Page 49 of Just One Kiss

She turned her head to meet his gaze. "Is it crazy to say that I love riding a lift up a mountain more than I like skiing or sledding down?"

"That is crazy," he agreed with a smile. "I like both."

"There's a peacefulness up here, swinging our legs above the treetops."

"The calm before the storm. But the race down the mountain brings the energy, the excitement, and the challenge. You can't beat that feeling of exuberance at the end of a good run."

His words made her feel like she was already on that run. This had probably been a really bad idea, but it was too late now. There was no other way down than sledding with Jake, and the excitement was already bubbling up inside of her. "Have you done this run before?"

"Nope. This place wasn't here when we were kids. And sledding isn't really my thing. I'd rather be snowboarding, skiing or freestyling."

"Then why the push to sled now?"

"Because I get to put my arms around you," he said with an honest and open grin.

She couldn't help but smile back. Thankfully, she didn't have to come up with a response as the lift had reached the top. They hopped off and grabbed one of the two-person sleds before making their way to one of the three runs that went down the mountain. When it was their turn, she had to admit to a little trepidation.

"It's very high," she murmured. "It didn't look this steep from the bottom."

"It will be fun. You will love it, Hannah."

"How do you know that?" She got onto the front of the sled, and he slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her back against his very solid chest. And just like that, her fears slipped away.

"How do I know that?" he echoed. "Because deep down, you love to fly, Hannah."

She had no time to argue or even to think about that, because they were racing down the mountain. As their speed picked up, as the wind beat against her face, she screamed with both fear and excitement, appreciating the strong arms around her. It seemed like it would be impossible to stop, but there was just enough of an upward rise to slow them down and bring them to a stop in a spray of beautiful white powder.

Her heart was pounding against her chest as she rolled off the sled and jumped to her feet. Jake looked at her with sparkling brown eyes as he got to his feet. "Well?"

"That was amazing."

"Seems like the perfect time for a kiss. But it's your call," he said.

She must have lost her mind somewhere on the slope, because she found herself grabbing his arms and leaning in for the kiss she wanted as much as he did.

She closed her eyes as his mouth settled on hers with spine-tingling heat. There was cold surrounding them, but there was nothing but delicious warmth in their kiss. She'd always loved kissing Jake, and now the past was mixing with the present in the best possible way.

Until a flurry of snow hit her on the side of her cheek. She broke away from Jake as a sled came perilously close to running them down but managed to land a few feet away.

"Sorry," a woman said with an apologetic wave.

Jake grabbed their sled and they dragged it over to the lift area, sliding it onto a flat piece of metal that would take it back to the top.

"Want to do that again?" he asked.

"The sledding or the kiss?" she asked mischievously.

"How about both?" he returned, his hands sliding around her waist.

She immediately regretting her challenging question. She slipped away from him. "I think we're done."

"For today," he added. "The ball is now back in my court."

"We're not playing a game."

"Oh, it's not a game," he said purposefully.

"Jake…" Her voice trailed away as she really didn't know what to say.

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