Page 30 of An Avalanche Hero Christmas

“She told her father that I’d kidnapped her,” he said. “That she’d been lost and wandering on the mountain, and I’d taken her.”

“Whoa.” Mallory’s brows rose slowly. “That…that’s…”

“Evil?” He gave a dry chuckle. “Her father, Henri, ordered his men to attack me that day. I fought back, but I was outnumbered. They left me for dead on my doorstep. I survived, but I’ve got a permanent reminder of the trouble she brought into my cabin and my life.”

He held out his arm, revealing the jagged scar Henri had given him.

“I’m so sorry,” Mallory said, looking horrified. “I can’t imagine what you must have felt that day.” She let a moment pass in silence. Then: “That’s why you don’t like fae people, isn’t it?”

The question held him for the next few seconds. Guilt washed over him as he held her gaze.

“I…don’t hate you,” he said finally.

“But you don’t like me, either,” she shot back. “Right?”

“I didn’t like you at first,” Lance admitted. “I wanted nothing to do with you or any of your kind. But then…”

“You’ve been helping me ever since that day,” she said, “You’ve faced what probably counts as the devil on Frost Mountain—twice—and leaped off a cliff for me.” She smirked. “Doesn’t sound like the sort of thing you’d do for someone you didn’t like.”

Lance couldn’t resist a grin. “You’re right.”

She cocked her head slightly to the side, and he briefly wondered if her heart was thumping in her chest as hard as his was right now. In the pale moonlight, her dark eyes seemed to sparkle like miniature stars.

“So…?” she said. Her voice was gentle, but he thought he detected a note of expectation in her tone.

“So what?”

“Why did you do those things for me?”

He sighed, and truth came bursting from his lips before he could stop it. “Because I don’t dislike you anymore. As much as my mind tells me not to, as much as my mind tells me I’m making a big mistake, I’ve started to like you, and it’s…why are you smiling like that?”

She leaned closer, her gaze locked on his eyes. “Well, it’s because I feel the same way about you. To be honest, I’ve spent most of my life looking over my shoulder, trying to take care of myself. But you helped me. You’ve been helping me since I got here.”

“That’s why you feel the same way about me?” he asked with a frown.

In reply, she laughed. “I mean, you’re not so bad-looking, either.”

“I could say the same about you. You are…beautiful. It’s one of the reasons I was hesitant to help.”

“What, you don’t like to help pretty women?”

“No, it’s because after Julia…” He trailed off, realizing she’d been making a joke. Mallory was staring at him with a big smile on her face, her eyes glowing like supernovas. Lance felt a light tug in the depths of his stomach.

“If it makes you feel better,” she said, her grin widening, “I’m not going to tell lies about you and get you in trouble.”

On that note, she brought her lips to his, and Lance felt his world turn upside-down.

Chapter Thirteen

“You Deserve Better”

The second their lips met, Mallory realized she’d made a big mistake. And it wasn’t because kissing Lance had been a bad idea or anything. His lips were warm and soft and amazing against hers, and the kiss seemed to draw all the oxygen from her lungs and send her pulse into overdrive, pounding in her ears. That was exactly the problem. Her body was screaming for more,more, and she was helpless against the desire that swept through her as he responded with equal fervor.

His kisses were deep and demanding, and it was all that she could do to ride the wave of passion.More.The silent demand filled her as she ran her fingers through his hair. Heat washed through her body that had nothing to do with the warmth of the cave. Mallory felt a tug in her belly, and she surged against him, her soft body nested perfectly against his solidness. His arm circled her waist, holding her closer as she straddled him.

“Oh, Lance,” she moaned into the kiss.

Was this right? The question crept into her mind as his fingers began to unbutton her coat, exposing the sweater underneath. The circumstances surrounding this were nothing short of strange. They were hiding in a cave, escaping from a murderous psychopath who wanted them both dead, and he was pulling her clothes off. But even as the thought occurred to her, it was quickly shoved aside as their kiss grew hotter.

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