    â€œThe sister worried about you stealing another Jeep?”
    â€œThat’s the one. Matt’s her husband. He’s the bartender tonight, I’m just filling in until he gets here.”
    â€œYou have a big family. I met your aunt Debbie.”
    â€œAh.” She looked him over. “I see she let you go without sinking her teeth into you. She must be losing her touch.”
    â€œMaybe I wasn’t interested.”
    She shrugged, but he would have sworn that his answer pleased her. Still, she backed up, spread out her white apron and bowed. “What can I get you tonight?”
    If she only knew. “Whatcha got?”
    â€œA little of everything. Hot, cold, spicy, sweet…name your poison.”
    â€œHmm.” He found himself smiling, feeling totally alive. And incredibly, arousingly aware. “How about something slow, with a kick.”
    Her eyes darkened just a little. “Are we still talking drinks?”
    â€œThat, too.”
    A variety of emotions crossed her face. Excitement. Thrill. Nerves. The combination was wickedly stimulating.
    Her gaze dropped to his mouth while she dragged her lower lip between her teeth. He’d bet his last buck she was thinking about their kiss.
    Good. That made two of them.
    â€œSomething slow with a kick…” She turned away to survey all the possibilities.
    He snagged her wrist, waiting until she looked at him. Her hand was still icy, but now her lips were chattering, too. He’d been outside all day too many times to miss the signs. She was badly chilled.
    â€œNo,” she said, and pulled free.
    â€œI didn’t say anything.”
    â€œYou were going to tell me to go get warm, and you’ll help out while I do.”
    â€œIt’s not a bad plan.”
    â€œExcept…”
    â€œYou’re not a woman who likes needing help?”
    â€œNo. But thank you,” she added softly. “It’s sweet. You’re sweet.”
    â€œWhat I’m thinking about is quite probably the furthest thing from sweet you’ve ever seen. Do you want to know what I’m thinking?”
    She stared at him, shivered hard. “Yes.”
    He had to laugh. No woman he’d ever known would have said yes. “I’m thinking of all the ways I can warm you up.” He leaned forward. “With—”
    She put a finger to his lips. “You’re warming me up already. You have a way of looking at me, Logan White.”
    â€œDo I?”
    â€œLike you want to gobble me up.”
    â€œDoes that frighten you?”
    â€œNothing frightens me.”
    Someone down the bar gestured for a refill, and she smiled her apology and moved toward them. A lanky guy with a head of dark curls made his way behind the bar and gave her a big bear hug with a smacking kiss right on the lips.
    Matt, Logan assumed.
    Lily stripped out of her apron and a moment later came to Logan’s side with two whiskey shots. She sat down next to him, picked up her glass and lifted it in a toast. “To warmth on a snowy winter’s eve.”
    He lifted his glass, too, and touched it to hers. “To being warm together on a winter’s eve.”
    Her lips curved. “Even better.”
    He agreed. And though he rarely drank anything harder than a beer, he took the shot.
    She did the same, then swiped her mouth with her arm and smiled. “That should help.”
    â€œYeah, so would—”
    â€œLily Rose.” A woman who looked remarkably like Lily came up to them. She had Lily’s brown, bouncy long curls, Lily’s whiskey eyes, though not as happy, and