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He gave a nod as his heart gave a little trip. ‘And will you join me?’
She glanced at her watch then gave a small smile. ‘Okay, a quick one. I do have a day job—no matter how much I don’t want one.’
He raised his eyebrows in interest. Perfect. Anissa Lang was going to distract him. Again.
* * *
Her stomach was in knots. For the first few seconds she’d just wanted to run. Talk about embarrassing. The guy she’d spent a red-hot night with had just found her changing his towels. Hardly a great moment.
But it was odd. Leo had made her feel instantly at ease. And there was definitely still...something. It didn’t matter that it had been a few days and she’d been deliberately avoiding him. It only took being in his presence again for a few seconds to feel that buzz, feel that attraction. And she wasn’t imagining the sparkle in his eyes. For some crazy reason she liked being around this guy. And—no matter what some people might think—it was nothing to do with his billionaire status.
A few minutes later the supplies arrived in a wicker hamper. She unpacked the coffee, the bread, the milk and the cookies. Leo was at her elbow the whole time, starting the coffee machine, putting in the pods and lifting out the cookies.
The clients who stayed in these chalets were well taken care of. They could pre-order fresh deliveries for every day. Anissa was kind of surprised at Leo’s response to everything in the hamper. ‘Didn’t you order all this stuff?’
He shook his head. ‘No. Why? Can you do that?’
Anissa shook her head. ‘Sure you can. Didn’t you book this place?’
Leo pulled a face. ‘Ah...maybe not.’
‘So, who booked it for you? Your family?’
He shook his head. ‘No. My PA.’
‘Oh, of course.’ Anissa smiled and rolled her eyes. ‘The PA. Well, here’s hoping she ordered what you like, and not what she likes.’
‘I’m easy to please,’ he said quickly.
‘That’s what they all say,’ she joked.
Something flickered across his eyes and her heart sank. She touched his arm. ‘No.’ She shook her head and pulled a face. ‘Absolutely, no. That’s not what I meant.’ Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. She breathed slowly and met his gaze. ‘I told you. I never did that before.’
His bright blue eyes were fixed on hers. This guy could complain about her. This guy could cost her the job that she didn’t even really love.
He blinked. ‘I believe you. Now, what do you take in your coffee?’
A wave of relief swept over her. Thank goodness. She’d hate it if he thought she just jumped into bed with every guy she met. Some chalet maids had that kind of reputation and Anissa didn’t want him to think of her like that.
She picked up the milk from the counter. ‘Just this.’ His fingers brushed against hers as he took the carton from her hand and splashed the milk into the cups. ‘Want a cookie too?’ He lifted the pack as he headed towards the table.
She shook her head. ‘You missed out. The oatmeal and raisin are the superior cookie here, but everyone seems to order the chocolate chip.’
He raised his eyebrows as he sat down. ‘Ah...insider secrets. Thanks. I’ll order oatmeal and raisin tomorrow.’
She pulled out the chair opposite and sat down. This was a little weird. A little formal. Last time they’d been in each other’s company he’d been pulling off her boots and sitting next to her on the sofa.
‘How’s your leg?’
She shrugged. ‘Okay. I strapped it up the last few days when I was doing lessons.’
He leaned his head on one hand, his fingers threading through his dark tousled hair as he sipped his coffee. ‘How long have you skied for?’
‘Practically since I could breathe. I’m Austrian. It’s in my genes. The other day on the slopes? That was stupid of me. I lost my concentration. I never do that. Never.’
The last time she’d lost her concentration it had cost her a chance at the gold medal. She’d been stupid. The effects had meant her whole world had come crashing down around her. And she’d spent the last year trying desperately to reach the same level she’d been at before. But it didn’t seem to matter how hard she practised, it was still out of her reach. The accident the other night had shaken her more than she could admit. If Leo hadn’t been there to help her, then distract her...
He gave a slow, thoughtful nod. ‘Maybe you had other things on your mind?’
‘Like you have?’
She couldn’t pretend not to notice that far-off look he got in his eyes.
He met her gaze and smiled. ‘Am I that obvious?’
She sipped her coffee. ‘Just a little.’
He nodded again. ‘I thought I would have been back in New York by now.’
Her stomach gave a little flip. If Leo had gone back to New York she wouldn’t have seen him again. It surprised her how much she didn’t like that idea.
‘Why aren’t you?’
He bit his bottom lip. It was clear he was trying to find the right words. ‘Family...issues. The matter I came to deal with should only have taken a day. But there’s been...complications. And it seems I can’t get away when I thought I could.’
He ran his fingers through his rumpled hair. She could tell just by looking how tense he was. The muscles around his neck and shoulders looked tight. His forehead marred by a deep furrow. And he looked tired. Like he hadn’t really slept properly.
She could tell something was wrong. For the first time he seemed a little awkward. It was obvious the family stuff w
as getting to him.
Her heart gave a little tug. She remembered feeling as if things were pressing down around about her—in fact, it sort of resembled the whole last year for her. But a few days ago she’d met a gorgeous mystery man who’d pulled her out of her slump. Leo.
‘It’s a good time of year to be in Mont Coeur,’ she said.
He looked up and gave an amused smile. ‘It seems like it’s Christmas already here.’
She shrugged. ‘From what I hear, New York is pretty much the same.’
‘Okay, I’ll give you that.’
She waved her hand. ‘Anyway, I was talking about the slopes, not the Christmas decorations.’ She put her hands around her coffee cup and looked up at him. ‘You should try them. Skiing at night—it’s peaceful. It’s calming.’ She gave a smile, ‘And the slopes are much quieter. Maybe it will help clear your head a little?’
He was watching her with those bright blue eyes. ‘Are you asking me on a date?’
She laughed out loud as she felt heat rush into her cheeks. ‘Nope. I was making a suggestion. You said you didn’t have equipment, but I can tell you where to hire some. And it’s good stuff.’
‘Could be dangerous up on the slopes alone at night.’ His eyes were twinkling.
‘What are you suggesting?’
He gave a careless shrug. ‘Well, you know. I was thinking that someone could come with me. It would be much safer. After all, I’ve seen you on the slopes. You might need rescuing again.’
‘Ha!’ She sucked in a breath in mock horror. ‘Mr Baxter, that almost seems like an insult.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘How about, Ms Lang, you take it as a challenge?’
He let the words hang in the air between them. She liked this. She liked his humour. She pushed herself up from the chair. If she didn’t get to the next chalet soon she would end up in trouble.
