Page 32 of Craving You

As they made their descent, Max told her stories about some of his skiing exploits over the years. The man certainly was entertaining, and he exuded joy in everything he did. Plus, he didn’t shy away from stories that didn’t make him look his best.

She liked that.

“What’s the worst thing that ever happened to you while surfing?” he asked.

“I don’t think there’s a worst thing, but I wasn’t exactly great at it. Just a basic surfer who never caught a big wave.” Giggling, she shook her head. “I mostly enjoyed just sitting on the board out in the water.”

“Well, maybe someday you can teach me how to surf. I’ve always wanted to try it, but never took a lot of beach trips.”

“Where’s your favorite place to visit when you’re on vacation?”

“I’m drawn to winter sports, so I’ve gone to some of the best ski resorts in the country just to experience their trails. I went on a cruise once, but it wasn’t really my thing. Then I’ve done all the usual destinations—Manhattan, Vegas, San Francisco… I’m a big fan of any place that has good food.”

“Me too! I come from a family that loves to cook, so we’re very picky about where we eat. We’ve gone to Ireland several times and that’s the only place where I can say the traditional dishes are better than anything my mom or family can make.”

“Are you Irish on both sides?”

She nodded. “Those trips were like a pilgrimage for my family. It’s beautiful and I always enjoyed it, but I used to wish we could go someplace like Alaska or Canada where we could play in the snow.”

“Have you done all the Florida theme parks?”

“Oh yeah. We had annual passes and any time we had relatives visit, we would take them.”

They talked about some of their favorite rides and theme parks and before she knew it, they were almost down to the bottom.

“If you could go anywhere right now,” he asked, “where would you go?”

There it was—the perfect opening.

“Um…if I could go anywhere, I would…” Pausing, she took a steadying breath. “I would go back to the hotel, eat dinner in that fabulous restaurant, get a room, and spend the night there.”

Then she held her breath and waited for Max’s response.

Luckily, he did not disappoint.

Leaning in close, resting his forehead against hers, he murmured, “What a coincidence. That’s exactly where I want to go too. Except I’d order room service.”

Oh my…

“That could be arranged,” she boldly replied. “After all, we can come back and eat at the restaurant another time, right?”

“Damn, Hales, I love the way you think.”

Twisting slightly, Max’s hands framed her face right before he claimed her lips in a kiss full of promise. There was a need and intensity there that probably wasn’t great since they were stuck on this tiny ski lift chair for another minute or two, but she didn’t care. She clutched the front of his sweater and held on for dear life as he plundered and seduced and made her ache with need.

“Please tell me there’s a shortcut back up to the hotel,” she murmured against his lips.

“Not as short as I’d like it to be,” he breathlessly replied, before claiming her lips again.

When they reached the bottom, they quickly moved the restraint bar aside and jumped off, giggling the entire time. Hailey looked around to get her bearings, but had no idea which way they should go.

“If y’all want, there’s a shuttle up to the hotel,” the ride attendant told them. “If you take the path over there to your right, there’s a stop right there. It will have you up to the hotel in less than five minutes.”

“Thanks!” Max said with a grin. “You’re a real lifesaver!”

And sure enough, they found the path and there was an eight-passenger golf cart waiting there. Fortunately, there were others coming up behind them who also needed a ride, so there wasn’t a long wait to leave. The only downside was that they had to keep their hands to themselves until they were alone.

Five minutes never felt so long.

---