She wasn’t usually this slow on the uptake—maybe the steam was clouding her mind.
What I didn’t tell her was that while it had been a trick, it probably hadn’t actually been a lie. Landon had been through a lot this past year, and he wasn’t the same man he used to be. When he’d texted that he needed to talk, I’d left a nearly finished red wine reduction on thestove, trusting a line chef to take it off the heat right before it scorched—an assignment that had likely not gone well. But I’d done it to be here for my friend.
And now, instead, I was trapped here with my least favorite person in the entire lodge. Though I had to admit that she wasn’t my least favorite person to see wearing only a towel. Far from it.
I admired pretty women, but I wasn’t the type to value their looks over their minds. Except with her. She was fucking gorgeous, that was for sure. But her inner beauty, if she had any, didn’t come close to measuring up.
“I still think this was Kai’s idea,” she said.
God, she was stubborn. “Think whatever you’d like.”
She glared at me, then folded her arms across her chest, looking away.
Which was a shame. I’d liked the view better when her chest was uncovered.
But even though she was a first-class witch, she seemed to have a soft spot for Landon. And that was probably a good thing. He hadn’t had an easy time of things lately.
A bit hesitantly, I said, “Landon used to be different.”
She turned back to me, her expression softening. “What happened?”
“It’s not my secret to tell. And it’s not a joke, either.” I paused. “It’s serious. Not like a nipple piercing or?—”
I stopped myself, not wanting to go there. I was stillpissed at Kai for threatening to tell my secret last night. I’d been ninety percent sure he wouldn’t, but with Kai, you could never be certain.
Finally, I sighed. “Landon lost his partner last year.”
Her face blanched. “That’s awful. Were they together long?”
“Not that kind of partner. His ski patrol partner. There was an avalanche, and Landon tried to get to him, but...” I swallowed. “It was too late.”
It still made me as sick to my stomach as when Kai had called and told me. Landon had always felt responsible for the people around him. So he’d not only lost a friend—he’d blamed himself for it.
But I didn’t tell Zoe that.
She was quiet, her face nearly as pale as her towel. She reached up, and I thought she was going to wipe the sweat from her brow, but instead, she brushed at her eyes.
Shit, was she crying?
It was bad enough that I had to fight the urge to stare at her lush body. Now I had to worry about her feelings, too? Until a moment ago, I hadn’t been aware that she had any.
So I kept talking to fill the awkward silence. “He used to be different. More like Kai, although not quite as chaotic. They got up to all kinds of things. Causing trouble, playing pranks.” I paused. “Hell, they used to share everything. And I do mean everything.”
Her eyes widened slightly, and a flush crept up her neck. That made it pretty clear she’d caught my meaning.
She shifted on the bench, suddenly looking very aware of how little we were both wearing. The air between us felt heavier, thicker.
I cleared my throat and changed the subject. “So you think Greer is trying to get you out from underfoot? Why does she hate you so much?”
“I don’t know,” she said, after a short pause. “I haven’t even figured out whyyouhate me so much.”
That was a loaded question—and one I didn’t want to get into. Not when it was far more pleasant to just sit back and study the woman with the horrible attitude but the fucking amazing body.
A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her neck, disappearing into the edge of her towel. I forced my eyes back to her face.
“Tell me,” she said, bossy as always.
I hated it when she got bossy. Actually, I hated it when anyone was bossy, but her especially. But I shouldn’t get into it. It was a long time ago. Maybe she’d changed since then. Or maybe not.
