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Maya frowned. “No wonder he’s stressed. Why didn’t he come to me?”

“I’m not sure. I haven’t spoken to him about getting you involved, I didn’t want to put you in a difficult position.”

She shook her head. “It’s an easy position. I’m going to look at the accounts, and sort it out for him.”

He realized that he trusted Maya to do exactly that. And maybe he was beginning to trust her beyond her accounting skills. “You’ve got no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that.”

She gave him a two-fingered salute as they entered the car park. “No problem, Holland. I’m the most boring superhero in the world. Superaccountant.”

Sam laughed. “I don’t think I could ever describe you as boring.”

Maya shot him a smile that gave him an electric feeling.

“Oh, I nearly forgot,” she said, turning to him as she parked.

Why are her eyes so amazing?

“Big Boss Ben wants me to help you with your sled race thingy.” She paused, seeming to assess his reaction, and continuing when he smiled. “As long as that’s okay. Don’t wanna steal your thunder with my accounting superpowers.” She gave him another one of those winks, and Sam wondered how it was possible for a jokey gesture to borderline turn him on.

Pushing aside his natural instinct to shoulder the burden alone because he liked the warm feeling that Maya’s assistance now seemed to give him, he nodded. “That would be awesome. If you can spare the time.” He unbuckled and they both climbed out of the car.

“Absolutely,” Maya replied as they crossed the car park. “I’m technically unemployed, so I’ve all the time in the world.”

Ben reacted as predicted when Sam told him that Maya wanted to look over the accounts. The weight had visibly risen from his shoulders and drifted off into the stratosphere. When Sam had queried why he hadn’t come out and asked Maya himself, Ben said he didn’t want to overstep when he’d practically twisted her arm to come and work with them already.

Sam came off the slopes, following his class toward the terrace that led into the building. He took a glance toward the baby slope, as was now customary for him at the end of the day. He’d stopped kidding himself that it was to check how his old class was getting on, when it was really because he wanted to get an eyeful of their instructor. They were finishing and he paused to watch.

One of the kids waved at him—Oliver. Sam waved back, wondering if the kid had ever gotten to eat that pizza he’d been craving. Maya turned her head to see whom Oliver was waving at and clocked Sam. She said something to her class and then gestured for him to come over.

“Hey,” Maya said as he approached. “The kids here think they can direct us against each other in a pizza and chips race.” The children started cheering, and Maya had to quieten them down.

Sam cast his eyes around the group and came to rest on Maya, smiling. “How would this race work?”

Maya pointed at one of the children. “Emily and her team will direct me, and Oliver and his team will direct you. We have to do what they say—if your team captain shouts pizza, then you snowplow, and if they shout chips, then it’s straight skis.” She flashed him a grin. “What say you, Samuel Leonard Holland?”

Oliver and his team started laughing. “Your middle name’s Leonard!”

Sam raised his eyebrow at Maya, a smile tugging at his mouth. “Below the belt, Bashir.”

She shrugged, tapping the side of her nose. “I’m psyching you out. Tactics.”

Sam laughed. “I’m not sure I want to be on the receiving end of your tactics.”

“Too late.” Maya put her thumb on the end of her nose and wiggled her fingers at him, inducing more laughter from the children. “Right! Stay in your two groups. Captains shout the instructions and do the mime for pizza, or chips. Come on, Leonard.” Maya turned and started up the baby slope, skis over her shoulder, before he could respond.

“Hey!” He hurried as much as he could in his cumbersome ski boots and caught her. “You’re in for it, Bashir.”

She laughed. “That’s what you think. Okay, this is a good spot.”

They clipped into their skis and Sam eyed her, trying to stop thinking about how good she looked, even layered in skiwear. He attempted to avoid the memory of how good she looked in a swimsuit too, and failed.

She was grinning widely, which made him suspicious. “What’ve you got up your sleeve?” he asked.

She put on a singsong voice. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Gesturing down the slope, she signaled to the captains to begin their instructions. Emily shouted chips and Oliver called pizza, and Sam immediately caught on to what was happening. Yelling chips over and over, Emily and her team waved their hands in the air as Maya shot ahead, her hair streaming behind her. Oliver and his team kept shouting pizza and collapsing with laughter as Sam trailed behind, forced to keep the brakes on by his own “team.”

Finally, he came to a stop in front of Maya, who was standing watching him with her arms folded.