Page 29 of A Bear Ski Instructor Christmas

His brow furrowed. “I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you.”

Was that guilt in his eyes? No, no, she didn’t need him to feel guilty about disappearing. He’d had nothing to do with it. Still, his disappearance had broken her, and he could see the pain in her eyes.

“When I woke up on this mountain, I had no idea where I was or how I’d gotten here.” He sighed, his jaw relaxing. “Wearing this Santa costume didn’t help matters. I was lost, confused, and in pain. I could barely remember a thing since I’d hit my head on that rock by the lake.”

He shifted in his seat so that he was facing her. In the firelight, his eyes gleamed softly. “I still don’t remember the times we shared or the day I disappeared—none of that. But I’m sorry about it all. It must have been difficult for you, dealing with everything.” He cracked a tiny smile. “No wonder you slapped me the day you found me.”

Even Rachel couldn’t resist a grin. “To be fair, you had it coming for three years. I couldn’t help myself.”

They both chuckled at that, Michael’s laugh sending vibrations through her body.

“I’m just happy I found you,” Rachel told him. It occurred to her then that she’d placed a hand on his at some point. She made no effort to remove it. “It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is Christmas, you know. Barely feels like it. Back in Vegas, there’dbe holiday lights everywhere. But at least I get to spend this Christmas with you.”

The last words came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Michael bit his lip, which she found rather sexy. “Aren’t you worried I might never recover my memories?”

Of course, she was. That possibility had taken up permanent residence in her mind, bothering her nearly every second of every day. She’d found him, but if he couldn’t remember who she was, then what was the point?

“I’d rather not focus on that right now,” she told him, giving his hand a slight squeeze. “It’s Christmas Eve. We should be doing something else. Something…fun.”

His voice was thick with suggestion as he said, “Something like…what?

“Something like…like…” Rachel was having difficulty getting the words out. Her mind seemed to have ceased functioning as she fixated only on how much more handsome he looked up close and how inviting his lips were and—

“Like this?”

His voice was so low now that she fleetingly wondered if he’d spoken at all. Before she could figure it out, he closed the little gap between them and kissed her on the lips, and all she could hear was the pounding of her pulse in her ears.

Chapter Twelve

Oh, What Fun It Is to Ski in the Dark on Christmas Day!

Okay, maybe that hadn’t been his brightest move…

In his defense, he couldn’t help himself. He felt like he would explode if he resisted the urge to kiss her a second longer. Even now, he fought against the need that slammed into his groin and demanded that he rip her sweater and trousers off and bury himself in her. Ever since she arrived on this mountain, she’d awakened a hunger in him that he hadn’t even realized he had.

Desire and morality met in a clash of fiery sparks inside his chest. What he’d done was wrong because he barely knew this woman, despite everything she’d said, despite his incomprehensible attraction to her. They’d barely had a proper date, and he’d already thrown himself at her like a ravenous tiger.

Somewhere in a corner of his heart, a small voice told him that he hadn’t done anything wrong. After all, shewashis woman, as hard as it was to believe that. Not to mention, she was matching his passion, kissing him as fervently and desperately as he kissed her. There was no protest, not even a moment of stiffness. She sighed against his lips, bringing up a hand to caress his cheek. Her fingers were warm against his skin.

His groin aching, he traced the tip of his finger down the side of her face, caressing her cheek. She was an epitome of perfection, and he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back. This was no dream. It was real, and it was thrilling. Hunger clawed at his insides, and he wrapped his arms around her. It wasn’t until he felt her soft bottom press against his thigh that he realized she was straddling him. Somehow, without even realizing it, he’d pulled her toward him.

Reluctantly, he broke the kiss so he could gaze at her again. In the firelight, her eyes seemed to change color. She proppedher hands against the chair on either side of his head, and her lips parted in a series of gasps. They gazed at each other for a moment—or what felt like three warm summers—her breaths caressing his face. The air between them was growing hotter by the second, charged with their mutual desire. All was silent except the crackling of the fire. If Michael listened carefully, he was sure he could hear his heart thudding with anticipation.

Before he could utter a word, she closed the small gap between their lips and let out a moan of pleasure as she kissed him deeply. His hands fell to her waist, his fingers digging into the tender flesh. He throbbed against her center with an urgency that defied all common sense. As if on their own, his hands made their way up her body, under her sweater. The skin underneath was even warmer than he’d anticipated. Rachel didn’t stop him but leaned even closer as his hands closed over her breasts.

“Oh, yes,” she sighed against his mouth. “Oh, Michael—”

Whatever she was going to say next was smothered by another kiss. Lips and tongues collided in a kiss that was growing hotter by the second. His hands cupped her breasts, kneading them with a desperation that threatened to consume him. When he took her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, she moaned again and ground against his throbbing erection, the feeling of her soft body against his sending sensations through his eager body.

Michael fought to retain his self-control—or at least, what remained of it—as thoughts of what she looked like underneath all her clothes took over his feverish mind. He pinched her nipples again, and she arched and ground against him, eliciting a growl from him. She broke the kiss, panting with the pleasure that he so willingly gave her.

It did feel like one hell of a dream. It wasn’t every day that a random woman appeared and kissed him, claiming to be his lover. He’d known her for, what, three weeks? A month?Whatever the case, things had certainly escalated rather quickly. But he didn’t mind one bit because he craved this woman just as badly as she wanted him. Her body aligned perfectly with his as she straddled him as if they were somehow made for each other.

He giddily entertained that thought for a moment before sliding his hands out from under her sweater. He tipped his head to let her kiss him again, then grinned at her.

“I can’t believe this is real,” he admitted.

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