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Maybe, unlike Iluminada, she wasn’t using him and didn’t want to leave him, but what did he know? And what did it matter? She was leaving regardless.
They spent the rest of the afternoon skiing and though he could see she was exhausted and she made teasing quips about it, she didn’t give up until the lifts closed down. He admired her grit. He admired pretty much everything about her.
Jace drove her back to her rental house, and she thanked him profusely for the fun day. He walked her to the door and probably should’ve just let her go, especially as they both knew nothing lasting could come of this, but he rushed to ask, “Let me take you to dinner.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He nodded.
“You want to spend more time with me.” The way she said it was adorable, almost as if she were bragging. Her face was all lit up and she beamed. “I knew it. The hot ski instructor is so gone over the out-of-towner who crashes nonstop, tackles him into the snow, and looks like an absolute weirdo in her mismatched snow outfit.”
“That’s right, except for the weirdo part. You looked really cute in your mismatched snow gear.” He hated that she’d be gone soon. “Dinner?”
“Yes, sir. Give me half an hour to get ready. Actually, can you make it an hour? Not that I’m not anxious to be with you, but that lovely jetted tub is calling my name right now.”
“An hour then.” He smiled. She’d broken through his walls without even trying to. He wondered if he’d broken through any of hers. Everything about her appealed to him, except her loser boss and the fact that she lived eight-hundred miles away.
He raised a hand and strode to his SUV. He was going to dinner with Ayla. Who cared if it was smart, being with Ayla was the only thing he wanted to do.
ChapterEight
Exactly an hour later, he was hurrying up to her door, fresh and clean and wearing his favorite button-down pale blue shirt and dark-gray slacks. What if he was overdressed? Ayla swung the door open. She was wearing a beautiful dark-red dress. It had a V-neck and swirled enticingly around her body. She was the most appealing vision he’d ever seen. She was wearing those ridiculous high-heeled boots again, but with this dress they were perfect. The best part was he’d have an excuse to hold her close when they went outside and the sidewalks were slick.
“You look incredible,” she blurted.
He smiled and shook his head. “You stole my line.”
“No way. You can do much better.” She flipped her long hair over her shoulder and challenged him with a beguiling smile, her blue eyes all lit up.
He stepped in closer and gently touched her cheek. “Ayla, your eyes are like a bluebird sky that I could stare at for hours. Your face is radiant and more beautiful than any face I’ve ever seen. Your body is …” His neck heated up and he amended, “Your dress is very nice.”
She burst out laughing. “Well, there you go. The slick-tongued, charming skier can rock the compliments, until he realizes he’s overstepped.”
He lifted his eyebrows. Slick-tongued? He wasn’t sure he liked that part. “A wise man knows when to amend… or shut his mouth.”
“That’s very poetic. Do you know any wise men, then? Where can I find me one?”
He chuckled at that. She picked up her long white coat off the entry table and he helped her into it.
He wrapped his arm around her waist. It was the most natural thing in the world but also the most exciting. “So we have three very impressive restaurants in town. La Hacienda, which is Mexican; Blake’s Grill, which is a surprisingly good hometown spot; and Sabores, which has a variety of international foods.”
“Curry?” she asked.
“Yes, very delicious yellow and green curry options.”
“You are speaking my language. Let’s go.”
They talked through the drive and most of the dinner about him. He got in a few questions and learned her parents were dry farmers, her grandmother had Parkinson’s and needed round-the-clock care, and she’d worked for Bryan since she graduated high school. She was an expert at drawing him out and she knew all about his family, the resort his grandfather had started as a young man and how he and Ammon had been able to develop it, and his dreams as a youth of racing downhill skiing competitively.
“So why didn’t you go for your dreams?” she asked.
“I did. After high school, I won race after race and by twenty I had several great sponsors and was a shoo-in to qualify for the Olympics, but then …” He looked into her blue gaze and felt comfortable enough to say, “I got married.”
She slammed back against her chair, stared at his ring finger, and scooted her chair a few inches away. “Oh. I …” She cleared her throat and threaded her fingers together. “I didn’t see that one coming.”
He looked around the crowded restaurant then back at her, hating that she looked mistrustful of him again and wondering how much to share and how to reassure her he was the farthest thing from married now. “Few in the valley actually know about it. I was at a party with my K2 representative after a race in Aspen when I met Iluminada.” He paused, wondering if he should tell her who Iluminada was.
“Unique name.” She stared at him. “Like that gorgeous singer Iluminada who has the incredible voice, but she’s gotten some rotten exposure lately. I heard she got caught sleeping with her producer’s husband.”
