Page 59 of The Christmas Highland Lodge

‘And what makes you say that?’

I put one hand out and let the flakes decorate my gloved fingers again. ‘What you did for that little girl and her dad.’

Blake pulled a face. ‘Oh, not that again.’

‘I know! I know. You don’t want me to go on about it and I won’t. But not everyone would have even thought of doing such a caring and generous thing.’

Blake shrugged his broad shoulders under his black ski jacket. ‘I happen to know the guy who manages that restaurant. It’s not a big deal.’

Flecks of snow dusted his woolly hat as his fingers tightened around it.

‘You don’t like accepting compliments, do you?’

Blake eyed me levelly. ‘It depends on what the compliment is and who’s giving it.’ His lips curved upwards with amusement.’ If you were to tell me you found me madly attractive and that my eyes reminded you of melted chocolate, I’d take it.’

I let out a bark of self-conscious laughter. ‘I bet you would. As if that’s going to happen!’

His mouth tilted into a gorgeous lopsided smile.

I realised I was doing it again – staring at him – and forced my attention away to the deepening snow around us. Why was I suddenly acting all weird?

‘So, stuffed shirt,’ I teased, hoping I sounded normal.

‘Stuffed shirt?’ echoed Blake, cocking one brow.

‘Copy me.’

‘Why? What are you going to do now?’

Distracting myself from more thoughts about what Blake might look like without his beard, I dumped my bag down beside me, lay down flat in the snow and began to flap my arms up and down. Making snow angels never got boring. ‘Care to join me?’ I asked.

Blake stared down at me lying there. His eyes shone with what looked like a mix of amusement and disbelief. ‘I hope I don’t see anyone I know. My reputation will end up in tatters.’

‘Oh, stop grumbling and get down here.’ As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I had to clarify it. ‘I mean, come and lie beside me.’ Shit! That sounded like a come-on as well. I wanted to scoop up some snow and slap it onto my heated cheeks. ‘I mean, come and be a snow angel.’

Blake glanced around himself.

‘What? Are you chicken?’

He gave me a withering look.

‘Oh, don’t tell me the big, brave mountaineer is frightened of snow angels?’

Blake posed like Superman, which made me yelp with laughter. ‘Certainly not.’ He gazed down at me. ‘Well, if it stops you from assassinating my character.’

Now it was my turn to offer him a smile.

Blake dumped his rucksack on the ground and came and lay down beside me, raising his arms up and down as the snow continued to wrap us both in its crisp whiteness.

‘See? This time of year isn’t so bad after all, is it?’ I asked him, as the wet, chilly snow seeped against our coats while we lay there side by side.

‘Don’t push your luck,’ frowned Blake with fake annoyance. ‘I still think I’d much rather have root canal treatment than have anything to do with Christmas, but…’ His voice tailed off and he rolled his eyes. He gave several more flaps of his muscular arms in the snow, which made me laugh.

He narrowed his eyes at me. ‘What? Why are you laughing at me?’

‘You look more like a buzzard trying to take off than an angel.’

Blake pushed himself up onto one elbow to look at me lying there beside him. He drank in my face. ‘Maybe that’s because I’m no angel.’