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“Noah…”
“You whisper my name as if you’re about to divulge a dark, dirty secret.” He let his hand drift down over her collarbone to rest on the pulse hammering at her throat. “Are you?”
“I—”
“Miss Michaels, sorry to interrupt.”
Noah fought the irritation spreading rapidly through him. Teeth set to grit, he looked up at the blond beefcake, but the other guy’s gaze was riveted on Leia. “The ground crew in Switzerland would like to know if you’d be interested in the heli-skiing or the glacier climbing.”
“What’s the rush?” Leia asked.
“There’s a snowstorm moving in where we’d originally planned to stage the heli-skiing event, so we need to confirm final numbers before we move it to another venue.” The guy took a small step back when Noah continued to glare at him. “I can come back later, if you’re not decided yet?”
Satisfied his “hands off” message had gotten across, Noah hid a small smile and glanced at Leia. “Do you ski?”
“Yes, since I was a kid.”
Noah turned to the valet. “Put us down for heli-skiing for two.” His tight smile left the other man in no doubt that he wouldn’t tolerate any further interruptions, and, to his credit, he received a small nod before they were left alone.
“What makes you think I don’t want to climb a glacier?”
“There are some new experiences you want to enjoy on this trip. That isn’t one of them.”
The brow, which had arched with her previous question, rose higher. He wanted to trace the beautiful curve with his fingers, see if her skin was as soft and delicate as it looked.
“You sound very sure about that.”
“I am,” he answered.
“Do you feel like expanding on that at all or should I just take your word that you know my every wish? If I were to agree to what you’re proposing, would you take over my whole life for the next seven days?” Irritation snapped through her voice.
Noah’s pulse drummed at her spirit. “Did I tell you what I do for a living, Leia?”
“We hadn’t quite reached there yet. And at this rate, I’m not sure we will.”
He smiled at her curt response. “I’m a venture capitalist. Which means I gamble astonishing amounts of money on knowing what people desire, sometimes even before they know it themselves. You’re irritated that I made the decision for you. But I’m willing to bet you’ve never climbed a glacier, correct?”
Her nostrils flared. “No, but that’s beside the point.”
He leaned in closer, drawn to her like a doomed moth to a fucking flame. “I have. The preparation alone can take up to four hours. We have six and a half days before this thing ends. Do you really want to spend another half a day exploring how to climb a glacier? Or would you rather spend that time exploring me?”
Wide eyes met his. “So you’re saying you chose for me for my own good?”
“Our time together is short. I took a quick way to resolve an issue. You can be pissed off, but you’ll agree it saved time. So what’s your answer?”
Her lips slowly parted, and a breath oozed out. “To what?”
“To everything.”
She hesitated.
“Don’t be afraid, Leia. Say it out loud. Tell me what I want to hear.”
“I’d much rather spend the time exploring you.”
8
Leia thought Noah would let loose another of those devastating smiles once she confessed the yearning that pounded underneath her skin. Instead, he gave a solemn nod and inhaled a long, steady breath.