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Jace was downhill from her, skiing backward.
“Pizza,” he called.
She didn’t seem to listen.
He pushed off and used his poles and quick steps to go uphill and intercept her. He wasn’t worried about her hitting a tree. When she hit the thick snow on the edge of the run that wasn’t groomed by the snowcats each morning, it would slow her down naturally.
She hit the powder and stopped dead, popping out of her skis and pitching forward into the snow face first.
“Ayla.” He skied next to her and squatted down on his skis.
She turned her face to the side, spitting snow out of her mouth. He yanked off his glove and swiped the snow off her nose and around her mouth. Just touching her mouth like that made warm thrills fill him.
“I stink at this,” she groaned.
“No, you don’t.” His touch on her lips must not have affected her at all. “You’re getting … better.”
“Liar.”
“You are. You just forgot to use the pizza or turn to slow you down.”
She tried to stand up in her ski boots, but she sank knee deep in the thick snow. Laughing, she shook her head. “Who knew skiing was so tough?”
“Everybody.” He grinned. “Truly, you’re doing great. I promise.” He put his hands under her armpits and lifted her up out of the snow and against his chest, then edged backwards with her onto the packed snow. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he got distracted as their faces were really close. With the helmet, face mask, and goggles covering everything but her nose and forehead, she shouldn’t be so appealing to him, but she was.
“Good thing you’re tough and a good skier,” she said, her blue eyes twinkling through her goggles at him.
“A fabulous skier,” he corrected.
“Oh, right. Forgive me, master skier. You are the Yoda of ski instructors.”
He chuckled. He wasn’t the best instructor for beginners, but he didn’t think now was the time to reveal that. It was hard to remember the basics and how it felt being unsteady, uncertain, and unable to maneuver on skis. Really hard as he’d been skiing since he was a toddler, before he had solid memories. Ammon had as well, but Ammon constantly took in-person and online advanced classes on ski instruction, survival skills, and medical training. He teased Ammon that he didn’t take anything serious but his brother was extremely impressive and well-trained.
They made it back to the groomed trail and instead of taking off her helmet, her face mask and her goggles and kissing her, he set her on the snow then bent down to get her skis lined up for her. “Let me line these—”
Ayla leapt at him, plowing into him from the side, knocking him to the ground and landing on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her, but with both of their thick coats he couldn’t feel much of her shape.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Trying to make you see how it feels to crash.” She grinned impishly at him. She had that zest for life again that he’d seen in her the first time he met her yesterday before he’d messed up and made her doubt his intentions. It made him happy.
“Oh, believe me, I’ve crashed more viciously than you can even imagine. I know how slamming into the snow feels.” He’d broken his leg, his arm, his ribs, and had bumps and bruises all over his body from ski crashes over the years. Especially back in his downhill racing days.
“Oh, forgive me for tackling you then. I just didn’t want you to feel left out from this incredible experience I’m having of snow in my face, icy goodness trickling down the back of my neck, and future bruises forming all over my body.”
He chuckled, but then he sobered. “Are you miserable? We can take a break.” They hadn’t even made it down one run, but he didn’t want to hurt her or have her be uncomfortable.
“Miserable?” She smirked at him. “You’re crazy. This is so fun. I’m having the time of my life!”
“Truly?” She hadn’t even gone fast enough to feel the exhilaration of skiing.
“Truly.”
“What do you normally do for fun?”
“I run.”
“Running is your fun activity?” His brow furrowed. He didn’t mind running, though he preferred lifting weights, mountain biking, rock climbing, or hiking for exercise. She probably needed to get out more. He wanted to show her a lot of fun things. Kissing was at the top of the list. He should slow down, but his natural inhibitions around women were gone with Ayla close.
