Page 26 of The Millionaire's Mechanic

“I’m a terrible swimmer,” she confessed, examining the rock face. “I can’t make it across the pool without stopping to touch the bottom with my toes—which is impossible unless I’m in the lane against the wall.” She scoffed. “Or a kid-sized pool.”

She knew she had shocked him by how quickly he turned around, the snowshoes not impeding his speed. “Didn’t Ephraim or Diamond teach you how to do a proper stroke?”

“They don’t swim either.”

Rainer straightened, seeming to take that as a personal affront. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. Finally, he slashed a hand through the air and shrugged. “This cannot be allowed to pass—I’m going to have to show you.”

“Where?” She chuckled. “Cause as soft as this snow is, I don’t think diving in the snowdrifts would be all that similar.”

He appeared to consider this before throwing up his hands. “Damn it,” he swore. “I knew we should have gone to the Bahamas.”

Laughing, she was already turning away before Rainer shouted and a wall of white came crashing down from the heavens.

CHAPTERTWELVE

Rainer didn’t know whether it was their voices causing too many vibrations or just bad luck, but he watched helplessly as the snow on the ledge above them suddenly broke loose, crashing onto Georgia’s little body.

It happened so fast—too fast for him to help her.

She saw it at the last moment and tried to jump back, but she didn’t get far enough to keep the mass from overtaking her. It flowed around her like a rogue wave, trapping her body. Fortunately, the snow didn’t cover her head.

But his relief was short-lived because it was his turn. The rest of the unstable drift fell on him. It thumped him in the back and shoulders, the deceptively soft-looking stuff hitting like a shower of rocks. He was quickly buried over his head.

“Rainer!” Georgia’s voice was muffled under the snow, but hecouldhear her.

I can’t be buried that deep if I can hear her, right?At least, that was what he told his racing heart. The lizard part of his brain was jumping up and down, screaming at him to move, but his entire body was immobilized, like a fly in amber.

Fuuuuck.He needed to calm down.I can’t be that deep.But the lizard brain didn’t buy that.

But then he heard Georgia’s calling to him. All at once, his world realigned. She could be hurt, her head injury re-aggravated if some of the snow that had buried him had hit her in the second wave. He had to get to her. She needed him.

But despite his best efforts, he could barely move. Rocking his head back and forth, Rainer managed to wiggle enough to give him some breathing room—literally—but little more.

Then he heard Georgia start to dig. A moment later, she uncovered his head. He rewarded her efforts by swearing a blue streak in her face.

“Sorry,” he apologized after he took several deep, gulping breaths. “Shit.”

“That’s okay,” she replied in a warbling voice. Georgia’s eyes were rimmed with red. Her hands shook as she scrabbled, trying to push the rest of the snow away from his face.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

Her little fingers brushed the snow away from his neck. “No, not really. I was only buried to the chest.”

“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?”

“Nothing’s wrong withme.You’re the one who’s buried,” she snapped before sobbing aloud. Twisting her head, she wiped her cheek on her sleeve. “I’m sorry. Let’s just get you out of here before you freeze to death.”

“You’re fine,” he soothed, feeling pretty shaky himself about the near-miss. And he was nowhere as cold as he should have been, warmed by her concern.

And here I thought that was just an expression.But Georgia was distraught, her concern for him apparent in her frantic digging.

She kept pushing at the pile until she’d freed one arm, then the other. Thankfully, neither was broken. After that, he was able to help. With both working, he was soon able to bend over and undo the snowshoe straps. Georgia had been stripped of hers. He could see one half-buried in the rucked-up snow next to them.

Once his were untied, Rainer put his hands on the ground and half pulled, half-kicked the rest of the snow off.

Finally free, he staggered to his feet. Georgia tucked herself under his arm, helping support his weight as he wobbled unsteadily. She was surprisingly strong.

Must be moving all those engines. She couldn’t take one of those apart without some muscle.

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