Kissing Jenna (Big Sky 2)

Yes, it’s a good reason indeed.

“Keep thinking like that, and you’ll melt that snowbank,” he says conversationally as he packs up what’s left of our dinner. “Are you ready to go?”

“Absolutely not.” I push off and skate across the pond again. Now that I’ve had some rest, I’m ready to go. This is excellent exercise. I can feel it in my ass already.

I’ll be sore tomorrow.

But it’s so worth it.

Halfway Gone by Lifehouse fills the air, and Christian catches up to me, pulls me against him, and we dance across the ice.

I wish someone were here to film this. Having these moments caught on film would be priceless.

But he made it clear early on that he doesn’t like photos.

“What are you thinking?” he asks.

“I’d like a photo of this.” I kiss his chin. “But it’s okay.”

He scowls. “We can absolutely have a photo,” he replies and pulls his phone out of his pocket, then holds it out to take a selfie. I tip my forehead against his cheek and smile, and he captures the moment.

“Thank you.”

“Here, I have a better idea.”

He skates to the side of the pond and sets his phone in the snow, facing me. He fiddles with his watch and skates back to me, looking down.

“I’m going to press record, and we’ll skate a bit.”

“A video?” I do a little bounce, and he bites his lip, watching me.

“Absolutely. Let’s do it.”

He presses the button, then pulls me into his arms, and we float around the ice. He spins me and actually gets me to dance a bit.

It’s the most fun I’ve had in years.

When the song ends, he dips me back and kisses me soundly, then pushes my hat higher up on my forehead.

“I love you, fancy face.”

“I love you, too.”

Chapter Fourteen

~Jenna~

“I’M COLD,” I SAY as we climb the steps to the tree house. The other two units are still empty until tomorrow when I’ll greet two new groups of guests.

In the meantime, Christian and I are all alone.

“Hot tub,” he says immediately, making me grin. “Hey, we never got around to it the other night.”

“If I recall correctly, you dragged me into the bedroom, stripped me bare, and wouldn’t let me leave the bed for the next twelve hours.”

“A man has priorities,” he says with a shrug, pulling his coat off and then mine and hanging them on the hall tree by the front door. “And a sexy woman to take care of.”

“You’re sweet.” I tuck my hands under my arms, willing them to warm up. “I think I skated for too long. It was just so fun! I didn’t want to leave.”

“We can always go back,” he says with a laugh and leads me to the living area. “Here, sit down, and I’ll go get the tub ready.”

“Oh, there’s a lock, and you have to—”

“I know my way around a hot tub,” he assures me and disappears outside. The snow is still falling harder up here on the mountain. It’s pretty, but it’s also coming to that time of year when I just long for spring.

Christian walks back inside and crooks a finger at me. “Come here.”

“Yes, sir, bossy man.” I stand and walk to him. He gets to work stripping me naked, then lifts me in his arms and carries me out to the tub. “Oh, shit, it’s cold.”

“Not for long.” He lowers me down into the water, and I immediately sigh in happiness. “You soak for a few. I’ll be back.”

He shuts the door behind him, and I’m left outside, watching the snow fall and letting the hot water soak into my skin.

When Christian returns, he’s carrying towels and two glasses of wine, and if I weren’t already in love with him, I would fall all over again.

“Here you go,” he says, passing me both glasses so he can set the towels aside.

He’s blissfully naked. His muscles move with ease, and it’s as though the cold doesn’t bother him at all as he moves about the deck.

He finally swings a leg over and joins me. I pass him his glass and take a sip of mine, watching him over the rim.

“Thanks for this evening,” I say.

“I had fun, too,” he says. “God, that snow is beautiful.”

“Hmm.” I watch it for a while in silence as we enjoy our wine and our soak. “I love it until about the middle of January.”

“What happens then?”

“Well, I love the change of seasons, and when the snow starts, it ramps up for Christmas, and I love the holidays. But after New Year’s, it’s just snow. Months and months of snow.”

“You get sick of it.”

“I do. February is the longest month of the year here, and if we’re lucky, we start to melt out around the end of March.”

“You should spend February somewhere warm,” he suggests, and I nod, considering.