Page 94 of Ice To Meet You

I let out a long breath before cupping her face and capturing her lips with mine. Her fresh scent wrapped around me as I teased her lips with my tongue. When she opened her mouth, I pulled her flush against me, arms tightening.

Her tongue curled with mine, and the world faded, leaving only one certainty—I never wanted to be anywhere but locked together with her for the rest of my days.

The helicopter engine growled and Esmé pulled away, her eyes darting from side to side.

“It’s okay,” I reassured her. “If it didn’t make that noise, it wouldn’t be able to fly.”

She grinned, and I kissed the end of her gorgeous nose. “What did Gio say, exactly?”

“He was as classy as I’d expect. Spared my blushes about our video and told me not to let you jump off cliffs unchaperoned.”

I lifted the corners of my mouth. “By you?”

Esmé shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that’s what he meant.”

“Then how about it? Right now.”

Esmé opened her mouth. “But you’re not jumping off a cliff today … are you?”

I chuckled. “No. That would just be silly. I haven’t packed a parachute.”

She relaxed her shoulders—slightly.

“But I am going up in one of those.” I pointed to the two helicopters warming up on the tarmac. “Come with me?”

She blinked. “Sorry?”

“Come with me. You can ski. Join me for an adventure.” I ran my eyes over her clothes. “There’s gear you can borrow. I’ll look after you. I promise.”

Esmé shook her head. “No. I’m an average skier at best. Besides, you're on a trip. You don’t need me weighing you down. And I haven't paid. They won’t be able to fit me in.”

“I just asked the boss, and he said it was fine.”

Esmé glanced around the tarmac. “Who’s the boss? I only saw the lovely girl at the desk.”

“I’m the boss. This,” I spread my arms wide. “This is what I was talking about when I said I had plans.”

She looked around at the skiers, the helicopters, and the piles of equipment. “This is your business? I thought you were just taking a weekend off.”

I grinned. “Yes, this is my new project. We’re taking people up on to the glaciers to ski, then to stay at our lodge.” I pointed to the logo stitched on my jacket. It had a picture of the lodge and ski tracks heading down a mountain.

She glanced around at the bustle. “And all these people are staying with you?”

I nodded. “And I’d love you to come, too.”

“But what about your guests? Don’t you need to concentrate on them?”

I stroked her back. “It’s not a one man show, remember? I’ve built this with my friend, Antonio. He and the other guides can cover in my absence.”

“You have other guides? This is a proper set up?”

I chuckled. “Yes. This is where I’ve been on weekends. This is the thing that I’ve been working on for months—years. Onlyyou came along, and I took a slight detour.” I brought her hand to my chest, above my heart. “A big detour. The best kind.”

Two of the crew shifted past us carrying skis and equipment. Esmé’s gaze faltered as they went. “But I can’t ski well enough.”

“Nonsense. Besides, I’d give you a private lesson.” I threaded my other arm around her. “A very personal, one-on-one experience.”

Her eyes bounced between mine. “Matteo, are you crazy?”