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I lean towards her and reach out to steady her. “Are you okay?”
She smiles. “It’s so dark. It’s terrifying but exhilarating at the same time.”
“There are two areas that I didn’t warn you about. You’ll need to stay close. We’ll have to ski into a gully to avoid a cliff. Just follow me.”
She nods. “I can do it.”
I push off and weave my way down past some jagged rocks. The snow feels good. It’s not too icy, and fresh snow on top allows for more control.
I allow my instincts to take over when I blindly go through the gully. It’s dark and longer than I remember. I can hear Imogen behind me. Coming out of the narrow passage, I turn quickly to stop and grab her arm as she glides near me.
She falls over, and I feel terrible. I didn’t mean to push her off-balance.
She laughs, and she gets back on her skis. “You knocked me over.”
“I’m sorry. I was trying to slow you down.”
She slides over to me. “Maybe use your voice and say, ‘slow down.’”
I want to take off her helmet and kiss her. She is so brave and willing to dive into the unknown. But we agreed on the plane that we wouldn’t fall into a relationship.
Imogen takes off her helmet and says, “Can you take your helmet off?”
I barely have it off, and she leaps into me, throwing her arms around my shoulders. Widening my stance, I try to balance her along with my skis. “Be careful of tangling our skis. They could break.”
Leaning closer, she presses a kiss on my lips. “This has been the best night of my life.”
“We’ve been skiing for twenty minutes.”
She kisses me again. “I never thought I could do this. I jumped out of a helicopter and skied down a mountain in the dark without any guideposts or trails.”
I hold her steady in my arms and growl, “Don’t move.” I kiss her mouth with all the yearning I’ve been feeling for days. Having her all to myself, out in the pristine forest, is almost too much. I want her so badly. After exploring her mouth with my tongue, I kiss her again and pull back. “We should keep going. Let me help you move so our skis survive.”
I lift her and place her alongside me. “Are you good?”
She smiles widely. “My legs feel weak.”
I put my helmet on. “I feel energized— as if I’m on fire.” I can feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins.
She puts her helmet back on and moves further away to adjust her poles.
“It’s only a few minutes now. Stay close and be mindful.”
I glide down the mountain, turning slightly to keep her in my peripheral vision. It’ll be impossible to be alone with her tonight. She feels things deeply and lets herself express them. If we start hooking up, what does the endgame look like? Will it naturally burn itself out, or will she want something from me that I can’t give?
I ski down to the private chalet. Stopping near an outside terrace, I wait for her to catch up. The lights are on, and there is smoke coming from the chimney. I asked Sonia to order supplies and plenty of firewood.
“Remove your skis, there is a place to put them inside the enclosed porch.”
We take our gear off in silence and hang everything up to dry. I decide to keep her at a distance. She doesn’t want to get too involved and have her friend feel awkward.
As I step away from her, she reaches out and grabs my arm. “Alex.” Her voice is soft and feathery. I could easily sink into her warm, inviting body, but I hold myself back.
I don’t let myself look into her eyes. “We’re sliding along fragile ice, Immy. We must be careful, or we’ll be plunged into a cold darkness.”
She stands in front of me and links her hands behind my neck. “Are we alone here?”
I glance down at her. “We’re alone. I didn’t bring you here to seduce you. I wanted you to experience one of our most popular tours.”
