Page 27 of Wild Desire

"I use a snowmobile."

When we got downstairs, I left to grab my boots from my car. When I returned, Killian was waiting by the snowmobile.

"Get on."

I waved him off. "I can walk."

"Get on, Noelle," he insisted.

I didn't want to be this close to him. I didn't want to wrap my legs around his body.

But Killian grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the machine. I swung my leg over the seat and sat with a few inches of space between us.

"Scoot closer. I don't want you to fall off," he said over his shoulder, his hand resting on my outer thigh.

I didn't want to feel every hard inch of him, but we were wearing a lot of thick clothes. Hopefully, I wouldn't react to the proximity.

I moved closer, wrapping my arms around his middle.

"Hold on tight."

I wasn't too worried about falling off; we weren't going that far.

Killian expertly maneuvered through the crowd of people gathering near the lodge to the bottom of the slope where the race was being held.

As soon as he stopped, I got off and held a hand out to him. "Are you okay standing?"

Killian nodded. "If not, I'll sit on the snowmobile."

"Noelle."

We looked around until I found Winnie waving at me. "That's my mother and sister. I'll stand with them."

I hoped he wouldn't follow me. I needed some space between us. When he stood next to me, I said, "You shouldn't be walking on your knee."

Instead of responding, he held his hand out to my mother. "Mrs. Richards, how are you?" Killian asked.

"It's Bianca. Great, thank you. Are you okay to be out here with your knee injured?"

"I'll be fine." Killian flashed my mom a megawatt smile, one I was positive he used on his fans. Then he turned his attention to Winnie. "You were just a baby when I left."

She drew up straighter. "I'm all grown up."

"You sure are. Do you ski?" Killian asked her.

She frowned. "Not yet."

"We're grateful that Christopher is skiing," Mom said, and my heart squeezed.

I hated that things were so hard on my family. I wished that skiing wasn't an expensive sport. That they could pay bills without worrying. That there wasn't an ever-present fear about not having enough. I hated that for them.

"I heard he's talented," Killian said. "If so, he should be on the mountain. That's where he belongs."

Mom nodded toward me. "Noelle was good too."

"We were so proud of her when she earned the full scholarship. Hopefully, Christopher will too," Killian said, placing most of his weight on his good leg.

"He will." Christopher would get to do everything that I missed out on. Then it would have been worth the sacrifice. Killian wouldn't be here to see it. Soon enough, he'd be back in his world.

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