Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36370 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36370 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
He nodded. “Yeah, but you can substitute any sport and come up with a passable analogy. The core principle that allows everything to work is balance. So…show me what you got.”
“Like this?” I leaned forward with my knees bent and…promptly fell on my ass again. “Fuck me.”
Liam helped me up, pulling me against his chest. “Is that an invitation?”
I rested my hands on his hips and chuckled. “I’ve never been more tempted to barter my ass in my life.”
Liam snorted. “I’ll keep that in mind. But I promise you can do this on your own. Let’s go.”
He zipped by, paused at the next incline, and motioned for me to follow. I waited for a couple of seasoned snowboarders to pass before gliding toward him. He let out a whoop, beckoning me close. Then he tipped my chin and kissed me.
“You know people can see us, right?”
“Who cares? Meet me at the next stop.”
I stared after Liam as he skied ahead, admiring his graceful maneuvers. He turned to wait for me to catch up. He cheered me on again, told me I was almost Olympic ready, and kissed me in front of a gaggle of teenage snowboarders. It became a game of sorts….always ending in a kiss. Halfway down the mountain, I finally found my groove. I loosened up and figured out how to lean into turns without putting on a show for the masses.
He was right. The more relaxed I was, the easier it became. We skied the last part of the run side by side. And when he asked if I was game to go again, I didn’t hesitate. Yeah, I wanted to do it again and again if it meant I could be with Liam.
He was handsome, charming, funny, and silly as hell. Yet he tempered his goofy sense of humor with the kind of insight that hinted at a soulful realness I found very fucking attractive.
I’d spent the entire morning racing after him, one hill after the other. I should have been sick of him or sick of skiing in general. I wasn’t. But when he suggested stopping for lunch, I readily agreed. We found a table in the lodge next to the stacked stone fireplace in a semi-private corner. A huge potted plant blocked our view of the main lodge area and the slopes beyond, which probably made it a little undesirable. It was perfect for us.
We ordered burgers, fries, and beers and just…talked. We covered the weather, the powder, snowboarders snaking in on ski territory, and discussed the merits of french fries over chips.
“That’s not even a question,” Liam huffed around a bite of his burger. “Fries win every time.”
“Yeah, but what kind of fries? Steak fries, curly fries, skinny fries, sweet potato fries.…There are a lot of choices.” I dipped a fry in ketchup, dabbing at the corner of my mouth before setting my napkin beside my plate.
“They’re all good,” he enthused. “I haven’t met many fries I don’t like. Potato chips are another story. Basic, salty ones are the bomb, and I love a good barbecue chip. But I’ve tasted some nasty ones too. Have you ever seen bacon, mac n’ cheese chips? Or honey wasabi chips?”
I shook my head and chuckled. “No, but bacon makes everything taste better, and wasabi gives a nice kick, so…I’d try ’em.”
“Ugh. Everyone’s a fancy eater nowadays,” he groused, stuffing his last burger bite into his mouth.
“I’m not fancy, but I like food. Where’d you find the wasabi ones?”
“No idea. Jade brought them over one night.” He sipped his beer as he glanced to the lodge area.
I followed his gaze. “Do you see her?”
Liam frowned. “Jade? No. I don’t see any of my friends, but I know they’re here. Colin texted me an hour ago.”
“Oh. Why didn’t you say so? I didn’t mean to screw up your plans.”
“You’re not screwing up anything. This is where I want to be,” he said, nudging my knee.
Somehow the sentiment struck me as wildly romantic. The combination of his husky tone and playful delivery made my heart skip a beat. Jesus, I think I actually blushed.
“Thanks. It’s been a fun morning. For me, anyway. It was probably a little torturous to ski with a slowpoke. Although I picked up some speed at the end,” I boasted, adding, “and I managed to stay on my feet too.”
Liam held his hand up for a high five. “You were awesome.”
“I don’t know about that, but apparently, my instructor knows his shit.”
“You knew what to do. You just needed to be reminded to check your mechanics. That happens when you get spooked and you don’t get back on the proverbial horse right away. The tree that jumped you a couple of years ago got stuck in your head. I think you finally won the war today.”