Page 66 of Merry Kissmas

I cringe, but he’s moving so fast I can’t catch him.When someone gets in his way, he manages to pivot away.Oh, I’m kind of proud.

I push off with the poles and race down to meet him, seeing that Tre and Tessa aren’t close enough behind us to win.

Pierce’s yell pulls my attention back to him—right before he barrels into the orange fencing, slipping over it.

Shit.

I ski down to him.“Oh my god!Are you okay?”

He sits on the board still attached to his feet while blood trickles down his forehead.

“Crap, you’re bleeding.”

“Way to put your boyfriend in the hospital to win,” Tre says, patting me on the back.

“You’re just a sore loser.”I look back at Pierce.“Not that I’m okay with you getting hurt.”

He nods.Maybe I need to look into this competitive fire inside me.

“Hate to see what happens if he gets the job over you,” Tre says and skis off with Tessa.

Tre’s always been a sore loser, so I don’t care.

I crouch next to Pierce.“I’m sorry.”

He smiles.“It’s okay.We won, didn’t we?A little cut isn’t too bad.”

He really is great.

“I promise to kiss your boo boo,” I whisper.

“Then let’s get the hell out of here.”He unstraps his feet from the board, and I unclip my boots from the skis.

Now we just have to make sure Tessa and Tre don’t win at the ice sculpture melting contest to make it a tie.If so, it’ll be mine and Pierce’s picture on the top of the tree next year.

But I can’t help the gnawing feeling in my gut about what Tre said.We haven’t really addressed the Mancini Advertising job.How will we navigate it if one of us gets it over the other?

Problems for another day, I suppose.

ChapterTwenty-Five

Pierce

Iknew Brynn was competitive, but as we ride back to the villas with tissues pressed against my bloody head, I realize I didn’t know to what extent.

At the same time, it was thrilling to win.The thought that maybe I’ll be around next year to have my picture on top of the tree is as welcome as it is terrifying.

I actually might try out snowboarding again.With her help and instruction, I felt as though I could get to a point where I could really get the hang of it.

“She just pushed you, dude,” Carter says from the front seat.

“Shut up, Carter,” Brynn says.She’s been kind of quiet on the ride and keeps looking at me as though she feels bad.

“I don’t know why you’d do that to him Brynn,” Tre says from the driver’s seat.

I’m not sure how we got into Tre’s SUV, but it was a scramble after my fall.Plus, Tre was a medic in the army.I thought for sure it would be Gwen checking me out.

“It’s because of you two that I’m so competitive.”Brynn crosses her arms.

---