“Okay, I have to admit,” she calmed down her laugh, “your cheesy pick-up line was good.”
Arrogantly, he straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. “It was pretty good, wasn’t it?”
“Don’t go getting a big ego, now.” She chuckled. “Tell me, Romeo, were you able to finally end it with Bonnie?”
He blew out of his mouth a big breath of air. “I sure hope so. I told her the same thing I did at the airport and at her apartment before we even left for the airport, and she acted as if she’d never heard those words before.”
“I’m sorry she wasn’t the woman you’re looking for.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad I was able to convince her to give up on me. If she doesn’t leave by tomorrow morning, it’ll only be because she found another man.”
An idea popped in Ivy’s head. “Oh, I know. Let’s introduce her to that religious guy.”
Steele laughed heartily. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”
“Every once in a while, I get a good one.”
He glanced at the couples in the lobby and moved his gaze back to her quickly. “Speaking of good ideas, I have one.”
“What’s that?”
“Do you want to go skiing?”
As a teenager living in Montana, Ivy went skiing every weekend. It was easy to do, and all of her friends loved the sport. Since she became a working woman, it was as though she never had time, and then she finally just lost interest.
“Oh, I don’t know…”
He jumped out of his chair and grasped her hand, pulling her up. “Come on. It’ll be fun. I’ll show you how it’s done. It’s pretty easy, in fact.”
Dare she tell him that she knew how and that she was experienced at it? Or should she let him pretend he was her hero? Again.
She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to make him think she didn’t know how to ski. He might be able to teach her without messing it up like he did when he fell off the dog sled. Although, now that she thought back on the incident, it was rather funny, and it had made her feel giddy that he was trying to be so protective.
“Okay, I guess we can.”
“Great. Now go up to your room and put on an extra layer of clothes. It’s going to be colder up on the mountain than it is down here.”
She touched her fingers to her forehead in a salute. “Yes, sir!”
He turned her toward the elevators and playfully smacked her buttocks. “Now get going. We’ll want to get up there before the crowd hits the ski-lifts.”
Grinning like there was no tomorrow, she hurried to the elevator and pressed the button. Why was he in such a hurry? Then again, sitting close to him on the ski-lift sounded quite enjoyable, and having him help her try to ski sounded even better.
Perhaps she should hurry after all.
TEN
The frosty wind had calmed down quite a bit, and Steele was able to feel the warmth from the sun on his face better up in the mountains. Ivy wore warmer clothes this time, for which he was grateful. They rented their skis and poles, and before he stepped into his boots and skis, he assisted Ivy with hers. Her feet were so tiny compared to his, and images flashed through his mind on how he could warm her up next to a fireplace if she became too cold.
There was only one reason Steele wanted to teach Ivy how to ski – to get closer to her. Having her in his arms was the best feeling he’d had in a long time. When he gazed into her amazing eyes and his heart skipped, hope filled him, making him want a better life. He didn’t dare doubt that Cupid’s love-arrow had found his heart right here on Cupid Island.
It was rather funny, really. After all, he hadn’t known her very long, and yet, what he did know about her made him want to be with her all the time.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
He snapped on the last clip on his boot and stood, bringing his poles as he straightened. “I am now.” He grinned. “Are you ready?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“The first thing you’ll need to remember,” he said, sliding ahead of her, “is to keep your knees bent and legs parallel.”
“Like this?”
She showed him the stance, but she squatted too much. Her perfectly-rounded butt stuck out more than it should. It was a struggle, but he held back a laugh.
“Close, but don’t bend your knees so much, and…” He posed in the position. “Like this.”
Nodding, she copied his stance. “Is this better?”
“Much.”
“Next,” he said as he placed the poles in front of him, “bend your elbows at an angle, too. They need to be roughly 75-degrees in front of you.”
“Like this?”
Once again, she wasn’t exactly in the correct position. He moved closer to her and positioned her arms. When his gaze met hers, there was an adorable twinkle in her hazel eyes. Even her tempting lips had a twitch as if she was holding back a laugh.
A sudden urge came over him, making him want to cup her face just to caress her smooth skin. Of course, while still holding her face, he’d surely give her the kiss he’d been imagining these past few hours.
Steele cleared his throat and moved away. “I think you’re ready now.”
“Good.” She shifted in place and looked ahead.
“Remember to keep the tips of your skis together.” He demonstrated. “You’ll also want to rely on your poles a lot to help with your balance. Now, you’ll want to keep your legs open wider as you go, because, for beginning skiers, this helps them control their speed. When you’re ready to stop, create a larger wedge between your legs as you point the tips of your skis together.” He moved down the slope a little ways just enough to show her how it was done. “Now you try it.”
She nodded. “Okay, here I come.”
She started out slowly, and he was excited that she was getting the idea of how to ski. But within seconds, her legs started closing in, making her speed faster. He should say something to stop her, but he really wanted to physically stop her, which meant wrapping his arms around her.
“You’re doing good, but—”
Suddenly, she dug her poles into the ground and pushed off. The motion had kicked up her speed considerably as she sped past him. Shocked, at her knowledge of skiing, all he could do was to stare at her expert moves as she started her race down the hill.
He quickly snapped out of his momentary stupor and laughed. The little she-devil already knew how to ski!
He pushed off quickly and gained speed as he tried to catch up with her. She glanced behind her several times, and the closer he came, the more he heard her angelic laughs. Determined not to let this slip of a woman beat him, he used his poles to gain more speed until they were racing neck-to-neck down the mountain.
Since Steele was seven-years-old, he loved skiing. This had always been his break from reality – the break he’d needed from his constantly arguing parents. As a boy, he’d been invincible when he was tackling the slopes, feeling the wind in his face as he competed one with nature. Skiing had started him out with loving winter sports, which then led to his passion for hockey. At one time, he’d thought hockey was the best thing in the world… until he messed up terribly, causing his teammates to lose the championship, and injuring one considerably. The humiliation was deeper than the cuts and bruises he had received. He’d made a vow at that time never to go near a skating rink again, and to this day, he hadn’t touched one.
Ivy’s laughter lightened his heart and brought him out of his thoughts. He smiled, loving her wicked, teasing grin. “So, you think you know how to ski, huh?” He called out to her.
Her head bobbed up and down. “I don’t think, I know… and I’m very good at it.”
He laughed out loud. “Do you care to make a bet?”
She laughed. “Another bet? Aren’t you tired of betting me… and losing?”
Ohhh… those were fighting words! Even through the humor of the situation, his competitive side kicked in. If she wanted to see how very good he was, he�
��d show her and wouldn’t hold anything back this time.
Collecting every ounce of courage he had, he pushed his strength to the limits. Within minutes, he rushed past her. Her mouth hung agape. Victory burst inside him. Priceless!
He glanced over his shoulder at her again. She had started to slow down. Either that or he was just going wonderfully fast.
“Steele! The tree!”
He whipped his gaze in front of him just in time to see the large oak he’d smack into at any moment. He felt like an insect zooming toward a speeding car.
I’m in big trouble now!
Ivy held Steele’s hand as the emergency crews hauled Steele and the stretcher he lay upon, down the mountain. The brace on his neck was just for precaution, the emergency medical technicians had told her as they carefully slid the stretcher under Steele and tied him down.
Steele joked the whole time, telling them he was fine. Guilt weighed heavily in Ivy’s chest. He was not fine at all. He might have broken his leg. If not, the sprain would be very painful. But it was the bloody scratches on his face that made her cringe inside. She prayed he hadn’t broken his nose in the process.
Once at the bottom of the mountain, the EMTs carefully slid the stretcher inside the ambulance and she climbed in to sit beside him. One of the techs sat in back with them and the other drove the vehicle. Ivy took Steele’s cold hand again, rubbing some warmth in it.
A deep sigh expelled from his mouth as he looked her way. He couldn’t turn his head due to the neck-brace, but his gaze didn’t move.
“Hey,” he said softly. “I’m sorry to have ruined our race.”
She chuckled, rubbing his cold hand faster. “Steele, I don’t think it was our race as much as it was your race.”
“I guess I lost, right?”
She shook her head. “No, you won. Of course, the large tree kept you from the finish line, but you were still winning.”
His chest shook with silent laughter. “I’m sorry for being so competitive. I’ve always been this way.”
“If truth be told,” she leaned toward him, “I’m just as competitive. Ask my sisters.”
A few seconds passed, the only communication was their gazes. She loved his blue eyes, and she especially loved the way he watched her – as if he was looking at something so wonderful. Not often did a man look at her with such emotion in his eyes.
“You’ve never told me about your family,” he said. “Will you tell me now?”
She smiled. “I’ve lived in Montana all my life.”
“Montana?” He laughed loudly. “Now things are making sense.”
“Yes, my mother raised me and my two older sisters by herself. We lived in Montana in the same house all that time. My mother is a lot like your father. She loves Christmas so much that she named her daughters: Noelle, Holly, and Ivy.”
His grin widened. “At least you don’t have siblings with the names of Donner and Blitzen… and Rudolph.”
“But I can definitely relate.” She rolled her eyes. “I hated it when everyone referred to us as The Christmas Sisters.”
“Are they all as pretty as you?”
Ivy’s face heated from his compliment. “Thank you, and yes, we definitely look like sisters. What about you? Are your brothers as hunky as you are?”
He laughed hard and then grimaced as his arm protected his ribs. She frowned. He must have a few bruised ribs, too.
“I think we all look different, but we each have some facial feature that resembles our father.”
“Were you and your brothers teased while growing up?”
“Not really,” he said, still keeping his eyes on her. “My dad was very wealthy and having that much money kept the other kids from teasing us about our ridiculous names. I’m sure they made jokes, but not in front of us.”
She nodded. “Kids can be mean.”
“Which is why I’m glad I’m finally an adult.”
“I agree.” As she studied his handsome but scratched up face, she wondered what he’d looked like as a boy. He would definitely be a cutie and stealing girls’ hearts.
A few minutes passed in silence, which Ivy wasn’t comfortable with. She needed to hear Steele’s soothing and very charming voice. “So, what should we do next?” she asked with laughter in her voice. “What do you think about ice-skating?”
His eyes widened and color left his face. “No. That’s the one sport I won’t do ever again.”
“Really, but—”
“Please, Ivy. Don’t ask that of me. I just won’t ice-skate.”
The tone of his words tugged on her heart and she really wanted to know why he hated ice-skating, especially since he used to be a hockey player.
The ambulance drove up to the very small hospital that looked more like a doctor’s office. The EMT’s wheeled Steele out of the vehicle and into the building.
“Wait for me,” he told her as they started taking him to the back room. “I won’t be long, I promise.”
She waved, watching him enter the room before the doors closed. He was probably correct by saying he wouldn’t be long. She’d witnessed the way he had tried to dodge the tree, but his left ski knocked against the trunk, tossing him into the nearest bushes as he rolled onto the snow-packed ground. However, his fall was very graceful, and the snow had definitely cushioned his fall.
Releasing an exhausted sigh, she moved to the window and looked out of the opened blinds. The makeshift hospital was lower than the resort, making it appear as if the resort sat on a majestic hillside. These winter days seemed like the sun never rose because it was the same light all day long. Not as it did in Montana. Trying to sleep when it was still light outside was nearly impossible.
The image of Steele nearly plowing into that tree made her grin. At the time it had scared her. Now she found a little humor in it. His proud expression was the last thing she saw before he’d turned his head and noticed the tree.
Although he didn’t mean for that moment to be humorous, she couldn’t help the grin taking over her face. Being with him was quite enjoyable, and she looked forward to what he would do next to make her laugh.
If she wasn’t mistaken, she would think he was trying to do things just so that he could put his arms around her. The ATV, the dog sled, and the beginning of her skiing lesson, he sure acted as if he wanted to be her hero. The mere idea softened her heart, but she didn’t dare put too much into his intentions. After all, once the commercial was finished, she’d be flying back home to Montana and to her wonderful family… and boring job. She’d also return to a life with no dedicated boyfriend.
Being with Steele these past several hours had made her remember what it was like to have a boyfriend, and she missed having someone there to talk with, to hold, and yes – to kiss. But she couldn’t pin her hopes on Steele. He was way out of her league.
ELEVEN
“How is everything coming for the commercial?” Rosetta asked, stepping into Ivy’s suite and closing the door behind her. “Steele mentioned that you might need my help.”
Ivy smiled, but it wasn’t full. Guilt grew heavy on her chest. She was supposed to be making a commercial but instead, she kept thinking of what things she and Steele could do together.
“Good morning, Rosetta,” Ivy said, thinking it was funny that the older woman hadn’t even greeted her properly at the door. “I’m fine, how are you?”
Rosetta laughed. “Forgive me. You’re right of course.” She straightened and grinned. “Good morning, Ivy. You look lovely. Green is definitely your color.”
“Thanks.” Ivy tugged on her forest green sweater with the cowl-neck with the tunic-style waist that reached to the middle of her thighs. “I would offer you some coffee, but since I don’t drink it, all I have is hot chocolate.”
Rosetta pushed her fingers through the hair, shaking her head. “I’ve already had my caffeinated-fix this morning.” She moved to the dining table and set her notebook down before sitting. “Steele mentioned that you two couldn’t
decide on couples to be in the commercial. I used the resort’s security cameras to help me find the right people.” She motioned her hand toward the notebook. “Come see what I’ve found.”
Once again, Ivy was grieving from guilt. She and Steele had started out the day looking for couples, but their main goal had gradually slipped out of their minds. She really needed to focus. Gordon Holliday would think she was incompetent since Rosetta was the one looking for people. That was Ivy’s job, not Steele’s secretary’s.
Ivy hesitantly sat beside Rosetta and peered at the pages printed from the security camera. A few of the couples were the same ones that Ivy and Steele had mentioned over lunch. Remembering what she and Steele had talked about made her giggle. She also recalled how difficult it was to find the perfect person to fit the main man and woman’s roles in the commercial.
“Do you see something you like?” Rosetta asked.
“Not yet.” Ivy sighed. “Steele and I can’t come to an agreement with who we want as our main couple.”
Rosetta inhaled sharply as her hand flew up to her neck. The woman’s eyes widened. “I just realized who we could use for these roles. They would be perfect for this.”
Hope rose inside Ivy. “Who are they?”
Slowly, the older woman’s surprised expression changed to one of mischief. “Why don’t you and Steele be the main couple in the commercial?”
Ivy just couldn’t hold back the humor from Rosetta’s statement. Ivy laughed so hard, tears stung her eyes. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am. Both of you are very attractive, and when you’re together, there is a spark between the two of you.”
“Yeah, like a spark of indifference that could ignite into an irritated flame.” Ivy’s laugh settled to a small chuckle. “But seriously, I can’t be in the commercial because I need to be behind the scenes making sure everything turns out. And Steele… well, he runs the resort, so he can’t play the man’s part, either.” She didn’t want to mention that he was set against having his face in the commercial. That was something she wasn’t ready to explain to Rosetta right now.
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