Free Snowbound by MG Braden Page A

this area. How long have you been coming here?”
    “We’ve been coming here since I was in my teens. I dunno, maybe ten years? A long time anyway. I came with my family and then, as I got older, friends and sometimes on my own. The Johnsons are like family to me now.”
    “Is that why you’re always put to work?” Cassidy laughed.
    “I guess. Mostly they know I like to help out and I do get to ski free so it works for me. I try to come up two or three times a year, at least.”
    “That’s great. I don’t get to ski as often as I’d like. Mainly because it’s just too expensive and too long a drive to go for one day. I love ski trips though. I like the skiing of course, but it’s also everything else...sitting by the fire after a long day of skiing, soaking in the tub, the fresh air, everything just seems so much cosier after a day of skiing. It’s nice not to have to rush back home or to even have to make sure to get every last possible run in because you know you can come back the next day.” She looked at Daniel, shrugging. “I don’t even know if I’m making sense. It’s just...”
    “Romantic?” Daniel raised an eyebrow.
    “Well…” She blinked rapidly, feeling nervous. “Yes.”
    Daniel’s eyes drop to her lips, the bottom of which she was nibbling on with her teeth, a bad habit she had when she felt unsure about something. Maybe he’s going to kiss me. She stopped biting her lip immediately.
     
    * * *
     
    I should just kiss her now . But somehow he didn’t think it was the right time. He didn’t want her to feel awkward or like he was pushing himself on her because they were half naked in a hot tub. That wouldn’t be appropriate. Not that he didn’t want to taste the lip that she was nibbling on, because he did. Very much. Still, there was a vulnerability to the situation. When he kissed Cassidy, and he planned on doing just that, he wanted to know that she was only going to be thinking of him when she kissed him back.
    He’d sensed her hesitation about actually coming in to the hot tub. Unsure exactly what it was all about, but acknowledging it all the same, he didn’t want to give her any reason to want to leave. He had even held back a whistle when she dropped her robe before stepping in. Normally he wasn’t given to catcalls and such—he couldn’t believe that the whistle had come to his lips, but she was gorgeous. Even in her one piece, conservative swimsuit she was amazing, but it wasn’t just her curvy figure, it was her eyes that sparkled with life. The more he learned about her, the more attractive he found her and he was beginning to appreciate everything about the woman that she was. It was one of those funny things where you aren’t really thinking about someone that way and it kind of sneaks up on you. He was used to being friends with women, in fact he had a lot of women friends, but most of the time he was clueless that some of them liked him as more than a friend, until someone pointed it out to him. Then he was just embarrassed. He was a one woman kind of guy, and since Natasha’s death he just wasn’t into getting back out there.
    Noticing that Cassidy was biting her lip again, he said, “Hey—do you want more Pellegrino? I think there’s a bit more.” He reached for the bottle and knocked it off the ledge, hearing it crack as it hit the ground. “Uh oh. That’s why we’re not supposed to have glass out here. I’ll get it cleaned up.”
    Daniel swung up and over the side of the hot tub in one movement. “Great, it didn’t shatter. Just broke cleanly in two. Must be because it’s cold or something.” He carefully picked up the pieces of broken glass and carried them to the garbage. Turning back toward the hot tub his left foot skidded out from under him.
    “Oh! Be careful Daniel, that walkway looks icy.”
    “I’m ok....whoa!” He couldn’t save himself and went down into the snow that was piled beside the walk.
    Cassidy stood up in the hot tub.