Icy wind with fat flakes rushed past her as she picked up speed. She swooshed and slid down the hillside. The skis were amazing. She truly did feel like an Olympic skier with this equipment. For the first time in her life, she thought that she might have a chance at a gold medal.
That was until a woman in a racing suit blew past her on a straight-away.
Still, Holly enjoyed the sensation of being a good skier, even if she wasn’t quite ready for the time-trials just yet.
Once back at the bottom of the mountain, Holly slid back into the line for the lift. Maybe on the next run she’d go across the mountain and take the lift to the north side. The runs were harder over there, so she wanted to make sure that she felt comfortable on her skis before hitting the black diamonds.
“Well, hello again, Snow-bunny.”
Holly turned to see the man standing beside her ready to go on the lift.
“We’re going to have to stop running into one another like this,” she teased as the chair swung around and they once again followed it out.
“What if I like running into you, Snow-bunny?” He flashed her a grin as they waited for the chair to come up behind them.
“You’re such a charmer,” she said once they were safely seated on the lift.
“Just call me Prince Charming,” he replied with a laugh.
As they raised into the air and away from the ground, the sun came out once more.
“What run did you do?” he asked, settling himself on the chair. Tiny flecks of ice sparkled behind him, creating a halo effect.
“Dragon Tamer.” She tilted her head as she looked at him. “Any runs you recommend?”
“They’re all good. But my favorite is Lovely Lady. It’s a black diamond, but it’s more blue than black to be honest.”
“I’ll have to try it. Blue-blacks are my favorite kind of run. There’s just enough challenge to make it fun. I usually go back to greens at the end of the day when I’m tired.” She smiled at him. “Hopefully I can find one. This place is huge. I'm hoping I don't get lost.”
“Would you like to join me? It’s always nice to have company. You won't get lost that way.”
A slow, warm heat filled her core as she smiled at him. Holly could only imagine how proud Aliyah would be of her for not only flirting, but actually hanging out with a cute male for the day. It was almost like going on a date.
“I’d love to. Thank you.”
He grinned at her and the warm tingles continued all down her body. She didn’t care that it was below freezing. She was heated by her inner fires.
“I’m Holly, by the way.” She held out her gloved hand.
He took her glove in his and gave the closest approximation of a handshake they could with heavy winter gloves on. “Nathan.”
She grinned.
Today just kept on getting better.
Chapter 8
Nathan
He wasn’t quite sure why he invited her to ski with him.
Maybe it was her smile. Maybe it was how easy it was to talk to her. Maybe he was lonely. Maybe it was the fact that she rocked the snow-bunny look.
Whatever the reason, he was glad he’d asked her.
They did three more runs, taking Lovely Lady twice and then Dragon Tamer. She kept pace with him easily. He was a decent skier and had taken lessons from some of the top names in the sport, yet she moved with an effortless grace that he admired.
Plus, the conversation on the lifts was the best he’d had in weeks. She didn’t talk about mergers and expense reports. There was no mention of board members and equity payments.