Page 8 of Ice To Meet You

My belly flipped. He probably knew every hotel in town. The Romanos invited me to stay at their house, but I didn’t want to tell him that. He might know them.

“I’m staying at a friend’s place,” I said lightly.

“Where?”

Oh, for goodness’ sake. Now I had to come up with something vague yet believable. “Just a little apartment. They’re letting me borrow it while they travel. Nothing fancy—it’s nearone of those bars with fairy lights outside.” I waved a hand, hoping my description sounded plausible. I didn’t even know if Tiano had bars with fairy lights.

He tilted his head, as if waiting for more, his expression unreadable.

“How about you?” I asked, shifting the focus. “Do you live in?—”

At that moment, another gust of wind rolled up the mountain, rocking our chair. Only this time, way harder. We lurched to the right and the mechanism overhead creaked. I knocked against the man, clutching his chest. He reacted instantly, steadying me with his hand, his gaze dropping to where our gloves met.

“I … I’m sorry,” I whispered.

His palm pressed harder against the back of my hand. “It’s fine.”

His voice had dropped to a husky burr and in that instant, the look he gave me stole my breath. It was all fire and heat, and nothing to do with Pikachu or Power Rangers. A shiver ran over my body.

“You’re cold,” he murmured. “Here.” He took one of my hands, then the other, pressing them together as if in prayer before enclosing them with his. The motion pulled me closer, our breaths mingling in soft clouds against the icy air.

With his proximity—and the soft curve of his lips—my breath caught in my throat. I shivered again, though this time, I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or something far more dangerous.

He ran his eyes over me. “Do you want my jacket? We don’t know how long we’ll be up here, and your lips are turning blue.”

“I’m fine,” I lied. Truthfully, I felt like an ice block.

He drew his brows together, and a small line appeared between them. “If you’re sure. But I have a suggestion.” Hepaused, separating my hands. “We could sit closer together. It’s a well-known fact that penguins huddle for warmth.”

His logic was sound, and I liked penguins. But more importantly, I wouldn’t mind moving closer for entirely illogical reasons. I nodded. “Yes, okay. Thank you.”

He wriggled closer to my side before hesitating. “Would it be alright if I put my arm around you? I don’t think our plan will be effective if we don’t get really close.”

Butterflies danced in my tummy. I nodded, not trusting what’d come out of my mouth if I spoke. In everyday life, I’d handle this situation with unflappable grace. But this man had my brain in a whirl and my body at his mercy.

The chairlift creaked as he slid an arm around my shoulders. “In alpine conditions, conserving body heat is key,” he said. “It keeps vital organs functioning.”

His explanation sounded convincing, and who was I to argue with basic thermodynamics?

He leaned in closer. “Is that better?”

“A little,” I said. Why was my voice so squeaky?

He ran his eyes over my face, then smiled. “You have snow on your lashes.”

I stared at him. We were so close, and the warmth radiating between us had nothing to do with fleece or goose down. It was something else entirely—something unspoken, curling between us like the mist of our breath in the cold air.

I sighed, and our eyes locked—his dark, steady, and entirely too distracting. My pulse stumbled as he held my gaze, the quiet intensity between us thick enough to drown in.

For a moment, nothing else existed. Just us. Just this.

I parted my lips, ready to say something—anything to break the spell—lest I did something reckless. But before the words could form, the lift jolted, snapping me back to reality.

The momentum sent me tipping straight into my co-penguin. I braced myself against him, only for his head to dip—just slightly, just enough. And then it happened. With an almighty groan, the chairlift moved again, and my lips brushed his. Soft. Warm. Entirely accidental, but oh, so delicious.

I let out a tiny breath against his mouth. His eyes stayed open for a beat, before darkening and fluttering shut. Then he kissed me back.

I closed my eyes, lost in his closeness—the warmth of his body and his mouth. But just as soon as our lips lingered, he pulled away, running his hands down my arms, putting distance between us.

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