Megan says, “I know. Nick’s already skied.”
Nick is her boyfriend, and he has preseason work with the snowmakers. “Lucky guy. I can’t wait until we open tomorrow. Can we get in the locker room, or do I have to be a regular Joe?”
Megan says, “We can get in and claim our lockers. Rookie training starts on Monday.”
“That’s right.” I think about Christian and wonder if there will be any cute new girls. “Any scoop on the new hires?”
It’s my turn to order, and I ask for soup with bread and carrot cake. I step aside to let the other girls buy their lunches too. When they’re done we all wait for our food by a glass case that displays the desserts. Megan says, “I haven’t heard about the rookies yet. But I bet we’ll find out at the party Friday.”
Every year there’s an instructor’s party just before the season starts. It’s usually at a big, lodge-style house that seven male instructors live in. Casey and Lori’s boyfriends are two of them.
Our trays arrive at the same time, and a rich, spicy scent wafts through the air as we walk over to join Casey. She says, “I hear Christian stayed with you when he was here. Isn’t he sweet?”
“He is. And he’ll be staying with me when he gets back in a couple of days.”
Megan jokes, “Did you let him tie you up?” Plates rattle as we set our trays down on the shiny wood table.
I wish. I smirk at her. “Funny.” I smear butter on my bread and take a big bite. The soft texture practically melts in my mouth.
Casey asks, “Did he find a house?”
I swallow and answer. “I think so. He hadn’t quite made up his mind when he left, but I’m sure he will have by the time he comes back.” Christian was trying to choose between the spec house on my street and one at the base of Peak 8. He needs to decide between spectacular views of the Continental Divide and a remote atmosphere or view of the ski resort and the feel of being in town.
Casey says, “He’ll have to leave soon if he’s driving. Do you know when he plans to get here?”
“No, we didn’t get into all of that. I only told him to text me when he knows he’ll be here.” I take a cautious sip of my vegetable stew and let salty goodness cover my tongue.
Lori leans in. “Don’t look now, Nika, but Kelly just walked in. And he had a good summer because he’s looking yummy.”
Megan is beside me and can’t see him either. “Tan? Blond streaks and the rippling muscles of a surfer, just the way she likes?”
I hit her. “Stop.” But I’m grinning, and I look at Lori. “Well?”
“Oh, yeah. I think you should take a chance and ask him out before some rookie girl lays eyes on him.”
Take chances. I turn around and find Kelly in line. He nods his head at me, and I wave. His long hair did bleach out, and while he’s in a fleece I bet a summer on the California coast defined that hard body a bit more. Maybe I’ll ask him out.
I turn back around and whisper. “Oh, my God.”
Megan nudges me. “Should I turn around to see?”
“No! Then he’ll know we’re talking about him, and since I’m the only one that’s single…”
She turns around and waves to him while the other girls chuckle.
I sink in my chair. “Seriously? Does everyone think embarrassing me is fun?”
Three heads nod. Casey whispers. “He’s on his way over.” Her eyes widen and she hisses, “Sit up.”
I slide up and throw my shoulders back just in time for him to stop by our table. “Hi, ladies. Nice to see Peak 8’s finest all in one place.”
I say, “It’s good to see you too, Kelly. Did you have a nice summer?”
Perfect white teeth shine in his tan face. “I did. Made a lot of money and caught a lot of waves. Doesn’t get much better.”
I lick my lips and let my eyes drop to his chest. When I return to his gaze, he’s smiling. Okay, so that wasn’t very subtle. He asks, “Will I see you at the instructor’s party?”
“Yeah, we’ll be there.” Heat is rising in my body, and I reach for my bottle of water. But instead of grabbing it, I manage to knock it over.
Casey jumps up to avoid the river headed her way. “Whoa!”
Megan and Lori use napkins to start to mop up the mess I made. I ponder whether I can crawl under the table to hide or not. Kelly grins at me. “I’ll look for you Friday.” He walks off and puts me out of misery.
I drop my head in my hands. “I shouldn’t be allowed in public.”
Megan chuckles. “Honey, you’re adorably klutzy. It may not have been the flirting you’d planned, but it worked. He knows you’re interested.”
Casey says, “The way you looked him over definitely let him know you’re interested.” I groan, and she adds, “But don’t worry. Considering he only looked at you, I would say he’s interested too.”
Really? I glance over at the table where he’s seated, and a seed of hope blossoms in me. Friday can’t come soon enough.
Chapter 8
The first day of ski season is exciting and frustrating. While it’s fun to get out on the snow after months off, the limited number of open trails is annoying. After skiing the same two for a few runs, I’ve left the girls to go to the locker room for my forgotten lunch and wonder if I really want to go out this afternoon.
Clunking down the metal stairs from the hill to the back door, I’m far from graceful. Just before I get to the bottom, the door opens and Kelly steps out. His sun-bleached locks hang below his helmet, and his jacket is open to reveal a tight zip neck that leaves no doubt he’s a hard body.
He says, “Hey, looks like I’m in time to catch you.” The twinkle in his eye makes me grin at his joke.
Last year during rookie training, I tripped and dropped my skis down these steps, and he caught them and me. A witty comeback pops in my head, and I say, “Just say the word, and I’m happy to fall for you.”
He holds the door open and asks, “Are you done for the day?”
Wow, I guess I’m not as witty as I thought. “Maybe. It gets old when there’s only two trails open.”
Instead of going up the steps, he enters the locker room with me. The metal door clangs shut behind him. I use my newfound courage to take a chance. “I was about to eat lunch. Want to join me?”
Wooden racks to store skis and snowboards are to my left as we move toward the lockers. My skis thud against wood when I slide them in their spot, and Kelly answers, “I’d love to.” He rests his board down across from my skis and walks with me to my locker.
We pass restrooms on either side of us and enter an area with rows of blue metal lockers on our right and offices on the left. The tightly woven carpet muffles the methodic clump of our feet. Wooden benches are set out between the lockers, and Kelly thumps down on one.
I twirl my combination lock. “I thought of you this summer. I was back east and got to surf a couple of days. Only the waves made me wish I was on the other coast.” I flash him my model smile, hoping it works for him.
By the widening of his eyes, I guess it did. He pulls a sandwich out of his pocket. “You surf?”
I shrug and pull my lock open with a click. “I try. But I’m sure it’s not quite what you do.”
He shakes his head, “Doesn’t matter. Just being out there with a board is surfing to me.”
I grab my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and plop down on the bench across from Kelly. “Is snowboarding like surfing?”
He speaks around a mouthful of his lunch. “Kind of.” He swallows down a big lump and continues. “I think skiing is a better transfer, because you know how to read snow.”
I nod as I chew and then say, “I’ll have to try it sometime. It looks fun.”
“How about this afternoon? If it’s as boring out there as you say, then today is the perfect time to learn.”
“Really?”
“What size shoe do you wear? I bet I can set you up with some of the extra stuff lying around.”
“Big.” I grin. �
�For real. I wear a women’s size thirteen.”
He looks down at my feet. “That actually makes it easy.” He walks off in search of equipment for me as the buckle of my ski boot snaps open. By the time my feet are free, he’s back.
“Here. We wear the same size, and you can use my extra boots.” Kelly hands them to me, and they’re soft when I slip my feet in. A stark contrast to the hard plastic shell of the ski boots I usually squeeze into.
I stand and take a few steps. I look back over my shoulder at him. “Wow, we could share shoes. If you ever need killer heels, you know who to ask.” In full flirt mode, I use my catwalk strut, and when I turn to come back, he chuckles.
“Good to know. Do they feel okay?”
I nod and he says, “Finish your sandwich and we can go. I’ll find my extra board.”
I gobble down the rest of my lunch and am still chewing when I meet Kelly at the equipment racks. He hands me a board that has a nearly pornographic naked woman as the top skin. My face flushes. “Nice.”
“That’s Betty, the closest thing to a girlfriend I’ve had in a while.” Kelly winks at me. “I’m hoping to change that.”
Oh, my. My insides tingle as I drop my gaze. But I’m so tired of being single I’m going to act on this. I hold the board out toward him. “Here. You should probably carry this up the stairs for me. You’ve got me so flustered I’m bound to drop it.”
He tilts his head at me, and a smile slowly forms on his face. “Flustered, huh?” His ocean-blue eyes twinkle, and he steps closer.
We’re close enough that the combination of soap and his light musk makes the pit of my stomach quiver. He leans in to whisper in my ear, and his breath against my skin makes me shudder a little. “I’m just getting warmed up.”
Holy hell, so am I. I follow him out the door. He leads me over to the beginner area where there is only the slightest incline.
Kelly stops and drops our boards. “Okay. Put one foot in a binding, and let’s get a feel for the board on snow.”
I attach myself and see he has done the same. Kelly pushes off with his loose foot and places it on his board as he glides. I mimic the movement with ease.
He grins. “Yeah, just what I thought. C’mon. We’re going up the chairlift.”
“What? On a trail already?” I scramble to keep up with him as he continues to push with one foot to slide.
“Yup. You’ve got this.” When we get to the short lift line, he takes my arm. A metal chair on a cable is moving, and we need to slide out to the loading area and let it scoop us up.
With Kelly’s help I manage to sit, and he pulls the safety bar down. The weight of the board dangling off one leg is odd, and I twist to face him and rest the board on the footrest.
“This is so awkward.” Panic flickers for a moment. “How am I going to get off without falling?” The exit ramp of the chairlift is a steep, short hill designed to propel the rider fast enough to get out of the way of the next chair’s occupants.
“You’ll just set the board down on the snow and place your loose foot next to the empty binding.” He lifts his leg attached to his board and demonstrates. “Then you let it ride until you slow down enough to take your foot off and scoot out of the way.”
“Right. And you’ll pick me up when I fall?”
“Nika, you won’t fall. But, yes, I plan to spend my afternoon picking you up.” His meaning isn’t lost on me, and I can’t help the silly grin that covers my face.
Wind blows, and our chair sways gently. Kelly asks, “I probably shouldn’t push my luck, but what’s changed? Last year I did everything I could think of to get you to go out with me, and you didn’t have any interest.” He puffs his chest out. “Did I get more ripped or something?”
I snort. “Ah, you didn’t try everything. You never actually asked me out.”
His licks his full lips, and I long to taste them. “Why would I when I was sure you would shoot me down?”
The whine of the lift engine is louder as we approach the unloading ramp.
“Yeah, that’s what Megan said. So I decided you needed me to be less subtle.” I wiggle my way to the edge of the chair as he lifts the safety bar, preparing for us to get off.
He asks, “Ready?”
I nod and push off with my hands. I can’t help but let out a little scream as I ride the board down the incline. It slows, and I put my foot on the snow to bring myself to a stop. “I did it!”
“You sure did. C’mon now. It’s time for the fun part.” We push ourselves over a bit, and Kelly sits down and pats the snow next to him.
I plop down, and cold seeps through my pants to my bottom. We connect our loose feet. Kelly hops up and reaches for my hands to pull me up. He continues holding them. “I want you to imagine your belly button leading you where you want to go.” He grips my hips and twists me so that my board is pointing down the hill and my torso is too.
“You’re going to get a little speed and roll onto your toes to turn to the right. Try it.”
He lets go, and I jerk my hips to get the board to move forward. I do as he said and manage to make a turn without falling. Kelly’s right there to grab my hands again.
“Excellent. Now to go the other direction, you’re going to keep your torso down the hill and roll onto your heels.” This time he nudges me into motion.
When I finish, I say, “Hey, this isn’t nearly as hard as I expected.”
“That’s because you’re a natural. Ready to link two turns together?”
I nod and take off. I complete a few before I fall. It doesn’t hurt and I laugh. Kelly slides over and sits next to me on the snow. “Impressive. Do you like it?”
“I do. I’m so glad you suggested this. Thank you.” I fall back and spread my arms out on the snow. The sky is cerulean blue with cotton-ball clouds.
Kelly’s face appears above mine as he leans down on one elbow. “I have another suggestion.”
I smile because I think I know what’s coming.
“Would you like to go for coffee after this?”
“That sounds an awful lot like a date. Are you asking me out?” I sit up, and he does too.
“I sure am.” He hops up in one smooth move and pulls me up beside him.
A real date! I control my urge to squeal. “I’d love to.”
Chapter 9
By the end of the afternoon, Kelly had me up on an intermediate trail and I was proud of myself. It helped that he was full of compliments and right there to assist me up every time I fell. He’s got no trouble touching me, and I have no trouble soaking it up.
My hair is silky in my hands as I pull it into a smooth ponytail. The ladies’ room door opens with a squeak and Megan walks in. “You ditched us to snowboard with Kelly this afternoon?” The grin on her face makes it clear she’s teasing me.
I stroke on mascara as I speak. “I sure did. I decided to be less subtle, and guess who has a date now?”
“Well, it’s about time. Where are you going?” Megan is brushing through her hair.
“To the Baked Bean for coffee.” I’m done primping and pull open the door.
Megan says, “Have a great time, and keep flirting. It’s working.”
When I return to my locker Kelly is waiting for me. His face is sun kissed, making his eyes appear deeper in color. A lock of hair hangs over one, and I reach up to push it out of the way. “Hi.”
The smile I get in return, along with him grabbing my hand, takes my breath away. “Hi.” He has already hoisted my bag over his shoulder to join his and leads us out while still holding on to me. We get a few curious looks and greetings as we walk by other instructors. When a blonde named Jess glares at me, I smile because I know she tried to get Kelly all last winter and I want to gloat that he’s mine.
A cold breeze blasts as we walk through the doors. Kelly says, “I suppose we should take both our cars and meet there.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” We get to his truck first. An older model Toyota, it appears well mai
ntained, and when I notice the California plates I imagine crossbars over the bed holding a surfboard. I also imagine him in a wetsuit unzipped and hanging at the waist. Now that’s a sight I’d like to see.
He doesn’t stop and keeps walking me to my car. I wait for a comment about my expensive vehicle, but he doesn’t even seem to notice. Kelly brushes a finger lightly over my cheek, and it sends a tiny shiver through me. He says, “See you soon.”
I smile and nod. My door slams shut, and as I pull on my seatbelt I watch him walk away in the side-view mirror. I have a date! I let out a little squeal and turn the key to make my engine purr.
I arrive before Kelly and wait in my car. I check my appearance in the rearview mirror and pull out lip gloss. After the fifth coat, my lips are super shiny and I stop myself. His truck pulls into a space a few cars ahead of me, and we meet on the sidewalk by the path to the coffee shop.
Kelly’s warm hand takes mine, and I notice we’re almost the same height, which means his mouth is easy to kiss. A smile creeps over my face when I look at his luscious lips. I’d better get to nibble on them later. He asks, “What are you smiling about?”
“Oh, just thinking about what I want.” I raise my eyebrows, and he bumps against me.
“I hope I can deliver.” He pulls the door open to release the scent of coffee mixed with the yeasty odor of baking bread.
I don’t want money to be an issue with us and decide to start off on the right foot. “I’m buying, and you have no choice. Think of it as payment for the snowboard lesson.”
Kelly’s squints for a moment. “Okay.”
Whew. “Thank you for making that easy.”
He shrugs, and I can’t decide if he’s fine or if we’re going to have a conversation about finances at some point. I order cake and a latte while he gets a bagel and coffee. A few customers are scattered about the café, but it’s mostly empty. I don’t see any other instructors and guess they went to the local dive bar.
While we wait Kelly asks, “So what made you move to Breck?”
I lean against a wood support pole as the fatigue of using new muscles begins to set in. “My brother Derrick and I love to ski, and I wanted to have a place to call home where he would always come to visit.”
Fierce: New Adult Sport Romance (The Boys of Winter Book 4) Page 4