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But it was the way he’d said the words that mattered As if they made him sad ‘Then why don’t you?’ she asked quietly

He aze with his blue eyes ‘Because I’m a bit in limbo What I do next could affect other people—whether I like it or not’

Empathy swelled within her Connection Because those words were so familiar to her What she did wouldn’t affect anyone other than herself But being in lilass to him ‘Limbo I see your few days’ worth of limbo and raise you a whole year’s worth’

He turned closer towards her, leaning in and letting her see the shadow on his jawline and the tiny lines around his eyes That tiny ht lie ahead The woody scent of his aftershave filled her senses She liked it It had a hint of spice mixed with earthy tones

He leaned his head on one hand and gave her a sexy kind of sirl like you end up in limbo in Mont Coeur? Have you always lived here?’

Gorgeous He’d just called her gorgeous She could al voices of approval of her fellow chaletheart rate For uys around her For months she’d told them she had other priorities and that no one had captured her attention And they hadn’t Until now

She shook her head and tried her best to play it cool ‘I’m Austrian But I’ve spent most of my life on skis, no matter where I’ve lived’ She lifted one hand ‘This last year? Let’s just say it hasn’t been ht word to describe the last twelve months of my life’

It hurt Everydown aher hopes of winning an international skiing charasp Then there was the e her

Leo reached out and grabbed her hand, the touch of his warle up her arm His voice was deep His other hand reached over and tucked a ard strand of hair behind her ear It was a personal touch, an intimate touch, and the skin on her face was on fire with it ‘How about, for one night only, we try and forget about the stuff that’s dragging us down?’

She blinked Had he actually just said that?

The fire was flickering behind hilow around the room Her heart missed a few beats

No way She wouldn’t Not ever She wasn’t that kind of girl

But

Soht, she wanted to be

She really, really wanted to be

She prayed her voice wouldn’t shake as she uttered the words ‘I could live with forgetting about everything dragging me down’

He moved closer, his mouth only a few inches from hers, and she licked her lips in anticipation

She paused for the briefest second ‘Proirlfriend’

He gave a flicker of smile ‘Promise What about you?’

She smiled too as she leaned in ‘Oh, I don’t have a wife, a fiancée or a girlfriend’ This was reaching the teasing stage Her favourite part

He sh her hair, anchoring his hand at the back of her head ‘No significant other?’

She shook her head ‘No significant other’

His lips brushed against her ear ‘Then how about we get ourselves distracted?’

Sheher mind But for the first tiood it felt to be in the arms of this man she found wildly attractive and how in control she felt She wasit for her Leo Baxter was hot

And he was all hers

This was one night Everything else she could worry about tomorrow

She sainst his ‘Sodistract me’

CHAPTER TWO

LEO BLINKED AS he heard the faint noise of soht outside The bed was uncomfortable and his mind took a few seconds to orientate itself