“All set. Thanks for doing this.” Michael patted the roof of the car and slipped into the passenger seat.
Shane got in, and the two Olympic stars drove off.
Thank. The. Lord.
Jogging off in the opposite direction, Krista puffed out her cheeks with the breath she’d been holding. At least she had a few days to recover from last night’sbare assdisplay before she ran into McDermit again.Ugh.Her eyes squeezed shut at what he must’ve seen—her ass cheeks separated by a thin line of lace—no doubt wondering why she was even bothering to dress to impress. All her life, Krista had never felt comfortable dressing up. She was a Plain Jane. A pair of simple slippers, not dazzling, sexy stilettoes.
Desperate to outrun her embarrassment, Krista picked up her pace and headed down Muskat Street which the Banff map she’d studied earlier told her would lead to the quiet, mostly paved trail along the Bow River. Her footsteps pounded on the deserted sidewalk. Soon, she settled into her stride, finding freedom and solace in the quiet, empty streets.
Dawn broke across the sky. The surrounding mountaintops silhouetted by the pale light of a rising sun. She turned back toward town, toward the hotel, but took a wrong turn. Damn. Lost in her thoughts and her mistakes, she hadn’t been paying attention, and now she struggled to get her bearings in the grid of unfamiliar streets. She stopped running. A sign for the Tunnel Mountain hike caught her attention. This was another Banff trail she’d researched and earmarked to do with Ryan, and she was right at the foot of it now. Still needing to get her head together, Krista followed the signs and a few minutes later reached the trail head. It was barely six a.m. The recommended time for the hike was three hours return, but her fitness level was good—she’d do it in two—and she could be back at the hotel in time for breakfast.
She marched up the trail and, an hour later, the streets and houses of Banff nestled below her and she was high enough to revel in the views of the mountaintops—an awesome, appetizing taste of the hiking to come.
Excitement flushed through her system. Ryan would love this view. Krista made a quick descent, running down most of the way. She couldn’t wait to tell him about this dawn hike. Couldn’t wait for them to set off on other trails together.
She couldn’t wait to tell him how she felt about him.
When she arrived back at the hotel, almost three hours after she’d left it, she no longer felt miserable, embarrassed, or defeated. She felt fortified—ready and willing to grab that bull by the balls.
As she skipped through the hotel lobby, the smell of coffee and breakfast wafted around her. She headed straight for the stairs—ready to knock on Ryan’s door, wake him up, and tell himnowwas the right time for them to be together—but as she placed her foot on the first step, her gaze snagged on the back of his head through the restaurant.
He was up already?
She followed his path to the hotel gardens.
“I’m here,” he said.
Krista stopped dead. Ryan wasn’t talking to her.
She was still a few meters away, and his back was to her as he stepped into the paved area, surrounded by potted plants and blooms. He raised his hand.
From behind a bush, long, slender fingers slipped into his palm, and Zoey stepped toward him.
What the hell was going on?
Krista shot behind the squat spruce trees, immediately feeling like she shouldn’t be here, like this wasn’t something she was supposed to see. She should leave. She should go to her room, shower, and change, but she couldn’t tear herself away. Like a naughty child, she crouched in the shrubbery and peered at them through the branches.
Why was Ryan sitting so close to Zoey like that?
Their shoulders were almost touching, and their knees bumped against each other’s. Then Zoey whispered something into Ryan’s ear—something he obviously found so frickin’ hilarious.
Why doesn’t he ever laugh with me like that?
Zoey rested her hand on Ryan’s thigh.
Krista sneered.
Not in a million years had she ever thought Ryan would fall for Zoey’s flirty, hair-flicking ways. Not her Ryan. He was far too sensible and cautious.
But here he was now, with Zoey, and—oh, my god—he was stroking her back, and Zoey was tilting her face to his, and—noooooo!
They were kissing!
Krista covered her eyes.
No, no, no!
“Whatcha doin’?”
