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‘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.’
