Page 36 of Ski You Later (Alpine Glow #1)

He must see this resolution in my thoughts, as his grumpy attitude vanishes before me. His eyes sparkle and he seems to dare me to defy him further. This is something I couldn’t be more excited to listen to .

Fear and excitement course through me and I fill my gaze with challenge. Reaching for the blankets keeping me prisoner, I pull them away, and swing my legs out of the bed.

Roman doesn’t move from the other end, surprising me by doing the opposite of what I thought and reclining on his hands behind him.

He remains motionless as his gaze tracks my every movement. I try not to read too much into the exhilaration thrumming through me and jump out of the bed. I chance quick glances in his direction, noticing the tautness of his posture as I make my way to the door.

Yet, I never manage to make it as two warm hands grip my waist, pull me into a very hard chest and lift me off my feet.

I can’t help as an honest to god squeal comes out of my mouth as Roman proceeds to pick me up, and press my back into the solid door.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I ask as a smile breaks out over my face.

“Oh, that wasn’t a very nice word, Langley.” His gaze remains narrowed as he suppresses his own grin.

“Someone I know wants me to use that kind of language.” I lean into him as I crane my neck up .

“He seems like a terrible influence.” His head lowers towards mine.

“Oh, he’s the worst. Trying to tell me what to do all the time.”

“You shouldn’t stand for that,” he says immediately.

“I won’t,” I state matter-of-factly.

His face doesn’t even sit an inch away from mine now, the mint on his breath flooding my senses. He makes another comment, something that I need to formulate a witty response too, but I don’t have it in me.

“Langley?” He asks hesitantly as he draws out my name. That raspy voice doing nothing but lulling me in further.

I squint my eyes slightly, trying and failing to hear anything he’s saying. “Um, sorry.” My voice is nothing but a whisper of a breath as I lean into him just a fraction of an inch.

We both stay frozen in the spot, our heads straining towards each other as neither of us dare make the first move.

Everything can be labelled as fake before now if one of us had second thoughts. But, the moment we move behind closed doors, become mine for real .

With as much courage as a girl can have at a time like this, I tilt my chin up ever so slightly and feel the smallest brush of his lip against mine.

“Ah, fuck it,” he breaths into me, and his mouth crashes into mine.

His hand quickly comes up, holding the back of my head just as I stumble fully into the door. He uses that hand to tilt my head even higher as his other holds tightly on my hip.

He deepens our kiss then, pressing me deeper into the door, and leaning down lower to meet me better. I move my hands up his chest to fasten around his neck, desperately doing what I can to pull him closer.

This isn’t like any kiss I’ve ever experienced in the past, and its intensity drowns out all other thoughts in my head.

That hand at my hip slides up and across my back, pulling me in tight as he kisses me with urgency. The passion behind every motion threatens to take me off my feet, and I can’t help but meet him at every move.

As I embolden myself in his arms, I start to push back and kiss him with an intensity that surpasses his own. He brings us closer once again, and I don’t think twice before biting his bottom lip .

That little act alone seems to startle him, making his eyes widen as he slightly pulls away from me. Uncertainty suddenly courses through and I can’t help but question if I went too far.

But the hunger that’s written all over his face changes my mind in an instant. I’m pressed up against him in no time, his arms wrapping around my waist and bringing me up to his height. As I lean in close to continue what we started, he huffs a conflicted breath in my face.

“We have to stop now. If we keep going, I’m going to do something that we could regret.”

I chuckle as I wrap my arms around his neck and drop my lips to his ear. “I don’t think we’re going to regret anything that follows this path. Well, at least I know that I won’t.”

I have no idea who that confident woman is that just spoke for me, but if it means more kissing Roman, than I support her and all her actions. I know I’ve won when a strangled groan comes from him, and his mouth is back on mine in a second.

It’s not a minute later when he pulls away, letting me slide down his body as he releases me. It’s clear to see a war playing out on his face, the need for me being shut down just as quickly. “We can’t Rhodes. ”

I mentally laugh as he goes ahead and tells me what to do again. At least this is different because consent between the both of us is essential in moving forward. But that doesn’t mean I’m not curious about his reasoning.

“Why? You need to start telling me the reason to things instead of dictating everything,” I counter and cross my arms as I wait.

“Well, for starters. The fact that you slept the day away with a head injury.” He motions to the window, which I now notice has the setting sun staring back at me. “As well as other reasons,” he adds quickly.

Brushing off the realization that I slept the entire day away, I turn to face him again. Latching onto the other part of his comment, I focus all my energy on that. “What other reasons?”

“They aren’t important,” he deflects.

“I would argue the opposite actually.”

Locking my gaze to his, I make him understand that I’m not going anywhere without an explanation.

There is a myriad of emotions that cross his face, but a look of pure determination is the one he finally settles on. His two strides eat up the distance that was slowly growing between us and I move in an inch as I look right back at him.

“Because Langley.” His hands lightly cup my face, bringing our noses just inches apart. “When we kiss again, there’s not going to be one bone in your body that thinks this relationship is fake.”

Silence infests my brain, not on neuron firing that would help me find words to respond with

Whether it’s from the lack of sleep, food or just because of this startling information, I slightly sway in place and Roman steadies me. With concern flashing in his gaze, his arms grip me under the elbows, he walks us back to his bed and lightly guides me to take a seat.

He grabs a cup of water on the side table, putting it right into my hand and watches me drink the whole thing.

“Listen, we need to talk about this more, but I have to be at the team meeting soon and you need rest. I’ll come back for you in a bit and get the ski patrols to look you over.

But rest will go a long way for helping you in the meantime. ”

He pulls back the covers and my overwhelmed brain has no objection about getting into a cozy bed and getting more sleep.

His hands are gentle as he tucks me in, and I chuckle as his overbearing nature. There is a hope that shines bright in his eyes, and he looks down at me with such unbridled joy in his face. I can’t help but smile back just as big, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.

“I’ll be right back, Langley,” he says as he gives my brow a quick kiss. Standing to his full height, he looks back at me once before he’s out the door.