“Yeah, you’re such a big, tough man that you managed to beat an intermediate skier by a few seconds.”
“What can I say? Winning is a thrill no matter how small the challenge.”
“I may not be able to beat you, but I’m going to be on your ass all day. You won’t be able to shake me off.”
“Promise?”
Grrr.He was infuriating. And oh so entertaining. With a delighted laugh, she pushed off ahead of him. Skiing down the pristine snow and challenging her skills was a sweet high. The air was colder up here and the wind stung her cheeks as she picked up speed. When it got too fast for her, she swerved left and right, drawing long zigzags on the snow.
Seth skied ahead of her but always slowed down and waited forher, so she never lost sight of him. Despite his insistence that she would love the diamond slopes, he was watching her carefully. She liked this protective side to him. She loved her parents and older brothers, but they sometimes made her feel claustrophobic with their overprotectiveness. Seth gave her space and didn’t hover, but still let her know he was there for her.
They skied the last stretch of snow side by side, and slid to the bottom of the hill together. Tara was breathless from the exertion and excitement. She threw herself into Seth’s arms, and hugged him tightly around his shoulders, not caring that their skis were tangled up.
“That was amazing.” Her voice was muffled by his jacket. “Let’s do it again.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to take a break first?” he asked as he untangled them before they toppled over.
“No way. Not even spiked hot chocolate can tempt me away.”
“And you’re up for another lift ride?”
“I found your strategy on the last ride very satisfactory.”
A wolfish grin spread across his face. “I think I could manage it again.”
As soon as her butt landed on the seat of the lift, Tara wrapped her arms around Seth’s neck and kissed him. There was no reason to wait until her panic rose. With a sexy chuckle that rumbled in his chest, he kissed her back like he meant it. His laughter turned to a groan when she traced his bottom lip with her tongue, and it was her turn to smile in satisfaction. She loved that she could make him desperate with a flick of her tongue.
This time, she pulled away from him as they approached the end of the ride. Seth tried to tug her back with a frustrated growl, but she gently pushed him away. “It’s time to get off.”
Seth shook his head as though he needed to clear it, and jumped off with her. The peaceful calm was broken by the raucous laughter of a group of teenage snowboarders. Tara shrugged. It was getting later in the day, so the hills were becoming a bit more crowded. The kids wouldn’t be a distraction once they started down the slope.
They pushed off without delay. Tara kept pace with Seth this time, the terrain a bit more familiar to her. He glided effortlessly beside her, as though skiing was as natural as walking to him. He was holding back so he could stay with her. She wanted him to enjoy himself as much as she was enjoying herself, so she picked up her poles and curled in on herself.
“Later,” she yelled and zoomed away.
“Not a chance.” Seth’s laughing voice reached her ears as he sped past her.
Happy that he was finally throwing himself in, Tara slowed down a bit so she wouldn’t smash into a tree.
It happened so fast she wasn’t quite sure what hit her. She knew she’d successfully avoided the trees, but then why was she lying flat on her back? Seth had apparently slowed down to wait for her because he was by her side immediately.
“Tara. Are you okay?” He clicked off his skis and knelt by her side.
“Yeah, I think so,” she managed to say.
When she heard someone groan to her side, she swerved her head to find one of the teenage boarders gathering herself off the ground. Tucking her snowboard under her arm, she walked over to Tara.
“Oh, my God. I’m so sorry. I slipped and the edge of my board caught your ski.”
Seth had her sitting up now, so she was able to answer with some dignity. “That’s all right. It was an accident.”
“I’m still sorry,” the teenager said.
“Ow,” Tara yelped and thethat’s okaythat had been on the tip of her tongue got waylaid in a cloud of pain. It felt as though a pair of metal clamps were attempting to crush her ankle and doing a decent job of it.
“Shit. I’m so sorry, Tara,” Seth ground out, sounding frustrated and angry with himself. “I need to remove your boot to see how badly you’re hurt. I don’t know if I can do it without hurting you. Can you hang on while I take it off?”
“Yes, I’ll hang on,” she said, bracing herself. If the pain she’d felt when he unlatched her ski was any indication, this was going to hurt like a bitch.
