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“No worries. I simply stood up too quickly. Is it time for lunch?” she asked, she thought brightly, but did her words slur? “Didn’t we ski past a lodge at some point?”
“It’s time to get you back to the house,” Mason said firmly. “This ski vacation may be over.”
“No!” Desperation filled her. This ski vacation was about so much more than skiing. “I’ll be fine. I don’t want to ruin Sarah’s trip.” She looked at her friend.
“Kiera.” Sarah’s dark eyes were also concerned. “If you have a concussion or head injury, you shouldn’t be skiing.”
“But we can’t just give up on our ski trip.” Tears pricked at her eyes. It felt like she was giving up on Mason. Yet what if he’d already committed himself to never granting her, them, a chance? She hoped she was jumping to illogical and extreme conclusions.
“Let’s go back to the house, rest, and reevaluate,” Mason said, all reasonable and obviously not flipping out like she was about their chance at love being cut short.
“How about we go to the Restaurant Caprice?” Kiera suggested. The last thing she wanted to do was rest. She needed to maximize each moment with Mason. “It has an incredible view and food.”
“Are you sure you’re up for that?” Mason asked. He looked at Josiah. “I’m thinking we call the ski patrol and she rides down in a toboggan.”
“No way,” Kiera protested. “That’s humiliating and miserable. I’m the Fearless Princess. I’ve got this.”
He looked her over. “You’re sticking with me as we ski down, and if you get dizzy or go black again, I’m turning you over to ski patrol and then taking you to a physician.”
“All right, all right.” She smiled, she hoped confidently.
Please let me not have a head injury or concussion, she begged heaven above. Too much was riding on this ski trip.
Mason shuffled behind her. He placed his skis outside of each of hers, put his poles in one hand, wrapped his other arm around her waist, and pulled her back against his chest. His breath warmed her neck.
Oh! Well, this was a lovely development. She exchanged a look with Sarah, and the gleam in her friend’s dark eyes said it all. Maybe getting a head injury wasn’t such a bad thing.
ChapterEight
Mason should’ve foundanother way to ski Kiera down to the gondola that would take them back to Wengen, but he couldn’t think of a quicker, easier, and now that they were in this position, a more romantic solution.
They’d shared the thrill of skiing all morning and now they glided down the slope in a very intimate and slow-paced, yet thrilling dance.
Kiera was pressed tight to him, his arm around her waist. Their coats and gloves were between them as a slight barrier, but she felt perfect in his arms, different from any other woman. She also felt steady skiing, which was encouraging. If she had another dizzy spell where her eyes went unfocused, he would get her to a hospital. Hopefully she’d just stood up too quick.
They made it to the gondola, and she cuddled into his side the entire ride down. He was her protection detail; steadying her could be part of that.
It felt like so much more.
Storing their gear in the golf carts, they drove across the cleared and paved paths that threaded through the picturesque village to the restaurant. The other two guards followed them. Everything was safe and going well. Except for Kiera getting hurt and his yearning to hold her close for the rest of his life.
Kiera was right about a beautiful view and delicious food. The restaurant was busy, but even without her goggles and helmet, no one approached them or appeared to realize who Kiera was. Men snuck glances at her, but perhaps that was because of her unparalleled beauty, not her royal status. Mueller and Silva watching from not too far away reassured him that Kiera was safe.
If only they could get back to the house where Mason could relax a bit more, and maybe hold Kiera close.
No! Holding her and loving her was not part of his job.
Mason could excuse ‘pretending they were a couple,’ the fake relationship as a blanket ruse, especially if that stalker who’d sent the text last night was watching. But nothing more could happen between him and Kiera. He’d promised the general.
Mason was coming to realize Kiera could trifle with his heart a lot easier than he could trifle with hers. She was an expert at drawing him in. He’d barely resisted kissing her on the mountain. Part of him wished he hadn’t resisted, but that would make him a liar, and his integrity was a vital part of his makeup. He could hardly imagine how those rosebud lips of hers would taste.
He shoved that thought away and focused on analyzing how his ‘assignment’ was doing.
Kiera appeared lucid and not in pain. As talented of an athlete as she was, he imagined she’d had her share of head injuries. That worried him, as subsequent head injuries were nothing to mess with.
Sarah excused herself to use the restroom as they waited for the check. Josiah stayed with them, but the man was quiet. He wasn’t intrusive in any sense of the word and had proven himself a competent guard so far, but definitely not a good enough skier to keep up with the princess.
Kiera’s chair was pressed against Mason’s. She leaned her head against his shoulder and his pulse took off. It was no trouble to wrap his arm around her and tuck her into his side. She glanced up at him, those long-lashed blue eyes of hers beguiling. Was she pretending to be a couple for anyone watching, or was she as invested in him as he was in her?
