Rock Me All Night by Katherine Garbera

feeling that comes with flying. I like being out of control. And I made peace with that side of myself.
    â€œHow?”
    â€œBy believing that nothing lasts forever.”
    â€œNothing?”
    He lifted their joined hands and brushed his lips against hers. “Nothing, but some things make the fleetingness of life worthwhile.”
    â€œMe?”
    â€œYou,” he said, his deep voice dropping an octave.

Five
    J ack had learned early that he needed to spend a lot of time outdoors. Sports were the one constant in his ever-changing life. Exercise was something he enjoyed. Lauren eyed him curiously when he turned off the highway and pulled to a stop near a deserted park.
    â€œWhat are we doing?” she asked.
    â€œSnowshoeing. There’s an easy path nearby.”
    â€œI’ve never done that before. Is it hard?”
    â€œNo. It’s soothing…quiet and peaceful.”
    She’d been working all night and he wanted to take care of her. Between the moon and his flashlight, they’d be able to see. He gestured for her to stay putin the H2 while he got their gear together. “Would you like some hot cocoa?”
    â€œYes, please.”
    He grabbed the Thermos and poured a cup for each of them. She smiled up at him but quickly glanced away. She was nervous. It reassured him in ways it really shouldn’t have.
    He started to tip his cup toward hers in a silent toast, but she stopped him. “To living large and finding happiness.”
    He tapped the rims of their glasses together, his eyes never leaving hers. She had the most expressive eyes. He should warn her that her secrets were there for any man to see. To delve into and take advantage of.
    He knew that living large with Lauren was dangerous. More so than any out-of-control ride down a racetrack.
    He turned away, taking a deep swallow. How had she turned the tables? And how could he regain control? “I made soup for later.”
    â€œFrom a can?” she asked with that spark in her eye that said “men can’t cook.”
    â€œNever.”
    â€œTakeout?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWell…”
    â€œWhat?” he asked, sorting through the gear and getting the sticks ready for them to use.
    She narrowed her eyes. “Come on, fess up. You can cook.”
    He shrugged at her. He didn’t want to discuss it, but he liked to eat and had never really stayed put long enough to find decent take-out places.
    â€œWhere’d you learn to cook? Your mom?” she asked.
    â€œNo. In a night class,” he said, handing a pair of snowshoes to her. He gave her some brief instructions on how to snowshoe.
    â€œWhy?” she asked in that quiet way of hers.
    Never talk about old lovers with a potential one. Years of navigating the dating scene had made it easy to lie. At least in the past. With Lauren things were different. “Um…I wanted to.”
    â€œOh, I see. Was she blond, brunette or redheaded?”
    â€œBlond actually.” He put his shoes on and led her away from the vehicle.
    Lauren laughed. He stopped to look at her. She had one of those laughs that made him want to say screw it and leave off these trappings of seduction. He wanted her. Learning each other’s secrets could come later.
    â€œPitiful, I know, but I really liked the cooking lessons, which have lasted longer in my life than she did.”
    â€œI hope so, since you invited me out. Unless you’re planning on starting a harem.”
    â€œToo much trouble. Pleasing women takes a lot of energy.”
    â€œI’m not sure I like being lumped in a group like that. I’m very low-key. Very undemanding.”
    â€œHow do you figure?”
    She stopped and toyed with the charm on her necklace. In the moonlight she seemed untouchable. “I wouldn’t have asked you to take a cooking class with me. I always delve into his interests.”
    Jack stopped, too. Lauren wasn’t the kind of woman who