Page 31 of The Reluctant Wolf and His Fated Mate
“Yeah, sure. But doing so means my income isn’t steady. I’d need to find clients, get my own health insurance, and so on.”
He shrugged. “Maybe one day.” As he pointed out the window, he noted, “It’s a perfect bluebird day with fresh snow. We shouldn’t miss a minute of it.”
It was indeed, without a single cloud marring the sky. The breeze was gentle and the conditions almost spring-like.
“True,” she agreed. “But I have limited time and will need to get back to work. I have to finish a brochure to meet a deadline.”
“Too bad. This might be the best day this week.”
There were some nuts who would go out in any weather, not sleet nor wind nor ice would stop them. She had no desire to ski near any ice patches any time soon after losing control on one.
She sent off her brochure for reviews and noted she’d incorporate feedback that afternoon. After they had a quick lunch of peanut butter and banana sandwiches, they headed out to the lifts. The lines were down while everyone had gone inside, so they didn’t wait too long to sit.
Halfway up the mountain, she glanced at the double black diamond trail where’s she’d lost control.
“You willnotsee me out there today,” she declared with a short laugh.
“I don’t blame you. But one day, you will feel confident enough to tackle it again.” With his free hand, Damon wrapped his arm around her. Although it was somewhat clunky with all their winter gear, she leaned into the warmth of his large chest, finding comfort in his embrace.
“Only if I’m with ski patrol,” she teased and gave him a saucy grin.
“I’ll go with you wherever you’d like, Sophie.” His tone lowered, sounding like a promise.
Damon was such an intriguing mystery—devilishly attractive, extraordinarily considerate, and packaged with more explosive sensuality than she’d ever thought possible. In comparison to her exes, her feelings toward them were more lackluster and sexless. He had this raw, primitive aspect to him, as wild as the nature that surrounded him, which was too compelling to resist.
But then he had this other side where she sensed he harbored a secret.
Who could resist a mystery? Would she ever find out what it was?
They approached the top of the mountain. “Can we start with the green? I need to go easy to break back into it again.”
“Sure.”
As the chairlift approached the peak, he lifted the bar. Seconds later, she scooted off the chair and navigated down the bump, veering to the right to the easier trails. Several trails branched off the head and she leaned toward one of the greens that hugged a wide curve down the side of the mountain.
The pitch wasn’t steep but smooth. She pointed her skis downhill and descended with long curves. This was a great wide trail with no obstacles and few others on it at this time, as to which she was grateful. After she skied around a family of four, parents guiding their school-age kids on proper form, Sophie relaxed into the mountain.
It was a cruiser, one of those easy trails that she loved at the beginning of a ski day when she could focus more on the experience and surroundings and enjoy skiing in the ambiance rather than the adrenaline-inducing speed on the more difficult trails.
She enjoyed the experience as the mountain stretched out before her. The afternoon sun was bright as it sparkled on the snow. The mountain smells clean and fresh, the scent of pine surrounding her. It was one of those rare, few ski days. Damon was right that she should take advantage, but deadlines were deadlines. And she was already pushing it with her supervisor for not going into the office that week.
Sophie reached the bottom without incidents, no life or death terror like when she was lost in the woods.
Damon edged to a stop beside her. “How did that feel?”
“Pretty good.” She sighed. “A great run to break my ski legs back into shape.”
He smiled at her. “Great.” He motioned for her to follow. “Come on. We don’t have much time. Let’s make the most of what we have together.” He skied back over to the chairlifts.
His words could mean their opportunity to ski today or their short week together in the mountains. Either way, he was right, and she wouldn’t waste a moment.
Time with Damon flew by. She stayed on the easier trails until they had to separate and return to work.
He skied with her back to his cabin. He gave her a kiss on the lips, chaste in comparison to the passionate ones from the night before. Still, it left her simmering with desire and it took her a few minutes before she could switch back into work mode.
* * *
Sophie workedon her projects until he returned before five. Damon greeted her with a long kiss that seared her down to her toes.
