his bedroom wearing a dark navy blue sweater and dark brown ski
pants. If possible, he looked better dressed than he had half naked. His long, blond hair was tied
at the base of his neck and the rough stubble on his chin was a testament to his easy-going,
carefree lifestyle.
A tall, thin girl followed him into the living room. Dressed in what could only be described
as a sweater stretched down over her hips and six-inch boots that reached above the knee the girl
smiled and waved to Madison and Cole. “Hi.” She giggled.
“Hi,” Madison said.
Cole stood open mouthed.
Madison slapped his arm.
“Oh, yeah, hi.” He fumbled with his camera bag.
Blake turned to the girl and wrapped an arm around her waist. He lowered his head to her
neck.
The girl giggled and pushed him away. “Call me.” She stood on tiptoes and kissed Blake’s
cheek.
“You got it.” Blake winked and opened the door, ushering her out into the hallway. He
turned his attention to Madison and Cole. “Sorry about that. I would have introduced you but for
the life of me I couldn’t remember her name… Kimber? Tammy ?” He frowned. “Nope, can’t
remember.”
“Would it be Holly by any chance?” Madison narrowed her eyes to a blue pen mark on his
hand.
“That’s it!” Blake’s eyes widened, and he nodded. “How’d you know?”
Madison grabbed his hand and held it up for him to read the scribbled name and phone
number. The ink was already too blurred to pick out the last three digits. Guess Holly won’t be
getting a call.
“Oh.” Blake laughed and blushed. “Sorry—if I’d known—or remembered you were going to
be here today…”
Madison shook her head. “No problem at all.” Now, how to gently describe this for the
article?
Blake turned to Cole. “Hey buddy! Long time.” The two exchanged a handshake and pat on
the back.
“Too long. What’s on the agenda today?”
“Are you kidding?” Blake feigned a look of shock. “There’s fresh powder on the slopes
man. We are going skiing.” He grinned and clapped his hands together.
Madison’s eyes widened. Skiing? She hadn’t skied in years. “I didn’t bring any ski clothes.”
She’d hoped to avoid the sport. “I’ll watch you two ski.” Definitely the safer option . She already
had one injury so far on this leg of the trip. She didn’t want to add any broken bones to it.
“No way. These mountains are amazing.” Blake shook his head at her protests. “Up the
stairs, the second door on the right.” Blake pointed upstairs. “In the guest room closet you will
find everything you need.”
Madison sighed and headed up the stairs . If she’d learned one thing so far on this
assignment, it was that no one was taking her “no” for an answer.
* * * *
The ski slopes were warmer than Madison had expected, but she was grateful for the
cashmere sweater she wore under her ski jacket. Her second attempt to convince the men she
would prefer to watch them ski and not don a pair of skis herself had failed. Standing at the top
of a ski run labeled In deep , she smiled at the irony. Her legs shook, and the hill looked bigger
from the top. Staring down the icy hill, Madison forced herself once again to remember why
she’d taken this assignment in the first place. Broken bones were not on her Christmas list. She
was asking for a raise in the New Year if assignments like this were added to her job description.
“Race you to the bottom.” Cole appeared next to her on the hill.
“It wouldn’t even be a challenge. I can barely stand on these skis.” She laughed and held up
her ski poles.
“I’d gladly fall behind to watch your sexy ass in those ski pants.” He winked as he took off
down the hill.
Her face flushed as she watched him make his way down the slope, his hips moving back
and forth with expertise. He made it look easy. Maybe she should remove the skis and walk
down the hill. While that would be embarrassing, so would wiping out . She weighed her
pants. If possible, he looked better dressed than he had half naked. His long, blond hair was tied
at the base of his neck and the rough stubble on his chin was a testament to his easy-going,
carefree lifestyle.
A tall, thin girl followed him into the living room. Dressed in what could only be described
as a sweater stretched down over her hips and six-inch boots that reached above the knee the girl
smiled and waved to Madison and Cole. “Hi.” She giggled.
“Hi,” Madison said.
Cole stood open mouthed.
Madison slapped his arm.
“Oh, yeah, hi.” He fumbled with his camera bag.
Blake turned to the girl and wrapped an arm around her waist. He lowered his head to her
neck.
The girl giggled and pushed him away. “Call me.” She stood on tiptoes and kissed Blake’s
cheek.
“You got it.” Blake winked and opened the door, ushering her out into the hallway. He
turned his attention to Madison and Cole. “Sorry about that. I would have introduced you but for
the life of me I couldn’t remember her name… Kimber? Tammy ?” He frowned. “Nope, can’t
remember.”
“Would it be Holly by any chance?” Madison narrowed her eyes to a blue pen mark on his
hand.
“That’s it!” Blake’s eyes widened, and he nodded. “How’d you know?”
Madison grabbed his hand and held it up for him to read the scribbled name and phone
number. The ink was already too blurred to pick out the last three digits. Guess Holly won’t be
getting a call.
“Oh.” Blake laughed and blushed. “Sorry—if I’d known—or remembered you were going to
be here today…”
Madison shook her head. “No problem at all.” Now, how to gently describe this for the
article?
Blake turned to Cole. “Hey buddy! Long time.” The two exchanged a handshake and pat on
the back.
“Too long. What’s on the agenda today?”
“Are you kidding?” Blake feigned a look of shock. “There’s fresh powder on the slopes
man. We are going skiing.” He grinned and clapped his hands together.
Madison’s eyes widened. Skiing? She hadn’t skied in years. “I didn’t bring any ski clothes.”
She’d hoped to avoid the sport. “I’ll watch you two ski.” Definitely the safer option . She already
had one injury so far on this leg of the trip. She didn’t want to add any broken bones to it.
“No way. These mountains are amazing.” Blake shook his head at her protests. “Up the
stairs, the second door on the right.” Blake pointed upstairs. “In the guest room closet you will
find everything you need.”
Madison sighed and headed up the stairs . If she’d learned one thing so far on this
assignment, it was that no one was taking her “no” for an answer.
* * * *
The ski slopes were warmer than Madison had expected, but she was grateful for the
cashmere sweater she wore under her ski jacket. Her second attempt to convince the men she
would prefer to watch them ski and not don a pair of skis herself had failed. Standing at the top
of a ski run labeled In deep , she smiled at the irony. Her legs shook, and the hill looked bigger
from the top. Staring down the icy hill, Madison forced herself once again to remember why
she’d taken this assignment in the first place. Broken bones were not on her Christmas list. She
was asking for a raise in the New Year if assignments like this were added to her job description.
“Race you to the bottom.” Cole appeared next to her on the hill.
“It wouldn’t even be a challenge. I can barely stand on these skis.” She laughed and held up
her ski poles.
“I’d gladly fall behind to watch your sexy ass in those ski pants.” He winked as he took off
down the hill.
Her face flushed as she watched him make his way down the slope, his hips moving back
and forth with expertise. He made it look easy. Maybe she should remove the skis and walk
down the hill. While that would be embarrassing, so would wiping out . She weighed her
Similar Books
