"Or when they don't know how to stay."
My eyes find hers, the silence opening something between us that wasn’t unlocked before. Neither of us moves as we stare back at each other, both of us now understanding so much more about each other than we did when we walked in.
We spent the next hour eating, discussing what’s waiting back in Arizona for her, and what the rest of the season looked like for me.
Then I pay, and we walk out the door.
"So… what’s next?" she asks.
"Move back to the chalet for the last two days we’re here," I say. "I think we still have a few things to talk about."
She turns to me, rising onto her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"If you kiss me, I’ll think about it."
I pull her in tight, lowering my mouth until it hovers just a breath from hers.
"All you had to do was ask."
My lips sealed against hers in a bruising kiss, slow at first, then deeper, feeling the heat that sparked between us every time we touched.
When I finally pull back, her eyes are darker, mouth slightly swollen.
"Come on," I say. "Let’s get your things. I have some new ideas for the hot tub."
Her brows lift. "Do you now? Why does that not surprise me?"
I laced my fingers through hers and tugged her toward the hotel.
She laughs behind me, and it hits me all at once.
I can’t remember the last time I felt this light.
Chapter Twenty-Four
NATALIA
The chalet is quiet except for the fire and the wind blowing hard against the windows.
I’m lying half on top of him in the tangled sheets, my cheek on his chest while his fingers trace slow lines down my spine. My legs are draped over his thigh, his heat sinking into me as the world outside disappears into thick, falling snow.
"You’re quiet," I say.
His fingers pause at the small of my back.
"So are you."
"I’m trying not to ruin the moment."
A faint exhale. Almost a laugh.
"Trust me… you won’t."
I shift slightly, tilting my chin up to look at him. His eyes are open, but distant, as if he’s thinking through something important.
"What?" I ask softly.
His jaw flexes once.
