Still, they weren’t the monsters she’d originally thought. They kept some modicum of civility. At least she didn’t have to worry about a vampire sneaking into her bedroom in the middle of the night to snack on her neck. Prince Viktor should be more worried about that than her. Especially with the predatory way Jezebel watched him.
And speaking of Jezebel, it seemed that she’d won the fight to ride back to the top of the hill with him on the lift. Viktor was crushed to one side of the swinging bench, his back straight as a rod. Jezebel sat next to him, her dangerously curvy hips pressed up against his thighs. Her mouth was moving nonstop, her hands fluttering in conversation. Viktor looked about ready to throw himself to the ground. He stared straight ahead, not even glancing her way as they approached the top.
It was time to set the plan into motion. Mission-make-Prince-Viktor-hate-Cate. She wasn’t sure she would have to try very hard. Their relationship had started off on a rocky note anyway. And combined with her epically bad skiing skills, there was no way she’d make it past elimination tonight. Smooth sailing.
It really was too bad. She could’ve sworn she felt a spark when they were dancing last night. But there was her good-guy radar again. Permanently broken.
She slid forward on the hill as slow as she could manage, using the pointy sticks to slow her descent. Determined not to chicken out, she pulled her goggles down over her eyes and flared her nostrils in a sharp intake of oxygen.
This was going to hurt.
Her skis flew forward as if they had a mind of their own. There was nothing slowing her down. No graceful curves back and forth across the hill. She went full speed ahead.
The first little snow bump sent her flying into the air, catching more air than she’d prepared herself for. She landed with a thud and then let out a triumphant whoop when she managed to stay on her feet. But she couldn’t stay happy for long. At least three more bumps waited for her below.
She hit the next one at an awkward angle and that was the end of her spree. Her left ski went flying to the right and her right ski buried itself in the snow as she tumbled. White powder blinded her and she rolled at least a dozen times before coming to a rough stop at the bottom. Her head spun, making her want to cough back up her jelly donut breakfast. Despite everything, she kept it together and was relieved to find out she hadn’t even broken a bone.
The whoosh of skis behind her warned her of someone’s approach. She tore off her goggles and turned to see Viktor coming down after her, the epitome of grace and athleticism on snow. He twisted his body to skid to a stop and unstrapped his feet to run to her side.
“Are you okay?” He slid to his knees beside her and ripped off his goggles. Worry forced his beautifully carved lips into a frown. “That was quite the fall.”
“Fine.” She smiled nervously at him, adrenaline still pumping through her veins and making her shake. “Guess I’m not the graceful vampire you had in mind, huh? Not very light on my feet. Not quite the ideal skiing partner.”
He tilted his head in confusion. The golden flecks in his eyes seemed to sparkle as he held her gaze. “I’m guessing you’ve never skied before.”
“Oh, I’ve skied a million times. Always the same results. Like a calf on stilts.” She giggled too loudly, trying her best to break eye contact w
ith him. She didn’t like that little bit of heat building up in her stomach every time he looked at her. “I think I’d better call it a day and go wait in the lodge. Wouldn’t want to kill someone out here.”
Offering his arm, he pulled her to her feet and helped brush the snow off her shoulders. His touch was like fire through her suit.
“That’s probably a good idea. In fact, I might do the same...”
“No!” She didn’t mean to shout at him. It just came out that way. He blinked in surprise, a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I mean, don’t trouble yourself. You’ve got two great girls waiting for you up there.”
Two figures stood at the top of the hill, looking down at them. Cate swore she could feel Jezebel’s hate radiating towards her.
He rubbed the back of his exposed neck. “Yeah, I suppose...”
“Joy really is such a sweet girl.” She swallowed nervously, hoping he couldn’t tell. “She runs her own farm and everything. A real head for business, that one. And Jezebel. Don’t get me started on her. She’s...well, she’s got quite a personality. Never met anyone like her.”
And she hoped she never would.
“Are you sure you want to sit this one out?” The muscles twitched in his jaw. “Maybe do another round? I could give you a private lesson.”
“Absolutely not.” Her tone was harsher than she meant. Softening her voice, she shook her head. “I don’t want to tear you away from the rest of the girls. Let me go wait in the lodge. I’ll be fine.”
“If you insist.” The way he lingered told her he was having second thoughts. He turned back to her, the expression in his eyes soft. “Are you sure...?”
“Yes, go.”
Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. Never had she met a man so hard to say no to. Her resolve was crumbling. Despite the fact that she knew she shouldn’t be feeling this way, part of her couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like to curl up next to him in front of a roaring fire. A blanket shared and a good book in her lap. She shook her head to drive the image from her mind.
He didn’t seem like the cuddly type. And besides, he was a monster. A fantastically sexy monster, but still a monster. How much dumber could a girl get?
“Enjoy your rest,” Viktor said, bowing his head the slightest and leaving to fetch his skis.
Cate ran away as fast as she could manage in her snow boots. She hoped that had done the trick and that she’d be on her way home tonight.