would only make it worse, so she gathered up speed and tried to relax when the ground fell out from under her.
Maybe she relaxed too much. When she hit the hard-packed snow, her knees bent as they were supposed to but her left leg slid too far out to the side and her ski caught on something. She spun around, skiing backward down the mountain for what felt like yards but was probably only a foot or two before her right leg also caught and she pitched forward into the snow.
“Cassie!” Snow over her ears muffled Doug’s voice.
Her body started to shake, and she had to kick a couple of times to get her skis into a position where she could roll onto her back. But when she scanned her body, nothing hurt. She opened her eyes and blinked. The worst of it seemed to be that snow had fallen down the back of her shell.
Doug pulled to a stop below her, so controlled that he didn’t knock up much snow, and tossed his poles to the ground. “Are you okay?” His jaw was clenched with concern as he leaned over her. “You’re crying. Are you hurt?”
Euphoria, joy, pleasure—emotions she didn’t have enough words for—welled up in her, blocking her ability to say anything, but she was able to shake her head no.
“Oh God, Cassie.” He put a hand on his chest. “You scared the hell out of me.”
Finally, the logjam in her broke apart and she burst out into a full-throated laugh. “It was marvelous!”
“Oh God,” he said again, smiling with relief and trembling slightly.
When she finally got control over her hysteria, she wiped her cheeks with cold, snowy gloves and lifted her arms up toward him. He bent back over, and she was able to grab his shoulders and pull him down on top of her.
“Let’s do it again,” she said, their goggles and helmets banging until she was able to find the right angle and kiss him.
“Anytime,” he said. “And always.” That last part warmed her enough that she barely felt the snow melting down her back.
*
When Doug returned to the plaza after getting his bag from his locker, Cassie was sitting at one of the tables, her legs out in front of her as she leaned back, looking out over the crowd. She’d set her helmet on the bench beside her and unbuckled her boots. After a day of skiing, locks of hair were pasted to her face and her skin was still flushed, but she smiled wide when she saw him. He’d never seen anyone look so beautiful.
He didn’t get a chance to sit next to her like he’d wanted to, though, because she stood when he got close and met him over by her skis. “Hey,” she said with a sassy half-smile, her helmet swinging in her hand.
“Hey, yourself.” He reached for her skis, dismissing her offer to take his bag, which he shouldered along with her skis. “So, I thought maybe we could head down to the valley for dinner.”
“I have food in the condo. I can cook for you again.”
“I know, but . . .” How to say what he was thinking and not sound like he was making more of this week and this relationship than was there. “I’d like to take you out,” he said finally. The words weren’t even close to what he wanted to say. I would give up the world to hear you laugh like you did on the mountain, but all I have is the rest of the week and so all I can offer you is dinner. “A date.”
She stopped to look at him, a lock of her hair falling in front of her eyes. “A date. Okay. I, uh . . .” She didn’t seem able to finish her sentences, either. “I like to be taken out. It’s, uh, it’s not what I expected out of . . . out of this.”
Was that a good or a bad thing? Her eyes were wide and her lips were parted just a little, so she looked pleased. He hoped she was. They hadn’t talked about going out in public together yet, but why would they have? She was only here for a week. It didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy each other’s company in all kinds of ways.
“I even brought nice clothes,” he said, setting off with her for her condo
Maybe she relaxed too much. When she hit the hard-packed snow, her knees bent as they were supposed to but her left leg slid too far out to the side and her ski caught on something. She spun around, skiing backward down the mountain for what felt like yards but was probably only a foot or two before her right leg also caught and she pitched forward into the snow.
“Cassie!” Snow over her ears muffled Doug’s voice.
Her body started to shake, and she had to kick a couple of times to get her skis into a position where she could roll onto her back. But when she scanned her body, nothing hurt. She opened her eyes and blinked. The worst of it seemed to be that snow had fallen down the back of her shell.
Doug pulled to a stop below her, so controlled that he didn’t knock up much snow, and tossed his poles to the ground. “Are you okay?” His jaw was clenched with concern as he leaned over her. “You’re crying. Are you hurt?”
Euphoria, joy, pleasure—emotions she didn’t have enough words for—welled up in her, blocking her ability to say anything, but she was able to shake her head no.
“Oh God, Cassie.” He put a hand on his chest. “You scared the hell out of me.”
Finally, the logjam in her broke apart and she burst out into a full-throated laugh. “It was marvelous!”
“Oh God,” he said again, smiling with relief and trembling slightly.
When she finally got control over her hysteria, she wiped her cheeks with cold, snowy gloves and lifted her arms up toward him. He bent back over, and she was able to grab his shoulders and pull him down on top of her.
“Let’s do it again,” she said, their goggles and helmets banging until she was able to find the right angle and kiss him.
“Anytime,” he said. “And always.” That last part warmed her enough that she barely felt the snow melting down her back.
*
When Doug returned to the plaza after getting his bag from his locker, Cassie was sitting at one of the tables, her legs out in front of her as she leaned back, looking out over the crowd. She’d set her helmet on the bench beside her and unbuckled her boots. After a day of skiing, locks of hair were pasted to her face and her skin was still flushed, but she smiled wide when she saw him. He’d never seen anyone look so beautiful.
He didn’t get a chance to sit next to her like he’d wanted to, though, because she stood when he got close and met him over by her skis. “Hey,” she said with a sassy half-smile, her helmet swinging in her hand.
“Hey, yourself.” He reached for her skis, dismissing her offer to take his bag, which he shouldered along with her skis. “So, I thought maybe we could head down to the valley for dinner.”
“I have food in the condo. I can cook for you again.”
“I know, but . . .” How to say what he was thinking and not sound like he was making more of this week and this relationship than was there. “I’d like to take you out,” he said finally. The words weren’t even close to what he wanted to say. I would give up the world to hear you laugh like you did on the mountain, but all I have is the rest of the week and so all I can offer you is dinner. “A date.”
She stopped to look at him, a lock of her hair falling in front of her eyes. “A date. Okay. I, uh . . .” She didn’t seem able to finish her sentences, either. “I like to be taken out. It’s, uh, it’s not what I expected out of . . . out of this.”
Was that a good or a bad thing? Her eyes were wide and her lips were parted just a little, so she looked pleased. He hoped she was. They hadn’t talked about going out in public together yet, but why would they have? She was only here for a week. It didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy each other’s company in all kinds of ways.
“I even brought nice clothes,” he said, setting off with her for her condo
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