Sleigh Bells in the Snow (O'Neil Brothers 1)

“Keep practicing and you’ll face-plant less. Are you always this impatient when you’re learning something new?”

“Yes. If I’m not good at something immediately, I’d rather do something else.”

His eyes were on her mouth. “You got any ideas about what that something else might be? Because I might have some suggestions.”

She felt the chemistry flare, live and dangerous, and this time it wouldn’t be controlled. “Jackson—”

“Yeah, I know.” His voice was husky and hot. “Public and all that. Getting naked on the slopes is still frowned on. Not to mention giving a person hypothermia.” His phone beeped, and he dug the edges of his skis into the snow and reached into his pocket and checked his messages. “Another Christmas tree order. A family would like one by this evening in order to continue a family tradition of putting presents around it.”

“Can’t they buy it from a supermarket?”

“They could, but a tree freshly cut from the forest is the fairy tale—that’s as long as they’re not the ones cutting it.” There was wry humor in his eyes. “Come with me after lunch and you can be part of that fairy tale.”

“I’ve never been a believer in fairy tales.”

“That’s good to hear, because chopping down the tree and hauling it back through the forest when the weather is minus double digits certainly doesn’t count as one. But it’s all part of the fantasy. All part of a Snow Crystal Christmas.”

“In that case, I should be there.”

She told herself if there were one thing guaranteed to kill her libido stone-dead, it would be choosing a Christmas tree for another family.

* * *

HE TOOK HER deep into the forest.

The trail was hard-packed and well maintained, and he stopped the snowmobile at the end of a narrow track. Then he helped her fit snowshoes to her boots and they walked the rest of the way, making tracks through fresh snow. Trees reached high above them like tall, white-cloaked sentries.

The frozen air bit through clothing and sank its teeth into skin.

She shivered. “It’s cold.”

“Wicked cold. Typical Vermont winter. There are folks who spend most of it indoors. There are days when I don’t blame them. Are you warm enough?” He put his arm around her and pulled her close. For once she didn’t resist.

“Just toasty.” Her teeth were chattering. “Never been warmer.”

“Did you buy any of that thermal underwear Alice mentioned?”

“Are you asking me about my underwear?” The look she sent him sent lust slamming into him.

“Just looking out for your welfare. Don’t want to send you back to Brett frozen like the ice pack.”

“As long as I’m still able to work, Brett wouldn’t care.”

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

“Why would it bother me? He employs me to do a job for him. It’s perfectly reasonable of him to expect me to do that job.”

Jackson decided not to point out that it was also reasonable to care about the welfare of your employees. “You like him?”

“I respect him.” She peered at some tracks that disappeared into the trees.

“Squirrel.” He answered her question before she asked it. “There are lots of them here. Sometimes you see snowshoe hare, although not so much in this part of the forest. Tell me more about Brett.”

“What do you want to know? Innovation is one of the fastest-growing PR firms in the U.S. and a lot of that is down to him. He’s driven. Focused. Can be visionary and inspirational at times. Drives you mad at others.”

“So you’re planning on staying with them for a while?”

“Yes. I only came over this summer and I’m enjoying the work. I’ll do a couple of years. Then I suppose I’ll move on.”