Page 4 of Cabin Kisses

The woman rears back as if she can’t believe she’s been turned down. “But...”

Levi just smiles. “Sorry about that, but actually the rest of my week is full. But you can check up at the booth, and I’m sure you can get signed up with one of the others.”

He turns his body so that he’s on the opposite side of the woman and stands next to me. “All right, so to start...”

He continues to instruct me, telling me what I need to do to stay on my feet and to ski, but I’m having a hard time concentrating. Did that really just happen?

Chapter4

Levi

She has no clue how beautiful she is. It’s that, or she’s been hurt before and probably recently. I saw the look she gave the kissing couple, and I’d do anything to make her smile right now. I don’t know what it is about her, but when I saw her coming out of the lodge, I knew I needed to talk to her. She’s beautiful with her long brown hair and curvy body. But she doesn’t act like she knows it. Of course, women throw themselves at me all day, every day, but the one I want is doing everything she can to get away from me.

“You could have gone, you know. I’m sure you can’t just turn away customers.”

She interrupts me as I’m explaining things to her. She looks so unsure, it sort of pisses me off. I mean, who hurt her? And where can I find him?

“I can turn anyone away that I want. Plus, I’m not stupid.” I gesture in the direction that Leann just went. “She didn’t want a lesson. She wanted something else entirely.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” she asks and then almost instantly, her face turns red. “I mean, forget it, I know what you mean.”

I laugh then because I can’t believe how timid and sweet she is. She’s nothing like the women I’m used to. “Tell me your name.”

It comes out like a demand, and I should apologize, but I don’t. I have a feeling that with her, I can’t be easy and laid back because she’s going to fight me the whole way. No, if I want her, I’m going to have to work for it.

“Georgina,” she says on a huff. “Look, this is nice of you and all, but I really think I’m just going to go back inside and work on a book, take a hot bath—”

“So you’re a writer?” I ask, not wanting her to leave.

She shakes her head. “No, I’m an editor.”

“Cool. So you can work from anywhere or do you have an office?”

Her forehead creases. “Anywhere.”

I nod, taking it all in. “So what brings you to Ski Mountain for Christmas?”

She turns her head but not before I see the pain in her eyes. She’s definitely been hurt, and as the couples and families around us are laughing and having a good time, it breaks my heart to see her sad like she is. I put my glove-covered hand up to her chin and pull her to look at me. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

She swallows hard, blinks twice, and nods. “I really just need to be alone.”

I sigh. I’ve never been a quitter, but seeing how upset she is, I’m wondering if I need to let her be. I try to hide the disappointment on my face because I don’t want her to feel guilty. “Gina, I—”

She gasps.

I look around and back at her, wondering what the gasp is about. “What? What is it?”

“Gina. You called me Gina.” She smiles at me, and I swear it lights me up, making me feel like I may just have a chance yet.

I hold on to her arm. “Yeah. I like Georgina but”—I shrug—“I wanted to shorten it. I like Gina.”

She nods. “I do too. And it’s way better than Georgie; that’s what my ex-fiancé calls me.”

“Ex-fiancé? You were engaged?” I ask, hating the thought of her with another man.

And just like that, her smile drops, but in its place is determination. She draws her shoulders up and straightens her back, looking at the slope in front of us. “Uh, yeah. And you know what, I think I would like you to teach me how to ski.”

I don’t even question why she had a change of heart. I grab her hand and start going through the movements. I do everything to take her mind off things. We ski for the rest of the afternoon. The longer we’re out here, the better she is. She’s giggly and laughing and having fun. I want to savor this moment and keep it with me always. “Race me.”

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