Lukas snorts."Careful what you say.She writes your quotes now."
Katharina.
That is her name, right?
Hair a little darker than I remember.Shirt tucked just enough to show the curve of her waist, pants that should be illegal in this timezone.My brain short-circuits for a half-second as I remember exactly what's under that shirt.And how well it fits my hand.
Get it together.
Her scent hits me like a flash: snow, something fruity, sharp.
She meets my eyes.
No smile.No trace of that spark I remember way too well.But her jaw's too tight, and the way her shoulders square up says she's not nearly as indifferent as she pretends to be.
She steps forward and offers her hand.
I take it.
Grip.Quick release.But it zings through me like I grabbed a live wire.She felt it too.I know she did.
"Thomas," I say, my voice a little raspier than intended."Welcome aboard."
"Katharina," she replies.Her voice is calm, but something flickers behind her eyes.
Then, cool as ice: "But who cares for names, right?"
A hit.Quiet.Precise.Brutal.And I feel it.Not just in my gut but in the silence that follows, like she's dared me to respond and knows I won't.
No one else reacts.But I feel it.Right where she meant it to land.
Her lips curve.Not a smile, something sharper.
Then she resets, like a pro."Anyway.I look forward to working with you."
Before I can respond, her phone buzzes.She checks it, grateful for the excuse."Excuse me," she says, already walking away.
She moves like she doesn't care.Like she's done this a hundred times.But the way she walks tells a different story.Women know when they are being watched.And the way her hips sway says how aware of my stare she is.
I am watching her perfect ass as she disappears behind a corner
Is this for real?
One moment, I was high on relief, ready to conquer the hill; the next, a woman turned me into a miserable puddle of self-regret with one look.
What was she so pissed about?Me not knowing her name?
Or is she pretending?Playing hard to get?
I shake my head, trying to get the image of her smirk out of my head.Olympic season, focus, no girl can take my focus from me.Right?
But the guys will not let me forget her that easily.
The second she rounds the corner, they jump on it.
"Jesus," Niko mutters."They really hired a distraction in heels?"
Lukas: "They hired a professional.Try not to prove we need babysitting."
