Page 30 of Snowbound with the Santas

But we’re strangers.

The sooner we get the tower fixed, the sooner we can send her back to where she came from, and the temptation will go with her.

I grab my rucksack from the table and stride outside, letting the biting cold chase away the heat Rayne left in my heart.

Until she steps outside half an hour later with a smaller rucksack in her hands and a broad smile on her face.

Just one look and I can feel her soft skin underneath my fingertips once more.

“Ready?” Nick beams, oblivious to my turmoil.

“As I’ll ever be,” Rayne replies. She glances at me and her smile widens.

Or that’s my imagination. I can’t decide.

“Enough time wasting,” I snap, turning on my heel. “Let’s go.”

11

RAYNE

Hiking in the snow is fun in theory.

In reality, it’s terribly difficult.

Archer leads, creating a pace that was easy to keep up with at first, but the longer the hike goes on for, the more difficult it is for me to keep up.

The start was likely fueled by how intimate it felt to have Archer roll that bandage up my leg. His actions and touch were so gentle compared to the gruffness of his voice and the shortness of his words. He seemed to care, for the few minutes he stayed with me.

Out here in the forest, it’s like a switch has been flipped, and he’s back to his grumpy, stoic self.

I begin to wonder if it’s all in my head. Maybe I’m dreaming up these private moments because I’m so far from civilization that my mind doesn’t know how to cope. That fuels me, partly. If nothing else, I need to let Nina know that I’m okay. She will definitely be worrying about me, and I hope she’s causing a stink about it.

But each time I consider the reality of what might be happening down the mountain, I get distracted by this place.The beauty of the forest is breathtaking, and the trees are so tall that it feels like we’re trekking through nature’s city. What fear I had about being here has faded somewhat since these men, even Archer, seemed determined to put me at ease.

I just need to get a smile out of Archer, and maybe then, everything will be perfect.

We walk for what feels like an eternity until Frankie falls back slightly and offers me a bottle of water.

“Thanks,” I gasp, pushing my hair away from my sweaty forehead. “Is it normal to be this hot?”

“Yes.” Frankie chuckles. “It’s important you don’t take anything off, though. The cold here moves so fast that you could be in danger within two minutes.”

“Damn. Feels like I’m in a sauna.”

“Not much of a hiker, then?” Frankie asks as I uncap the bottle and drink deeply.

“No,” I gasp after a good few mouthfuls of water. “Don’t get me wrong, this is fun, but it’s so tiring.”

“How’s your leg?”

I pass the water back. “Sore but not uncomfortable. Sort of feels like a bruise that’s just throbbing, y’know?”

Frankie nods and shoves the water bottle back into his rucksack. Ahead of us, Nick and Archer appear to be deep in discussion.

“If you need a break, just ask,” Frankie says, and his lopsided smile chases away any exhaustion approaching my mind.

“I will do.” I nod. “So, do you all do this a lot? Come up here at Christmas? No family or girlfriends or anything waiting for you back home?”

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