The snow fell softly as they made their way outside. One glance at Amy in her winter gear had him on fire. It didn’t matter how cold the temperature, nor did it matter that they’d made love last night. Nothing stopped the wanting. Her bright smile and genuine appreciation for the simple things was something he needed. Something he’d been unaware of until she took control.
He trusted her.
She said his family was being taken care of and he believed her. And thanks to that trust, he sensed a shift in his own outlook on the future, in his devotion to his career and his craft. All because he’d taken a time-out from his life. He no longer fought the guilt, no longer felt the desire to find a phone and check on his mother and sister. His own needs had to come first, and for once he was putting his priorities in order.
“Wow, this is way better than looking at things through the window,” Amy said, bringing him back to the present.
They’d reached the back of the lodge, the place they’d viewed from the solarium where they’d also…He yanked his thoughts away from their first sexual encounter before he tackled her into the snow and had his way with her here. She pulled her hand from his and spun in circles, laughing and appreciating the cold winter air and the snow around their ankles. Coming to a stop, she waited while the dizziness wore off, then turned and stared off at the expanse of pure white landscape behind them.
“I can’t believe I missed out on this growing up.” She shook her head, staring in awe.
“Definitely something everyone should experience,” he agreed.
She nodded. Without warning, she took off running—or running as best as she could run while laden down with winter wear.
“Very graceful,” he called out wryly.
She paused and stuck her tongue out at him. Then, laughing, she bent down and picked up a handful of snow, packing it into a ball. “The snow is so much softer than I thought it would be,” she said.
“And harder to keep together. It depends on the kind of snowfall you get, whether or not you can pack a solid snowball,” he explained. “Ben and I used to build forts and have snowball fights all the time on our Colorado vacations. We’d be outdoors for hours on end.”
Funny, but he hadn’t thought about Ben as his fun-loving little brother in a long, long time. Age had divided them, Roper thought. Age and talent—or lack thereof.
Amy stepped closer. “Hey. What’s on your mind?”
He shrugged. “I’m just thinking about how relationships change.” And not for the better.
She placed her hand on his shoulder in understanding. “They could change back if you wanted them to. Or at least you could try to reach out to Ben without any expectation and see what happens. Maybe you need to try an approach you haven’t used before. One that doesn’t make him feel as if he’s second-best.”
He met her gaze. Her cheeks were flushed red from the cold, her eyes hidden behind the sunglasses he’d chosen. She looked hot enough to melt the entire field they stood on.
While he was lost in thought, she had trudged through the snow until she was a decent way from him, then she wound up, took aim and threw the snowball, hitting him squarely on the shoulder.
She wiped her hands together, obviously pleased with herself. “Not bad for a rookie.”
He bent down for some snow and packed a weapon of his own. “You’d better watch out because I’ve had a lot of practice at this,” he warned her.
“Throwing or making snowballs?” she asked as she stepped backward. And back some more.
He grinned and narrowed his gaze. “Both.” He pitched his ball at the same time she took off at an awkward run, so he ended up hitting her squarely in the back.
He took off after her, catching up in no time. He tackled her to the ground, bringing both of them onto the soft but thick snow. He rolled her onto her back to discover she was laughing. Having fun. Doing exactly what he’d wanted for her when he’d purchased all this winter apparel.
She gazed up at him, smiling.
His heart swelled even bigger. He cleared his throat. “Hey. Do you want to make your snow angel before you get too cold to stay out here much longer? After all, your blood is much thinner than mine, what with you being from down South and all.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing. You northerners and your pasty skin, you make a pretty pathetic sight if you ask me.”
He shook his head and laughed. He liked teasing her because she took it so well. “Pasty skin, huh? You say that like I’m unattractive and don’t turn you on. Don’t forget I have seen, felt and tasted some pretty distinct evidence to the contrary.” With each word he spoke, he leaned closer, until his lips pressed down hard on hers.
Warmth surged through him, licking at him like flames on logs in a fireplace. She opened her mouth, letting him slip his tongue inside to delve deep and swirl around and around, devouring her because he couldn’t get enough. Making him wonder if he ever would.
By the time they broke apart, panting and out of breath, he was ready to curse the confining clothing.
But she wasn’t finished playing in the snow. She gave him a playful shove so he fell onto his back, carving out more room for herself. She lay down on her back and began to swipe her arms and legs in broad strokes, creating the snow angel she’d talked about earlier.
He watched her, realizing she was his angel. And despite how much time they’d spent together here, he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.