Mistletoe Match-Up (Romancing Wisconsin #3) Read online

  She accepted a shovel, and he moved back to his side of the driveway. “Lisa, I don’t ever remember you hurting anyone to get what you wanted. You simply did it better. You earned everything you got.”

  This time she watched him work. “What about you?” she asked. “Didn’t I hurt you by not letting you win?”

  “I didn’t want you to let me win. That would’ve pissed me off.”

  “And it didn’t piss you off that you never won?”

  “Oh, hell, yeah.” He let loose a chuckle. “In fact, as long as we’re being truthful here, I resented you for years—especially when you came back and it seemed like nothing had changed. But I’ve since come to realize I needed you back then.”

  He paused after that admission, but the rhythmic back and forth swing of the shovel made it easier to continue, so he resumed shoveling and talking. “Our rivalry was the main thing that held me together when I first came here my freshman year. It gave me something to focus on and helped me through the worst time of my life. You led me down a path that saved me and my grandparents a heck of a lot of trouble.”

  “So what—without me you would’ve become a delinquent?” she teased.

  “No joke, I was on my way.”

  Her head tilted to the side with a hint of a smile. “Ironically, we’re the best thing that ever happened to each other. Without you, I doubt I’d ever have become valedictorian. You were so angry and defensive the first time we met.”

  “You felt sorry for me.” Old-time frustration put extra force behind Derek’s next shovel full of snow.

  “You’d just lost both your parents, of course I felt sorry for you—until you shoved that first challenge in my face.”

  “I was so sick of seeing pity on everyone’s face. When the prettiest girl in class gave me the same look, I felt like a total loser.”

  Lisa made a humming noise of compassion. He swung another scoop into the yard. “Don’t go feeling sorry for me now. Believe me, I got past it.”

  “Which one? Me being the prettiest girl or you feeling like a loser?”

  A seductive note in her question over-rode his earlier restraint. He turned to find her only inches away. His pulse picked up speed when she stuck her shovel in a snow bank and then took his to do the same.

  The yard light from above the garage reflected in her gray eyes, revealed rosy cheeks, and illuminated the most kissable pair of lips he’d ever desired. Shiny ebony curls framed her natural beauty under his knit cap. Looking at her took his breath away.

  “You’re still the prettiest girl around.”

  Those lips curved into a dazzling smile. “In that case…it’s high time you won one.” Her hands slid up his chest and around his neck, closing the distance between them. She held his gaze, her lips a breath away from his. “Don’t you think?”

  Some stupid, crazy part of him questioned her headlong advance, but the memory of her persuasive curves argued with the little voice deep in the recesses of his mind. Derek forced his hands to remain on her hips in a last-ditch effort to keep his rising anticipation in check. “You’re not still mad at me?”

  She pressed closer. “I got past it.”

  He surrendered the internal battle he had no interest in winning. “Good. Because, yes, I think I’m more than due a few victories.”

  His arms tightened, and he slanted his mouth over hers. Three days since their last kiss, yet it seemed a lifetime ago that he’d tasted anything so sweet; her unique flavor he’d been craving since the night in the gym.

  One hand rose to tangle in her hair, holding her head to allow his tongue deeper exploration. The moist warmth of her mouth made him shudder with the thought of burying himself in her heat. A groan escaped his mouth when her hips snugged against his. It’d be a miracle if she didn’t burn him alive.

  He began to sweat despite the winter chill, and backed her toward the house. “What do you say we take this inside?”

  “What about the driveway?” she asked between kisses.

  “You started this—now you want to finish the driveway?”

  “Not really, I was just being polite.”

  “How about you help me in the morning when it’s done snowing?”

  “It’s never done snowing around here.”

  “Then you’ll have to stay until winter’s over.” Out of nowhere, nervousness drove in for a lay-up as he waited for her response.

  She laughed and twisted out of his arms toward the house. “Nice try. Warm me up now and we’ll talk about slave labor later.”

  He pushed aside an unexpected weight of disappointment and caught her at the door. “You’ll be warm in no time. Promise.”

  He kicked the door shut once they were inside. She removed her hat at the same time he pulled her hair and scarf aside to bare her neck. His light, playful bite made her shiver. An answering wave of desire swept through him. Tasting and teasing with each loop of the scarf, he unwound the material and tossed it on the counter.

  Something fluttered to the floor and Lisa stooped to retrieve a piece of paper. She offered the note over her shoulder when he reached around to unzip her coat and ease the soft black leather down her arms. He took the yellow square between his teeth.

  With one hand he laid her jacket on the counter, with the other he grabbed the paper and read. Yer Grandma asked me to drop by some dessert, so I left a treat of my own.

  “Um, Derek…” Lisa began. “You don’t have a girlfriend you forgot to tell me about, do you?”

  He jerked up from his grandfather’s note. “No—why?”

  “What’s with all the mistletoe?”

  Derek’s gaze swept the various doorways visible from the kitchen and Grandpa’s note made perfect sense.

  He slipped the paper into his pocket and unzipped his jacket. “It appears Grandma and Grandpa each left their own form of dessert.”

  An inquisitive arch lifted her slim eyebrows. “And what did Grandma leave?”

  No evidence graced the counter, so he tossed his coat next to hers and opened the refrigerator. He grinned. “Chocolate Éclair.”

  “Mmm.”

  Dessert tempted almost as much as the woman. To be polite, he asked, “Want some?”

  She kicked off his borrowed snow boots with a sexy grin. “Later.”

  Grandma’s treat forgotten, Derek made his way across the floor and backed Lisa up under a sprig of leaves his grandpa had hung. “Mistletoe rules.”

  She drew his mouth to hers for a kiss that quickly rekindled the smoldering embers of his desire. This evening was shaping up completely different from what he’d expected after his screw up at the Lodge. Her athletic body fit his perfectly, her toned curves yielded to his harder length. When he started for the stairs, she spun him in the other direction.

  “Not so fast. I’d like a tour of your home.”

  “We’ll start upstairs,” he suggested against her throat.

  “I’m serious.”

  He sighed and groaned at the same time. Turning her back to his chest, he put his hands on her shoulders and rotated in a full circle. “Kitchen…hall to the bathroom and guest rooms…living room…stairs. Happy now?”

  She pulled away, backed to the hall entryway, and stopped. “May I see the guest rooms?”

  He glanced at another cluster of mistletoe above her head. She waited as if she had all night, and yet, her cheeks flushed the same shade of pink as her top. Was she nervous, or excited? Stalling, or playing a game? While he debated, hands braced on his hips, she reached up and undid the top button of her shirt.

  He blew out a deep breath and raked a hand though his hair. One corner of his mouth crooked up. “Still ruthless, I see.”

  “Winning without effort isn’t worth the victory.”

  “And I never made it easy on you, did I?” he conceded.

  “No, you certainly did not.”

  “At least this time it’ll be a hell of a lot more fun.”

  She smiled. “I’m counting on it.”

&
nbsp; Derek counted four. Four steps, four doorways, four bunches of mistletoe, and four more buttons before they made their way up the stairs. Thank God, because he didn’t think he could take much more. And somehow she still managed to strip off his sweater and shirt, and undo his jeans before he got the last button on her blouse undone. Granted, he’d been distracted by her pale pink bra and the swell of her breasts above the seductive satin, but still, he had to focus here.

  Soft hands skimmed the plane of his chest, followed by her mouth. His skin burned wherever she touched, and where she didn’t, he ached. Her hum of appreciation stoked the fire scorching his body. When she began to ease his jeans down past his hips, he grasped a fistful of her shirt and tried to pull her up. “My turn.”

  She gave a push, toppling him backward onto his king-sized bed. “Don’t worry. You’ll get yours.”

  He levered himself up onto his elbows and watched her strip him down to his boxer briefs. His erection strained against the snug cotton, but he didn’t feel the least bit self-conscious. In fact, the moment she stood in front of him and arched her back to let her shirt slide down her arms, he pretty much lost all coherent thought.

  “This is for the State spelling bee championship,” she said as the material fell to the floor.

  “I barely even remember that.”

  She bent to remove her socks. “How about the debate club and the class presidency?”

  “Now those I fought hard for.”

  “Very hard.” Her gaze dropped to his briefs and a satisfied smile appeared below her flushed cheeks. Nimble fingers undid the snap of her jeans and one twist of her wrist reversed the zipper. Aided by a seductive wiggle of her hips, the denim slid down, revealing long, lean thighs and toned calves. “For my scholarship to Indiana.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  She stepped free of the jeans and reached behind for the clasp of her bra. Pink satin released a perfect pair of rosy tipped breasts. “For beating you out of Valedictorian.”

  Derek swallowed hard. “About that…may I simply say, thank you.”

  Her husky laugh rode the electric charge in the room, hot-wiring his need to feel her, skin on skin. The only thing left was a pink scrap of bikini underwear, and he’d reached his limit. Derek pushed up off the bed.

  Lisa held up a hand. “I’m not done—”

  He caught her hand and pulled her forward. A quick turn landed them both on the bed with a bounce, him partially on top. Lisa’s dark hair fanned out on the tan bedspread. He smiled, skimming his palm up over her ribcage. “What else is there?”

  “The wedding toa—” She inhaled sharply when he cupped her breast. The weight of it fit perfectly in his hand.

  “No need to make up for that.” He dipped his head to take her nipple into his mouth. He sucked, then swirled his tongue around the tight bud. Her low moan of pleasure made his entire body throb with need. “My toast was lame compared to yours.”

  “You didn’t know they’d be compared,” she argued in his defense.

  “True. But since I insist on being the one to finish this strip tease, you’ll have to make it up to me some other way.”

  He moved to her other breast. Her fingers clenched in his hair, revealing what caresses she liked most, and he concentrated on eliciting as many murmurs and sighs as possible. She moved her leg restlessly, rubbing her foot along his calf and up his thigh in invitation. Easing downward, he took his time removing her pink panties. The glide of his fingers over her long, elegant legs built the anticipation before he made the return journey with his mouth.

  His first taste of her confirmed he’d never get enough. And when she quickly came apart beneath him, her cries of pleasure nearly undid him. The scant moments it took to remove his briefs and put on a condom gave him a chance to rein in his body’s response to her gratification.

  Until he pushed inside and her heat surrounded him. She shifted, drawing her knees up higher, drawing him deeper. Nothing had ever felt so right. He leaned down to capture her glistening lips in a hard kiss. For every thrust of his tongue, she bucked her hips against his. A groan tore from his throat. God, help him, she’d put him over the edge too fast. He wanted this to last.

  “Lisa—” he breathed against her neck. But she urged him on, raking her nails down his back. Sensation ripped through him. He jerked up, driving hard as he arched his back. Her gasp made him hesitate in concern.

  She adjusted the angle of her hips, her fingers clenched on his rigid arms. “Harder.”

  That did it. Helpless to deny the desperate, husky demand, Derek did as she asked, holding onto his control as long as possible, until her muscles clenched around him and his name trembled on her lips. Her climax triggered his release in one final, deep thrust.

  Countless moments later, she tightened her arms around him, ran one hand through his hair, and gave a soft, “Mmm.”

  Talk about an understatement. Mmm didn’t even begin to cover his feelings at the moment. Lifting his head, he trailed a finger along the side of her face, smoothing back a clinging curl. Her beauty increased every time he looked at her. Making love to her proved ten times more amazing than anything he’d dreamed of, and right now, he could easily imagine being with her forev—

  His gaze locked on hers. Air seized in his lungs. His heart stopped, then nearly exploded from his chest. A deep breath and hard swallow allowed him to admit the realization ricocheting through every taught fiber of his being.

  He’d fallen in love with her.

  Chapter Eight

  Lisa’s smile faded in direct proportion to the tension tightening Derek’s muscles. What was the matter? The worry stuck in her throat, muting her voice. He didn’t say a word, just stared down at her. Some intense emotion flashed in his eyes, and her heart went cold when she added it to his rigid body.

  Panic in the aftermath. He was accessing his mistake, looking for escape. She recognized the signs, having done the same thing with all her jobs and maybe even a boyfriend or two.

  With effort, she summoned her smile again and gave him a way out. “I could stay like this forever, but it’s getting hard to breathe.”

  He immediately shifted his weight. When he pushed up off the bed, the loss of his warmth sent a shiver along her limbs. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, but not before a noticeable hesitation. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  She nodded. Boxer briefs in hand, he strode across the floor to what she suspected was his bathroom. She couldn’t help but admire his backside. Muscle flexed beneath the supple skin that’d teased her tongue with its salty tang. She marveled at his lack of self-consciousness while she eased under the covers to conceal her own nakedness.

  Ironic considering her earlier strip tease. But then she’d had an end goal in mind. Sleeping with him had been a decision meant to simplify the situation; remove the game aspect so she could sort through her increasingly confused feelings after he had nothing left to ‘win’. Now she feared she’d created even more of a mess than when she’d unwittingly challenged him with that kiss in the gym.

  Clutching the sheet to her chest, she rose up to peer over the end of the bed. She should’ve grabbed her clothes when he first left. Now, if she got out of—

  He stepped back into the room, wearing his boxers. She sat back with a nervous smile that mirrored his. See what you’ve done? At least if she’d left things the way they were they could still banter and tease. Or argue. Anything was preferable to this awkwardness.

  Dread flipped her stomach when he sat down and reached for her hand. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, looking entirely too serious. Too much like he was about to apologize. Oh, God, no. Time to clean up the mess she’d created.

  “Listen, Lisa…I—”

  “Hey, how about some of that dessert now?”

  A frown darkened his eyes. “Now?”

  “It’s later.”

  “Yeah…but…well, I was hoping we could talk.”

  She placed her other hand over his and leaned for
ward. “Please, Derek, don’t make this into more than it is.”

  His gaze locked on hers. “And what is it, exactly?”

  “Not a big deal.” Her heart squeezed painfully, surprising her. She forced a careless smile. “Don’t get me wrong, it was great—obviously, I can’t deny that—but you don’t have to worry. I’m certainly not expecting any sort of commitment.”

  She waited for his relieved smile so they could go back to normal. Instead, he shifted on the bed and took both her hands in his. The intensity of his gaze held her captive. Rendered her breathless.

  “What if that’s exactly what I want?”

  Lisa redefined breathless. “What?”

  “I want you, Lisa. Here with me, all the time.”

  Conflicting emotions woke up the whole bevy of butterflies residing in her stomach. Relief that he wasn’t apologizing. Joy that he wanted her. Hope for what they could share. And wiggling its way out from the middle of the tangle…

  Fear.

  That she would fail at this, too. She wasn’t good at relationships and any sort of happiness had eluded her for so long now.

  Derek’s fingers flexed, then released. Despite his straightforward statement, a muscle ticked in his jaw. His Adam’s apple jerked, then he gave her a grin that was all the more heartwarming for its unsteady start. “I’m not saying ’till death do us part‘ right now, but I think we’ve got a pretty damn good shot at making this work.”

  His nervousness eased her apprehension enough for her to tease, “How do I know you’re not just looking for someone to shovel snow?”

  A surprised chuckle shook his shoulders. And just like that, his eyes lightened and the tension left his body. “No shoveling, I promise.”

  “Sure, you say that now.” She smiled and cocked her head to one side. “You’re not worried we’ll compete over every little thing?”