Page 104 of Ice To Meet You

He chuckled, the sound sending a pulse way down low in my belly. “You don’t need a pair of antlers to know that. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

I curled myself against him like a cat. “I can’t believe we met on a chairlift.”

“And you looked so …”

I cringed at the memory. “Vintage?”

He let out a belly laugh. “I was going to say pink, but I can go with vintage. After today, do you think you’ll ever want to ski with me again?”

I gave a little shrug. “I suppose so, but I still have a few aches and pains that might need some attention. You haven’t shown me the hot tub yet.”

Matteo ran his hand down my hip, cupping my buttock. “I’m only just warming up the water.”

I grinned.Somebody pass me a floatie.

“And do you think you’ll ever want to come back to the gallery? Help me in Rome?” Baby butterflies stirred in my tummy as I waited for his answer.

“That depends on my working conditions. I’ll require a functional boiler, a new pasta machine, and an endless supply of bubble-wrap to hone my packaging skills. I think it could become a thing with us. A new kink.”

“You can have whatever you want,” I whispered. I took a breath before pressing a kiss to his lips, curling my feet around his.

I smiled against Matteo’s mouth, tracing the soft hair on his chest. I hadn’t expected his wrapping skills, but this amazing man had cocooned my heart in love, promised to protect me from any mishaps “in transit,” and as his breath joined mine, I couldn’t wait to pop his bubbles.

Some packages got lost along the way, but my heart had found its home.

The End

35

EPILOGUE

Icast my eye over the new gallery. Not a thing looked out of place. Esmé had fit the space out alone. Modern, sleek and understated—just like her. She’d named itGalleria dei Piaceri.The name could be roughly translated as Gallery of Pleasures. Heat filled my body. The two of us had certainly tested out the name since she moved to Italy.

Though not a permanent move, she’d bought a little apartment in a piazza close by. I spent so much time there, my grandfather joked he’d forgotten what I looked like. Esmé and Gio got on like a house on fire. She’d breathed life into him. Despite their business relationship, he and my grandmother treated her like one of the family. That suited me just fine.

“Es?” I shouted. My voice echoed around the exposed brickwork and the high stucco ceilings. She’d been a ball of nerves all week, but I’d helped keep her on an even keel with plenty of coffee and a heavy dose of what we did best—play.

I pulled my brows together. Where was she? I swear she’d been here just a moment ago, bent over her desk, checking some detail in her outsized folio. The subtle movement of her bottom beneath her dress as she wrote had mesmerised me.

With Esmé in my peripheral vision, I’d struggled to keep my mind on my conversation with Antonio.

AltoNube—and our entire adventure tourism empire—was soaring. I’d always seen Antonio as the money man, but he had a knack for marketing too, launchingMattitudeXinto the stratosphere. With a new lodge planned in Canada and heavyweight brand deals rolling in, I couldn’t be happier.

Still, my favourite place to be was with Esmé. Splitting my time between my business and the gallery meant I was finally helping fulfill my grandfather’s dream. And more importantly, spending plenty of time with the woman I was completely in love with.

“Are you there?” I called.

“Mhmm,” came a muffled response.

I walked around the corner, inhaling a slug of Es’s delicious perfume before I saw her.

She stood at the little window next to the storeroom, her nose nearly pressed against the glass. With her hands clamped at the sides of her head, she pulled her skin back, tightening her features.

“What are you doing?” I asked, sliding a hand over her back as I caught her reflection in the glass.

She met my gaze, her eyes gleaming. “Nothing. I’m just checking out what I’d look like if I had a facelift.” She gave a flick of her eyebrows. “Now I’m a cougar, I need to keep myself in tip-top condition.”

I shook my head. “Please, stop it." I tucked in behind her, letting my cheek brush against hers. "Four years doesn’t make you a cougar—it barely makes you an experienced house cat.”

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