Page 81 of Wanting You

“Oh. Okay.”

They got her a pair of boots, and Tanner picked a pair of skis for her before taking her over to a bench to sit down. Together, they got her into the boots before he showed her how to get them attached to the skis. “Always listen for the click and check to make sure the skis are on right. I know it sounds silly, but to really be sure, you can jump up and down a few times. Not big jumps, just enough to test that they’re attached.” He helped her to her feet and made her do it.

And she almost fell.

“Dammit,” she mumbled, frantically reaching for him.

“It’s okay. You got this.” Slowly he let her go and explained how to waddle walk in the skis and the best ways to keep her balance with and without poles. Next, he explained some of the positions she’ll be using at the top of the hill.

Glancing over toward the hill, she bit her lip before looking back at him. “Do I have to walk all the way over there from here with the skis on?”

“No,” he assured her. “This is just a little practice area to get you comfortable with the equipment. When you’re ready, we’ll take the skis off and I’ll show you the proper way to carry them. Then, when we get over there, I’ll let you get the skis back on to make sure you’re comfortable doing it on your own.”

It took another twenty minutes before they made the move to the hill. He wanted to make sure she felt confident in not only walking in the skis, but in the poses, positions, and how she’d be starting, stopping, and picking herself up if she fell. When they walked up to the hill, she seemed way more at ease than he would have predicted.

Then he stood back and watched as she clicked her boots into place, stood up straight with her poles, and got into position. She looked serious but determined.

He talked her through everything they had just learned and didn’t want to rush her. “Just take your time. You have this entire hill to yourself. Remember when you want to slow down, all you have to do is…

She was gliding away before he ever got to finish.

With a bit of a squeal of delight, she made her way down the hill without waiting for him. He jogged after her—because as her instructor, that was what he was supposed to do—and caught up with her near the bottom. She stopped just like he had taught her, and when he came up beside her, her smile was positively radiant.

“I did it!” she cried. “I seriously did it!” Then she dropped her poles and launched herself at him, knocking them both off their feet in a fit of laughter.

Tanner held her tight as they rolled away in an awkward tangle of limbs. She twisted her body a bit to keep the skis from breaking off or from hurting herself, and it was a great moment.

“I know that was just a kiddie hill, but can I try the next one? Please? Please? That was amazing!”

Hugging her tight before helping her to her feet, he said, “How about we try this hill a few more times first? Then we’ll move on to the next one.”

The pout she gave him was adorable. “Fine. But I think I could totally do it now.”

“Trust me. You don’t want to get too cocky about this. Just humor me and then we’ll move on. I promise.”

“Fine.”

“Now let’s see if you can get up to the top of this hill just doing side steps.” It wasn’t steep at all and it was a good exercise for her to learn. She did it and as soon as she got to the top, she got into position and took off again.

They did that another three times before he told her to remove the skis so they could move over to the next hill.

“Yay!”

And for another hour, he stood back and watched as she mastered this new skill. It was longer than he was supposed to do an average lesson, but there was no one else waiting for his assistance, so he didn’t think it was a big deal. Together they walked back down to return to boots and skis, and as they sat down on the bench, he reached for her hand and smiled.

“I’m proud of you. You did a great job.”

The smile she gave him was beautiful. “Thank you. I feel really great about bringing the kids here now. Like…I know what to expect and I can fully help any of them who might struggle or be afraid.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for this. And for everything. For bringing me out of my comfort zone without pushing.” She paused. “Most people around here know me and just sort of…well…they treat me the way they’ve always treated me. And while it’s comforting, it’s not always what’s best. That night at my house, you gave me a lot to think about. It just took me a while to do anything about it.”

“You did the same for me,” he admitted. “I’d been walking around for a lot of years thinking everything I did was great and how everyone should want to be like me. It never occurred to me that it wasn’t like that.” He let out a long breath. “I can’t say that I’ll never be that guy whose big mouth or colossal ego won’t be an issue again, but…I’m working on it.”

“The colossal ego might not be a great thing,” she teased, playfully nudging his shoulder with hers, “but I genuinely like the person you are, Tanner. I fell for that guy—huge ego and all. You don’t have to change for me. I think who we are and all our differences make us a great team.”

He ached to kiss her, but he wanted to put everything he felt out there. “I want to be there beside you, Chloe—to be a team with you not only as a teacher, but…in life. I want you to lean on me and be confident in knowing that I’ll always be there for you. You are what’s important to me. I can walk away from being a spokesperson. That’s a part of my life that was never going to be permanent. But you? I think you could be. When I think of the future, I’m not seeing what products I can promote, but I see you. And me. And…a life. If you’ll give me another chance…”

He never got to finish. Chloe turned, pressed her lips to his, and it was the perfect interruption. Her hands cupped his jaw as he took the kiss deeper. If they were anyplace else, he’d have her in his arms, in his lap, and making this something wildly erotic.

And later, he would.

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