‘Cute?’ Her eyebrows shot up again, but he knew she wasn’t offended, she was still smiling too much.
‘We need to stop meeting like this.’
‘In the snow?’ He nodded in agreement.
She shrugged as she lay there, apparently not minding the fact that the snow was probably soaking through her ski clothes. ‘Maybe it was fate? Maybe we were meant to meet?’ Her words were light but they struck a strange chord with Leo.
He stopped for a second as he rested back on his legs. ‘You believe in fate? After you’ve been dealt such a harsh blow?’
As he said the words out loud, he realised how much they reflected on his own circumstances. Both of them had had something they’d wanted literally snatched from their fingertips. Trouble was, Anissa had always wanted her goal. Leo hadn’t dared to hope, and by the time he’d realised how much he would have liked a relationship with his parents, the chance had gone.
Her answer was quiet. ‘I have to believe in something, Leo. There isn’t much left.’
His heart squeezed in his chest. Her blonde hair and pale blue eyes were highlighted by the white, white snow behind her head.
He couldn’t resist. He bent towards her, brushing his lips against hers. She tasted sweet. She tasted good. And the wave of familiarity from the previous night swept around him.
A tiny part of his brain questioned his actions. What if she objected? But Anissa wrapped her arms around his neck and didn’t hesitate when she kissed him back.
Right now, she was all he could think about. And it was a relief. A relief to be wrapped in the arms of a warm, fun, loving woman who he already knew had other issues going on.
It made him feel not quite so alone.
It was crazy. But when Anissa had invited him today for some night-time skiing, he’d known there was no place else he’d rather be. It was odd how two lost souls were being drawn together, both wrestling their demons while trying to get on with their lives.
Her hands threaded around the back of his head. She pulled her lips from his and whispered in his ear. ‘Is this how you plan to win the next race, by distracting me?’
He laughed and whispered in her ear, ‘Whatever it takes...’
CHAPTER FOUR
HER STOMACH WAS in knots. It had been a long time since a guy had made her feel like this. Attractive. Important. Wanted.
She tugged at her top. Black with a criss-cross back, casual but not too casual, paired with jeans. Her hair was down, and she had put on a little more make-up than usual and worn lipstick for the first time in for ever.
Lucy and Chloe sat perched on her sofa, laughing as she frowned at her reflection in the mirror.
She spun around. ‘How do I look?’
‘Perfect,’ said Chloe with a deadpan face as she took a sip of her wine. ‘Just like you did ten minutes ago.’
Anissa glanced down. ‘Are you sure?’ She walked back over to the sofa where a whole array of tops were scattered. ‘Maybe I should have gone with the blue? Black’s too night-time, isn’t it?’ She sighed as she turned back to the mirror. ‘It’s like I’m trying too hard, right?’
Lucy laughed out loud. ‘Anissa, you look perfect. Gorgeous. The guy is lucky you agreed to go out with him.’ She lifted her glass of wine and raised it towards her. ‘And, anyway, it might only be two p.m. out here, but somewhere in the world it’s after five.’
Anissa glanced at her glass of untouched wine on the sideboard. The girls had come over to help her get ready. And, of course, they’d brought wine.
She sagged down onto the sofa between them. ‘Is it totally pathetic how nervous I am?’ She wrung her hands in her lap. ‘I’m twenty-eight years, old for goodness’ sake. And I feel like I’m thirteen again and going on my first date.’
‘You went on your first date at thirteen?’ Amy raised her eyebrows and nodded at Chloe. ‘Early starter.’
Anissa gave her leg a playful slap and took the wine glass from Amy’s hand, stealing a sip.
She put her hand on her stomach. ‘What stops nerves?’
‘Wine!’ said both girls together, laughing.
Chloe nudged her. ‘What’s to be nervous about? Been there, done that. He’s a handsome, rich bachelor who is clearly attracted to you. Just go and have some fun.’
Amy put her hand over Anissa’s. ‘It’s been a crap year, honey. This is your chance to enjoy yourself. To have some fun.’ She stopped smiling for a second and squeezed Anissa’s hand tightly. ‘You deserve this.’
Amy stretched over and lifted Anissa’s wine glass, taking it as her own and raising her glass so they all could toast together.
‘Here’s to late lunches, having fun and some, very, very handsome men.’
‘Cheers!’ they all shouted as their glasses clinked together.
* * *
Leo watched the door. The restaurant was central and popular. He could have easily afforded one of the more exclusive restaurants in the resort but he wanted Anissa to feel comfortable—and this place had been her suggestion.
She strolled in a few minutes late and he breathed a sigh of relief. Nerves were a new thing for him. They’d appeared the moment he’d received the letter from his mother and father and had danced around him ever since.
He’d dated plenty of women in New York for the last few years, even though his priority had always been his business. But none of those dates or eventual brief relationships had resulted in him feeling nervous. He had always been in control. Always polite but slightly distant. Happy to let things progress if they worked out that way, equally happy to let things slide when appropriate.
None of those dates—at any point in the last ten years—had made his stomach churn like this.
It was odd. After the knocks of childhood he’d been so determined to be a confident adult. And he had been—right up until he’d got that letter and the permanent feeling of wondering if he was good enough had made the crows of doubt constantly circle.
So watching Anissa walk through the door towards him was like a breath of fresh air.
She gave him a shy kind of smile as she joined him at the bar.
‘Drink?’ he asked.
She nodded at his beer bottle. ‘I’ll have a beer.’ He ordered swiftly and they threaded their way through the crowd and found a booth near the back. A waitress appeared promptly with menus. ‘Back in five.’ She waved.
Leo smiled as he slid into the booth. ‘And here was me thinking that everyone came to Mont Coeur to ski.’
Anissa smiled across the crowded bar. ‘It’s an expensive place to come to stay in a bar all day. Seems like such a waste.’
He looked at her carefully. ‘You really love skiing, don’t you?’
She sighed. ‘It feels like it’s in my blood. I can’t...not do it. I love it. I love the freedom. The speed. The exhilaration. If I miss it for even one day, I’m itching to get back out there.’
He nodded in appreciation. ‘It’s great that you’ve found your passion but—’ he chose his next words carefully ‘—it must have been really tough when you were injured.’
She blinked, and it seemed as though her eyes were wet almost instantly. ‘It was.’ She swallowed uncomfortably. ‘Twelve long weeks. I had to have two separate operations, with six weeks healing in between each. Then I had physio for another twelve weeks.’ She gave a wry laugh. ‘But I wouldn’t stay off the snow. I couldn’t.’
‘How does your leg feel now? Do you have the strength back?’ He was curious but cautious. Would someone really ever recover fully from an injury like that?
She wiggled her leg under the table, brushing it against his. ‘Most nights it’s still a little sore. Particularly if I’ve been on the mountain all day. I have to take painkillers. But I was sore every night after training too. So that’s nothing really new.’
‘But if you don’t s
ki, you don’t need the painkillers?’ He couldn’t hide the concern in his tone.
She gave a shrug. ‘I wouldn’t know. I never don’t ski.’ She said it very matter-of-factly, as if the thought had never occurred to her.
‘Do you keep in touch with anyone from before?’
Something flashed across her eyes. A jolt of hurt. She shook her head. ‘I’m going to wait until I know I’m back at peak performance before I talk to anyone again. The circuit is small and I’d rather be fully ready before I try to find a new coach.’
He gave a nod. He knew immediately it was about what she wasn’t saying. He’d answered enough questions like that himself over the years.
The waitress appeared back at their side. ‘Ready to order?’
Anissa smiled. ‘I’ll have the regular Swiss burger, well done, with everything.’
Leo shook his head. He hadn’t even glanced at the menu yet, too caught up in the conversation with Anissa. He handed his menu back with a smile. ‘I’ll have what she’s having.’
‘So, didn’t you have business to do today?’ Anissa leaned her head on one of her hands as she watched him.
He waved one hand. ‘Three calls to New York, about a hundred emails, and I have a conference call with Japan later.’
She wrinkled her nose. ‘Oh... I meant family business. Isn’t that what you’re here for?’
He took a breath. Truth was, he wasn’t exactly sure what to say. ‘I’m kind of in limbo at the moment. I’m just waiting to hear a bit of news before I decide my next step.’
It wasn’t untrue. He was still hoping his lawyer would find some magical loophole that would set him free from the terms of the will—even though he’d already been told it was highly unlikely.
He stayed silent for a few seconds as Anissa ran her hand up and down the neck of the bottle. ‘What do you do in New York?’ she asked. ‘A businessman—what is that? It’s like a multitude of sins.’ She gave a little smile then leaned back in the booth, keeping her eyes fixed on his. ‘Maybe you’re a serial killer? Or a spy?’ She raised her eyebrows. ‘Or maybe you’re one of those crazy guys who do real estate in New York and star in that reality TV show.’
He couldn’t help himself. ‘Do I look like a reality TV star to you?’
She ran her eyes up and down his body as if she were really contemplating it.
He laughed. ‘Wrong question. I should have asked if I looked like a serial killer.’
Now she laughed too and clinked her bottle against this. ‘Thanks for this, Leo. I needed a little fun.’
He stopped for a second and licked his lips, looking at her appreciatively. ‘So did I.’ And he meant it. Every word.
This was ridiculous. He couldn’t wait to get out of Mont Coeur. He never should have been here in the first place. And it was the last place he’d ever expected to meet someone. But somehow meeting Anissa had made the last few days a bit more bearable. Made the waiting game not quite so difficult.
Christmas was everywhere in Mont Coeur. And for Leo right now it was whipping up a whole range of emotions he didn’t quite know how to deal with.
The waitress appeared with their food and set it before them.
Even though it was just early afternoon, the place remained busy and as they chatted the noise levels were rising.
Leo found himself leaning closer and closer across the table to talk to Anissa. She didn’t seem to object, mirroring his movements and shifting in her seat until their heads were almost touching. Her hair fell forward and the scent of strawberry shampoo drifted towards him.
From the first time he’d met her he’d been attracted to her. But the more time he spent around her, the more he seemed to learn. Each encounter made him think that he’d peeled back another layer.
Anissa had qualities he admired. A real edge of determination. The ability to work hard. Drive. But all of these things were partially clouded by a veil of something else—something he strongly suspected was a woman who’d been hurt at some point, and not just by her injury.
It only made him relate to her all the more, and today she seemed more relaxed and at ease around him than she had before.
He was noticing things. Little things. The kind of things that he didn’t normally take the trouble to notice. When she chatted she always toyed with the earring in her left lobe. She preferred to tuck her hair behind her right ear. She was observant—and it wasn’t that he thought she was bored by him—or at least he hoped she wasn’t. But she seemed to love to people-watch, remarking on the things she noticed.
‘The girl in the red jacket. Do you think she’s on a first date?’
Leo looked to where she was watching, seeing the girl shifting uncomfortably in her chair and sitting stiffly as a guy in a black jacket tried to engage her in conversation.
Leo cringed. ‘She doesn’t want to be there, does she? Look at that poor guy. He obviously can’t stop talking. He looks so nervous.’
Anissa nodded to the right. ‘What about the four girls in the booth over there? I sense trouble...’
Leo checked them out and smiled as he sipped the last of his beer. ‘I think you could be right. Things look as if they’re getting fierce.’
Sure enough, a few seconds later one of them grabbed her bag and jacket and stomped out the front door.
Leo couldn’t stop watching Anissa. ‘You like this, don’t you?’
She finished her beer. ‘What? People-watching?’ She gave a little shrug. ‘Of course. Doesn’t everyone? I just usually don’t get time. I normally have a shift in the chalets in the morning then I do lessons most afternoons and sometimes into the evenings. It’s nice to get a little downtime.’
She gave a wicked kind of smile. ‘I sometimes like to imagine whole other lives for people.’ She gestured with her head to the couple behind them. ‘Those guys? They look normal, but she’s actually a princess from some principality and he’s her bodyguard. But...’ She leaned forward and whispered behind her hand, ‘They’re actually in love with each other.’
Leo shook his head but couldn’t help but smile as Anissa continued. ‘And those two over there—at the bar?’ She winked. ‘They might look like they’re just your average couple who just spent the morning skiing, but they’re actually time travellers. He’s a Roman warrior and she’s an Egyptian queen.’
Leo leaned forward conspiratorially. ‘You have a very vivid imagination.’
She gave him a naughty nod. ‘Oh, believe me, you have no idea.’
He liked this. He liked this a lot.
Her phone screen lit up and she leaned forward and smiled, reading the message and tapping out a quick reply.
He couldn’t help but ask. ‘Who is it?’
‘My mum and dad. They’re still at home in Austria and they text me every day.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Except when we’re all watching the latest episode of our favourite sci-fi show at the same time. Then we text every five minutes.’
Her comments were easy and throwaway. She obviously had parents who loved her and supported her. A relationship he hadn’t experienced in the past and couldn’t develop in the future. The thing that surprised him most was now much that actually gnawed away at him. How much it unexpectedly stung.
The waitress appeared beside them again. ‘More drinks?’
Leo reached over and grabbed the cocktail menu. Another drink. Exactly what he needed right now. ‘Do you have a preference?’ he asked Anissa.
‘This early?’
He shrugged, ‘It’s afternoon. Anyway...’ he leaned forward again ‘...don’t we have more people-watching to do?’
She nodded her head, ‘I guess we do.’ Then leaned her head on her hand. ‘So, surprise me.’
His eyes ran down the cocktail list. ‘We’ll have two of these—the Stormy Slopes.’
The waitress gave a smile, disappeared for a
few minutes then returned with two tall glasses.
Anissa leaned over and breathed in. ‘Hmm, interesting.’ She took a sip through the straw. Almost immediately her eyes sparkled. ‘Wow, that’s nice. What’s in it?’
Leo took a drink from his too and gave a nod of approval. ‘Rum, ginger beer and lime. Tasty. Not too heavy.’ He gave her a smile. ‘Afternoon cocktails. We don’t want to fall over. Not yet, anyway.’
She studied him for a second. ‘Have you visited any of the shops yet?’
He shook his head. ‘Apart from the ski shop? Not a chance. I’ve been too busy. I’ve spent most of my time on the phone to New York.’
‘Not much of a holiday,’ she reflected.
‘It was never meant to be a holiday.’ His tone had changed and she looked up sharply and licked her lips but she didn’t talk. She didn’t try to fill the silence, just ran her fingers up and down the side of her glass.
It was another of her habits. Another thing he’d noticed about her.
He took a deep breath. ‘The shops. Are they any good? Anything you’d recommend?’
She gave a little smile, knowing that he was changing the subject. ‘Maybe. There’s lots of quirky shops in Mont Coeur. Do you have anyone to buy gifts for in New York? I can probably show you where to get something a little different.’
His stomach gave a little flip. This would have been the first year he could actually have bought something for his mother and father. The effect was instant. Underneath his jersey T-shirt his skin prickled. Christmas. The time of year he liked to best avoid. What about Sebastian and his family? What about Noemi? Should he buy gifts for his brother and sister, and what on earth could he buy them? He barely knew them.
The face of his PA floated into his mind. Keisa had worked for him for the last six years. He usually bought something online and had it delivered. ‘I always buy something for my PA.’
‘Male or female?’
‘Female.’
‘What age?’
He wrinkled his brow. ‘I thought I wasn’t allowed to ask that?’ He smiled for a second. ‘I think she’s probably early fifties.’
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