Page 80 of Peppermint Bark

At the bottom of the trail he waited, chest heaving and face flushed. When he saw me turn the corner, he lifted his ski goggles to rest on his helmet as his eyes crinkled. I did the same, pulling my balaclava ski mask from my mouth to rest on my neck.

Gliding towards him, I tugged down his mask, seized the front of his coat with my gloved hands and pulled his mouth to mine, letting my heart lead, pouring my decision into actions that I refused to articulate.

His lips were cold and tight with surprise, but they yielded as I pressed myself against him, fingers curling into the fabric of his jacket. His mouth was sweet and inviting, a tantalizing blend of mint and desire. The rapid thumping of his heart reverberated through the layers of our jackets.

“Ok, I’m in,” I whispered, pulling back to see his reaction. “I’ll take whatever time you can give me.”

A slow smile started in Alexander’s eyes, gradually spreading across his face like the sun breaking through the clouds. It illuminated every corner, mirroring the radiant snow-covered mountain. I froze, captivated by the dazzling whiteness of his teeth, reflecting off the pristine snow, almost blinding in its intensity. His usual smirks and grins paled in comparison to the brilliance that lit up his face.

A smile. A real smile, without any smugness or restraint.

I thought the crooked grin was sexy, but this left it in the dust.

Until it was replaced by confusion.

“What?” he asked, masking his discomfort at my awestruck expression by wiping a hand under his nose. “Do I have snot on my face or something?”

“I was right at the tree farm,” I breathed, still reeling. “When you smile, really smile, it’s irresistible.”

He seemed taken aback, surprise flickering. “This is the first time I’ve been happy in years.”

He pressed his lips to mine again as his low, husky groan reverberated, a primal sound that fueled my desire.

“Hey! Clear the path!” A skier’s voice cried from uncomfortably close. His companion chimed in, “Get a room!”

Alex efficiently unclasped our shoe clips, stepping out of his skis and nudging me to do the same. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he gathered our equipment, hand sliding down to interlace our fingers. “I think we should follow their advice.”

“Clear the path?”

“No,” he smirked. “Get a room.”

Chapter 28

Grace

Anxiety crackled in my veins and thrummed at the base of my neck as we entered the suite in the ski lodge. I wanted to turn off the part of my brain that fixated on the pressure to perform, about how much money he spent — he hadn’t looked at the invoice when he slapped down his credit card, but I did.

I wanted him to take control, craved the surrender to his warm hands and assertive directions ….

But he surprised me, scowling at the rustic-chic room like he was inspecting it for bed bugs, passing right by the bed, and leaning his elbows on the balcony railing to look over the mountain.

I followed, leaning the back of my elbows on the railing to face him. The metal bar under my foot quivered.

“What’s the plan, Clarke?” I jeered nervously, butterflies pounding against my ribs. “You dragged me up here for the view?”

“It’s a nice view.” His shoulder raised lazily. I itched to rub my clammy palms along my pants, wondering how he could seem so calm when I was exploding on the inside … until I noticed a sheen along his upper lip.

Oh my gosh. Arrogant, cocky Alexander Clarke was nervous. About me. He’d reluctantly admitted last night that it had been years since he’d had sex, and now he hid his insecurities behind cool detachment.

He’d paid for this fancy-pants suite to finally have sex and he got cold feet. And if I tried to verbally reassure him, to let him know that I was freaking out too, he might shut down more.

Holy heck. I was going to have to seduce him.

I didn’t know how to seduce … but I knew somebody who did.

I promised myself I’d never tell Alex what I was thinking as I channeled his sister’s alluring charm.

I glanced over my shoulder at his view of the mountain then assessed him top to bottom, not hiding my blatant perusal. I mimicked his shrug with a flirty grin. “This view’s better.”

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