"There's a peacefulness up here, swinging our legs above the treetops."
"The calm before the storm. But the race down the mountain brings the energy, the excitement, and the challenge. You can't beat that feeling of exuberance at the end of a good run."
His words made her feel like she was already on that run. This had probably been a really bad idea, but it was too late now. There was no other way down than sledding with Jake, and the excitement was already bubbling up inside of her. "Have you done this run before?"
"Nope. This place wasn't here when we were kids. And sledding isn't really my thing. I'd rather be snowboarding, skiing or freestyling."
"Then why the push to sled now?"
"Because I get to put my arms around you," he said with an honest and open grin.
She couldn't help but smile back. Thankfully, she didn't have to come up with a response as the lift had reached the top. They hopped off and grabbed one of the two-person sleds before making their way to one of the three runs that went down the mountain. When it was their turn, she had to admit to a little trepidation.
"It's very high," she murmured. "It didn't look this steep from the bottom."
"It will be fun. You will love it, Hannah."
"How do you know that?" She got onto the front of the sled, and he slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her back against his very solid chest. And just like that, her fears slipped away.
"How do I know that?" he echoed. "Because deep down, you love to fly, Hannah."
She had no time to argue or even to think about that, because they were racing down the mountain. As their speed picked up, as the wind beat against her face, she screamed with both fear and excitement, appreciating the strong arms around her. It seemed like it would be impossible to stop, but there was just enough of an upward rise to slow them down and bring them to a stop in a spray of beautiful white powder.
Her heart was pounding against her chest as she rolled off the sled and jumped to her feet. Jake looked at her with sparkling brown eyes as he got to his feet. "Well?"
"That was amazing."
"Seems like the perfect time for a kiss. But it's your call," he said.
She must have lost her mind somewhere on the slope, because she found herself grabbing his arms and leaning in for the kiss she wanted as much as he did.
She closed her eyes as his mouth settled on hers with spine-tingling heat. There was cold surrounding them, but there was nothing but delicious warmth in their kiss. She'd always loved kissing Jake, and now the past was mixing with the present in the best possible way.
Until a flurry of snow hit her on the side of her cheek. She broke away from Jake as a sled came perilously close to running them down but managed to land a few feet away.
"Sorry," a woman said with an apologetic wave.
Jake grabbed their sled and they dragged it over to the lift area, sliding it onto a flat piece of metal that would take it back to the top.
"Want to do that again?" he asked.
"The sledding or the kiss?" she asked mischievously.
"How about both?" he returned, his hands sliding around her waist.
She immediately regretting her challenging question. She slipped away from him. "I think we're done."
"For today," he added. "The ball is now back in my court."
"We're not playing a game."
"Oh, it's not a game," he said purposefully.
"Jake…" Her voice trailed away as she really didn't know what to say.
"Let's go build a snowman," he said.
As he turned away, she said, "I don't have to do everything you say." She impulsively picked up a handful of snow, molded it into a ball, and threw it at the back of his head.
He jumped and turned around in surprise. "What the hell was that?"
"Oops," she said, giving him a look of mock apology.
"You want to play it like that?" he dared.
"I'll play any way I want," she shot back. She dodged his snowball and jogged across the meadow. He caught up with her within ten seconds. He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.
She thought he was going to go in for another kiss, but to her shock he smashed a pile of snow right into her face. She sputtered. By the time she'd wiped the icy mess off her mouth, he was out of her range.
He flung her a quick grin, backpedaling as he did. "Ball is still in my court," he said.
"You just had a chance to kiss me. Why didn't you take it?"
"It wasn't the right time."
"There's not going to be a better time. We may never be this close again."
"Oh, we will be," he said, his promising gaze sending a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the snow still lingering on her face. "You'll see."
"Or I won't," she said, determined not to let him think he was getting his way.
"You will. Because you want it to happen as much as I do."
She wanted to argue that he was wrong, but her slight hesitation was all it took for him to spin back around and jog ahead, once again getting the last word.
She hated when he got the last word, but she had to admit that what she hadn't hated was his kiss. But then, why would she hate it?
They'd always had a crazy chemistry. It was everything else that had gone to hell. That's the part she didn't ever want to live through again. So, maybe she needed to end this game before it went any further. Not that she was playing.
Oh, who was she kidding?
She'd kissed him. She was definitely playing. But not for long, she told herself firmly. They'd had some fun. That was enough.
She really wanted it to be enough…
Chapter Twelve
Hannah had surprised him, not just
