Page 51 of Snowed in With My Small Town Billionaire

She looked at Sawyer. He smiled at her, sending a warmth rushing through her body. Her heart beat a little faster as she stared into his dark eyes. His fingers intertwined with hers and she sighed with satisfaction.

After dinner, Gwen and Sawyer slipped on their coats, boots, gloves, hats, and scarves. They stepped outside together. Her breath caught in her throat as they stepped outside together. It could get cold in Colorado Springs, but not like this. This cold had the ability to suck every bit of oxygen from her lungs and strength from her muscles.

She had to admit that it was beautiful. The millions of stars danced in the dark sky. The moon shined down, lighting up the area. It was so incredibly quiet that Gwen was sure she could hear her own heartbeat.

“This seems like a fairy tale,” Gwen said.

“Disney or those other fellows?” Sawyer asked, with a laugh. “Remember that the stories told by the Grimm Brothers or Hans Christian Andersen weren’t all that great. They were full of violence and evil deeds.”

“True enough,” Gwen said. “I guess this would be more like a Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale because while it looks incredibly gorgeous out here, it’s also extremely dangerous and potentially deadly. It is a huge contrast out here. The beauty and the fun to be had on the slopes in sharp contrast to the circumstances we are in.”

Sawyer squeezed her hand. “It is, but we’ll get through it and we’ll have a heck of a story to tell our friends and family.”

She stopped and looked into his eyes. Gwen slipped her arms around him and smiled. He wrapped his arms around her.

“You are so very beautiful,” he said.

“Thank you. You’re alright.”

He laughed. “Just alright, huh?”

“Yeah. I’ll give you at least a three,” she teased.

For a second, they were silent and simply looked at each other. She studied his face. He was so handsome. The warmth of his embrace seeped through her layers, comforting her in a way that had nothing to do with the cold.

He tilted her chin up, and their eyes met for a brief moment before he leaned down and kissed her. The kiss was soft, lingering, and filled with the tenderness she had come to crave. At that moment, everything else faded away—the cold, the snow, the uncertainty of their situation. There was just him.

Fires coursed through her and an intense love exploded in her heart. She loved him so much.

The words were on her lips but he said, “We’d better get back before we freeze to death out here.”

They walked back to the resort in a comfortable silence. The atmosphere was a little lighter than it had been before, probably because everyone had a chance to get out, experience the sunshine, and get some fresh air.

Gwen felt her father watching her, but she didn’t acknowledge him. She wasn’t about to let him spoil her mood.

That night, as she curled up in the thermal sleeping bag, she thought about Sawyer. The memory of his touch and the kiss was enough to keep her warm. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, pretending that his arms were still wrapped around her.

21

C H A P T E R

Sawyer

After breakfast, Oliver pulled Sawyer and Lucas aside.

“I hate to ask you boys, but I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind going hunting again. We really need the meat.”

“Of course,” Sawyer said. “We’ll do whatever we need to.”

The two of them headed outside. The biting cold stole Sawyer’s breath away as they walked into the tree line. His father had always emphasized the fact that one should never hunt animals for sport. If you kill it then you eat it. Sawyer had never enjoyed hunting, but now he was glad that his father had taught him how.

“Maybe we could get some hares,” Lucas said, breaking into his thoughts. “There are a lot of them in this area.”

“That would be good,” Sawyer said. “Everyone says they taste just like chicken, although I don’t think so.”

“Why do people say that all meat tastes like chicken? What would meat taste like if people didn’t eat chicken?” Lucas asked.

“I wonder that, myself, every time I hear someone say something like that. Of course, I also wonder what ever possessed people to eat the white thing that popped out of the chicken’s butt.”

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