Read Online At Any Cost by Mandy Baxter - Free Book Online Page B

suddenly felt like an elephant walking beside a sleek tiger.
    â€œTry to ignore the fact that I look like a goose waddling around on land,” she remarked as they climbed the stairs.
    Nick chuckled. The deep timbre rippled through her like rings on a pond and she suppressed a shiver. “I bet when you’re on the slopes you’re as graceful as one in the water.”
    The compliment, whether intentional or not, caused a rush of heat to flood Livy’s body. Thank God the telltale signs of a blush were hidden beneath the chill that painted her cheeks and nose. “I try,” she said with a laugh.
    â€œHow long have you been skiing?”
    Nick held open the door and followed Livy inside the crowded lodge. Finding a table might be problematic, but they’d squeeze in somewhere. She contemplated his question as she headed for the cafeteria area. She’d made the mistake of answering personal questions when she’d first moved here. Livy Gallagher didn’t have a history and it needed to stay that way. “Oh, you know, a while,” she said. She pointed toward the end of the food line where a stack of plastic trays rested on the counter and smiled. Smiles always put people at ease. Curt responses, frowns, those made people suspicious. “Grab a tray and follow me.”
    â€œA while, huh?” Nick placed his tray next to hers on the counter and stepped up to the grill to order a burger and fries. He cast a questioning glance Livy’s way.
    â€œOh, I’ll take the black bean chicken quesadilla and mango salsa,” she said to Craig who was manning the grill today.
    â€œAre you like, Olympics good?”
    His question caused anxious nerves to rear their ugly little heads. The question was innocent enough she supposed, but it also made her feel as though Nick might know more about her than he let on. Danger, Will Robinson! “Not really,” she remarked as she accepted the plate with her quesadilla from Craig. She set it on her tray and continued down the bar after Nick got his burger. “I can handle the black diamond runs, though.”
    Livy grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler and Nick swiped an iced tea. He pulled his wallet out of his jeans as they approached the register but she stopped him.
    â€œIt’s on me.”
    Nick cocked a brow. A half smile flirted with his mouth and Livy fought the urge to sigh. The man was too good-looking for words. “I’m the one who invited you, remember.”
    â€œTrue. But I’m the one with the employee discount.”
    â€œAll right. You can get this one,” he said as though he did her a huge favor, “but next time is on me.” The thought that there’d be a next time filled her with equal parts anticipation and fear. “You paid for pizza the other night too. You’re going to put me to shame.”
    They found a table tucked away in a far corner and close to the windows. The lodge was always so busy it was tough to have a conversation without shouting. Livy tended to avoid the third floor because the press of people made her nervous. Too many bodies crammed together and not enough space between her and the nearest exit. Sitting here with Nick made her feel more at ease than she had in a long time, though. Was it because he was a cop or because his sheer size and imposing presence made her feel as though nothing could touch her?
    Did it really matter?
    â€œYou dug me out of a snowbank, packed in my groceries, and chopped firewood. I should be feeding you every night.” Nick’s brow furrowed and a smile played on his lips. A warm glow settled in her belly and Livy’s pulse skittered in her veins. Rather than try to smooth over her own embarrassment, she turned her attention on the quesadilla. “The food here is really good.”
    The great thing about Nick was that he didn’t press her. They ate and talked, but he didn’t ask her any more personal